NHL Trade Deadline Recap

February 4

• Nashville acquires forward Vernon Fiddler from New Jersey for a 2017 4th round draft pick

February 15

• Washington acquires defenseman Tom Gilbert from Los Angeles for a 2017 conditional 5th round draft pick

February 20

• Calgary acquires defenseman Michael Stone from Arizona for a 2017 3rd round and a 2018 conditional 5th round draft pick
• I thought Stone would bring a lot more in return for him, so considering Calgary gave up to lower draft picks, it was an excellent trade on their part.

February 23

• Pittsburgh acquires defenseman Ron Hainsey from Carolina for right winger Danny Kristo and a 2017 2nd round draft pick
• I like the low cost of this move for the Penguins and Hainsey will add a lot of depth to Penguins defense group.

February 24

• Anaheim acquires right winger Patrick Eaves and a 2017 conditional 2nd round draft pick
• I never thought Eaves would bring a 2nd round draft pick so good on Dallas for getting that return.
• Chicago acquires right winger Tomas Jurco from Detroit for a 2017 3rd round draft pick

February 26

• Los Angeles acquires goaltender Ben Bishop, a 2017 5th round draft pick, and a 2017 conditional draft pick from Tampa Bay for goaltender Peter Budaj, defenseman Erik Cernak, and a 2017 7th round draft pick
• This gives the Kings a great option behind (or beside?) Jonathan Quick and Bishop should provide insurance in case Quick gets injured again.  It was a smart move by Steve Yzerman and the Lightning to move Bishop who will be a free agaent after this season.
• Minnesota acquires center Martin Hanzal, center Ryan White, and a 2017 4th round draft pick from Arizona for center Grayson Downing, a 2017 1st round pick, a 2018 2nd round pick, and a 2019 conditional 4th round draft pick
• I like that the Wild packaged Hanzal and White together to add depth and grit to their forward group.  They paid a high price for the two players but I think it was needed considering how well the team has performed so far this season.

February 27

• Arizona acquires forward Teemu Pulkkinen from Minnesota for future considerations
• Toronto acquires forward Brian Boyle from Tampa Bay for forward Byron Froese and a 2017 2nd round draft pick
• A great, low-cost move for the Maple Leafs to reward its roster for how well they have performed this season.  Boyle is a veteran forward who can provide every type of play and he has a lot of playoff experience.
• Montreal acquires defenseman Jordie Benn from Dallas for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2017 4th round draft pick
• Ottawa acquires winger Alexandre Burrows from Vancouver for center Jonathan Dahlen
• Washington acquires defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goaltender Pheonix Copley from St. Louis for forwards Zach Sanford and Brad Malone, a 2017 1st round and a conditional 2019 2nd round draft pick
• Shattenkirk could be the biggest asset to move at the deadline and he brought a big price tag.  This was smart by the Blues since they were driven to keep Alex Pietrangelo and let Shattenkirk move.  This trade also shows that Washington is clearly going all-in on a Stanley Cup in what could be the best chance they'll have with their current roster construction.  It also shows the lack of value placed on first round picks in this year's draft.

February 28

• Montreal acquires defenseman Brandon Davidson from Edmonton for forward David Desharnais
• Chicago acquires defenseman Johnny Oduya from Dallas for forward Mark McNeill and a conditional 2018 4th round draft pick
• This is a patented Blackhawks' deadline move; they got marginally better for a small price.
• Ottawa acquires winger Viktor Stalberg from Carolina for a 2017 3rd round draft pick
• Smart, savvy move by Ron Francis of Carolina to move Stalberg for a mid-round pick.  Also a good trade for Ottawa, who will get more scoring depth for not a high price.
• The Rangers acquire defenseman Brendan Smith from Detroit for a 2017 3rd round and a 2018 2nd round draft pick
• This was the Rangers "Plan B" after losing out on the Shattenkirk sweepstakes, and they paid a lot to get Smith.  I definitely don't think this will be enough to make them a true Cup contender.

