One of the advantages of being an “armchair general manager” is that there aren’t any real consequences for deals that may go south. Whether you are facilitating a deal on your Xbox or Playstation with NHL 14, or brokering a blockbuster in your fantasy league, the art of the deal makes the game even more entertaining when you have real(ish) control on the outcome.

In the real world, blockbusters are few and far between. With jobs at stake and careers on the line, the “BREAKING NEWS” type of trade that we love to sink our teeth into rarely comes around. I am old enough to remember the “trade of the century” on August 9, 1988 when Wayne Gretzky was shipped from Edmonton to division rival Los Angeles. I am also wise enough to know that we will never see a deal like that again in our lifetime.

To put that deal in perspective for all of you young whippersnappers, imagine Sidney Crosby being traded to the Washington Capitals for Martin Erat and two other guys that you will never hear from again. Then again, who believed Gretzky would ever be traded?

As the 2013-14 season unfolds there are some glaring weaknesses that exist on teams that have aspirations for postseason hockey. There are other teams that can pretty much wave the white flag as their own season slips through their collective gloved fingers. We commonly refer to these teams as buyers and sellers, but sometimes there are teams that do both to gain the advantages that could potentially lead them to Stanley Cup glory.

It is no secret that strong goaltending is a cornerstone to any Stanley Cup run. With all due respect to Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury, a quick glance at Stanley Cup winners from the past 20 years shows teams that have one common denominator: elite goaltending. This year is no different, and with teams starting to put some distance between themselves and the pretenders in their division, each front office will have to ask themselves if their goaltending is good enough to make a run for the Stanley Cup.

Here are the latest rumors that have run through the NHL:

• Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres to St. Louis. Odd fit considering the money that the Blues have invested in Jaroslav Halak, but the belief is that Miller can get the Blues over the hump in the playoffs. I absolutely thought that Miller would stay in the Eastern Conference, but the Sabres will look to get as much as they can for the man that used to be the face of their franchise.
• Michael Del Zotto of the New York Rangers to Colorado, or anywhere but New York. The Rangers have been shopping their young defenseman that cannot seem to stay out of coach Alain Vigneault’s doghouse. Colorado is in the market for defense with some key injuries and Del Zotto could use a change of scenery. He is a huge talent with tremendous upside, but could never play consistently well with the Rangers.
• Florida defenseman Dmitri Kulikov#was rumored to be headed to Colorado earlier this week by Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, but the deal fell through. Panther’s general manager Dale Tallon has been shopping the young defenseman to the Avalanche, Anaheim and Montreal. The Panthers are looking to get some offensive help in return and could also have an interest in Ducks rookie goaltender Frederik Andersen.
• Toronto general manager Dave Nonis has apparently been fielding calls about young defenseman Jake Gardiner. Carolina and Colorado are said to be inquiring about his availability.
• Vernon Fiddler has requested to be shopped by GM Jim Nill in Dallas to find more playing time with a different club. Speaking of which, almost all has gone quiet in regards to Martin Erat and his trade “demand” from a couple of weeks ago. No word on whether or not the Washington Capitals are actively shopping him.