2023 Trade Deadline Team Recaps
Whew.
The NHL has been a whirlwind of activity for what feels like over a month. The Islanders kicked off the excitement back in January with their acquisition and re-signing of former Canucks forward Bo Horvat, and there have been 65 moves since then. While the crew on Tradecenter was struggling to fill their 9 hour deadline day extravaganza, the deals leading up to it brought enough transactions to satisfy any NHL fan’s quota for deals.
The big 6 teams in the East entered an arms race early, loading up on superstars and forgoing the future, while teams in the West took a slower, more cautious approach. And of course, Arizona is just here to pinch pennies.
If you got a little lost in the chaos, we have you covered. We won’t attempt to break down each and every trade made, but instead will take a look at how each team fared, and predict what their future holds.
Anaheim Ducks
Additions:
Players: Josiah Slavin (F), Dylan Sikura (F), Chase Priskie (D), Brock McGinn (F), Andre Sustr (D), Nikita Nesterenko (F, unsigned)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Subtractions:
Players: Hunter Drew (F), Henry Thun (D, unsigned), Maxim Golod (F), Austin Strand (D), Dimitry Kulikov (D), John Klinberg (D)
Picks:
Anaheim entered the season knowing they would be sellers at this year’s deadline. Unfortunately, their season has gone so far off the rails that even the rentals on the roster lost almost all value. They had to wait until the last second to finally move Klingberg, who they signed last season with the intent to boost his value and flip for assets. They ended up with a very disappointing return.
Their other trade chip in Kulikov only yielded a 3rd round pick and a player who could have been had on waivers a week ago. With 5 more pending UFA’s on the roster, it seems that GM Pat Verbeek had a tough day trying to find value, but now his focus can shift to the draft where he will try and turn around the fortunes of his flailing squad.
Arizona Coyotes
Additions:
Players: Shea Weber (D, LTIR), Jakub Voracek (F, LTIR), Michael Kesselring (D), Connor Mackey (D), Brett Ritchie (F)
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023, protected), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2026), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2025), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2026),5th Round Draft Pick (2023), , 6th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Subtractions:
Players: Dysin Mayo (D), Vili Saarijarvi (D), Shane Gostisbehere (D), Jakob Chychrun (D), Jon Gillies (G), Nick Bjugstad (F), Troy Stecher (D), Nick Ritchie (F)
Picks:
Another year, another deadline of the Coyotes shedding costs. Arizona added to their stacked all time LTIR reserve team to make sure they stay hovering just above the cap floor for another year. They even managed to cut salary by swapping brothers in a late deal, a first in the NHL.
They reportedly turned down offers that would have yielded them greater returns for their prized trade chip in Jakob Chychrun, instead opting to wait until they found a team who wouldn’t insist on Arizona retaining salary or taking a contract back in the deal. While that move likely cost them a couple extra picks, the Coyotes still currently have 13 selections in the first 2 rounds over the next three drafts. The problem with that is that the way this franchise currently operates, by the time any of those picks round into NHL caliber players, Arizona will be ready to move on and let someone else pay for their second contract.
Boston Bruins
Additions:
Players: Dimitry Orlov (D), Garnet Hathaway (F), Andrei Svetklov (F), Shane Bowers (F), Todd Bertuzzi (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Craig Smith (F), Keith Kinkaid (G),
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 1st Round Draft Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025)
The Bruins are the fastest team in NHL history to reach 100 points, and they used this year’s trade deadline to somehow get even better. The Bruins got things going when they took advantage of a Washington team in need of retooling on the fly, by making a deal for minute munching defenseman Orlov and the hard nosed Hathaway.
The Bruins reportedly had a deal in place with the Blue Jackets surrounding defenceman Gavrikov, but once Boston realized they could get both Orlov and Hathaway out of Washington they quickly switched gears. Then, with the health of Taylor Hall suddenly thrown into question, Boston was able to free up more cap space through LTIR and use it to snag Bertuzzi out of Boston, who’s gritty style of play will blend in seamlessly with Boston playoff hockey. With Boston’s core aging, yet currently playing at an all world level, GM Don Sweeney is giving his group every weapon possible to make a final run at the cup.
