Michael Russo's Sunday Insider: No-trade clause and effect

To wrap up the trade deadline, let's start with these no-trade clauses, something that has been given to 116 of 690 (16.8 percent) NHL players.

Rob Blake and Alex Tanguay wouldn't trade their no-trade clauses. Adam Foote would only go to one team, Colorado. And what the Toronto media has dubbed the "Frozen Five" -- Mats Sundin, Tomas Kaberle, Bryan McCabe, Pavel Kubina and Darcy Tucker -- all refused to waive their no-trade clauses.

This was within these players' rights, but this is why the Wild has a policy against no-trade clauses (at least for now; we'll see what happens if Marian Gaborik demands one).

In my Jan. 6 column, Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough predicted this would handicap teams: "I don't see in the [collective bargaining agreement] a mandatory, 'When this player's this age, you give him a no-trade.'"

The only no-trade clause the Wild has given is a limited one to goalie Niklas Backstrom, and that's because when he signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract last summer, the Wild still had Manny Fernandez. Backstrom didn't want to commit to Minnesota, then wind up with a new address if the Wild couldn't deal Fernandez.

The Wild wasn't able to trade Backstrom this season, but the no-trade clause is lifted this summer. Then it goes back into place until it's lifted again from Feb. 1 to next season's trade deadline.

Interim Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher was brought in to create salary cap room and build assets by unloading bodies for his successor. Axed GM John Ferguson's poor decision-making has inhibited Fletcher, and he was able to pull off only three minor deals.

"We're skating in different arenas than other teams," Fletcher said. "We're dealing for draft picks; my son [Penguins assistant GM Chuck Fletcher] is dealing for [Marian] Hossa."

As one of TSN's draft-day experts, Ferguson defended himself, saying, "If [the Frozen Five] didn't get their no-trades here, they would have got them somewhere else. [Fletcher] was handcuffed, but he didn't come in blindfolded."

Maple Leafs President Richard Peddie said, "Maybe the whole league will learn something from this."

Wild dangled Pouliot: According to sources, Risebrough would have been willing to part with 2005 fourth overall pick Benoit Pouliot at the deadline, but teams wanted future studs such as James Sheppard, Mikko Koivu and Colton Gillies. Pouliot's stock is down. He has followed a 19-goal, 36-point rookie year in Houston with nine goals and 21 points in 42 games this season.

Hindsight is 20-20: In his Steel City debut, Hossa sprained his medial collateral ligament and could miss a month. The Penguins traded Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a 2008 first-round pick to Atlanta for Hossa and Pascal Dupuis.

That's a lot to give up when it will be hard for Pittsburgh to re-sign Hossa. Sidney Crosby has an $8.7 million cap hit, and Evgeni Malkin will have to be re-signed in a year. Safe to say Pittsburgh is aware the "Big Three" model Tampa Bay had can't work.

In a related note, Coyotes fans went crazy when the Arizona Republic's website headline read, "Coyotes Land Hossa," until they realized it was the "other" Hossa, the Rangers' Marcel Hossa. Could Phoenix have acquired Hossa to lure his older bro this summer?

Shot across the bow: Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe wouldn't critique trade deadline deals: "That's for the GMs who've been fired [tweaking TSN analysts Ferguson and Mike Milbury]."