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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, February 28, 2025

Inside the NHL | Blockbuster deals highlight busy NHL deadline

Unlike the NBA, the NHL trade deadline yielded some major fireworks. The contenders separated themselves from the pretenders, and the race to the playoffs is underway. Here's a list of who thrived and who threw in the towel on Tuesday.

The Winners:

San Jose Sharks. The Sharks made some great moves this week, the biggest of which was the acquisition of veteran winger Bill Guerin from the St. Louis Blues. Guerin will provide an immediate scoring boost and leadership when the playoffs roll around. San Jose also grabbed defenseman Craig Rivet from the Montreal Canadiens, helping its young corps on the defensive end. The Sharks, who have struggled of late, have the look of a serious contender.

New York Islanders. The Islanders, who have surprised many under rookie GM Garth Snow, continued to surprise by grabbing forward Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers. Smyth, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year, will be a big addition for New York, all but guaranteeing the Isles a spot in the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabres. Unlike last season, the Sabres are not going to rest on their laurels heading into March and April. GM Darcy Reiger acquired veteran forward Dainius Zubrus to add depth to his injury-laden squad. Reiger also moved backup goaltender Martin Biron. It was unlikely that Buffalo would be able to re-sign Biron next year, and by moving Biron to the Philadelphia Flyers, Reiger picked up a second-round pick in the process.

Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins made a serious statement on Tuesday, trading for 40-year-old forward Gary Roberts from the Florida Panthers and adding experience and a gritty presence to a young and explosive team. They also acquired forward Georges Laraque from the Phoenix Coyotes. One of the toughest players in the league, Laraque was brought in to protect superstar Sidney Crosby. It seems as if the Penguins, who are surprising many with their current position, will not be happy with simply making the playoffs.

The Losers:

Montreal Canadiens. With the Canadiens clinging to the last playoff spot in the East, it would have made sense for them to make some kind of move to improve their chances. Instead, they remained quiet. Many thought that they would go after Martin Biron with their own goaltender Cristobal Huet out for the remainder of the season, but they stood pat. With the teams around them making concerted efforts to improve their teams, the Habs may find themselves on the golf course early this year.

Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks may not seem like clear losers in this situation, but their passivity is surprising as well. They seemed to be interested in both Keith Tkachuk and Guerin but wouldn't pay the price for either. There is no doubt that Anaheim has a great team and sits in a good position, but it has struggled to score recently. Without a boost in the Ducks' offense, it is tough to imagine them keeping up with teams like the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose who all got better at the deadline.

In some instances, it's too early to tell whether or not teams made good moves. Detroit's acquisition of oft-injured winger Todd Bertuzzi may help come playoff time, but it may also blow up in the Red Wings' face. Teams like the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs were less obvious with their intentions. By making a few small trades, each team seems only to want to squeak in to the playoffs.

The new collective bargaining agreement in the NHL is presenting some interesting results. The way teams value their players has changed, as was shown by Smyth's exodus from Edmonton. There is no doubt that the path to the Cup will never be the same.