Buffalo Sabres
Additions:
Players: Riley Stillman (D), Jordan Greenway (F)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Subtractions:
Players: Josh Bloom (F), Erik Portillo (G, unsigned), Anders Bjork (F), Rasmus Asplund (F)
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Despite being in the midst of fighting for the final wildcard spot, the Buffalo Sabres were fairly quiet at this year’s trade deadline. The up and coming squad could have tried to move the expiring contracts of captain Kyle Okoposo, Zemgus Girgensons, or the reliable Craig Anderson, but likely didn’t want to upset the chemistry of a team that has over performed this year.
There was also the possibility of Buffalo entering the rental market to make a push for the playoffs, but instead they opted for acquiring the hulking Jordan Greenway, who is still under contract for 3 more years. The winger has disappointed thus far this season, but has shown a scoring touch in the past to accompany his tough style of play. Seeing if a change of scenery is all Greenway needs is worth the 2nd round pick. After years of disappointment in Buffalo, they finally have a core to build on, and management is patient enough to let it grow properly.
Calgary Flames
Additions:
Players: Dryden Hunt (F), Troy Stecher (D), Nick Ritchie (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Radim Zohorna (F), Connor Mackay (D), Brett Ritchie (F)
Picks:
Calgary has had a disappointing season. After GM Brad Treliving was lauded for turning around the losses of Tkachuk and Gaudreau last summer, the team on the ice has yet to become a cohesive unit. Sitting just outside of the playoff picture, the Flames could have gone either way at the deadline. Instead, they opted to essentially stand pat. Trading one Ritchie brother for the other is a fun story, but won’t move the needle if they are serious about making a playoff push. They’re hoping that the newly rebuilt core will start to gel in the final ⅓ of the season, and that goalie Jacob Markstrom rediscovers his game down the stretch.
Carolina Hurricanes
Additions:
Players: Jesse Puljujarvi (F), Shane Gostisbehere (D)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Patrik Puistola (F, unsigned)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2026)
The Hurricanes are one of the strongest teams in the NHL, and were armed with cap space with Pacioretty on LTIR until next year, but stayed quiet at the deadline while other teams in the east loaded up. Gostisbehere has had a poor season, but everyone in Arizona has. With a deep defensive core, Carolina can insulate him and let him focus on his offensive strengths.
Taking a flier on Puljujarvi gives them extra depth at forward. He was run out of Edmonton after failing to live up to his billing as a top draft pick, but in fact is a solid bottom six winger that the Hurricanes can utilize. Carolina was rumoured to be looking for an upgrade in net, but will again be relying on Anderson and Raanta to take them on a long playoff run.
Chicago Blackhawks
Additions:
Players: Nikita Zaistev (D), Hunter Drew (F), Andreas Englund (D), Joey Anderson (F), Pavel Gogolev (F), Andy Welinski (D), Vili Saarijarvi (D), Anders Bjork (F), Maxim Golod (F), Anton Khubodin (G), Austin Wagner (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2025), Conditional 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2026), 4th Round Draft Pick (2026), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025),
Subtractions:
Players: Josiah Slavin (F), Jack Johnson (D), Jake McCabe (D), Sam Lafferty (F), Patrick Kane (F), Cooper Zech (D), Dylan Sikura (F), Max Domi (F), Dylan Wells (G)
Picks: Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2024), Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2025)
The purging of the Blackhawks roster continued at the deadline, and they did well to accumulate draft picks by moving on from former key pieces of their team as they continue to tank for Bedard. Their hands were tied with the Kane deal, as he had a full no-move clause, and Chicago likely wanted to thank him for his years of service by sending him to his desired team, so there wasn’t much more they could squeeze out of that trade.
Getting extra picks for taking on contracts like that of Zaistev is exactly what a rebuilding franchise should be doing. Chicago will enter the draft among the leaders in draft choices in a deep draft class to help get the rebuild started, but there will be some lean years ahead in the Windy City.
