Bench Life Sports

The trade deadline is one of the most entertaining facets of an NHL season. Keeping up with the deadline almost feels like a full-time job when dealing with rampant speculation and a dizzying amount of deals. For this reason, I will do my best to keep you all informed throughout the week ahead and continue to update this article with insight and analysis on every trade made between now and the deadline at 3 P.M. on February 26th.

February 26th – Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a 2018 1st round pick, and a conditional 2019 2nd round pick.

Oh boy. The biggest trade of the day was also the last to break and Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls should be shaking in their skates (particularly Boston and Toronto). Steve Yzerman has shown in years past that he is more willing to make a deal than Wayne Brady and he has now made Tampa the heavy favourite to win their second Cup in franchise history. McDonagh has been one of the best defensemen in the league since he broke in during the 2010-11 season. He is a model of consistency on the blueline and gives Tampa a top-four defense core that is perhaps only rivaled by Nashville. Likewise, J.T. Miller is probably salivating at the thought of playing with the elite offensive talent Tampa possesses. Miller is an RFA at the end of the season, has 40 points through 63 games this season, and will be able to replace Namestnikov’s production. Tampa was already considered to be the best team in the league by many analysts and this only further enhances that thought. Considering the fact that McDonagh has another year left on his contract at $4.7 million the Lightning have more pressure than anybody to lift Lord Stanley’s Chalice in the next two seasons.

It is always hard to be deemed a ‘winner’ when you trade away a player of McDonagh’s caliber but I think the Rangers would have been hard pressed to get a better return. Namestnikov is the known commodity and he is currently in the midst of a career season (20 goals and 24 assists in 62 games). While some of the production can be attributed to playing a majority of the year with Stamkos and Kucherov there is no denying the offensive capabilities of the smooth-skating Russian. The only issue with Vladdy is that he will be a RFA at the culmination of the season and is looking forward to a hefty payday. The Rangers are going to be the Lightning’s biggest fan over the next two years because the conditional 2nd rounder becomes a 1st if Tampa lifts hockey’s holy grail before the 2019 draft. The biggest pieces of this deal, and the ones that will go on to prove whether or not this was an astute move when we reflect on it, are Howden and Hajek. Howden is a former 27th overall pick who won gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship this year. He has put up 139 points in 96 games over the past two seasons with Moose Jaw in the WHL. He checks in at an imposing 6’2, 194 lbs and instantly joins Lias Andersson at the top of the Rangers forward prospects. Hajek is also in the WHL posting 35 points in 52 games on the back end. He projects to be a shutdown defenseman at the next level with decent mobility and high IQ. Hajek was arguably the biggest piece for the Rangers and adding Lindgren and Hajek to their stable of defense prospects over the past week is a massive coup for the retooling Rags. Again, to reiterate what I said previously, I think the Rangers got the absolute best deal that they could. Jeff Gorton came into the deadline with a clear goal in mind and he did what was best for the franchise. Two teams with two very different mindsets should both be happy with what they accomplished today.

Winner: Obviously, Tampa Bay will reap the benefits in the present but deals like this are impossible to decipher until the exchanged picks and prospects reach the show; however, Tampa will be a big loser if they do not pull through with a Stanley Cup victory.

February 26th – Tomas Tatar to Las Vegas for a 2018 1st round pick, a 2019 2nd round pick, and a 2021 3rd round pick.

One of the biggest trades of the day involved the Red Wings but it was not Mike Green who was on the move. As a Red Wings fan I will speak to how much I love Tomas Tatar. This was his 7th year with the franchise and he was a pleasure to watch the entire time. He is entertaining and dangerous night in, night out, and I think he will fit in fantastic with that Vegas top-six. Tatar is a perennial 20-25 goal scorer and with 16 tallies so far this season it seems likely he’ll reach that mark again. There were whispers about a Tatar trade the past week but it never seemed like it was a guarantee to happen. Vegas has been the best story in the league the entire season and it is admirable that they are cashing in their chips to chase a Stanley Cup. If he plays on that top unit with Karlsson and Marchessault I would pick-up Tatar in fantasy league’s faster than a Tyler Seguin shotgun.

Ken Holland is in a position he has not been accustomed to for the past decade but I think he hit a home-run with this deal. Not only did the Red Wings continue to stock the cupboard with three more upper round draft picks, but they also made the trade without retaining any of Tatar’s $5.3 million salary (which doesn’t expire until 2021-22). As productive as Tats has been with the Wings, a realist would be able to see that those years would be wasted on a bad Detroit team so getting this kind of value is a definite win. I tip my hat to Ken Holland because normally I’m berating every single transaction he makes; however, the only unfortunate thing is that this deal may be enough for Ol’ Kenny to get a contract extension this summer. Regardless, the Red Wings now have seven (assuming Mrazek wins three more games) of the first ninety-three picks in the upcoming draft.

Winner: My sanity for sure.. but I honestly may lean Detroit even though I think Tatar will be awesome in Nevada.

