The NHL trade deadline could use a little drama

Every time someone wants to talk about the NBA, I have the same response.

“I don’t really watch the games until about the conference finals, but I closely follow the league. I love the drama.”

Conversely, when discussing the NHL, it’s the exact opposite. The most intriguing part about the game is, well, the games. The off-ice drama is minimized by less aggressive personalities, to go along with the constraints in the collective bargaining agreement that limit player mobility.

Which brings us to this NHL trade deadline, coming up quickly on Feb. 25. Oh boy, it could be a doozy! Or could it?

The biggest chip out there, Artemi Panarin, isn’t exactly forcing his way out of Columbus. His agent declared that he won’t sign anywhere before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, which constitutes for high drama in the NHL. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, a relatively candid and aggressive GM, has declared that any team which comes calling will have to come back with a compensatory pick if Panarin decides to sign with that team.

It’s made for a complicated situation which would probably turn off other GMs around the league — say, like the Rangers Jeff Gorton, who is likely just going to wait until the summer to see if he can score the terrifically talented 27-year-old winger without giving up any assets besides money.

If this was the NBA, and if Panarin really wanted out, he would just come out publicly and create a chaotic situation. Exactly like what’s going on in New Orleans, with the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis asking for a trade and not getting one before the Feb. 7 deadline — possibly by way of the Pelicans’ front office executing a great spite against LeBron James, who might have tampered with the big man while trying to lure him to the Lakers. Now Davis, who the team considered sitting for the rest of the season — and in what other league does a team even consider sitting their best player just to make a point? — leaves a game on Thursday night with an ambiguous shoulder injury. He exited the arena arm-in-arm with his agent, the Pelicans fired GM Dell Demps on Friday and the drama will continue at this weekend’s All-Star game in Charlotte.

You know what the drama was at the NHL All-Star game? Erik Karlsson saying he really likes it in San Jose after the blockbuster deal this summer from Ottawa, and that he would consider re-signing. But he didn’t want to discuss it. Didn’t want to distract. You understand.

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Mats Zuccarello should be the exception to Rangers fire sale

Regarding the Rangers, before they become something else on or…

It’s just like the Rangers two biggest trade pieces — Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. They have both declared how much they like playing on Broadway, and don’t want to leave. The harshest thing they can muster is saying that they understand it’s a business.

Even Matt Duchene said he wants to stay in Ottawa, with a franchise that is tearing apart at the seams and figures to be for as long as Eugene Melnyk is in charge. Duchene is negotiating a long-term deal with a team owned by someone currently being sued by his business partner and who can’t get a new arena deal done because he doesn’t have the money.

And imagine, the Knicks, their $4 billion evaluation being the highest in the NBA, struggle to lure free agents. But hey, Kyrie Irving is thinking about it, and so is Kevin Durant, right? Even Zion Williamson, the 18-year-old wunderkind at Duke, has been asked about playing for the Knicks if they get the No. 1-overall pick. And then LeBron chimes in on Zion!

It’s fascinating, the machinations between players. And the league has smartly realized that the most intriguing aspect for fans is the movement of its stars. The NBA feels like LeBron signing one-year deals with a player option every single year is good for the league. Now how you feel if you owned the Timberwolves, when nobody wants to come and players like Jimmy Butler only want to leave?

The NBA has, what, at least 25 teams that have absolutely no chance of winning a title every year? And those small-market teams have very little chance of building a contender unless they luck out in the draft, year after year?

Meanwhile, the NHL is a paragon of parity. Everybody competes! Players are loyal!

You can rebuild on the fly! Nobody tanks! (Yeah, right.)

It makes for far better games and far less drama. There has to be a middle ground, because something makes me feel this NHL trade deadline is going to go off with a whimper.

Malkin mishandled

Of course, Evgeni Malkin deserved at least the one-game suspension he got for the reckless swinging of the stick toward Michael Raffl on Monday night. But how about Raffl rabbit-punching Malkin in the back of the head — nothing for that? And then Raffl acting like he was hit by sniper fire when Malkin’s stick came within six inches of his face?

I love seeing how often the AHL suspends players. It’s almost every day. One- or two-game bans coming down constantly for reckless stuff like this. But the highest league in the land continues to treat these slap-on-the-wrist suspensions like they matter to the players, doling them out very rarely. Makes no sense to me.

Jumbo Joe rolls on

Maybe not enough respect has been given to the career of Joe Thornton, who just went into sole possession of 15th on the all-time list of games played (1,542 as of Friday afternoon). He also passed Gordie Howe for ninth place on the all-time assists list (1,051) and passed Teemu Selanne for 15th on the all-time points list (1,458).

Of course, Thornton leaving the Bruins in 2005 was a bit of an ugly situation, and his underwhelming postseason performances in Boston will always be remembered up there. That, and he still hasn’t won a Stanley Cup with some terrific teams in San Jose. But still, it’s a career worthy of praise, and worthy of a bust in the Hall of Fame someday.

Stay tuned…

…to the Ducks. General manager Bob Murray fired coach Randy Carlyle — after saying he wouldn’t — and then took over behind the bench. It’s ugly in Anaheim, and isn’t likely to get any prettier soon.

Parting shot

Ryan Callahan has been quite the (well-paid) solider for the Lightning, often a healthy scratch on a team loaded with talent. But the former Rangers captain might make an impact come the postseason, and he flashed some skill with this nice breakaway finish (and terrific celebration).