Grading NHL Trade Deadline Performances: Metropolitan Division

The NHL Trade Deadline is officially behind us, and rosters are set as teams jockey for position in the race for the postseason.

In the Metropolitan Division, there seemed to be a clear divide in terms of playoff teams and non-playoff teams ahead of the deadline, and that divide has grown since Monday’s flurry of activity.

The top four teams in the division, the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Washington Capitals, have controlled those positions for much of the season, while the rest of the Metro has been attempting to claw its way back into contention.

All four of the top teams made an effort to improve their rosters ahead of the playoffs, but which teams emerged as winners, and who did enough to enhance its postseason outlook?

How did each Metropolitan Division team do at the trade deadline?

The Rangers made as many trades as the rest of the division combined, or at least that’s the way it felt. Other top teams like the Hurricanes and Penguins opted for concise and impactful trade deadline strategies.

Meanwhile, the Capitals added to their forward depth with a pair of moves in a bid to get escape their current wild card position and reinsert themselves into the division’s top three.

In the bottom half of the division, there were two strategies. The first one, implemented by the Philadelphia and Columbus Blue Jackets, was to move a high-profile player without going as far as becoming a complete seller.

The other, which was executed by the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, was to largely sit back and watch the madness that is the NHL Trade Deadline unfold without really taking part in the festivities.

Though these teams approached the trade deadline with different mindsets and goals, any team can emerge as a winner at the end of the NHL’s most hectic handful of hours. So, with that said, how did each Metropolitan Division squad fare this March?

Here are trade deadline grades for each team in the Metro.