March 1

• San Jose acquires forward Jannik Hansen from Vancouver for prospect Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional 2017 4th round draft pick
• A heavy price for the Sharks to pay for Hansen, who hasn't played in a lot of game so far this season and has just 6 goals.  Goldobin has a lot of potential to develop into a top-six forward.
• Montreal acquires winger Steve Ott from Detroit for a 2018 6th round draft pick
• This move adds a lot of grit alongside Andrew Shaw to a top-heavy Montreal lineup
• Colorado acquires forward Brendan Ranford from Arizona for forward Joe Whitney
• Colorado acquires goaltender Joe Cannata from Washington for defenseman Cody Corbett
• Florida acquires winger Thomas Vanek from Detroit for defenseman Dylan McIlrath and a 2017 3rd round draft pick
• I love this trade on the part of the Panthers.  Vanek has played very well for the Red Wings so far this season and will be valuable to Florida if used correctly.  They also gave up very little to get him and Detroit is going to be paying a portion of his remaining salary.
• Montreal acquires winger Dwight King from Los Angeles for a conditional 2018 4th round draft pick
• I don't understand what Montreal is doing at this point.  I get adding some toughness to their lineup, but already having Andrew Shaw and Steve Ott should provide enough of that.  They need scoring help, not more grit.  A great move by the Kings to clear up a decent amount of cap space which will allow them to make another move if they wish.
• Los Angeles acquires winger Jarome Iginla from Colorado for a conditional 2018 4th draft pick
• The Kings were a landing spot that I projected for Iginla when I wrote my trade deadline preview.  In Iginla, they'll get a proven power forward who is having a bad year but gave up basically nothing for him.  He should be a good fit on their powerplay and will slot in on Anze Kopitar's line, plus played his best hockey under Darryl Sutter with Calgary.  He should fit the Kings' system, which is heavy and slower, aligning with Iginla's abilities as this point in his career.  For Colorado, they did Iginla a solid by finding a team he was willing to waive his no-movement clause for.
• Edmonton acquires forward Justin Fontaine from the Rangers for forward Taylor Beck
• Columbus acquires defenseman Kyle Quincey from New Jersey for defenseman Dalton Prout
• Montreal acquires forward Andreas Martinsen from Colorado for forward Sven Andrighetto
• Montreal entered the deadline attempting to rebuild their fourth line and have done so. They get a lot bigger with Martinsen but are these moves enough to add the scoring that they desperately need.
• Tampa Bay acquires defenseman Mark Streit from Philadelphia for forward Valtteri Filppula, a 2017 4th round pick, and a conditional 2017 7th round pick
• This is simply a genius move, once again, performed by Steve Yzerman.  By moving Filppula, it frees up $5 million in cap space for next season, plus opens up a slot to protect another forward in the Expansion Draft.  In Streit, they also get a right-handed defenseman that they have needed all season and who is only under contract for the remainder of this season.  Philadelphia added a quality forward who can play forward and will help then down the middle for the rest of this season and next.  The issue I see is that Filppula is an additional player that they must protect in the Expansion Draft.
• Nashville acquires winger P.A. Parenteau from New Jersey for a 6th round draft pick
• This is a very small trade for Nashville GM David Poile, but it is a smart move considering they give up just a 6th round draft pick.  He should help the Predators in the bottom six.
• Calgary acquires forward Curtis Lazar and defenseman Mike Kostka from Ottawa for defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka and a 2nd round draft pick
• In Lazar, Calgary gets a young, former 1st rounder who can play on the wing or at center, his preferred position.  He became disinterested while playing for Ottawa, perhaps because he desired to play center and wasn't going to get that opportunity for the Senators. Lazar, has shown glimpses of developing into a top-six forward and will be given every chance to grow with Calgary.  He will be a restricted free agent this offseason but he should be able to be re-signed by the Flames this offseason.  Calgary also got veteran defenseman Mike Kostka, who will probably bounce back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL and provide depth.  For Ottawa, they get a young defenseman in Jyrki Jokipakka who, similar to Lazar, has had troubles developing into an NHL player.  Perhaps a change of scenery will help him as well.  They also get a 2nd round draft pick, something that is always valuable.
• Pittsburgh acquires defenseman Frankie Corrado from Toronto for forward Eric Fehr, defenseman Steve Oleksy, and a 2017 4th round draft pick
• I love this trade on the part of both teams.  The Penguins get a young defenseman who wasn't getting playing time in Toronto and they give up Fehr, who had cleared waivers, Oleksy, a depth defenseman, and a lower draft pick.  Toronto gets depth forward with playoff experience in Fehr.
• Pittsburgh acquires defenseman Mark Streit from Tampa Bay for a 2018 4th round pick
• Streit provides insurance against injury to Pittsburgh's defense and can be a weapon on the powerplay with his bomb from the point.  I think this shows that Pittsburgh is concerned with the injuries to Daley and Maatta.  Good on Tampa's part in moving him along.
• Boston acquires winger Drew Stafford from Winnipeg for a conditional 6th round draft
• Great depth add by Boston.
• Columbus acquires winger Lauri Korpikoski for defenseman Dillon Heatherington
• See above
• Anaheim acquires forwards Sam Carrick and Spencer Abbott from Chicago for forward Kenton Helgesen and a 2019 7th round draft pick
• No idea

