Puck Headlines: Penner, Richards fallout; trade deadline review

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Pass or Fail: The Chicago Wolves St. Patrick's Day jersey. [Wolves, via Hockey Broad]

• Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews(notes), San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi(notes) and New Jersey Devils goaltender Johan Hedberg(notes) have been named the NHL "Three Stars" for the month of February. Johan Hedberg. No. 3 star for an entire month. As the Devils goalie. Incredible.

• New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello on Zach Parise(notes): "Zach Parise will be seeing the physician on [March 2] and we will have knowledge of exactly where he's at, and what he can do, and when he can skate, when he can't skate. ... The results of the examination, that will say everything." [Devils]

• Long interview on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas featuring Brad Richards(notes) of the Dallas Stars, in which he says he never agreed to waive his no-trade clause for the New York Rangers; talks about his concussion recovery; and discusses housemate James Neal(notes) being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. [Stars]

• Kings GM Dean Lombardi on whether Richards was in play: "No, I don't think he was ever a viable option, pretty much (since) early last week. I think it was probably pretty far-fetched, given where Dallas is and that we're in the same division. That was highly unlikely." [LA Kings Insider]

• Is Jason Arnott(notes) the new Sergei Fedorov(notes) for the Washington Capitals? We'll assume they aren't talking about skating ability. [Capitals Insider]

• The threat of legal action by the Goldwater Institute is really raising the price tag for the Phoenix Coyotes for the city of Glendale. [AZ Republic, via reader Solo]

• Great piece by Jeff Z. Klein on 37-year-old Donald Brashear(notes) and the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, considered "the toughest hockey league in the world." [NY Times, via reader 'the immortal reg dunlop']

• "My question is...does throwing up everywhere and then passing out in it, at a sold out hockey game, in front of thousands of people get this guy laid?" [Barstool and viewer discretion is advised; via Dave McBrayer]

• Analyzing the Los Angeles Kings' big trade: "The Penner is Mightier than the Sturm." [Royal Half]

• Another take on the Dustin Penner(notes) trade: "For those who were clamoring for a big deal at the deadline, you got it.  For those who didn't want to see chemistry or core compromised, you got it." [Pro Sports Blogging]

• Interesting piece comparing Penner's trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs' choice to hang on to Clarke MacArthur(notes) at the deadline. [PPP]

• Nice work out of Phil Kessel(notes), as the Toronto Maple Leafs star donated $5,000 to Brendan Burke Internship, USA Hockey announced Tuesday; money one assumes had come from his "Mr. Irrelevant" windfall at the NHL All-Star Draft. [The Star]

• Why, exactly, are the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers trade buddies? [Pass It To Bulis]

• If you missed it, the Twitter dust-up between Florida Panthers president Michael Yormark and Miami Herald writer George Richards. Randy Moller, Panthers announcer, told us on Puck Daddy Radio Tuesday that they shared a laugh about it Tuesday morning. [Pro Hockey Talk]

• The Montreal Canadiens lose Jaroslav Spacek(notes) for 4-6 weeks to surgery. Said Spacek: "The situation is that I went to see the doctor yesterday and we decided to go for a clean up of my knee.  I think it's a good thing for me because at least I can come back this season." [Canadiens]

• Quebec's new hockey arena would be called the Videotron amphitheatre. Look, if this means lightcycle races when the New Nords are on the road, we're all for it. [Y!]

• Following up on this great piece by Leahy: "The Checkers today announced ‘Facebook Fandemonium 2,' an online fundraising initiative with the goal of raising $25,000 for Zach 'Bug' Bennett and his family. For every new ‘like' the Checkers get on their Facebook fan page, the team will donate $2 to the Bennetts, up to $25,000, as they continue to gather the resources needed to move to Charlotte." [Checkers]

• Darren Eliot on the trade deadline: "It was hard to wow or surprise anyone with anything that went down. I mean, how much wonder can there be in a cap era where exchanging assets is done under much narrower parameters and players send tweets as they walk out of a GM's office, as defenseman Brent Sopel(notes) did when he was sent from Atlanta to Montreal? The world was aware of the move before Sopel had gathered his gear and left the building." [SI]

• Down Goes Brown presents deadline winners and losers. "Loser: Vancouver Canucks -- Despite a handful of minor moves, still completely failed to address the team's most obvious flaw, a distinct lack of depth on the sixth line." [DGB]

• Steven Ovadia on the NHL trade deadline's meaning this season: "So while a slow deadline day is always kind of a bummer, it really is a sign of the NHL's overall health. The league has achieved parity and while that doesn't always make for exciting games, it gives the fans plenty to root for over the course of a very long season." [Puck Update]

• Are the Carolina Hurricanes a playoff team? [Canes Country]

• NOT HOCKEY: As we pour a little out for our mates at NHL FanHouse Tuesday, a great look back at the Great Fantasy Sports Girl Mutiny. [Deadspin]

• Via Scotty Hockey, a look at what the $1.575 billion stadium complex in Las Vegas would look like. [Wired]

• A podcast featuring Bourne, Lambert and Sean Gentille of The Sporting News? Yes please. [JTBourne]

• Finally, using Blur's "Song 2" can spice up any highlight of a 9-year-old scoring. But why is the title of this "Ice-Hockey Crack"?

