Buy, sell and trade are not just terms for stock investors anymore.

This morning, and for the next three weeks, they will be on the minds and lips of thousands of hockey fans across Canada and here in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Should the Lewiston Maineiacs sell off their star players to build for the future?

Should they keep them and maintain the status quo, and “buy” players to get better this season?

Should they trade up or down in age to get younger or older?

In the spirit of a true election season, yes and no.

The first thing that people in the Lewiston-Auburn area that are avid Maineiacs’ fans need to realize, though, is that being a true hockey fan isn’t just about winning or losing immediately, but rather the long-term goal of the organization.

The biggest trade rumors to date have centered on star forward Alexandre Picard. This eighth overall pick in the 2004 NHL (what’s that?) entry draft is easily the most coveted Maineiac around the league, and would be a solid addition to any team trying to get better for a run at the President’s Cup and Memorial Cup. He is currently third in the league in goals scored and in the top 10 in overall points, and at 19 is unlikely to be playing in the QMJHL next season.

Head coach and General Manager Clem Jodoin and Picard himself are saying no’ without question, and are believeable.

So what else is out there?

Other big rumors have defenseman Jonathan Paiement, last year a first-team All-Star selection, out the door by week’s end, and Jaroslav Halak, a first-year, 19-year-old Slovakian goaltender, following suit.

Rumors are part of what makes this league fun to watch and follow. Every fan has an opinion and loves to believe that they know what will happen. Reality has a funny way of rendering its own decisions, though, and the only person that truly knows what is going to happen is the team’s GM, Clem Jodoin. And even he may not know what will happen right away. As he puts it, he is “listening and waiting.”

Here are some facts about the current crop of Lewiston Maineiacs:

Thirteen current players will be eligible to play for the Maineiacs in 2006-07, which is likely to be the best of the first four in Lewiston. Alex Bourret, Mathieu Aubin, Maxime Mathieu and Olivier Legault will be 20-years-old, Marc-Andre Cliche, Chad Denny, Michal Korenko, Michael Lafleur, Marc-Andre Daneau, Eric Castonguay and Guy Belisle will all be 19, and Pierre-Luc Champagne and Jonathan Bernier will be 18. Assume one of the 20’s is gone (limited to three per team), and you have eight forwards, three defensemen and one goalie.

Based on those numbers, the team needs some young, talented defensemen to fill an apparent void via draft or trade, both of which can happen with smart moves this season.

But, as Jodoin said recently, there is still this season to think about. Cliche came back Sunday and Roach will be back soon, and Aubin is on schedule to recover by the end of January – just in time for a playoff push.

So what to do?

Picard and Paiement would bring the most back to the team in the form of high draft picks and blue chip players, but let’s pretens Picard is officially off the market. If you trade Paiement this season for draft picks and 18’s or 17’s, the above list of players available in two years changes to something like this:

Bourret (20), Aubin (20) Mathieu (20 ), Legault (20), Cliche (19), Blue Chipper from Paiement deal (19), Denny (19), Korenko (19), Lafleur (19), Daneau (19), Castonguay (19), Belisle (19), Draft pick from Paiement deal (19), Castonguay (18), Bernier (18), Draft pick from Paiement deal (18).

Assuming two of those three draft picks or new players are defensemen, now the team in 2006-07 has nine veteran forwards, five veteran defensemen and an 18-year-old, three-year-veteran goaltender.

That makes going for it in two years manageable. Add in all of the other draft picks Lewiston will have, as well as the other players currently in the system, and Lewiston’s future is looking bright.

Based on recent conversations with Jodoin and with Picard, it seems highly unlikely that Picard is headed anywhere but back to the Gilberts’ house after the holiday break. Some people still don’t believe it.

Still, by that logic, trading Paiement would still net enough in return to plug the apparent holes facing the team in two years.

As people, Picard and Paiement have been nothing but great to deal with, and dealing with them in the immediate future wouldn’t sadden most people. The best interests of the team, however, and of two players that may or may not play in the QMJHL next season, may dictate otherwise. Lewiston does have a solid base of young players and a stockpile of draft picks as it is, but more cannot hurt.

The current team with Picard and without Paiement would not be that different. The current team without Picard would be. That is the decision that the Maineiacs face, and it is one that fans will have to swallow one way or another. Either way, the team is solid and will make a playoff push better than last season, with or without all of the current players on board.