Colorado Avalanche
Additions:
Players: Keith Kinkaid (G), Jack Johnson (D), Lars Eller (F), Gustav Rydahl (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Shane Bowers (F), Andreas Englund (D), Anton Blidh (F)
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025)
Colorado has struggled with injuries this year, which prevented them from returning to the dominant team that won the Stanley Cup last season. They’ve added a familiar face in depth defenseman Jack Johnson, and a nice depth forward in Lars Eller, but their real deadline acquisitions will come when they get the returns of a healthy Cale Makar (IR) and Gabriel Landeskog (LTIR).
It’s surprising that they didn’t use the cap space freed up with players on LTIR to add a rental, as Landeskog will not likely be back until the playoffs, if at all this year. That being said, Colorado is still a strong team that will certainly be no pushover come playoff time.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Additions:
Players: Jonathan Quick (G), Jon Gillies (G), Michael Hutchinson (G)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 5th Round Draft Pick (2023), 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Subtractions:
Players: Jonathan Quick (G), Gustav Nyquist (F), Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Joonas Korpisalo (G), Jakub Voracek (F)
Picks: 6th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings, there was no doubt Columbus would try to be major sellers at this year’s deadline. Columbus followed the trend the Coyotes started with Chychrun, and held Gavrikov out of the lineup midway through February. They thought they had a deal in place with the Bruins to send Gavrikov to Boston, but had the rug pulled out from under them when Boston made a deal with Washington.
The Blue Jackets did well to pivot and flip Gavrikov along with Korpisalo to LA for picks and Quick, who they then flipped back to the Pacific division. Columbus still has quite a few bad contracts on the books, but that can be reevaluated in the offseason. At the deadline they acquired picks and made their team worse on the ice which inches them closer to the goal of selecting 1st overall this year.
Dallas Stars
Additions:
Players: Evgenii Dadonov (F), Max Domi (F), Dylan Wells (G), Scott Reedy (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Denis Gurianov (D), Anton Khubodin (G), Jacob Peterson (F)
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025)
Dallas always seems to put a strong performance together when the playoffs come around, and the addition of Max Domi will strengthen their roster as he is set to slot next to Tyler Seguin in Dallas. While they have cap space, they don’t own a full plethora of draft picks, and stayed mostly quiet at the deadline. They did make a move with Montreal to give both Dadanov and Gurianov fresh starts, but mainly stuck with the team that has brought them to the number one spot in the central division.
Detroit Red Wings
Additions:
Players: Dylan McGlaughlin (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 1st Round Draft Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025), 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Subtractions:
Players: Filip Hronek (D), Todd Bertuzzi (F), Jakub Vrana (F), Oscar Sundqvist (F)
Picks: 4th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Two weeks ago, the Red Wings were playing fantastic hockey and were looking like a threat to make a real playoff push. After getting shelled by the Ottawa Senators in back to back games, Yzerman wisely realized his team is just not ready to compete for the Stanley Cup and began to look to the future.
He was able to keep Dylan Larkin off the block by signing him to an extension that will keep him in Detroit for another 8 seasons before turning his attention to selling at the deadline. Yzerman began accruing assets, first by flipping pending UFA Bertuzzi to Boston after the Bruins came across some extra cap space, and then shipping Hronek to Vancouver for another 1st round pick. Giving Vrana a fresh start after a rough year in Detroit was a courtesy, and getting an asset for Sundqvist was icing on the cake. Yzerman has built a reputation as being methodical and calculated as a GM, and was smart to not buy into the hype and continue his job of rebuilding the Red Wings.
Edmonton Oilers
Additions:
Players: Patrik Puistola (F, unsigned), Mattias Ekholm (D), Nick Bjugstad (F)
Picks: 6th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Jesse Puljujarvi (F), Tyson Barrie (D), Reid Schaefer (F), Michael Kesselring (D)
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2024)
The search for a shutdown defenseman in Edmonton finally came to an end after they acquired Ekholm from Nashville. It cost them their quarterback on what is the league’s top powerplay, but with McDavid and Draistil on the ice, Evan Bouchard should be able to manage the position just fine. Ekholm gives them the tough, dirty, shutdown defenceman that thrives in big playoff games that Edmonton has needed for years. He is also under contract for another 3 seasons.
