Deadline Day in the NHL has come and gone, with some intriguing movement and surprises taking place. Now that general managers have put down their pencils, clubs will jockey for playoff positioning in the home stretch of the regular season. Let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers from last week’s trade deadline:
Winner: Florida Panthers
An already deadly Panthers offense became even more lethal with the addition of former Flyers captain Claude Giroux. Florida also acquired defensemen Ben Chiarot and Robert Hagg with the hopes of ending their 25-year playoff series win drought come May.
Loser: Washington Capitals
As a member of the Eastern Conference’s Elite Eight, the ‘Caps failed to keep up with their competitors at the deadline. While Boston made their mark with shutdown defenseman Hampus Lindholm and Pittsburgh added sniper Rickard Rakell, Washington finished the day with only depth forwards Johan Larsson and former Capital Marcus Johansson.
Winner: New York Rangers
The Rangers filled the holes they needed to around their roster. Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp was their big fish, bolstering the lineup with a faceoff-guru top nine forward. Vancouver’s Tyler Motte and Philadelphia’s Justin Braun provide depth that could prove valuable come playoffs.
Loser: Edmonton Oilers
Depth was the word around Edmonton last week, as the Oilers’ splashiest move was trading a fourth round pick for grizzled veteran Derick Brassard. McDavid and Draisaitl make anything possible, but this trade deadline doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a postseason run in Alberta.
Winner: Minnesota Wild
Coming away with last year’s Vezina-winning goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, for no more than a conditional first round pick has ‘steal’ potential. Minnesota also strengthened their blue line with bottom-pair defender Jacob Middleton.
Loser: Nashville Predators
David Poile’s Predators were dead silent last Monday, leaving their grand prize to be Seattle expansion pick Jeremy Lauzon. Lauzon, a former Bruins defenseman, had 6 points and a -9 through 53 games with the Kraken this year, and yet Nashville coughed up a valuable second round pick for him.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
It doesn’t salvage a lost season, but the ‘Hawks received the biggest draft haul of the day: two first round picks from Tampa Bay in exchange for young, cost-controlled middle-sixer Brandon Hagel. These assets will be crucial for Chicago as they enter a seemingly inevitable rebuild.
Loser: Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ hands were tied in the Giroux trade, receiving only a first round pick in 2024 or 2025 and young winger Owen Tippett. Philly reportedly received a better offer from Colorado but Claude’s no-movement clause prevented them from netting a bigger haul.
Enjoy the action this week!
