Trade Deadline vs. Playoff Race

As the trade deadline approaches and many of us are being diagnosed with spring fever, the battle between the trade deadline and the playoff race continues. The trade deadline is on February 28th; the last day of February and the day that decides what teams really want that final playoff spot and what teams are trying to rebuild for the future. The playoff race; with playoffs beginning this April, is already heating up, with an unbelievably close Western Conference and an equally exciting Eastern Conference. Personally, this is my favourite time of the regular season. As I am from Toronto, I am naturally a Toronto Maple Leafs Fan. Therefore, I was rightfully thrown off by their first few games in which it seemed as if they were the returning Stanley Cup Champions. The beginning of the season usually starts off with a bang but really doesn't hold any significance for the remainder of the season. This part of the season; before the trade deadline and at the beginning of the playoff race, is really the time to pay attention and place your bets. This is the time where you find out which teams are legitimately making a run for the playoffs and which teams should be looking to make some improvements for next year. For a team like New Jersey; arguably the hottest team in the NHL, the playoff hunt may have come too late for them, but for other teams, like much of the Western Conference and a handful of teams in the Eastern Conference, the playoff hunt has only just begun. I hope, like me, you are all obnoxiously checking your Blackberrys at all times for the latest trade and playoff updates, but unlike me, let's just hope you aren't getting in as much trouble as I am. Have a Happy Deadline everyone!