The NHL Trade Deadline Day fell quite short of expectation, with 19 trades consummated, but none that would be categorized as earth shattering.
Most of the top contenders made minor deals to add depth, but failed to do anything that could significantly enhance their Stanley Cup aspirations.
In the West, Plan B options seemed to be the trend. Dallas addressed their need on defense by acquiring Kris Russell from Calgary. Anaheim needed a scoring winger, but ended up with Jamie McGinn instead of Loui Eriksson or Radim Vrbata, while Kings GM Dean Lombardi opted for Cup winning experience with veterans Kris Versteeg and Rob Scuderi.
In the East, Tampa Bay could not find the right return for disgruntled forward Jonathan Drouin and had no cap room to make other moves. Florida added rentals in Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler and Washington failed to bolster their blueline, but traded 12-year veteran Brooks Laich to Toronto for Daniel Winnik.
Only two teams decided to throw caution to the wind and trade significant future assets for a pair of big-name pending free agents.
Chicago adding winger Andrew Ladd was a well thought out move made by GM Stan Bowman. The former Winnipeg Jets captain won a Cup with the Hawks in 2010 with the core group of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford and should have little trouble fitting in with the group for a run at a fourth championship.
Bowman has moved first rounders the last two deadlines to obtain Antoine Vermette and Ladd, but has no fear been able restock the Hawks shelves by trading Brandon Saad to Columbus for prospects and finding gems like undrafted free agent Trevor van Riemsdyk and potential Calder nominee Artemi Panarin.
The New York Rangers similarly went big, swapping a pair of second round picks and prospect Aleksi Saarela to Carolina for Eric Staal, but the deal smacks of desperation on the part of GM Jeff Gorton, who did not recoup prospects by moving defenseman Keith Yandle’s expiring contract at the deadline.
Gorton appears to be going all out to win this season with a club that is a far cry from being the imposing force they were two years ago when they lost to Los Angeles in the Cup Final.
Henrik Lundqvist is still one of the best goaltenders in the game, but the defensive corps of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Kevin Klein are beginning to show wear and tear after years of blocking shots. New York’s offense will be relying on Staal finding his scoring touch and Rick Nash returning to the lineup after missing almost two months with a bone bruise.
Only time will tell whether the Ladd or Staal acquisitions will put Chicago or New York over the top, or if one of those 19 minor trades will be the difference between a series win or someone’s summer starting early.
Written by Michael Augello, who can be found on twitter @MikeInBuffalo