The time for teams chasing the Stanley Cup to make final improvements on their current rosters has come. While some made their moves before the 3 pm EST deadline, others decided to make Monday’s rush a bit more interesting. Now that the deadline has gone in the wind and the hierarchy of the NHL firmly established for this year’s chase for the Stanley Cup, here are the teams that made the most of the trading season and those whose inactivity could cost them in the long run.
Winner: Florida Panthers
The Panthers had to make improvements on their blue line, and they made a deal to acquire perhaps the best available defenseman out there in Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens. Chiarot has posted 18 points in 54 games this year, averaging 23 minutes of ice time a game. Florida’s need for a defenseman was only amplified after Aaron Ekblad suffered a regular season ending right leg injury, however he should be able to return for Florida in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers also made a depth trade for their blue line, trading for Robert Hagg from Buffalo.
Not only did Florida go out and get Chiarot, but they also added to their scoring ranks with the acquisition of former Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux. Giroux has been fantastic for a struggling Flyers team this year, with 42 points in 57 games. Giroux also brings with him one of the best faceoff win rates in the league, at 60.9%. Giroux goes to a Panthers team who have scored the most goals in the league this year with 252 and have the best goal differential in the league at +74. A pending UFA, Giroux will add skill and experience to a Panthers team looking to win the Cup this year. Credit to GM Bill Zito for going out and getting the needed pieces for this already loaded Panthers team.
Winner: Colorado Avalanche
The favorites to win the Western Conference got even stronger at the deadline with the additions of Andrew Cogliano and Artturi Lehkonen from San Jose and Montreal, respectively. Both players will feature in the bottom six for the Avs, and on their penalty killing unit as well.
The Avalanche have got to figure out a way to make it further than the second round of the playoffs this year, and credit to GM Joe Sakic for being aggressive in trying to do so. Cogliano may be seen as a depth piece with a chance to play fourth line, if not third line, minutes for the Avalanche. Lehkonen on the other hand will be a piece that Colorado can use in key spots. Lehkonen is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and sources tell Talking Points Sports Sakic will look to extend Lehkonen and keep him in Colorado for the foreseeable future.
Loser: Toronto Maple Leafs
The biggest need that needed to be filled for the Maple Leafs was in goal. Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek simply have not gotten it done lately, with Campbell being out injured and Mrazek’s play being poor at best. The Leafs have had their recent struggles because of it. The Leafs did make a run at Marc-Andre Fleury before his trade to the Minnesota Wild, but settled on Ontario native Mark Giordano and forward Colin Blackwell. While Giordano will improve Toronto defensively and Blackwell will improve Toronto’s bottom six, the Leafs are still left exposed in between the pipes.
GM Kyle Dubas is going to take a gamble on one of his goalies to get right. With the skill that Toronto has upfront with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, it is possible that the talent may show itself. But looking at the top tier competition in the Eastern Conference, each team that will be in the playoffs in the East does have a leg up on Toronto in net. The fear for any Leafs fan will be that in a close playoff series, the weakness in goal for the Leafs could be a deciding factor.
Loser: Phil Kessel
Perhaps the biggest stunner of the day is Coyotes winger Phil Kessel staying put in Arizona. Kessel is a pending unrestricted free agent, and at one point was deemed a lock to be traded. So, what exactly happened and why was Kessel not dealt?
Sources tell Talking Points Sports that teams had concerns regarding Kessel’s two-way game. Kessel has never been the kind to be a strong force on the defensive end, but the one thing that Kessel can do, and still does do, is score. Where Kessel would have improved any team is at five versus five and on their powerplay. For example, a team like the New York Rangers could have taken a chance on Kessel. The Rangers have one of the worst five on five offenses in the league, yet the number two power play in the league. Kessel could have helped in both those departments, but will play out the rest of the year in Arizona. Speaking of the Rangers…
Winner: New York Rangers
The Rangers came into the deadline with three clear objectives: a) improve their bottom six, b) get winger help, and c) improve at the back. The Rangers did all of those things at the deadline, and fair play to GM Chris Drury for getting it done. While many have questioned Drury’s decision making during his first year as head of the Rangers, i.e. Buchenvich trade to St. Louis, but there is no doubt that Drury did well here.
The Rangers improved their bottom six with the additions of Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte, of Winnipeg and Vancouver respectively. The Rangers 3rd line specifically has been dreadful this season, and now with the additions of Copp and Motte the Rangers will have a nice array of options to choose from as to who fits where. As to their quest for a winger, specifically a right winger that could play alongside Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, sources tell Talking Points Sports the Rangers were in on both Rickard Rakell and Artturi Lehkonen before they were traded to Pittsburgh and Colorado.
With Justin Braun, the Rangers get themselves a nice depth defenseman that is defensively very sound and has experience to help this young team. Where he features for the Rangers is a whole new question. There is the possibility that Braun pushes rookie Braden Schneider for gametime, or that the Rangers put him in with Schneider ahead of Patrik Nemeth. A great job here by the Rangers, who were able to make additions without sacrificing too much in terms of concrete future assets.
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