It was déjà vu at the NHL trading deadline as the Los Angeles Kings made the biggest investment for the second consecutive year, and with only 15 deadline-day trades made, last year’s 10-year low of 16 trades was eclipsed.
No moves on Monday equaled the commitment Los Angeles showed to Jeff Carter in a trade that yielded Jack Johnson and a third-round pick to Columbus on Thursday, though there were teams that improved their stock considerably through a variety of moves designed to smooth the edges out of their respective lineups. Vancouver found the grinding tenacity and resilience they were looking for, along with a third-pairing defenseman that will compete for minutes with Aaron Rome and Chris Tanev as Keith Ballard’s status remains up in the air heading towards the playoffs. Nashville also picked up forwards to complement their secondary scoring as a very likely 4/5 playoff matchup looms for the second straight year.
Rick Nash stayed put in Columbus despite the revelation Monday that he had asked Scott Howson for a trade and "significant discussions'' between the Blue Jackets and other teams. Howson did not receive a satisfactory package he felt would justify the mid-season trade of the team’s franchise player and when trade negotiations begin again in earnest in the summer, it is possible that Nash may lengthen his approved list of teams, adding for competition for his services and increasing his value.
While we strongly considered Detroit’s acquisition of a seventh round draft pick for Mike Commodore – they selected Henrik Zetterberg in the seventh round and Pavel Datsyuk late in the sixth – it just missed out on the cut of this year’s top-10 most impactful deadline day trades.
Let’s take a look at the deadline day trades that will make the biggest impact on their teams heading deeper into the playoff push.
1.
To Vancouver: F Zack Kassian, D Marc-Andre Gragnani
To Buffalo: F Cody Hodgson, D Alexander Sulzer
Kassian stats: 27 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 7 Pts, -1
Kassian cap hit: 0.810 million through 2014; RFA after expiry
Gragnani stats: 44 GP, 1 G, 11 A, 12 Pts, +10
Gragnani cap hit: 0.550 million; RFA after this season
Hodgson stats: 63 GP, 16 G, 17 A, 33 Pts, 8 PIM
Hodgson cap hit: 1.667 million through 2013; RFA after expiry
Sulzer stats: 12 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pts, 2 PIM
Sulzer cap hit: 0.700 million; UFA after this season
Analysis: Pushed around and exposed for a perceived lack of toughness in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals, the Vancouver Canucks responded on Monday by trading for 6’4 wrecking ball Zack Kassian, who among prospects on the verge of an NHL career may be the most difficult to play against. Combined with a #5-type defenseman in Gragnani, and Monday’s earlier acquisition of Sami Pahlsson, Vancouver upgraded its defensive efforts better than any team at the trading deadline. The cost was heavy, as skilled two-way rookie center Cody Hodgson may be among the three finalists for the Calder Trophy and should receive more ice time in Buffalo. He wasn’t likely to see much opportunity for advancement at center behind Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler.
2.
To San Jose: F Daniel Winnik, F T.J. Galiardi, 7th round draft pick
To Colorado: F Jamie McGinn, F Mike Connolly (AHL), F Michael Sgarbossa (OHL)
Winnik stats: 63 GP, 5 G, 13 A, 18 Pts, -11
Winnik cap hit: 0.95 million; UFA after this season
Galiardi stats: 55 GP, 8 G, 6 A, 14 Pts, -6
Galiardi cap hit: 0.700 million; RFA after this season
McGinn stats: 61 GP, 12 G, 12 A, 24 Pts, +1
McGinn cap hit: 0.680 million; RFA after this season
Connolly stats: (AHL) 39 GP, 10 G, 19 A, 29 Pts
Sgarbossa stats: (OHL) 57 GP, 41 G, 43 A, 84 Pts, +16
Analysis: The Sharks needed a bit of a shakeup after a 2-6-1 roadtrip dropped them amongst the teams fighting for their playoff lives. They received a pair of feisty wingers, with Winnik serving as a defensive-minded irritant who can skate. Colorado will look to booster their secondary scoring with Jamie McGinn; considering they traded their first round pick to Washington this season, they were able to fulfill a need by bolstering their prospect depth with NCAA champion Mike Connolly and the OHL’s second leading scorer in Sgarbossa.
3.
To Minnesota: Tom Gilbert
To Edmonton: Nick Schultz
Gilbert stats: 47 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 17 Pts, -2
Gilbert cap hit: 4 million through 2014
Schultz stats: 62 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 Pts, -10
Schultz cap hit: 4 million through 2014
Analysis: Cal Clutterbuck of the Wild was apparently blindsided by Monday’s trade, telling StarTribune reporter Michael Russo, “It's shocking. He's what this organization is all about.” Clutterbuck will be singing a different tune if Tom Gilbert is capable of luring unrestricted free agent and fellow Wisconsin Badger teammate Ryan Suter to the Twin Cities this off-season. This trade of identical contracts features the character, stay-at-home Schultz heading west to shore up Edmonton’s defense as the versatile Gilbert returns to his home state of Minnesota, where he may see a spike in production.
