The trade deadline - a litmus test for GMs

[Daniel Janser 2,269]

The notorious trade deadline in the VHL heralds two important events in every season: first, (almost) free 6 uncapped TPE for creating theme week content (or in @Gustav 's case writing two consecutive articles about the same topic) and second they point of no return for GMs to figure out whether or not their team is ready for the remainder of the season and the potential post-season. Or in other words, it is the point in time when GM's compare their notes from the previous off-season and assess how much Simon T. has bent them over and screwed their plans and preparations over.

Ideally of course, the team is well balanced, firing on all cylinders and there is absolutely no room for improvements (you wish). Most of the time though, there is always things that could go better. Maybe the netminder is not consistent and nights where they steal matches for their team are followed by matches where they could not catch a flu in an ER to save their lives. Or the team started the season with too few forwards/defenders and additional personel is sought, which still fits into the cap. Sometimes, the team composition is skewed and nobody in the team wants to shoot or every skater is chomping on their bits to start a line brawl to the dismay of the poor coach tearing his final hairs out.

So GM's work their phones to fine tune their teams and find deals where both parties feel equally cheated.

 

Veteran players are asking for trades to finally get a cup ring and their team is definitely not going to do that this season (Nico Pearce comes to mind).

But it is also the time for trades who in seasons to come will be celebrated as a stroke of a genius, a Picasso of trades, the final piece to a Championship puzzle. Of course the chances are equally good (or even better) to be the laughing stock of their peers, being mocked for losing a trade so hard that even Mike Milbury pities them for their poor decision making. 

Trade deadline deals are like a box of chocolate: you never know whether what you get is what you imagined it to be, or whether you just sold your liver for an oversweetened, diabetes inducing piece of junk.

Other authors have already pointed out TDL deals which went into the VHL history books for better or worse. I would not be surprised if @Victor had an excel sheet somewhere stowed away covering exactly such deals, which he pulls out every now and then, clad in a dressing gown and slippers, enjoying a glass of port and a good bruyère pipe (sorry I somehow imagine Victor as a Dandy from the Victorian era) and chuckles at the tomfoolery of GM's of the past.

 

This season the TDL was less lively than other years, which either suggests that all teams are happy where they are (which I seriously doubt) or the cleft between supply and demand is so out of whack that nobody is willing to make a deal at the conditions offered (and no that is not supposed to be pun at the expense of the Warsaw GM).

 

 

Spoiler

@Spartan

530+ words

Edited January 24 by Daniel Janser

[Victor 11,143]

I also chuckle at the tomfoolery of GMs of the present as my next Media Spot will reveal.

[Daniel Janser 2,269]

11 hours ago, Victor said:

I also chuckle at the tomfoolery of GMs of the present as my next Media Spot will reveal.

I do not see a denial of the dressing gown, slippers, glass of port and Bruyère pipe, which I will take as a confirmation that I was spot on with my assumptions... 

 

[Gaikoku-hito 2,234]

On 1/24/2025 at 6:19 AM, Daniel Janser said:

This season the TDL was less lively than other years

Even zombies were more lively then the GM in the VHL this season!! LOL!!