Trading Craig Conroy

As it turns out veteran center Craig Conroy is the most sought-after commodity in the NHL open market. There's more evidence than simple word on the street that Conroy is targeted by the Ottawa Senators, looking to bolster their second-line center position. Even though #22 has mainly played a defensive role on the Kings this year (due to the absence of Alyn McCauley), he has the resume and the skills in his 34-year old body to feed the tape-to-tape passes to RW Daniel Alfredsson.

Even though the main reason for the GM get-together in Toronto is straightening out the scheduling irregularities, I can't believe Dean Lombardi and John Muckler won't find enough time to talk. Here's a shortlist of when to pull the trigger and when to hold his fire for Mr. Lombardi.

1. Conroy for Brian Lee, D
Lee is #9 overall from 2005 draft and has been nothing but praised all the way. Dominating as he is, imagine him paired with Jack Johnson and/or Brian Boyle on the Kings blue line. By this time the Anaheim Ducks d-men combo of Niedermayer and Pronger will have hung their stakes.

Hartman says: Pull the trigger, Deano!

2. Conroy for Anton Volchenkov, D
Volch has 3+ NHL seasons under his belt and due to this experience might fit into the more imminent Lombardi plans even better. Steady defensive d-man (to be paired with Oleg Tverdovsky?) and a positive impact on Alex Frolov with whom he used to play on the Russian national team. No brainer.

Hartman says: Pull the trigger, Deano!

3. Conroy for Christoph Schubert, D
The 24-year old German blueliner has not turned out to be anything special to date (apart from being a PIM monster), so unless the Senators are willing to throw in a relatively high draft pick (say not lower than third round)...

Hartman says: Hold your fire, Deano!

4. Conroy and Aaron Miller for Anton Volchenkov,D and Antoine Vermette, F
Flexible forward Vermette has been rumored to be shopped on a number of previous ocassions, apparently with no takers. If this was a deadline deal, I'd probably recommend pulling the trigger, as both Conroy and Miller are not expected to be back with the Kings anyway. However, at the beginning of November (unless Senators substitute Vermette with Mike Fischer)...

Hartman says: Hold your fire, Deano!

5. Craig Conroy for draft pick(s)?
Hmm, if we could get back the second round pick we seem to have wasted prematurely on Dan Cloutier, I'd get on the table and do the tummy-dance. Will the Sens be tempted to succumb as much though?

One way or another, it seems Conroy (and his beatiful unseen wife ;)) are a thing of the past very soon. It will be the perceived value of CC as the prototypical second-line two-way center in the eyes of John Muckler that the return the Kings get will be set.

If I had my way, I'd go for options 1) or 2).