NHL Trade Deadline Winners

NHL Trade Deadline: 3 Winners

NHL Trade Deadline is usually met with more transactions, and a lot more movement. But as a couple GM’s pointed out, the market had a different feeling this year. Much uncertainty surround the 2016-17 cap, coupled with an overabundance of quality RFA’s looking for new contracts in the summer.

It wasn’t until the last hour and a half that the NHL trade deadline began to take off (if you can call it that). This year’s NHL Trade Deadline lacked both in number of trades, and quality of players involved.

General Manager’s are not obligated to make moves at the deadline to be winners. Sometimes it’s the moves not made that win championships.

NHL Trade Deadline: Three Winners

Calgary Flames

Additions: Hunter Shinkaruk, 2016 2nd round pick, 2018 4th round pick, Jyrki Jokipakka, Brett Pollock, conditional 2016 2nd round pick (possible 1st), G Niklas Backstrom, 2016 6th round pick

Subtractions: Markus Granlund, Jiri Hudler, Kris Russell, David Jones

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Heading out the door is a pair of pending unrestricted free agents in Hudler and Russell. Neither fit into the Flames long-term plan, so it made sense to get something for them. Coming into the system is a promising blueliner in Jyrki Jokipakka and quality prospect in Brett Pollock. Three extra draft picks, including one that turns into a 1st if Dallas makes the conference finals and Russell plays at least 50 percent of games – Calgary had a great NHL trade deadline.

The David Jones deal came in late – bought themselves a 6th round pick by giving Minnesota an opportunity to open up that extra spot on the 23-man roster.

Colorado Avalanche

Additions: Shawn Matthias, Mikkel Boedker, Eric Gelinas, Taylor Beck

Subtractions: Colin Smith, 2016 4th round pick, Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley, Kyle Wood, 2017 3rd round pick, Marc-Andre Cliche

The Avalanche are anointed the big winner of Monday itself with their acquisition of Mikkel Boedker. It sounds as though he’ll play alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, and should be a perfect fit in the Avs top six. Earlier in the week, Colorado added Shawn Matthias who gives the Avalanche depth in their bottom six, while today’s addition of Taylor Beck is purely depth – a fourth liner who spends a lot of time in the minors with occasional call-ups. Eric Gelinas is intriguing as he’s thought to have a lot of upside in his game. He never seemed to pan out in New Jersey, found himself as a healthy scratch a lot recently. He gets a fresh start in Colorado, and the change of scenery could be exactly what sparks his game.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Additions: Colin Smith, 2016 4th round pick, 2017 2nd round pick, 2018 2nd round pick, Raffi Torres, Alex Stalock, Ben Smith, conditional 2018 4th round pick, Brooks Laich, Connor Carrick, 2016 2nd round pick

Subtractions: Shawn Matthias, Roman Polak, Nick Spaling, James Reimer, Jeremy Morin, Daniel Winnik, 2016 5th round pick
*not including Dion Phaneuf deal

A lot of people asking why Toronto didn’t trade P.A. Parenteau. Suspicions are that the asking price was a little steep judging on what they got in return from San Jose. Regardless, the Maple Leafs unloaded a number of players, and accumulated a ton of draft picks. Toronto can either use the draft picks, taking a few extra swings in the batting cage – or, the more likely scenario, they can package those picks at a later date to move up in the draft. This is how you properly execute a rebuild.

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Honorable Mentions:

Boston Bruins – Instead of subtracting Loui Eriksson, GM Don Sweeney added Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles.

Carolina Hurricanes – Aside from a pair of quality prospects in Aleksi Saarela and Valentin Zykov, the Canes added a ton of draft picks.

Detroit Red Wings – They had very little cap space to work with, and walked away having done nothing. GM Ken Holland was smart not to sacrifice prospects/or draft picks for short-term rentals.