Dallas Stars Daily Links: NHL Trade Deadline Passes with a Flurry of Activity around the League

The NHL Trade Deadline always feels a bit like Christmas. There's all this anticipation, building and building in the weeks leading up to it, and then, when the anticipation has reached a fever-pitch, and after we maybe exchange a few small presents on Christmas Eve to tide us over, Christmas morning finally arrives.

A whole array of delightful gifts waiting, each one picked up, gasped over, and then set aside and quickly forgotten. And by the end of the day, everybody's lying around after having eaten too much Christmas dinner, your least favorite uncle is drunk and singing in the next room, and nobody really remembers more than one or two of the gifts they got that morning. Everything else is packed away, and maybe reappears later with the thought 'Oh I remember that now!'

Dallas fans basically got Tim Thomas for Trade Deadline Christmas this year. There was one other transaction, but I've erased it from my mind. Yep. Tim Thomas will be backing up Kari Lehtonen, and Dan Ellis' problems are now Florida's. But is Thomas going to sit quietly and behave like a good backup should? Or do the Stars have some delightful goalie controversy coming up? Wanna know the background to the trade? And how it all went down? [Sports Day DFW]

And later this year, when you're trying to write thank you notes for all the Trade Deadline Christmas gifts that you've completely forgotten about, the following list will help. Notable trades of yesterday, in no particular order:

Martin Erat is on his way to Phoenix, as the Capitals try to bury a mistake from last season's trade deadline. This trade happened the day before yesterday. Sue me.

Captains Martin St. Louis and Ryan Callahan swap places as Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman's hand is forced by his captain.

Two goaltenders are seeing their second trades of the season. Devan Dubnyk couldn't have been very settled in Nashville before he's on his way to Montreal, and Jaroslav Halak barely had time to unpack his bags in Buffalo before he's on his way to Washington.

Thomas Vanek is now a Candien, as Montreal goes all in.

Ryan Kesler did not get traded, because apparently the Canucks didn't think the price was right.

Marian Gaborik is on the move at the deadline for the second season running, leaving Columbus for LA.

Matt Moulson will be suiting up for Minnesota, after Buffalo attempts to trade their entire team for draft picks.

And David Legwand is going to Detroit, as Nashville trades the original Predator.

Phew. And no, that's not nearly all of them. For that list, go here. [NHL.com]

And here's a breakdown of all the significant moves, from Dan Rosen. [NHL.com]

* * *

Turning our focus to the Stars, there's a game tonight. Against Vancouver. In Dallas. I could say more about it, but I won't. Other people will instead. [Stars Inside Edge] [NHL.com]

Tom Sestito and Antoine Roussel rank 1st and 2nd in the league respectively in penalty minutes. Meaning Roussel will have to fight somebody else in order to have a shot at becoming number one. [Sports Day DFW]

Now, a few thoughts from Josh Bogorad on how the Stars were rather quiet at the deadline. And how that's a good thing. [On the Radar]

One notable non-mover, well, barring the Roberto Luongo trade, was Vancouver. And because of it, some Canucks fans are losing faith. [Pass it to Bulis]

And lastly, just in case there hasn't been enough [redaction] in your life, Obscene Alex is back for a special trade deadline edition. All the Central Division trades, big and small, with expert Conference III analysis of each. [III Communication]