Grading NHL Trade Deadline Performances: Central Division
The NHL Trade Deadline is officially behind us, and rosters are set as teams jockey for position in the race for the postseason.
For the vast majority of the 2021-2022 campaign, the Central Division has been led by the Colorado Avalanche, a team that most expect to win the Stanley Cup. Following not-so-closely behind, yet still very much in a playoff position, are the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild.
From there, things get a little murky as the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are both fringe teams in the current playoff picture. The Winnipeg Jets, though not quite as competitive this season, cannot be counted out either.
The division is rounded out by the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes, two teams that will be irrelevant in the playoff race long before the season is finished.
How did each Central Division team do at the trade deadline?
Several teams in this division were busy making a multitude of moves, while the rest were either trying to find the perfect fit or a big name.
Colorado, Dallas, and St. Louis succeeded in identifying ways to make their rosters better and making trades that accomplished that. Meanwhile, Minnesota made the biggest splash of any team in the Central in a bid to close the gap between themselves and the Avs.
Further down the standings, things got a little fuzzier as big names were moved, a variety of trades were made, and to me, there may have been more questions introduced than answered as the clubs prepare to finish the season.
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 Central Division squad fare this March?
Here are trade deadline grades for each team in the Central.
Arizona Coyotes: C
The Coyotes made several small moves at the trade deadline, the most notable of which saw the team acquire the rights to prospect Jack McBain from the Wild.
In addition, Arizona added prospect Nathan Smith in a deal that also brought Bryan Little’s contract to the dessert, which is the type of deal that the Yotes have become known for making. For the most part, this deadline is what you would expect: an influx of picks.
Unfortunately, the picks weren’t copious (a third and two fourths), and the Coyotes even shipped out a second-rounder. It was also odd to see that players like Phil Kessel and Jakob Chychrun remained in Arizona.
I don’t feel as though this was a bad deadline for the Yotes, but I do feel like there were a couple of missed opportunities.
Chicago Blackhawks: B-
The Blackhawks moved a couple of notable names at the trade deadline, giving Chicago a favorable grade.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is out, as is forward Brandon Hagel, both of which fetched solid returns for the Hawks. Moving both players made sense given the underwhelming campaign in the Windy City.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks have a lot of valuable players that remained on the roster, and I wonder why the organization did not feel compelled to hit the reset button completely.
Veterans like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane could have proved valuable to several contenders, and younger players like Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome have been talked about frequently as potential players on the block. All four are still in Chicago.
I’m not sure if the Blackhawks did enough at the deadline, but they got great value for those that they did move, so the grade here is positive.
Colorado Avalanche: A-
The Avalanche took a buyer’s approach at this trade deadline, acquiring four new roster players in preparation for the playoffs.
Most of the trades made by the Avs featured draft picks as the return, which makes sense for a team that’s attempting to win it all this season. The players that will now be a part of that Cup run are headlined by former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson.
Veteran forward Andrew Cogliano also ended up in Colorado, as did young forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Nico Sturm. This is a strong group of additions that did not cost the Avalanche much in terms of current assets.
The only part that I don’t like about this trade deadline for Colorado is that every player is a rental. Not one of the acquired players is under contract this season, which only adds to the pressure that the Avs will be feeling this spring.
Dallas Stars: B-
Dallas addressed a couple of needs at the trade deadline, but I don’t think they went far enough.
Bringing in Scott Wedgewood in goal was a great move by the Stars, since their goaltending room, which was once loaded, is now depleted as a result of injuries. Further, adding forward Vladislav Namestnikov provides the team with some much-needed depth scoring.
However, the real determinant of the Stars’ success this season will be the play of its top players. Those top players, unfortunately, have not had outstanding seasons, and the fact that Dallas did not acquire any help at the top of the lineup or unload any struggling veterans makes me feel like this team will stay in its rut.
Dallas is a playoff team, but its postseason success, I’m afraid, could be severely limited unless the stars (no pun intended) pick up the slack. The deadline was helpful, but it didn’t solve the largest problem.
Minnesota Wild: A+
The Minnesota Wild needed a huge move to become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, so they went out and made one.
Minnesota acquired three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury from the Blackhawks in a deal that could elevate the Wild this postseason. Minnesota allows over three goals per game, and while Cam Talbot has not been bad between the pipes, Fleury can take the team to another level.
Fleury, who posted a 2.95 goals against average and a .908 save percentage in 45 games with the Blackhawks, has similar numbers to Talbot, despite the latter playing behind a better team. This union feels like a great opportunity for both Fleury and his new club.
The Wild made some other moves as well, but the home run to land the Flower is the key. Minnesota needed something to propel them forward, and that’s exactly what they got.
Nashville Predators: D
Last year, I said that the Predators should be sellers, but this year I said they should be buyers and go for what could be a final run at the Cup. Nashville did neither.
The Preds made three moves that basically only brought in depth players, but they’re not established players. Nashville will be relying on three new guys with little to no experience to help support an other-worldly season from Roman Josi and a surprising bounce-back from Matt Duchene.
Needless to say, I have little confidence that this team did enough to get into the playoffs, and I have no confidence in its ability to find success if it does qualify.
St. Louis Blues: A
The Blues kept things simple at the trade deadline, but that strategy was effective.
In the team’s lone trade, St. Louis acquired Stanley Cup champion Nick Leddy from the Detroit Red Wings to solidify the blueline. I love the fact that the Blues were able to add a player that knows what it takes to win in the NHL. Leddy is the type of player that some inexperienced teams could have used.
Beyond his experience, this is a great fit for a Blues team that could use a left-handed defenseman. The defense has been good all year, but the offense has carried the team, so St. Louis going out and getting a player to help on the back end is great.
Leddy can be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season, but he’s a perfect short-term solution for the Blues.
Winnipeg Jets: C-
The Jets are alive in the playoff race, but it won’t be easy, and I’m not sure that the trade deadline did much to help.
It’s not that Winnipeg had a terrible deadline, but the net impact of several trades is effectively swapping Andrew Copp for Mason Appleton and Zach Sanford. Both additions are solid players further down the lineup, but why bring them in now?
To me, the Jets don’t stand much of a chance this season even if they do get in. With that said, I think next year could be a great bounce-back season that could put Winnipeg back in a position to compete. These trades don’t match up with that time frame, as both contracts expire after this season.
Evidently, the Jets see themselves in a different light than I see them, but I can’t fathom how this team could compete this season, and if they don’t have a shot at winning, why make these deals?
light. Related Story. Grading NHL Trade Deadline Performances: Metropolitan Division
With the trade deadline in the books, the race for the postseason is on. Did your team do enough to contend for Lord Stanley’s Cup?