Edmonton was also finally able to unload Puljujarvi’s contract, freeing up some extra space that helped them get Bjugstad, a gritty depth forward that will be making his presence felt as playoff series wear on. The Oilers need to recognize that their window with McDavid might be starting to close if they don’t show him they are capable of making the right moves to put the necessary pieces around him for a sustained playoff run.
Florida Panthers
Additions:
Players:
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players:
Picks:
Despite being major players in free agency this past summer, Florida has disappointed this season. They’re currently well outside of the playoff picture in the East, and after being buyers at last year’s deadline, lacked any assets to try and acquire help. Montreal owns their 1st round pick in 2023, so they also had no incentive to sell off any pieces that would make them worse on the ice. They’re the only team in the NHL that hasn’t made a move in the past month.
Los Angeles Kings
Additions:
Players: Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Joonas Korpisalo, Erik Portillo (G, unsigned), Zach MacEwan (F), Nate Schnarr (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Jonathan Quick (G), Brendan Lemieux (F), Frederick Allard (D), Austin Wagner (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
The LA Kings were all business when they unceremoniously shipped franchise cornerstone Jonathan Quick to Columbus. Despite his standing in the Kings organization, Quick has played poorly all season, so an upgrade in goal was a top priority in LA.
When they saw the opportunity to strengthen the position, they didn’t hesitate to include Quick in the deal that landed them their new starting goalie Korpisalo as well as bruising defenceman Gavrikov. Adding Gavrikov helps even out their defensive core, as LA has the rare problem of having an abundance of right shot defenseman. The Kings are heading into the final stretch of the season as an improved team, and have a shot to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Minnesota Wild
Additions:
Players: Marcus Johansson (F), Gustav Nyquist (F), Oscar Sundqvist (F), John Klinberg (D)
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Pick (2025, retained 25% O’Reilly’s salary), 5th Round Pick (2023, retained 25% Orlov’s salary), 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Andrei Svetklov (F), Jordan Greenway (F), Andre Sustr (D), Nikita Nesterenko (F, unsigned)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025), 5th Round Draft Pick (2023),
Minnesota had an interesting trade deadline season, as they surprisingly became brokers to two early deals, taking on extra cap in exchange for draft picks. While they’re entering a cap crisis of their own starting next season, they could be hoping that karma is real, and a team will in turn help them out when they’re struggling against the cap.
Meanwhile on the ice, the Wild are in the midst of a playoff battle, and managed to add a couple nice depth forwards to help their playoff run. They were rumoured to be looking to ship out some expiring contracts (mainly Matt Dumba’s), but seem to be content to make the playoffs and take a run with this group in what appears to be a wide open Western conference.
Nyquist will be a nice addition if he gets healthy in time for playoffs, Johansson gives them some secondary scoring, and the addition of Sundqvist comes with no risk as it only cost them a 4th rounder. Klingberg’s value was at an all time low, and despite Anaheim holding out until the last second, the Wild managed to get him for next to nothing. While Klingberg is a flawed, one dimensional player who is past his prime, Minnesota has enough defensive depth to keep him hidden, and let him work as a power play specialist. GM Bill Guerin had a fairly impressive deadline, which is good considering his job will be getting tougher over the next couple seasons as he deals with the fallout of his big contractual buyouts.
Montreal Canadiens
Additions:
Players: Denis Gurianov (F), Frederick Allard (D), Tony Sund (D)
Picks: 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Evgenii Dadonov (F), Nate Schnarr (F), Arvid Henriksson (D, unsigned)
Picks:
A team in Montreal’s position would be expected to be big sellers at the deadline. But they’re struggling enough as is to find enough healthy players to ice a team, let alone ones that are actually NHL calibre. As of this writing, they have 6 regular skaters on IR. Luckily for them, Florida’s season isn’t going as planned, so the pick they acquired in the Chariot deal at last year’s trade deadline looks to be increasing in value.
