Trade Speculation, TC, and Piedra de Sol

Ha ha heeee, here's a trade rumor that's inflamed the news wires with speculative thought-bubbles. You know, call-out boxes? Like the ones in Mallard Fillmore? 

Anyway, TSN writing person Darren Dreger has declared that Vincent Lecavalier is going to be traded any minute now. He knows this because he spoke to the head coach of SKA St. Petersburg about the possiblity of Jack Johnson playing in the KHL.

Huh?

The conversations surrounding Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier are likely to heat up as we get closer to July 1, when the no-trade clause on his contract kicks in.

The two teams mentioned most when Lecavalier's name comes up seem to be the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. With regards to the Kings, defenceman Jack Johnson is one of the players mentioned as possibly being involved in any deal with Tampa.

There's a slight drag weighing down a potential Vinny-for-Jack trade, though:

I had an interesting chat with Barry Smith, who is the head coach of SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL - and he said Johnson's father, Jack Johnson Sr., contacted St. Petersburg prior to the World Hockey Championship to see if the team would have interest in signing his son to a one-year contract.

Smith said he would have interest in Johnson, and believes he can make the defenceman a better player.

Hmmmm, INCHTRESTING! Why the KHL though? Did Fiery Jack fall in love with a Russian girl, an Anna or a Natasha, while over in Switzerland playing in the World Championship? Does he want to play in Russia to be with her? Surely he does.

There's also the possibility that KHL play could further develop his game, make him even better for NHL play, etc., plus all the mountains and mountains of money he'd be getting for just one year.

But I bet it has to do with Natasha, who he met in Bern. I'll get the Short Handed Mole right on it.

But forget all that. The real question is, "Who do we trade for Lecavalier?" Get your heads a'thinkin,' Thrashtards!

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You know, it's funny. In some countries, no matter how pig flu-ridden, they actually put national treasures, real life cultural demi-gods, on the TV machine from time to time in between those awesome Univision soap operas and the Sexo Urbano guide to Guadalajara.



Then again, there haven't been any Americans comparable to Octavio Paz since, I don't know, Top Cat.



What. A. Show.

And yes, I'm finding it very difficult to write about the Hockey right now. Can't think of a damn thing to say, but I'm a slave to my own "must post daily" policy. Meanwhile the Short Handed Mole is traveling the South Pacific and Shooter, Razor, and Monsieur have become blog-degenerates.