One of the most exciting days of the year for hockey fans turned out to be a major disappointment. Yes, the NHL trade deadline day was more of a trade dudline, with no high profile players changing location despite a record number of deals.

Now, to be fair, there were really two trade deadline days this year, with a trade freeze also taking place before the 2010 Winter Olympic break. Prior to that deadline there were a couple of blockbuster deals that involved huge names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Dion Phaneuf, so if you add those deals into the mix it starts to look a little better.

Of course, another culprit in the deadline day malaise is the salary cap structure that was implemented following the 2004-05 lockout year. General managers now have a rigid financial structure besides their own team budget that they must operate within. Financially strong teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers used to be able to nab some high priced rentals for the stretch drive to the playoffs, but these days are forced to sit on the sidelines along with their poorer NHL cousins.

Though the day can largely be considered a bust in terms of fan interest there were a few deals of note that went down. Probably the deal with the biggest potential impact down the road was one between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Colorado Avalanche. Wojtek Wolski, one of Colorado's highest scoring players with 47 points in 61 games went to Phoenix in exchange for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. Mueller was a highly touted prospect and scored 22 goals in his rookie season. However, with just 4 goals this season he has been a major disappointment. Colorado is obviously hoping a change of scenery will reignite the talent he showed in the first year of his career. Financial considerations, as they do in just about any deal in this salary cap era, certainly played a role as well. Wolski is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and with the numbers he is putting up would certainly be in line for a large pay raise. It is an unfortunate reality in today's NHL and one that could impact Colorado's playoff push down the stretch.

One of the most interesting trades involved the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. Not because of the players that were involved in the deal - Steve Staios and Aaron Johnson - but because the two teams, bitter cross-province rivals, actually deigned to become trade partners. Word has it that this is the first time in NHL history the two teams have actually swung a deal.

Beyond that there really wasn't much of note that took place. Other familiar names that moved include Lubomir Vishnovsky, Ryan Whitney, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Raffi Torres.

Perhaps more interesting were the players that didn't move - most notably Ray Whitney and Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle's name seems to be front and center at every trade deadline, yet so far the trigger has never been pulled on a deal. Kaberle has a no trade clause, but according to Leafs' GM Brian Burke, Kaberle let it be known through his agent that there were 3 teams he would be willing to waive it for. Burke kicked the tires, but no deal was there to be made.

So now that the trade deadline has come and gone hockey fans can forget about trade rumors and look forward to the final push to the playoffs. With the incredible parity in the league over the past few years this is a massively entertaining time for hockey fans, with playoff level intensity in play every night. It will be interesting to see which, if any, of today's acquisitions will have an impact on their new team, and perhaps be the reason that team is playing playoff hockey in April instead of hitting the golf course.

Well, this is a move that comes as a surprise to very few. Today, the Oilers announced that they have relieved head coach Craig MacTavish of his duties, citing a mutual agreement between Mac-T and team brass that a change was needed.

The Oilers faded badly down the stretch, and were leapfrogged by several teams scrambling to make the playoffs. When the dust settled on the NHL regular season the Oilers were in 11th place, 6 points out of a playoff spot. This season marks the 3rd consecutive year the Oilers have failed to qualify for the post-season. The year before that they made it all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals before finally bowing out to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Oilers certainly have no shortage of talent to work with, and a fresh voice might be able to dredge up some work ethic to go along with it. The '06 Oilers were famous for that very work ethic, yet somewhere along the way the grit and determination that made that squad so successful has fallen by the wayside. MacTavish had tried to inspire that determination in this year's club, going so far as to call out underperforming players in the media, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. That, more than any other reason is why MacTavish is being shown the door.

It will be strange not seeing Mac-T behind the Oilers' bench. He has been a fixture there as either an assistant or a head coach for a decade now. It is possible that MacTavish could wind up in another role in the Oilers' organization, but I would bet that this won't be his last stint as an NHL head coach.

It is too bad to see Mac-T fall by the wayside. He had a better sense of humor than most NHL coaches, and was always good for a quip or two in post-game interviews. He deserved better from his players, and I hope we see him back behind an NHL bench sooner rather than later.

There was a little hockey history made tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Goaltender Martin Brodeur recorded his 552nd career regular season victory, overtaking his childhood hero Patrick Roy for 1st overall on the all-time list. Brodeur had tied the record on Saturday in an emotional game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Brodeur stopped 30 of 32 shots to post the victory. The Chicago Blackhawks, hoping to avoid being a footnote to this piece of hockey history, threw the full arsenal at Brodeur, and fans at the Prudential Center were holding their collective breath as Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien got Chicago within one with just over two minutes remaining.

With the NHL record for career wins now under his belt Brodeur can now switch his focus to chasing down Terry Sawchuk's record for career shutouts. Sawchuk had 103 donuts in his Hall of Fame career, but Brodeur is breathing down his neck, having recently posted his 100th career shutout.

This latest accomplishment just pours more fuel on the fire of the Brodeur vs. Roy debate. Look for that debate to rage on well after Brodeur has played his final NHL game.