With the 2017 trade deadline now a thing of the past, let’s take a closer look at some of the winners and losers based on moves made (or not made) leading up to Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
Trade Deadline Winners
Vancouver Canucks
Tearing it down is easier than building it back up, but it’s pretty easy to praise GM Jim Benning for what he was able to accomplish in recent days.
Alex Burrows is a 35-year-old producing at a 30 point pace on a per 82 game basis. Benning was able to flip Burrows for 19-year-old Jonathan Dahlen, who is tearing it up in Sweden right now.
Benning then dealt 30-year-old Jannik Hansen, he of zero career 40+ point seasons, to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional 4th that becomes a 1st if the Sharks hoist the cup in June.
Goldobin is a 21-year-old winger producing at just under a point per game clip in the AHL right now. He is a very good skater with high-end puck skills who can create every time he touches the puck. His play without it needs improvement but goals will always be in demand, obviously, and Goldobin helps create them. I was sky-high on Goldobin in his draft year and am very confident he’ll be a legitimately good NHL player sooner than later.
The Canucks sold high on Burrows and Hansen. For that, they deserve credit.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals lead the league in wins, points, and goal differential. In Kevin Shattenkirk, they added a top-pairing caliber right-handed defenseman who has been more effective running the power play than everyone in hockey over the last three years (Shattenkirk is 1st in points per 60 and 2nd in total points).
I went more in-depth on this deal a couple days ago but, suffice to say, it’s a good one for the Capitals.
Nashville Predators
I want to give credit to a team that actually made a move on deadline day, so let’s go with the Predators.
In P.A. Parenteau they added a versatile winger — he can play either side — on pace for just under 20 goals and 40 points. Parenteau also drives possession and has played in the playoffs two of the last three years so he has experience in that situation as well.
In exchange for Parenteau’s services, the Predators parted with a 6th round pick that will almost certainly never amount to anything. Well done!
Trade Deadline Losers
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens scored fewer goals per game than every team in the NHL during the month of February. By all accounts, an additional boost of offense is what they needed.
Instead, they acquired three 4th liner players who have combined to record 28 points in 159 games in Dwight King, Andreas Martinsen, and Steve Ott. The latter two are among the league’s worst 5v5 players in terms of production and possession, too.
One could make an argument the Canadiens actually got worse at the deadline, which is always the goal for a team sitting atop its division.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are in the midst of one of the worst seasons any team has had in recent memory.
They were expected to be active and, at the very least, sell off a handful of aging players and pending unrestricted free agents. They didn’t exactly do that, though.
They dealt Andreas Martinsen for the more talented Sven Andrighetto, which was a solid move, and dealt Jarome Iginla to Los Angeles for a conditional pick they’ll probably never get. That’s it.
Rene Bourque stayed put. John Mitchell stayed put. Fedor Tyutin stayed put. They didn’t sell off any veterans with another year left such as Francois Beauchemin, Blake Comeau or Joe Colborne, either.
The deadline went about as well as the Avs’ season has thus far – and that’s not a good thing.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)