NHL trade deadline winners and losers
The National Hockey League (NHL) trade deadline was this past Friday, Mar. 3 at 3 p.m. and contenders such as the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs added much-needed depth before their big playoff pushes come in Apr.
Other teams that were looking to bolster their lines included the Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, and the Anaheim Ducks, with players such as rightwing Patrick Kane and defenders Jakob Chychrun and John Klingberg becoming available.
As the trade deadline passed, the biggest winner of the trade period became the Boston Bruins. Boston is currently the best team in the league by a large margin with 103 points and looks poised to win this year’s Stanley Cup. Boston added defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who has tallied eight points in four games so far with the team. Boston also added left winger Tyler Bertuzzi and right winger Garnet Hathaway, who give them depth in the third and fourth lines with left-wingers Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno on the long-term injured reserve.
The Toronto Maple Leafs went all in at the deadline, giving up multiple first-round picks to add some great players, the biggest of them being center Ryan O’Reilly from St. Louis, who strengthened their top six. Forwards Noel Acciari and Sam Lafferty were also acquired and added depth to the team’s bottom six. Defensemen Jake McCabe, Luke Schenn, and Erik Gustaffson make the squad’s core stronger than it’s ever been.
Both the New York Islanders and New York Rangers added some stars to their rosters. The Rangers added Kane and right winger Vladimir Tarasenko without even having to give up any of their top prospects. Star center Bo Horvat was added to the Islanders roster, along with Pierre Engvall to help them with their playoff push.
The last real winner of the deadline was probably the most surprising contender of the season, the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have been led by young players like centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, along with center Ondřej Palát throughout the season. The Devils added former San Jose Shark right winger Timo Meier, who has scored 31 goals in 57 total games this season. New Jersey also acquired forward Curtis Lazar who will take on difficult defensive assignments for the team going forward.
Not every team could come out a winner at the deadline, but the biggest loser has to be the Arizona Coyotes. Chychrun had been linked to trades for a year, with the Coyotes wanting multiple first-round picks for him. Ultimately, he ended up being dealt to Ottawa for one first-round pick and two second-round picks. Their return of a sole first-round selection and no prospects continues the recent woes for Arizona.
The Philadelphia Flyers join the Coyotes as the biggest losers of the deadline; the Flyers are an absolute mess, to say the least. They have the third-worst record in the east and instead of trading veteran players and acquiring young prospects, they did nothing. Left winger James van Riemsdyk could have helped a contender while bringing a suitable return to Philly but instead they will now lose him to free agency this offseason for nothing.
Ultimately, the NHL trade deadline was an arms race in the Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions, where multiple teams made big splashes to help them with their playoff aspirations. Boston looks to be the heavy favorite out of the east while in the west, Dallas looks like the team to beat. Nothing is certain, though, as the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings are well within striking distance and have a chance to win it all this season.