February 26th – Pat Maroon to New Jersey from Edmonton for a 2019 3rd round pick and J.D. Dudek.

After adding Grabner earlier in the week the Devils are doubling down on their surprising playoff position. With possible Hart candidate Taylor Hall leading the charge the Devils are bolstering their forward core around him. Maroon brings a valued net-front presence and physical element to the team and has enjoyed another productive year with the Oilers tallying 14 goals and 16 assists in 57 games. He projects to slot in somewhere in the top-nine. Dudek is an afterthought in this deal. He is a former 6th round pick that has recorded 17 points in 33 games at Boston College. The Oilers did what they could to recoup some value for the pending free agent and a summertime reunion is not out of the question; however, I think Shero has made two fantastic deals to help the Devils late season push.

Winner: New Jersey.

February 26th – Mike Reilly to Montreal from Minnesota for a 2019 5th round pick.

Strange that the Habs moved Morrow only to bring in Reilly when the two seem fairly interchangeable. Reilly has 18 points in 38 games with the Wild this season and is a year younger than the aforementioned Morrow. Reilly also has an extra year on his deal while Morrow’s expires at the end of this season. Low risk move for the Habs with the ability to flip Reilly next year if so inclined.

Winner: Montreal.

February 26th – Nick Shore to Calgary from Ottawa for a 2019 7th round pick.

Depth is the word of the day. Ottawa flips part of the Phaneuf trade for a late round pick while Calgary gets another body to assist in the playoff push.

Winner: Alex Burrows because this means he’ll probably get called back up.

February 26th – Joe Morrow to Winnipeg from Montreal for a 2018 4th round pick.

Winnipeg continues their successful deadline by adding a depth piece on the blueline. The former 23rd overall pick has played 38 games for the Habs this season with mixed returns. Morrow gives the Jets some versatility come playoff time and Montreal did well to get an asset in return.

Winner: The Winnipeg press box, who will become very familiar with Morrow for the rest of the season.

February 26th – Josh Jooris to Pittsburgh from Carolina for Greg McKegg.

I would rather spend an entire week attached at the hip to Pierre McGuire than report on this trade.

Winner: Absolutely no one.

February 26th – Thomas Vanek to Columbus from Vancouver for Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen.

Another trade deadline, another Vanek deal. This season the 34-year-old Austrian winger has done what he always does: sign a one-year contract and produce at a decent level. The equivalent to an NHL escort has 41 points in 61 games this season and the Blue Jackets bit on bringing him in. Last year he was traded from Detroit to Florida at the deadline and was absolutely miserable with the Panthers. Columbus is hoping that trend will be bucked this year. Vancouver really received nothing exciting in return as Motte has never been able to produce at an NHL level. I have to think a 3rd round pick would have been just as good from the Canucks perspective.

Winner: Columbus.

February 26th – Evander Kane to San Jose from Buffalo for a conditional 2019 1st round pick, Dan O’Regan, and a conditional 2020 4th round pick.

The Sharks have struggled to score all season long mainly due to injuries to Thornton and Hertl. They currently sit second in the Pacific Division but with Anaheim and Calgary breathing down their neck they felt obligated to make a splash. Kane has 20 goals this season and plays a physical brand of hockey that should bode well in the Western Conference. I think the Sharks felt that younger players like Meier and Labanc could makeup for the loss of Patrick Marleau but that clearly has not been the case. Kane is an upcoming free agent and could be in for a massive payday if he thrives with the Sharks. For the Sabres, Dan O’Regan actually played with Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues at Boston University. The unfortunate thing is that O’Regan is 24 and has failed to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. Personally, I would be a little disappointed as a Sabres fan for not receiving a younger prospect in return for one of the better rental wingers on the market. He was the rookie of the year in the AHL during the 2016-17 season so one must hope his career does not plateau. It is expected that the 1st round pick is lottery protected and the 4th round pick hinges on whether or not Kane re-signs in San Jose but all in all I am surprised Buffalo did not get more.

Winner: San Jose, and Mike Commodore for predicting this last night.

February 26th – Chris Wagner to New York Islanders from Anaheim Ducks for Jason Chimera. 

A swap of fourth line players on expiring contracts. Isles save around $1.5 million in cap space for the rest of the season perhaps suggesting another move. Wagner is 12 years younger than the veteran Chimera but neither of them have much in the way of offensive ability. A slight financial upgrade for the Islanders.

Winner: New York Islanders.

February 26th – Jordan Maletta to Arizona from Columbus for Ryan Kujawinski.

If you told me you know either of these players before this trade than you are a pathological liar. They are both 22-year-old centers and they have combined for a total of 8 points in 52 AHL games this season. The excitement is palpable.

Winner: EA Sports NHL 18 for creating these players.

February 26th – Brendan Leipsic to Vancouver from Vegas for Philip Holm.