Winners/Losers

Winners

• Calgary Flames - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F Curtis Lazar, D Mike Kostka, D Michael Stone
• Departures: D Jyrki Jokipakka, 2017 2nd RD Pick, 2018 3rd RD Pick, Conditional 2018 5th RD Pick
• Strengthened their defense by picking up Stone and gave up very little for him, considering his age; Also flipped young players (Lazar and Jokipakka) who could both benefit from changes of scenery and still have high potentials. Ready for a playoff run now that they can have three solid defense pairings.
• Carolina Hurricanes - "Sellers"
• Acquisitions: F Danny Kristo, 2017 3rd RD Pick, 2017 2nd RD Pick
• Departures: F Viktor Stalberg, D Ron Hainsey
• Carolina is still in the middle of a rebuild and made good moves that shipped out players on expiring contracts and got two solid picks in return.  They got good value out of Ron Hainsey (2nd RD pick) and flipped Stalberg for a 3rd.
• Dallas Stars - "Sellers"
• Acquisitions: D Dillon Heatherington, F Mark McNeill, D Greg Pateryn, Conditional 2017 2nd RD Pick, 2017 4th RD Pick, Conditional 2018 4th RD Pick
• Departures: F Lauri Korpikoski, D Johnny Oduya, D Jordie Benn, F Patrick Eaves
• Stars proved to that they are in "sell" mode this season due to their poor showing on-ice; Flipped players on expiring contracts for decent value, especially Patrick Eaves which returned them a 2nd RD pick; they also moved the injured Oduya for a 4th RD pick, and even got a prospect for Lauri Korpikoski 
• Detroit Red Wings - "Sellers"
• Acquisitions: D Dylan McIlrath, 2017 3rd RD Pick, 2017 3rd RD Pick, 2017 3rd RD Pick, 2018 2nd RD Pick, 2018 6th RD Pick
• Departures: F Thomas Vanek, F Steve Ott, F Thomas Jurco, D Brendan Smith
• GM Ken Holland finally realized that the Red Wings' playoff streak is coming to an end and sold off quite a bit; The team got a lot in return for these moves; I love the Brendan Smith move, acquiring a 2nd and 3rd from the Rangers for a rental defenseman, a significantly higher price than other teams paid at the deadline; They also moved Ott's contract and still got a return; I'm surprised they couldn't get more for Vanek, but perhaps they like McIlrath more than other teams do
• Florida Panthers - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F Thomas Vanek
• Departures: D Dylan McIlrath, 2017 3rd RD Pick
• Even though the Panthers only made one move, they paid less than a lot of people probably anticipated to get Vanek, who has a career rebound; Vanek should help on the powerplay and be a general spark on offense.
• Nashville Predators - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F P.A. Parenteau, F Vern Fiddler
• Departures: 2017 4th RD Pick, 2017 6th RD Pick
• GM David Poile went against his tendency of making a big splash at the deadline by only acquiring two veteran forwards, but he paid next to nothing for them; A 4th and a 6th in this year's draft is pocket change for two players who should slot in well in Nashville's bottom six
• Pittsburgh Penguins - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: D Mark Streit, D Frank Corrado, D Ron Hainsey
• Departures: F Eric Fehr, F Danny Kristo, D Steve Olesky, 2017 2nd RD Pick, 2017 4th RD Pick, 2018 4th RD Pick