Related: Jaroslav Spacek, Jason Arnott, Antti Niemi, Phil Kessel, Jonathan Toews, James Neal, Clarke MacArthur, Dustin Penner, Zach Parise, Sergei Fedorov, Johan Hedberg, Brad Richards, Brent Sopel, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

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Twins would be conceding AL Central if they trade ace Liriano

This business of the Minnesota Twins shopping left-hander Francisco Liriano(notes) certainly fits their organization's profile for the past 50 years.

Liriano is a free agent after the 2012 season, which means it's not too early for the Twins to trade him so they don't have to pay him. It's like, even a step or two ahead, of what they did with Johan Santana(notes) a few years back.

If you thought the days of the Twins going cheap were over simply because their ballpark is a cash cow and they gave Joe Mauer(notes) all that money, well, you were wrong. (Apparently Mauer got all the money.)

Liriano is — by a wide margin — the Twins' best pitcher. Not only does he have an ace's stuff, he actually pitched like an ace in 2010 at age 26. Further, he was one of the two or three best pitchers in the AL.

The Twins treat him like potential that never will be realized. Sometimes, he gives them reason. But there's no sense risking dollars on that, in Minnesota's view.

Well, if the Twins trade Liriano for something like what has been rumored, then we'll know for sure about their plan for 2011: They are giving up on winning the AL Central this season.

Look at the other evidence:

• They let go of free-agent relievers Brian Fuentes(notes), Jesse Crain(notes) and Matt Guerrier(notes), signed no serious replacements and will instead rely on Matt Capps(notes), along with a returning-from-serious-injury Joe Nathan(notes), and kids.

• They practically dared Jim Thome(notes) to leave for the Texas Rangers, but lucked out because of the good graces that allowed him to leave money on the table in Arlington. Jimmers! The Twins used this tactic, despite plenty of uncertainty about the ability of slugger Justin Morneau(notes) to get on the field.

• They declined the option on the last remaining Piranha — utilityman and lucky medallion Nick Punto(notes). Nick Punto, of all people, was deemed too expensive! Good-bye, horseshoe.

• They traded starting arbitration-eligible shortstop J.J. Hardy(notes) and are planning on using Alexi Casilla(notes) there, when he can't really play second base.

Has Carl Pohlad come back to life to make these decisions?

Liriano doesn't figure to fetch as much in trade as the Milwaukee Brewers got for Zack Greinke(notes), though maybe the Twins could get more than the Toronto Blue Jays got for Shaun Marcum(notes). A package of mediocre maybes, just like the Santana deal.

And how awesome would it be (sarcasm) if the Twins traded Liriano to the New York Yankees? Just what the rest of the league needs after an offseason of discontent for Bronx GM Brian Cashman.

Not only would the Twins be conceding to the White Sox and Tigers, they'd be helping the Yanks get closer to trophy No. 28.

The Twins in '10 won the AL Central for the sixth time this century and certainly could do it again this season.

If only the front office hadn't given up already.

Follow Dave on Twitter — @AnswerDave

Related: Shaun Marcum, Francisco Liriano, Matt Guerrier, Nick Punto, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jesse Crain, Zack Greinke, Brian Fuentes, Johan Santana, Jim Thome, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

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Party's over for Padres: A-Gone is just that after trade to Boston

Multiple sources are reporting on Saturday morning that the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox have agreed on a trade that will finally send first baseman Adrian Gonzalez(notes) to Fenway Park for a package of minor leaguers. Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports the crop will include three of Boston's top six prospects — pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Reymond Fuentes. 

Gonzalez is currently in Boston, where he'll undergo a physical and then attempt to negotiate a contract extension with the Red Sox that would begin in 2012.

The ramifications of this deal are pretty clear. The Red Sox will get the Mark Teixeira(notes)-type MVP contender that they have long coveted for their lineup. They'll sacrifice a few top prospects, but it's a fair price in their eyes (and mine, too) to acquire a franchise cornerstone and play keeping-up-with-the-Joneses against the New York Yankees. It's scary to think how A-Gone will perform now that he'll be playing half of his games with that short right field at Fenway Park instead of in the spacious pastures of Petco Park. (Gonzalez hit 11 home runs in San Diego in 2010, compared to 20 on the road.)

Meanwhile, the swap is a loud indication that the Padres won't get nostalgic about their unexpected success in 2010 and will stick to their plan of stockpiling and cultivating young and cheap talent. In addition to this Gonzalez trade, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that the Padres will "absolutely" trade closer Heath Bell(notes) at some point this offseason. 

This undoubtedly won't go over well with Padres fans, but you can't blame the team's front office here. San Diego didn't score many runs or attract many fans with the presence of Gonzalez, a friendly hometown guy playing for the team he grew up supporting. Why lock him into a deal expected to approach Teixeira's $180 million that would hamstring the franchise while adding other players for the next eight-nine years? 

It's the business of baseball and the Padres are already proving themselves adept at realizing the differences between big and small markets. They didn't get sentimental with Jake Peavy(notes) in 2009 and sent him to the Chicago White Sox for a package of prospects. Just over one year later, Peavy is a gigantic injury question mark that will cost the White Sox $33 million over the next two years while the Padres still have one of the best young pitching rotations in the league. Time will tell if the Padres GM Jed Hoyer picked the right prospects from the Red Sox (the team he used to work for), but he has made the right move in remaining flexible while building his team of the future.  

Related: Adrián González, Jake Peavy, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres

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