from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,

We thought we’d have a little fun by matching up sellers with prospective buyers to see where there might be some mutual ground. And just to be sure that we’re not veering wildly into fantasy land, we asked an NHL pro scout to give these proposals a once-over. Most, repeat most, passed the smell test, but there are a couple that he thought were “worse than what those message board guys come up with.”

But then he added, “I can’t figure out what’s going on with a lot of [real] trades. Remember [Martin] Erat for [Filip] Forsberg? Nothing surprises me anymore.”...

Buffalo sends Jaroslav Halak to Washington for Michal Neuvirth: After watching the Capitals’ Sunday meltdown against the Flyers, I’m thinking that they have more issues on the blueline than in goal, but this deal allows Washington to add some veteran presence between the pipes for a possible playoff run and move a player who has made it clear that he wants out. The Sabres get an NHL-ready puckstopper with some upside who can challenge Jhonas Enroth for playing time.

read on for nine more of these types of trades...