4 players acquired near the NHL trade deadline who already made a significant impact for their new teams
The 2024 NHL trade deadline has come and gone, but there are a few players who have already made a significant contribution to their new teams.
Now that the 2024 NHL trade deadline is in the books and the instant reactions have arrived, let's explore four players who were acquired near March 8th. Those listed in the following slides have already sidled in with their respective teams and have played so well during their initial appearances that a newcomer to the NHL may not think that they were new arrivals.
Plenty of players have put up fine performances, and quite a few more will make huge impacts once they are cleared to play, with Tomas Hertl and Jake Guentzel being the most notable names. But in the meantime, which names added near the 2024 deadline have performed as though they have been on their new team all season?
Ilya Lyubushkin was a pre-NHL trade deadline add who deserves recognition
Technically acquired just over a week before the trade deadline, Ilya Lyubushkin is one player who deserves special recognition across his first five games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As you know, this is Lyubushkin’s second stint in Ontario, as he spent 31 contests with Toronto in 2022 and scored six points in that frame.
He returned to the Maple Leafs in a three-team deal that involved the Anaheim Ducks while the Carolina Hurricanes picked up a portion of his salary. And while the blueliner has just one point in five games (an assist), he’s been a force when Toronto doesn’t have the puck, and that’s exactly what the Maple Leafs need.
Lyubushkin has 15 hits already, which averages to three per game. He’s also logged seven blocks, has contributed on the penalty kill, and is currently carrying a 56.8 in the Corsi at 5-on-5. The latter number is rather enticing, considering his career Corsi For Percentage sits at 47.4.
The Buffalo Sabres may have gotten it right with Bowen Byram
Bowen Byram debuted for the Buffalo Sabres on March 7th, and while he had some expectedly ill-fated moments, the 22-year-old also scored two points and a goal in what was ultimately a loss to the Nashville Predators. But just how impactful was Byram in his second game with the Blue and Gold?
After logging an outrageous 24 minutes and 58 seconds of ice time in his Sabres debut, Byram recorded 25 minutes and 46 seconds in Saturday’s thriller vs. the Edmonton Oilers. He logged four more shots on goal, and he also totaled four hits, so you can argue it was a solid second game for the young blueliner.
It’s rather remarkable that even a young team like the Sabres is already trusting him with first-pairing minutes, with only defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and winger Alex Tuch logging more ice time on Saturday.
Two games is too small of a sample size to claim the Sabres at least partially won in a trade that sent forward Casey Mittelstadt to Denver, Colorado, but you couldn’t ask for a better return on Byram. He has also contributed to the power play and logged shorthanded minutes, showing us that this intriguing defenseman will see a lot of ice time in many situations.
Vladimir Tarasenko is already impressing in Sunrise
Vladimir Tarasenko was already making quite an impression for most of the season with the Ottawa Senators, but the team suffered through so many struggles that his production was nothing special, with 41 points in 57 contests, adjusted for a solid 59 points throughout an 82-game season. But that hasn’t been the case so far in Sunrise, where Tarasenko already has three points and two goals across his first pair of games.
He’s only logged an average of 14 minutes and 19 seconds of ice time so far, but that number could rise in time if he continues to find the net or at least the open linemate. While Florida is a much better team than Ottawa, Tarasenko’s possession metrics throughout those first two games have been nothing short of lights out, with an offensive zone starting percentage of just 31.3 percent, yet his Corsi For Percentage is an incredible 56.9 at 5-on-5.
That number is something to keep an eye on as the Florida Panthers continue their quest to reclaim the Eastern Conference Championship, but offense hasn’t been the only impressive area of Tarasenko’s play. He hasn’t been on the ice for a goal at 5-on-5 in those first two contests, and his hard-hitting play is already matching what is a physical team that is averaging nearly 27 hits per game.
Noah Hanifin is already a positive force in Vegas
If there was one player everyone expected to make a significant impact following the NHL trade deadline, it was Noah Hanifin. Acquired in what may have been the biggest blockbuster trade of the season, Hanifin has played in just two games for the Vegas Golden Knights, and he celebrated his first win with the team on Saturday in a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
It was also a game to remember for the star blueliner, as he pitched in with two assists and logged 20 minutes and 26 seconds of total ice time. Hanifin is also boasting a plus-3 through two games, has pitched in on the power play, and when the Knights are shorthanded, and he’s also been helping Vegas constantly in the offensive zone.
His Corsi For of 64.7 percent at 5-on-5 will decline, but with 61.5 percent of all of his starts coming in the offensive zone, it shows us that through possession metrics, he’s already made a significant impact with his new team. Add to the fact he’s been on the ice for three goals - two of which he logged as assists, and Hanifin is proving early why the Golden Knights were so interested in acquiring him.
Anthony Duclair’s debut for the Lightning was epic
Deadline week saw Anthony Duclair make an epic return to Florida after spending nearly half the season in California playing alongside a struggling San Jose Sharks team that is fit for a rebuild. This time, however, Duclair saw himself not in South Florida, but near the Gulf, donning a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform.
He only played in one game so far, and it was a 7-0 blowout win against those surprisingly talented Philadelphia Flyers. But Duclair wasn’t watching the rest of the Lightning while the team put up seven on Philadelphia; he was doing his part, ending the game with one goal and two points.
Even more amazing was the fact that Duclair saw just 13 minutes and 56 seconds of ice time in his debut. Through just one game, he’s showing us he can still be the prolific scorer he was just two seasons ago for what was a Florida Panthers team that ended the regular season with the league’s best record.
Duclair also wasn’t putting up bad numbers with the Sharks, despite the team’s meager production when they had the puck, with 27 points in 56 games. No, it was nowhere near what he could put up when he’s even playing for a halfway decent team, but Duclair overachieved with a bad hockey team in San Jose.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)