Chicago Blackhawks: Losers
The Blackhawks made one addition on deadline day when they acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets for a second- and a third-round pick in 2013. Chicago's goaltending has been inconsistent at best for a majority of this season. The lack of an addition means Ray Emery and Corey Crawford will be battling to be the one who takes the reigns for the Blackhawks as they head toward the playoffs. If neither one settles into a rhythm, it could be another first-round exit this year.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Losers
After landing in Columbus in an offseason trade from Philadelphia, Jeff Carter never seemed comfortable with the Blue Jackets and his injury-marred time in Columbus ended when he was sent to Los Angeles for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick. The Blue Jackets also sent forward Sami Pahlsson to Vancouver before the deadline.
What Columbus did not do was trade captain Rick Nash, and shortly after the deadline passed, general manager Scott Howson announced that Nash had approached him and asked for a trade out of Columbus. Howson's asking price for Nash was astronomical, and no trade was able to be made. Nash also has a no-movement clause in his contract, meaning he could control the teams to which he would accept a trade.
The Blue Jackets are the league's worst team and it is difficult to believe that Nash will be a member of the team at the start of next season. Nearly continuous losing has taken its toll on Nash, and he has had enough. Howson may not be retained beyond this season either, so it is clear that the ills in Columbus are numerous and will not be easily corrected anytime soon.
Detroit Red Wings: Push
Detroit acquired defenseman Kyle Quincey from Tampa Bay a week before the deadline. That deal made seldom-used blueliner Mike Commodore expendable and he was shipped to the Lightning on deadline day in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick.
Detroit is in position to make a run for the league's Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best record and making many alterations to an already strong lineup was not necessary.
Nashville Predators: Winners
The Predators were very active right up until Monday afternoon's deadline. In adding defenseman Hal Gill earlier in February, they gained size and the Stanley Cup-winner their roster lacked.
Monday's focus switched to the forwards. A day after trading longtime Predator Jerred Smithson to Florida, Nashville added another big body in former Buffalo Sabre Paul Gaustad. The Gaustad deal came on the heels of Nashville's first Monday trade that landed them talented forward Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens. The trade reunited Kostitsyn with his younger brother Sergei, who occupies the left wing on Nashville's top offensive line.
Aside from Smithson, all of Nashville's deals involved draft picks so there were no significant subtractions from the current roster or any of the highly touted prospects kicking around in the Nashville system.
St. Louis Blues: Push
Like Detroit, things in St. Louis have been going well, so there was no need for the Blues to make any significant deals leading up to the deadline. St. Louis did ship minor league goaltender Ben Bishop to the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick in 2013.
Somewhat lost in the lack of trades in St. Louis was the fact that forward Andy McDonald has come back to the team in recent weeks after sustaining an early-season concussion that cost him 51 games. Adding a player like McDonald back to the lineup strengthens an already tough Blues squad that is battling the Red Wings for the Central's top spot.