• The Penguins needed halp on defense entering this trade deadline considering the injuries the group encountered to Trevor Daley, Olli Maatta, and as usual, Kris Letang; Mark Streit and Ron Hainsey are both solid puck-moving defense who will strengthen this group for the rest of the season; Frank Corrado is young and has potential but fell out of favor in Toronto and was often a scratch; He'll start out in the AHL for the Penguins and learn the team's system and could seeing playing time in Pittsburgh towards the end of the regular season and in the playoffs
• Tampa Bay Lightning - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F Byron Froese, D Erik Cernak, G Peter Budaj, 2017 2nd RD Pick, 2018 4th RD Pick, 2017 7th RD Pick, Conditional 2017 Pick
• Departures: F Brian Boyle, F Valterri Filppula, G Ben Bishop, 2017 4th RD Pick, 2017 5th RD Pick, Conditional 2017 7th RD Pick
• Lightning GM Steve Yzerman may be the best in the business; Just when it seems like the team is going to be stuck with a bad contract or two, will be unable to re-sign a player, or is going to lose someone of value in the upcoming Expansion Draft, he does something to fix the situation; It looked like the Lightning were going to lose one of their young forwards in the Expansion Draft because they had to protect Filppula, but Yzerman was able to move him to Philadelphia for Mark Streit.  He then flipped Streit to Pittsburgh for a 4th round draft pick; So even though the Lightning didn't get a lot of value in return, they are going to be benefited greatly by freeing up $5 million in cap space next year; The decision to move Brian Boyle, who was on an expiring contract, was also a genius move, since the Lightning received a 2nd round pick for him
• Toronto Maple Leafs - "Semi-Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F Eric Fehr, F Brian Boyle, D Steve Oleksy, 2017 4th RD Pick
• Departures: F Byron Froese, D Frank Corrado, 2017 2nd RD Pick
• I like that the Maple Leafs front office didn't mortgage the future just because the team is on the verge of making the playoffs this season; They gave up just one draft pick, a 2nd rounder, and two prospects for Boyle and Fehr, both with a lot of playoff experience, a depth defenseman, and a 4th round pick; These moves show that the brass has confidence in the team and what they have accomplished so far and rewarded them with veteran players but aren't going to give up high end prospects or top draft picks for a playoff run
• Washington Capitals - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: D Kevin Shattenkirk, G Phoenix Copley
• Departures: F Zach Sanford, F Brad Malone, 2017 1st RD Pick, Conditional 2019 2nd RD Pick
• The Capitals have gone all-in on this season; They have addressed their one weakness, defense, by acquiring the best on available, Kevin Shattenkirk; Shattenkirk is an amazing puck-mover which will allow for the rest of the team's defensemen to slot into more appropiate roles; I love this move because it may be the best opportunity Washington has to win with the Ovechkin/Backstrom/Holtby core since they will be losing Oshie and Williams after this season and some of their young players become more expensive; This will probably just be a playoff rental since they aren't likely to have the cap space available to re-sign Shattenkirk this offseason

