The Matchup: Teams vs. the trade deadline

The Questions: Is there enough time after the trade deadline for a player to adjust to his new team? How does not making a trade affect a team that has an obvious need?

Rob Blake

Teemu Selanne

Pressure on the traded player is underestimated
Whether the three or four weeks after the trade deadline is enough for an acquired player to meld with his new team depends entirely on the player in question and maybe a little on the start he gets with his new team.

The onus is more on the player coming into the new situation than on the team that is trying to accept him. Those players are established in their ways. Whatever the reason the team traded for this player – whether they lacked firepower or toughness or goaltending – their lives haven't really been affected. There are some chemistry issues to be worked out, but the pressure is clearly on the new player to improve his new team.

This is true for everybody, but especially so for the "impact players." Goal scorers are supposed to score goals and goaltenders are supposed to stop everything. If either of these players get to their new team and aren't able to do those things immediately, it can affect their confidence tremendously. The impact players play easily quantifiable positions. The numbers are there or they're not. If they're not, it will be very easy for skeptics of the deal to criticize. If a newcomer starts to press after a less-than-blazing start, you may have problems.

How much time a player really needs to get settled is relative. In general, the time available after the trade deadline should be enough for the new player to be up to speed with his new team by the playoffs. But there's no way he's going to be at his optimum.

We constantly underestimate the affect that a change of this magnitude has on the lives of players. The job is the same and we all tend to say "He's a pro, he'll adjust." But, coming from someone who's been traded, it takes a while to adapt. Your life has taken a different direction, and you're living in a completely different city. These are huge changes, and ones that we discount too quickly. The game is the same, but it is a completely different set of circumstances. Some players do better than others accepting these changes. And, as I mentioned, early success can make things much easier.

No action can send a negative message
Players on teams that have a major need and fail to make a deal at the deadline could be affected by their management's inaction. Using Pittsburgh as an example, their goaltending has been under fire for some time. If they don't do something to address a situation that's held the team back, the other players very well may take that as a sign that the organization doesn't care whether they win or lose. Also, if they continue to have problems keeping the puck out of the net, the team could get very discouraged.

Problems like these always get picked up by the media that covers the teams, and players are only human. If everyone is saying that the team should be doing something and the players don't see anything being done, it can get very frustrating and affect their play.

On-ice adjustments after a blockbuster trade
Once the player is acquired, what does it take for the team to adjust? In the case of Teemu Selanne and the San Jose Sharks, what are the positives and negatives of a move like that? The Sharks added a proven goal scorer. The team went out and addressed a need and now it's up to both Selanne and the Sharks to make the move work. His talent should take care of it, but what happens to the leader who is already in San Jose.

With Owen Nolan and Selanne both playing the same position, something has to give. Sometimes superstars will sulk when a new name is brought to town. But in the case of the Sharks, I think this move is a winner. Selanne has a very easygoing personality, which can make the transition smoother. But until the team figures out who is going to play when and where, there could be tension.

In the end, they will mix and match until they find the combination that works. Nolan lost a sometime linemate in Jeff Friesen in the trade. Will Selanne and Nolan play together or will they split up the scoring power between two lines? It is in the coaching staff's hands to make sure they come up with the right combination of players. If they find it, and in San Jose's case, I think they will, a blockbuster trade like that can make all the difference.

Brian Engblom is a hockey analyst for ESPN. He played 11 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, including six with the Montreal Canadiens.