The 2011 NHL Trade Deadline is quickly approaching, which means players will be on the move. Canadian teams have been active, and they’ll all be in action for the annual “Hockey Day In Canada” trio of matchups on Saturday.

Senators Oilers Betting – Saturday, 2:00 PM ET

Ottawa, who just traded Mike Fisher to Nashville, may go into this game as the road favorite as they’re 4-1 SU in their last five trips to Edmonton, and they need to make something happen in this battle of last-place teams as the Senators have lost 11 straight games. Four of those meetings have gone under the posted total.

Maple Leafs Canadiens Betting – Saturday, 7:00 PM ET

In what is arguably hockey’s most heated rivalry, the Canadiens will be the home favorites against the Maple Leafs, who traded Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim for Joffrey Lupul . The Maple Leafs are 3-2 SU in their last five visits to the Bell Center, with two of the last three coming in under the posted total. It’s always a big occasion when these Original Six rivals face each other.

Flames Canucks Betting – Saturday, 10:00 PM ET

In the nightcap, the league’s best team, Vancouver, will definitely be the home favorites against the Flames, who are 2-3 SU in their last five trips to British Columbia. The Flames have been playing extremely well to storm into the playoff picture, and they won in Vancouver just back in January, but another win would be an upset for those betting online.

By now sports betting enthusiasts who initially took the Buffalo Sabres as the 2010-11 NHL Stanley Cup Champion, have been able to change their wager. However, if you were unable to do so and still believe that the recent turn around by the Sabres is for real, your betting online dreams of a Sabres championship were put to bed on Friday.

On Christmas Eve, former Kitchener Ranger and current Buffalo Sabre Derek Roy received the worst present of all as he found out that his season in effect is over due to a quadriceps injury. In the Sabres most recent game a four to three loss against the New York Rangers, Roy tore part of quadriceps at the seven minute mark of the first period during a collision with a Rangers player.

Surgery on the injury will sideline Roy for the next four to six months. The injury comes as a costly blow to a Sabres team that has had numerous injuries to battle through this season. As a result of all of the injuries, the Sabres got out of the gate slow and occupied the 14^th of 15 seeds in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. But after a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in early November, the Sabres appeared to be getting their legs back as they slowly climbed up the rankings.

But with Roy’s most recent injury, the final nail appears to have been placed in the Sabres coffin. Aside from Roy, some other integral players to the Sabres success that have gotten injured, include, all world goaltender Ryan Miller, and fellow forward Jason Pomminville. Of the three players, Pomminville has missed the most time, as he has suffered from two concussions this season.

Before succumbing to season ending injury, Roy led the team with 10 goals and 25 assists in 35 games this season. With the next player on the team only at 27 points in 35 games, the Sabres will have their work cut out for them the rest of the way.

The Kentucky Derby odds and Pacquiao vs Hatton odds are upon us, so today is perhaps my last chance to steal your attention until then.

I “treated” you hockey betting fans to first-round Stanley Cup betting playoff predictions in Haiku. I shall now try to outdo myself with second round NHL playoff picks…in gangsta rap lyric form.

Here goes nothin, sportsbook playas…

Red Wings vs Ducks odds

FOR DA DUCKS ROUND ONE AIN’T ONE BIT OF LUCK

JONAS HILLER STOPPIN PUCKS LOOKIN GOOD AS F*CK

GETZLAF PERRY BUSTIN GOALS IN DA THROATS OF DEM SHARKS

THREW THOSE BIG FISH OUTTA WATER LIKE IT’S NOAH’S ARK

BUT WHAT’S THAT IN THE SKY? IT’S A BIRD, NAW, A PLANE

IT’S DEM RED WINGS SWOOPIN DOWN GONNA MAKE IT RAIN

DEM SWEDES AND RUSSIANS WINNING CUPS LIKE ITS OUTTA STYLE

GONNA HUNT DOWN THOSE DUCKS, POWWA PLAY RUNNIN WILD.

(NHL betting pick:: Red Wings in six)

Blackhawks vs Canucks odds

SH*T SON IT’S THE FLAMES LIGHTIN HAWKS ON FIRE

KHABIBULIN SEEING RUBBER LIKE A MICHELIN TIRE

BUT THE CHI-TOWN KIDS BROUGHT DA RUCKUS ON THE ROAD

CRAZY KILLAS ON DEFENSE GONNA SHOULDER THE LOAD

LIKE ALL EMPIRES THE HAWKS BETTA BRACE FOR A FALL

CUZ THEY ABOUT TO RUN INTO A GREASY BRICK WALL

VANCOUVA RIDES THE MASKED MAN BY THE NAME OF LUONGO

GAT ! GAT! GONNA GET THEM, PLAY THE KIDS LIKE BONGOS.

(NHL betting pick:Canucks in seven)

Stay tuned for round two of NHL playoff betting tomorrow. Word…and you thought only hoops betting folk could rhyme…