The NHL Trade Deadline has officially come and gone, and it was a wild one for sure.
Friday, the actual deadline day, was not as busy as in years past, only because the week leading up to Friday had been as insane as most fans can remember.
From basement dwellers trying to build for next season, to division leaders trying to load up, there was no shortage of players on the move in 2023. Of course, some deals will pan out better than others, as sometimes what appears as though it will work on paper does not work on the ice.
Which NHL Trade Deadline acquisitions will have the biggest impact?
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three acquisitions that may prove to be more impactful than the rest.
Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton Oilers
There may not have been a single trade this season that filled a need better than the Edmonton Oilers’ deal for Mattias Ekholm.
This is a high-flying offense, driven by the top two point-getters in the NHL in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. What this team lacks is defense, and it’s not like the Oilers are just average defensively. They were in desperate need of help on the back end.
Ekholm can certainly contribute offensively, but he makes his living playing defense and playing it well. Therefore, his move to Edmonton is a match made in heaven. The Oilers can’t win unless they’re scoring an absurd amount of goals and playing in 6-5 games, and that won’t win a Cup.
Ekholm doesn’t singlehandedly provide a solution defensively, but he’s the first player that comes to mind when thinking about who will be tasked with shutting things down. He’ll be a critical piece of any series the Oilers win this spring.
Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils
As was the case with just about every team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils did their best to load up ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Among other moves, the Devils swung big and got Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. This acquisition will be impactful for obvious reasons, as Meier is among the NHL’s best when it comes to scoring goals this season, but just the message that it sends is important.
New Jersey has not won a playoff series since appearing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. That is one of the longest droughts in the NHL. No one expected that the Devils would not be buyers, but this move establishes that their future has officially arrived.
Meier’s acquisition tells this team that it’s go time, and if the Devils manage to get him extended beyond this season, this could turn out to be the biggest win of any team at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline.
Jonathan Quick, Vegas Golden Knights
Hear me out on this. Sometimes the biggest impact doesn’t come from the best players. No doubt, players like Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Bo Horvat figure to be better players for the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, respectively.
However, Quick brings intangibles to the Golden Knights that I genuinely believe could help them advance through the playoffs. For example, he is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner. You can never have too much playoff experience.
Further, he gives Vegas another goaltending option. No, he has not been good this season, but he was last season, and I think the Golden Knights would prefer to have a struggling champion than a bunch of injured players, which is basically what they had before the trade.
Finally, what happens when Vegas meets the Los Angeles Kings in the postseason? I’ll give the edge to Quick’s new team, as having a chip on your shoulder can go a long way. Don’t sleep on what Quick brings to the table for his new club,