James Van Riemsdyk is a very solid top six player that has a lot of good jam to his game. He does will in the ugly areas. He will likely end up being a cap casualty as the young studs finish out their entry-level contracts in Toronto. Barrie has been abysmal, but maybe a fresh start with Mike Babcock would help out. I’m sure Barrie could be a better option for the Leafs on the blue line than Matt Hunwick. Right?

I go with Pittsburgh on this one because Pittsburgh has had serious injury issues with defensemen this season and might be willing to put a veteran like Beauchemin in a depth position with little, if any, responsibility once their many injured defensemen do get back.

There’s potential to add a few more pieces to this trade to make it work, but I could see Comeau possibly finding a home in the bottom six in Edmonton. Musil adds some more defensive depth to the system. He has a lot of size at 6’4″ and 207 lbs., and while he would be a project, could pay off in later years as a serviceable defender for the team. A pick helps give a bit more value to the Avalanche in this trade that would send an NHL roster player to the Oilers

Jarome Iginla doesn’t fit on this team, at all. He can’t keep up and it’s obvious. San Jose seems like a possible landing spot for Iginla as the Sharks’ style would fit his abilities. They are also a contending team that could give him one last run at a Stanley Cup. The return won’t be great, perhaps a 4th round pick or later, and the Avalanche may have to retain some of Iginla’s salary. That won’t be an issue in the long run, however, as Iginla’s contract is up at the end of this season anyways.

I’ve chosen Montreal for John Mitchell because Montreal is currently hurting for depth at center with the rash of injuries they have had. Now Mitchell is not the type of player that is going to replace Alex Galchenyuk, but he could provide some much needed depth.