Losers

• Arizona Coyotes - "Sellers"
• Departures: F Martin Hanzal, F Ryan White, D Michael Stone, 2017 4th RD Pick, Future Considerations
• Acquisitions: F Teemu Pulkkinen, F Grayson Downing, 2017 1st RD Pick, 2018 2nd RD Pick, 2018 3rd RD Pick, Conditional 2018 5th RD Pick, Conditional 2019 4th RD Pick
• For what the Coyotes sold at the deadline, their returns were quite good, receiving five draft picks, a prospect, and an NHLer, but they didn't sell enough pieces; This franchise isn't close to being a playoff team yet and needs to truly go all-in on a tank operation and rebuild in order to be a better team; It is absolutely appalling that Radim Vrbata and Shane Doan are still on the roster because the team will never be able to turnover the roster group until Doan is gone; Considering what they got for the Hanzal package, Arizona could have gotten a lot for Vrbata, who would have been the most attractive forward on deadline day
• Buffalo Sabres - "Should have been sellers"
• The Sabres made no moves around the deadline and that makes no sense; They had several attractive pieces, including Cody Franson, Dmitry Kulikov, and Brian Gionta but moved no one; This is a team that is coming out of a rebuild, yet these players have no real place in the team's future; GM Tim Murray made a serious mistake by not moving some of their expiring contracts
• Colorado Avalanche - "Sellers"
• Acquisitions: F Sven Andrighetto, Conditional 2018 4th RD Pick
• Departures: F Andreas Martinsen, F Jarome Iginla
• GM Joe Sakic had the chance to make a real splash at the deadline by moving players beyond playoff rentals; He didn't do this and didn't even move all of his expiring contracts; He did send off veteran Jarome Iginla and flipped depth forwards; This summer he has to do everything possible to move Matt Duchene and/or Gabriel Landeskog and acquire a top-pair defenseman in return
• Montreal Canadiens - "Buyers"
• Acquisitions: F Andreas Martinsen, F Dwight King, F Steve Ott, D Brandon Davidson, D Jordie Benn
• Departures: F Sven Andrighetto, F David Desharnais, D Greg Pateryn, 2017 4th RD Pick, Conditional 2018 4th RD Pick, 2018 6th RD Pick
• The Canadiens needed scoring help from someone like Vrbata, Vanek (although they tried that before), Hanzal, or Iginla but went after big, slow, and gritty players; They have completely turned over their fourth line but haven't addressed any scoring issues; This is a team that's not getting any younger so by not going all-in on this year seems like a mistake
• New York Islanders - "Who Knows"
• The Islanders did nothing despite getting back into the playoff race; They could have dealt Jaro Halak to a team seeking cheap goalie help, and could have used scoring help; They were rumored to be one of the teams in on Matt Duchene but nothing came out of it
• Vancouver Canucks - "Sellers"
• Acquisitions: F Nikolay Goldobin, Conditional 2017 4th RD Pick
• Departures: F Jannik Hansen
• Whether GM Jim Benning realizes it or not, this is a team heading for a rebuild and there probably isn't a whole lot he can do to avoid it.  The Sedins are old, expensive, and rather unproductive now and most likely can't be moved together; They had players who would be attractive for a playoff run, including goaltender Ryan Miller but only traded Jannik Hansen; This trade did yield the Canucks a high return in Goldobin who has the potential to be a future top-six forward
• Winnipeg Jets - "Middling"
• Acquisitions: Conditional 2018 6th RD Pick
• Departures: F Drew Stafford
• The Jets are a team in the middle of the pack; they have enough young players to be competitive, but still aren't good enough to make the playoffs; They didn't go on a buying spree and didn't sell anyone of real value either; This franchise needs to make a decision on what its future is going to be