The one move they made is simply a change of scenery deal on two expiring contracts, as Dadanov doesn’t fit in with the makeup of the team, and Gurianov hasn’t been able to replicate the success in Dallas he found in the bubble playoffs. Montreal probably would have liked to move Edmundson, but he’s under contract for one more year so if they didn’t feel like the value was there, they can try again in the summer or at the draft.
Nashville Predators
Additions:
Players: Cal Foote (D), Isaac Ratcliffe (F), Austin Rueschhoff (F), Tyson Barrie (D), Reid Schaefer (F), Rasmus Asplund (F)
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2025), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2024), 5th Round Draft Pick (2023),
Subtractions:
Players: Nino Niederreiter (F), Tanner Jeannot (F), Mattias Ekholm (D), Mikael Granlund (F)
Picks: 6th Round Draft Pick (2024), 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Nashville went into full sell mode and accumulated an impressive trove of draft picks. They still have a number of difficult contracts that will prevent them from committing to a full rebuild, but they have an elite goalie and a solid defensive core, even with the departure of Ekholm, so they might be looking to just retool in the offseason and make another run next year. 13 draft picks in the upcoming draft, largely thanks to the massive return on Jeannot, gives them the weapons they need to help facilitate any trades in the offseason.
New Jersey Devils
Additions:
Players: Timo Meier (F), Timur Ibragimov (F), Scott Harrington (D), Santeri Hatakka (D), Zachary Emond (G), Curtis Lazar (F)
Picks: 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Fabian Zetterlund (F), Andreas Johnsson (F), Shakir Mukhamadullin (D), Nikita Okhotiuk (D)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), Conditional 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 7th Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2024)
New Jersey began their rebuild by drafting well, accelerated it forward with good free agent signings, and after an impressive season, are rewarding their young core by improving the team for a long playoff run at the deadline. The cost for Meier was high, but he was one of the most coveted forwards available, and his status as a RFA this offseason gives the team more leverage to turn him into more than just a rental.
The Devils also managed to hang on to their top end prospects like Hughes, Nemec and Holtz in the deal. While losing Mukhamadullin hurts a little, he’s still playing in Russia so it’s hard to know his status, and the Devils have a deep pool of defensive prospects to pull from. Forward Curtis Lazar has carved out a nice role as a bottom 6 player that will only add to the Devils depth, and with top prospect Luke Hughes likely to join the team once his college season is over, the Devils are as deep as they are talented.
New York Islanders
Additions:
Players: Bo Horvat (F), Pierre Engvall (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Anthony Beauvillier (F), Aatu Raty (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick, 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024)
The Islanders got the ball rolling on January 30th, as Lou Lamoriello pulled the trigger on trading for and extending former Canuck captain Bo Horvat. The Islanders making the playoffs is far from certain, but Lou gave them a chance by acquiring Horvat early.
Unfortunately the Islanders lost Barzal to injury shortly after the trade, and have yet to lock down one of the two wildcard spots in the tough Eastern Conference. Knowing that Horvat is more than just a rental means the Islanders are able to bide their time, and not rush into making another deal at this year’s deadline that would sacrifice additional future assets. They’ll almost certainly be looking to reload for another run next season.
New York Rangers
Additions:
Players: Patrick Kane (F), Vladimir Tarasenko (F), Niko Mikkola (D), Tyler Motte (F), William Lockwood (F), Cooper Zech (D), Anton Blidh (F), Wyatt Kalynuk (D)
Picks: 7th Round Draft Pick (2026)
Subtractions:
Players: Sammy Blais (F), Hunter Skinner (D), Julien Gauthier, Vitali Kravtsov (F), Austin Rueschhoff (F), Andy Welinski (D), Gustav Rydahl (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Pick (2023), Conditional 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2025), Conditional 4th Round Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025), Conditional 7th Round Draft Pick (2023)
The Rangers were able to acquire Tarasenko and Mikkola early, and after trading for Motte for the second deadline in a row, the common belief was that the Rangers were set for their playoff run. Patrick Kane had other ideas, as he made it clear that the Rangers were the only team he would accept a trade to.
