Travis Hamonic Trade 'Could be Done Monday or Tuesday'...of any Given Week

The Travis Hamonic trade watch shall be milked until it is done, or until the target becomes less interesting to Canada.

As noted in the weekend's Hockey Night in Canada-fueled speculation updates, due to the player and potential teams involved the story will receive grand on-going attention from observers up north, and we'll parse those for scraps.

Damien Cox, part of that HNIC panel that discussed three-team trade possibilities and Calgary's interest in the Islanders defenseman, adds one more "word has it" nugget to a column posted today on Sportsnet:

Word on Sunday is this deal could be done Monday or Tuesday...

What?! It's coming soon?! In time for U.S. Thanksgiving?

...although the fact it’s been dragging on for months already suggests Snow won’t budge until he gets what he wants.

Oh, oh right. As you were.

The column cites the timeless "Word on (the street)," plus two losses to Montreal and general "awkwardness" of keeping a want-away around and playing 22 minutes per night.

So take the above with a grain of salt, or with whatever food particulate you prefer to spice your trade rumors. Cox also includes in that column discussion of Anaheim wanting Hamonic, mostly as a way to re-re-submit the much-refuted view that Hamonic must really hate -- sorry, be "one of those players rumored to be thoroughly unhappy" in -- Brooklyn. (Pro tip: Southern California commutes are...not swift.)

We know from previous report that Hamonic wants a trade, that it's for family reasons, that his preferred destinations are closer to his Winnipeg-area home, that Garth Snow is shopping for deals but not wanting to take any deal just to get it done, and that Hamonic recognizes that and hasn't let it affect his play any.

Stick with that.

Others are leaking info or speculation to media in a likely bid to shake the tree and force the issue, if you will. (And media are running with it because hey, I mean you're here, and YOU MUST HAVE YOUR TRADE UPDATE NOW.)

In these situations it's best to bet with the house, which is: It will last longer than the rumors say, until finally arriving at a moment when you least expect it.