4.
To Vancouver: Sami Pahlsson
To Columbus: Taylor Ellington (ECHL), 4th round draft pick, 4th round draft pick (both 2012)
Pahlsson stats: 61 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 11 Pts, -6
Pahlsson cap hit: 2.65 million; UFA after this season
Ellington stats: 55 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 Pts, +3 (ECHL)
Analysis: The Canucks received the defensive-minded forward they were looking for to round out their third line, choosing to acquire Pahlsson instead of Montreal’s Travis Moen. The gritty Pahlsson was an integral piece of Anaheim’s Stanley Cup run in 2007 and is the type of player that should easily mesh into a tight-knit Canucks locker room. He’s exactly the style of player Vancouver needed to bolster the spine of a team expecting no less than a Stanley Cup Finals return.
5.
To Nashville: F Paul Gaustad, 4th round draft pick
To Buffalo: 1st round draft pick
Gaustad stats: 56 GP, 7 G, 10 A, 17 Pts, -1
Gaustad cap hit: 2.3 million; UFA after this season
Analysis: Is that where we’re at right now, where a third-line heart-and-soul net-crashing secondary scorer and a fourth round draft pick can haul in a contending team’s first round pick? Nashville’s management chose to offer up draft picks instead of promising young defensemen Ryan Ellis or Jonathon Blum in order to haul in Gaustad and Kostitsyn on deadline day.
6.
To Nashville: F Andrei Kostitsyn
To Montreal: 2013 2nd round draft pick, conditional 5th round draft pick
Kostitsyn stats: 53 GP, 12 G, 12 A, 24 Pts, -8
Kostitsyn cap hit: 3.25 million; UFA after this season
Analysis: Kostitsyn wasn’t part of the solution on a Montreal team that struggled to score consistently but should see good minutes and a chance to contribute with his brother on an all-in Nashville squad. Even though this doesn’t resemble any earth-shaking movement, he’s the type of committee contributor that makes Nashville a very dangerous playoff team.
7.
To Boston: F Brian Rolston, D Mike Mottau
To NY Islanders: F Yanick Riendeau (ECHL), D Marc Cantin (ECHL)
Rolston stats: 49 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 Pts, -12
Rolston cap hit: 5.06 million; UFA after this season
Mottau stats: 29 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 Pts, -10
Mottau cap hit: 0.800 million; UFA after this season
Riendeau stats: 30 GP, 9 G, 20 A, 29 Pts (ECHL)
Cantin stats: 16 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts (ECHL)
Analysis: A swap of players with expiring contracts that neither team wanted. Finishing up a four-year, 20.25 million dollar contract, the 39-year old Rolston joins a Boston team with enough cap space to welcome him in as a veteran secondary scorer and power play contributor on a team looking to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. In order to absorb the remainder of his contract, the Islanders took on several middling prospects.
8.
To Tampa Bay: D Brian Lee
To Ottawa: D Matt Gilroy
Lee stats: 35 GP, 1 G, 7 A, 8 Pts, -2
Lee cap hit: 0.875 million; RFA after this season
Gilroy stats: 53 GP, 2 G, 15 A, 17 Pts, +2
Gilroy cap hit: 1 million; UFA after season
Analysis: Ottawa adds a rental defenseman that should see some minutes and will contribute the overall defensive effort that ranks second to last amongst current playoff teams with 2.97 goals allowed per game. They’re hoping it’s a happy marriage and Gilroy considers a contract extension. Tampa Bay gets a young, physical depth defenseman looking for a new start after spending five years with Ottawa, which selected him 9th overall in 2005.
9.
To Chicago: D Johnny Oduya
To Winnipeg: 2013 2nd round draft pick, 2013 3rd round draft pick
Oduya stats: 63 GP, 2 G, 11 A, 13 Pts, -9
Oduya cap hit: 3.5 million; UFA after this season
Analysis: The Blackhawks are thin defensively with injuries to Steve Montador and Niklas Hjalmarsson and paid a hefty price to acquire versatile veteran Johnny Oduya, who will eventually settle into a depth defensive role. After being outscored 7-1 over the weekend and getting outplayed in their own zone, they needed defensive reinforcements badly.
10.
To Boston: D Greg Zanon
To Minnesota: D Steven Kampfer
Zanon stats: 39 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 Pts, -1
Zanon cap hit: 1.933 million; UFA after this season
Kampfer stats: 10 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 Pts, +6
Kampfer cap hit: 0.850 million; RFA after 2013
Analysis: Both teams acquire depth defensemen. Zanon has a higher immediate value as a veteran and should slot into a 5/6 role in Boston, while Kampfer has an extra year remaining on his entry level deal and will receive an opportunity to see minutes in a wider variety of roles in Minnesota.
For the complete list of trading deadline moves, click here.