It took longer than expected, and required the type of cap gymnastics few would understand (after the deal was made they had less than $1300 in available cap space), but the Rangers now boast one of the most skilled forward groups in the league. There’s a question of how they’ll all work together, as there is only one puck on the ice, but Kane has familiarity with Panarin, and was slotted on a line with his former teammate in his first game as a Ranger. They’ll be sure to provide offensive fireworks for the rest of the season.
Ottawa Senators
Additions:
Players: Jakob Chychrun (D), Julien Gauthier (F), Patrick Brown (F)
Picks: Conditional 7th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Subtractions:
Players: Tyler Motte (F), Nikita Zaistev (D),
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023, protected), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2026), 6th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Midway through December, the Ottawa Senators were looking more at the draft lottery odds than they were the playoff standings. They even started to dip their toe in the sellers market by sending depth forward Tyler Motte back to New York in February. All the talk was about what type of picks they could get for their pending UFA’s.
On Monday, Derrick Brassard publicly stated that he thought the group deserved additions at the deadline, and the team backed up his statement by winning two straight games against Detroit, one of the teams they were chasing for the final wildcard spot, by a combined score of 12-3. Pierre Dorion obliged his group with the addition of his long sought after top pairing defenseman, Jakob Chychrun.
Dorion was able to acquire the left shot D for much less than the original asking price as the team now had the financial flexibility to take on Chychrun without sending a contract back to Arizona after paying Chicago a couple of picks to take on the remainder of Zaistev’s contract. Ottawa’s prospect pool is getting pretty shallow, and trading away their third 1st round pick since 2019 isn’t going to help that, but this is the type of move that brings a team together by showing them that management believes in them. Having Chychrun under contract for two more years, in a city he’s extremely familiar with, bodes well for the future relationship between team and player. This is a big win for Ottawa that will push them from simply hoping to be playing meaningful games in March to true playoff contenders.
Philadelphia Flyers
Additions:
Players: Brendan Lemieux (F)
Picks: 5th Round Draft Pick (2024), 6th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Subtractions:
Players: Zach MacEwan (F), Patrick Brown (F)
Picks:
Philadelphia GM Chuck Fletcher was certainly quiet at the deadline, despite James Van Riemsdyk being one of the top players left on the trade board. With the asking price reportedly being only a 3rd round pick, it’s curious that Fletcher wasn’t able to find a suitor. Philadelphia should be looking to tank the rest of the season, as this flawed roster isn’t going anywhere in the near future without a major upgrade in talent.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Additions:
Players: Peter DiLiberatore (D), Mikael Granlund (F), Nick Bonino (F), Dimitry Kulikov (D)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Teddy Blueger (F), Brock McGinn (F)
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2024), 7th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Pittsburgh showed last offseason that they’re still all in by bringing back both Malkin and Letang on multi-year contracts. GM Ron Hextall was one of the few GM’s to wait until the actual trade deadline day to start making moves, but showed he was still willing to spend assets to help compliment their elite yet aging core.
Malkin, Crosby and Letang all have plenty of wear on their tires, but the club is currently holding onto a wildcard spot, so their GM rewarded his team by giving them valuable forward depth, and a bruising defenseman in Kulikov. These are the type of additions that the Penguins are known for, and will really benefit a team that struggles when its top two lines aren’t on the ice.
San Jose Sharks
Additions:
Players: Fabian Zetterlund (F), Andreas Johnsson (F), Shakir Mukhamadullin (D), Nikita Okhotiuk (D), Henry Thun (D, unsigned), Vladislav Namestnikov (F), Arvid Henriksson (D, unsigned), Jacob Peterson (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), Conditional 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025), Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2024) 7th Round Draft Pick (2024), 7th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Subtractions:
Players: Timo Meier (F), Timur Ibragimov (F), Scott Harrington (D), Santeri Hatakka (D), Zachary Emond (G), Jaycob Megna (D), Michael Eyssimont (F), Nick Bonino (F), Tony Sund (D), Vladislav Namestnikov (F), Scott Reedy (F)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 5th Round Draft Pick (2024), 5th Round Draft Pick (2024)
It’s surprising that the Sharks traded the top rental forward available at the trade deadline and didn’t come away with more high end prospects. Getting a first round pick in a draft as deep as this one is always important, but the Devils have a deep cupboard of high end prospects that the Sharks apparently weren’t able to shake loose.
