Now that the NHL’s trade deadline has come and gone, it’s as good a time as any to examine the deals that were made – and the ones that weren’t – and identify winners and losers at the deadline. We might have a different list of winners and losers months and years from now, but we’re still going to take some time and do our best to point out winners and losers at the moment,
With that said, these are THN.com’s five losers at the deadline period. In no particular order:
1. Detroit Red Wings
Let’s begin this list by noting that you don’t have to make a slew of moves at the deadline to avoid being labeled a “loser”. But when we’re talking about the Red Wings – a team still battling to lock up a wild-card playoff berth – the lack of additions is particularly baffling. Indeed, the only move Wings GM Steve Yzerman made was trading center Joseph Veleno to Chicago in return for journeyman goalie Petr Mrazek and greybeard center Craig Smith.
To which, we say, “Really? That’s it?” And it’s not as if there were draft picks sent Yzerman’s way for taking on a netminder in Mrazek who hasn’t posted a goals-against average better than 3.05 in the past four seasons, and who hasn’t had a save percentage above .894 in three of the past four years. All things considered, Yzerman’s actions – especially given the fact the Wings had more than $10.2-million in cap space to spend this year – just don’t make sense. Detroit needed a talent boost, and instead, they got one questionable move, and that was it. Not good enough, in our opinion.
2. Vancouver Canucks
If we’re judging the Canucks’ pre-deadline moves dating back to the acquisitions of defenseman Marcus Pettersson and center Filip Chytil, Vancouver’s moves are somewhat more justifiable. However, they didn’t trade looming UFA Brock Boeser, and as they try to lock up a wild-card berth in the Western Conference, they didn’t get any better on deadline day.
That inaction is not going to please Canucks fans who expected a long playoff run coming into this season. And if Boeser leaves via free agency this summer, Vancouver supporters are going to be rightly incensed. The Canucks could’ve done what other playoff-bound teams did and sacrificed some of their future for help right now, but they essentially stood pat at the deadline, and that doesn’t feel right to us. And if Vancouver misses out on the post-season, the Canucks’ inaction may well be to blame.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes came into the season as a favorite to go far in the playoffs, but after sacrificing a ton of talent to acquire star right winger Mikko Rantanen from Colorado, Carolina wound up not being able to get Rantanen’s signature on a contract extension. So, if you’re keeping score at home, let’s break things down: the ‘Canes sent star center Martin Necas, center Jack Drury, a second-round draft pick and a fourth-rounder for Rantanen. Then in Friday’s trade, they sent Rantanen to Dallas in return for center Logan Stankoven, two conditional first-rounders and two third-rounders.
Does that sound like great asset management to you? It doesn’t to us. Instead, it feels like Carolina GM Eric Tulsky took a huge gamble on acquiring Rantanen, and the gamble didn’t pay off. And now, the Hurricanes no longer seem quite as formidable, in a relatively-weak Metropolitan Division. That makes them losers in our estimation.
4. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have been reeling in the standings of late, but if Edmonton fans were expecting big moves on deadline day, they were sorely disappointed. All GM Stan Bowman was able to get was former Bruins center Trent Frederic and former Sharks defenseman Jake Walman – and to get Walman, the Oilers had to give up a first-round draft pick and center Carl Berglund.
Edmonton’s goaltending concerns will live on past the trade deadline, and although there weren’t many options out there other than high-priced Ducks netminder John Gibson, the Oilers are in a position to be haunted this spring if Stuart Skinner and/or Calvin Pickard let them down. Even if you consider injured winger Evander Kane being a type of trade acquisition when the playoffs roll around and he is green-lit to return to action, the Oilers’ depth is hardly imposing. And when you’re in win-now mode, the way Edmonton is, the Oilers’ deadline feels especially underwhelming.
5. New Jersey Devils
The Devils suffered a huge blow with the season-ending injury to star center Jack Hughes, but instead of acquiring veterans who were capable of producing the offense they’re losing with the absence of Hughes, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald went out and acquired…um, forwards Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong, along with defenseman Brian Dumoulin. If you listen closely enough, you can hear the hearts of Devils fans start to crack in pain.
New Jersey was supposed to be a front-runner to win the Metro, but in the wake of the deadline, they seem particularly flawed. They had $8.4-million to play with after their other deadline moves, yet they left it all unspent. They’re almost certainly headed for a showdown with the Hurricanes in the first round of this spring’s playoffs, and we don’t feel good about their chances. That puts them in the loser’s category at this year’s deadline.
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