With hockey deadline approaching, expect more trades

While the NBA trading deadline passed without a whimper, don't expect the same when the clock runs out on NHL dealing on Tuesday.

Only three minor basketball deals went down Thursday with no stars changing teams. But hockey's history is quite different.

Last season, the first following the yearlong lockout, a league-record 25 trades were made the day of the deadline and 40 players were moved. That is second only to 2003 when 46 players were dealt in 24 trades.

It is unlikely that a player with the impact of Peter Forsberg, sent from Philadelphia to Nashville last week, will be sent packing. But pending free agents like Columbus' Bryan Berard, St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk, Bill Guerin and Eric Brewer and New York Islanders leading scorer Jason Blake could be on the move.

New York is right on the cusp of a playoff position, so it is unclear if new general manager Garth Snow -- the team's backup goalie a year ago -- would want to move Blake and jeopardize any postseason hopes. But it might be prudent for the Islanders to get what they can for the 33-year-old Blake, who has already matched his career high with 28 goals and will command an expensive, long-term contract on the open market.

Buffalo might look to deal from its goaltending strength and trade free agent Martin Biron to help stock a roster that has been depleted by major injuries -- including recent ones to top forwards Maxim Afinogenov (broken wrist) and Chris Drury (concussion).

The Sabres were already without seven regulars for Thursday's fight-filled game against Ottawa when Drury went down.

The trade activity a year ago came as a bit of a surprise since teams were working within the confines of a salary cap for the first time. The upper limit rose after last season and could reach near $50 million for the 2007-08 season.

There have been at least 17 trades completed on deadline day the past five seasons with over 30 players switching teams each time. Only once since 1990 have there been fewer than 10 deals, and four days have produced 20 or more.