Giving up a restricted free agent in Eyssimont for an unrestricted one in Namestnikov was confusing at first, and then became more of a head scratcher after they flipped him to Winnipeg for only a future 4th. You have to believe that in the midst of one of the best years in his illustrious career, San Jose pulled out all the stops to try and move Karlsson and his massive contract off the books so they can start anew, so it’s disappointing they couldn’t work something out, but not all that surprising. It’s hard to predict how many more seasons Karlsson can keep up this insane pace, so selling him high would have really moved this rebuild forward.
Seattle Kraken
Additions:
Players: Jaycob Megna (D)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players:
Picks: 4th Round Pick (2023)
The Kraken seem content with the makeup of their team, which is currently holding onto a playoff spot. After finishing near the bottom of the standings last year, the team has shown lots of on ice growth together. New GM Ron Francis decided to hold onto their draft picks and see how far this core group can take them.
St. Louis Blues
Additions:
Players: Sammy Blais (F), Hunter Skinner (D), Mikhail Abramov (F), Adam Gaudette (F), Zach Dean (F), Jakob Vrana (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Pick (2023), 1st Round Pick (2023), 2nd Round Pick (2024), 3rd Round Pick (2023), Conditional 4th Round Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Vladimir Tarasenko (F), Niko Mikkola (D), Ryan O’Reilly (F), Noel Acciari (F), Ivan Barbashev (F), Dylan McGlaughlin (F)
Picks: 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
There were rumblings last summer that the Blues management were interested in retooling their roster, but decided to give their core who won them a stanley cup another kick at the can. This season clearly wasn’t going to be a repeat, so the Blues entered the sellers side of the market, offloading as many veterans and expiring contracts as possible.
They still have a glut of defenseman over the age of 30 signed to long term deals, but with multiple 1st round picks and a few key young players already signed the Blues can move forward with a new leadership group, and start setting higher future expectations. Taking a flier that Jakob Vrana is just in need of a change of scenery could also work out in the long run, as he flashed top 6 potential in Washington before his move to Detroit.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Additions:
Players: Tanner Jeannot (F), Michael Eyssimont (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Cal Foote (D), Vladislav Namestnikov (F)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2025), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 5th Round Draft Pick (2023)
Lightning Gm Julien Brisebois didn’t pull any punches when questioned about the massive price he paid to acquire Jeannot from the Predators, basically stating that the team he has now is ready to win and they deserve every advantage to help them do so, even if it hampers the future of the team.
Brisebois’s stance is refreshing and commendable, as the core of this team has brought him 2 Stanley Cups and have gone through gruelling playoff runs year after year. Future assets can always be bought later when the core of this team ages out and the Lightning start their own rebuild, but for right now going all in for another deep run is all that matters.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Additions:
Players: Ryan O’Reilly (F), Noel Acciari (F), Jake McCabe (D), Sam Lafferty (F), Erik Gustafsson (D), Luke Schenn (D), Radim Zohorna (F)
Picks: 1st Round Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2024), Conditional 5th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Subtractions:
Players: Mikhail Abramov (F), Adam Gaudette (F), Joey Anderson (F), Pavel Gogolev (F), Rasmus Sandin, Pierre Engvall (F), Dryden Hunt (F)
Picks: 1st Round Pick (2023), Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2025), 2nd Round Pick (2024), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2026), 3rd Round Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Pick (2025)
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to win a playoff series this year, or there will be major changes in management, coaching, and potentially even the roster. GM Kyle Dubas is all too aware of this fact, as he turned over almost ⅓ of his roster to bring in tougher, playoff-tested veterans to complement his skilled team.
There’s no doubt that the Leafs are a better team top to bottom after the flurry of moves made in the past week. O’Reilly gives them a shutdown 3rd line center who can also jump up and make matchup nightmares on the 2nd line alongside John Tavares. McCabe, Schenn and Gustaffson are all the type of defensemen that goalies love, as they thrive at keeping the front of the net clear. Dubas is lauded as being a cap guru, and with Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray’s big contracts on LTIR, Dubas’ job was almost too easy at the deadline. He even managed to recover a 1st round pick in the Sandin trade. He now sits back and hopes that it plays out on the ice the way he envisioned.
Vancouver Canucks
Additions:
Players: Anthony Beauvillier (F), Aatu Raty (F), Vitali Kravtsov (F), Josh Bloom (F), Filip Hronek (D)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Pick (2023), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2023),, 4th Round Draft Pick (2023), 4th Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Bo Horvat (F), William Lockwood (F), Riley Stillman (D), Luke Schenn (D), Curtis Lazar (F), Wyatt Kalynuk (D)
Picks: Conditional 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2023), 7th Round Draft Pick (2026)
With some bad contracts still on the books (JT Miller’s massive extension hasn’t even started yet), Vancouver tried to retool their team at this year’s deadline. They received a modest return for their captain Bo Horvat, but Beauvillier has played well since moving to the west coast. The Canucks believe they’ve found their top pairing right shot defenseman in Hronek, and paid a steep cost to test that theory. They managed to squeeze some late round draft picks, but unless the team turns it around on the ice themselves, Vancouver will be back to selling at next year’s deadline.
Vegas Golden Knights
Additions:
Players: Dysin Mayo (D), Ivan Barbashev (F), Teddy Blueger (F), Jonathan Quick (G)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players: Shea Weber (LTIR), Zach Dean (F), Peter DiLiberatore (D), Michael Hutchinson (G)
Picks: 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 5th Round Draft Pick (2023), 7th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Many expected the aggressive Golden Knights to go big name hunting at the deadline, as they once again have cap space due to Mark Stone’s return to LTIR. Surprisingly, GM Kelly McCrimmon was fairly passive. He managed to land Quick for next to nothing, who will hopefully be remotivated after the trade from LA and provide his new team with some reliable goaltending. Barbashev and Blueger are classic rentals that will certainly help the teams depth in the playoffs. The Knights are certainly a better squad, but didn’t land a big impact player.
Washington Capitals
Additions:
Players: Craig Smith (F), Rasmus Sandin (D)
Picks: 1st Round Draft Pick (2023), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025), 2nd Round Draft Pick (2025), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024), 3rd Round Draft Pick (2024)
Subtractions:
Players: Dimitry Orlov (D), Garnet Hathaway (F), Marcus Johansson (F), Erik Gustafsson (D), Lars Eller (F)
Picks: 1st Round Pick (2023)
Washington feels like a team that should be rebuilding, but as long as Alex Ovechkin is on the roster chasing the NHL scoring record, retooling as they go is the best they can do. Before they began making their deadline moves, the Capitals had only one defenseman under contract for next season. They made the decision to trade Orlov after it was clear an extension wasn’t forthcoming and immediately used that 1st round pick to acquire Sandin from Toronto in the midst of their roster reconstruction.
They also worked out an extension with Nick Jensen, giving them a little more security in the offseason without sacrificing the entire roster. Playoffs are unlikely for the team this year, but they managed to secure a couple pieces on defense for next season. That will help them in the summer as they try to build around Ovechkin for another run.
Winnipeg Jets
Additions:
Players: Nino Niederreiter (F), Vladislav Namestnikov (F)
Picks:
Subtractions:
Players:
Picks: 2nd Round Draft Pick (2024), 4th Round Draft Pick (2025)
Once looking like one of the favourites to come out of the West, the Winnipeg Jets have faltered as of late. They’ve had trouble with their depth scoring after the injury to Cole Perfetti, and brought in two reliable veteran forwards to help with their playoff push. Namestnikov is as reliable as they come, and is a solid penalty killer, while Niederreiter can finish when paired with skilled linemates. Not the flashiest of moves by the Jets, who really seem like they need to make a strong playoff run before management decides it is time to move on the the core players of this team.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Bure’s Triple Deke. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.