The darling of the AHL is making his way to British Columbia. After scorching the minors with the Marlies the past two seasons (105 points in 111 games) a lot of hockey pundits felt that Leipsic would be an offensive threat in Vegas. While that hasn’t panned out (only 13 points in 44 games) his tantalizing skill has not been used in a scoring role with the Golden Knights. If the Canucks put him on a line with Boeser and Horvat I would be very excited to see what the 23-year-old can accomplish. He has a pest mentality that the Canucks have not seen since the likes of Maxim Lapierre. As for Philip Holm, he is a physical defenseman with a good first pass that is three years older than Leipsic. He had his first taste of the NHL last week against the Golden Knights and is having a solid season in Utica (29 points in 42 games). Both teams felt like they were dealing from a position of strength but I like the Canucks gamble of Leipsic breaking out in Vancouver.

Winner: Vancouver.

 

 

February 26th – Paul Stastny (STL retains 50% of salary) to Winnipeg from St. Louis for a 2018 1st round pick, a conditional 2020 4th round pick, and Erik Foley.

After swinging and missing on Brassard and Letestu the Jets grabbed Stastny, a player who nobody really thought was going to be moved today. Stastny solidifies the Jets down the middle and it is hard to argue against them having the best top-nine in the West. He has 40 points in 63 games and has been a consistent two-way presence over the course of his career. Stastny is used to playing with skilled players and the Jets have an abundance of talent up front. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is normally quite reserved on the trade front but this shows the league that the Jets are all in for a cup run. In return St. Louis, who has completely bottomed out over the past month, grabs Foley, a talented young winger playing for Providence in the NCAA. Foley has recorded 34 points in 32 games this season and has continued to get better with each passing year. At the start of the season the Blues looked like one of the best teams in the West and now they are trading off pending free agents. I like the return for the Blues but I think Stastny is a fantastic fit in Winipeg.

Winner: Winnipeg.

 

February 26th – Ryan Hartman and a 5th round pick to Nashville from Chicago for a 2018 1st round pick, a 4th round pick in 2018, and Victor Ejdsell.

Things are now starting to heat up as Nashville acquires the middle-six winger they were looking for. The pugnacious Hartman has 25 points in 57 games this season and offers a perfect combination of grit and skill that is well suited for playoff hockey. Hartman is only 23 and is a restricted free agent at season’s end. While I expected Chicago to shake things up I must say I am surprised they moved on from Hartman. Ejdsell was an undrafted free agent signing from Sweden and is putting together a good season in the SHL with 30 points in 44 games. The center stands at 6’4 and is a decent add to the organization’s prospect pipeline. Likewise, a first round pick (even though it will probably be 25th+ overall) is a solid get for the ‘Hawks. In what has been a disappointing year for Chicago this looks like great value for a rental.

Winner: Chicago.

February 26th – Ian Cole to Columbus from Ottawa for a 2020 3rd round pick and Nick Moutrey.

The first trade of the day follows the cookie cutter formula for depth defensemen. Ottawa flips Cole after acquiring him three days ago and get a future 3rd rounder and a middling forward prospect in the process. Moutrey, a former 4th round pick, only has 6 points in 22 games for Cleveland in the AHL this season. The Blue Jackets add Cole to an already stingy defense core and one has to wonder whether or not this trade was Jack Johnson insurance. Cole was an integral part of Pittsburgh’s back-to-back cup wins and has 13 points in 47 games this season.

Winner: Columbus.

February 25th – Brandon Bollig and Tony Grosenick to Nashville from San Jose for 2018 6th round pick.

This trade is about as exciting as the waiting room in a dental office. Nashville gets a gritty fringe forward and an AHL goalie. San Jose gets to say they did something.

Winner: Brandon Bollig because he might get his second Stanley Cup ring.

February 25th – Pontus Aberg to Edmonton. A 2018 4th round pick to Nashville. Mark Letestu to Columbus.

Another three team trade occurred on Sunday with the Oilers trading Letestu to the Predators before they promptly flipped him to Columbus. The Oilers must be excited to bring Aberg into the fold. He has had a disappointing year offensively with only 8 points in 37 games this season but he was electric in Nashville’s Stanley Cup run last spring. Aberg is lightning quick and definitely has some upside for a team that is weak on the wing. Columbus gains a familiar face in Letestu who has played 233 games for the franchise and will likely become their 4th line center. Letestu is a strong penalty killer and seems to command a great deal of respect in the locker room.

From Nashville’s perspective, Aberg just couldn’t crack the lineup on a regular basis. They figured they may as well get some sort of value for the speedy forward. I also saw Nick Cotsonika speculate on whether Nashville grabbed and flipped Letestu to keep him away from division rival Winnipeg.

Winner: Peter Chiarelli for making a trade that doesn’t burn Twitter to the ground.

February 25th – Tomas Plekanec (MTL retains 50% of salary) and Kyle Baun to Toronto from Montreal for Kerby Rychel, Rinat Valiev, and a 2018 2nd round pick.

I’m honestly a bit surprised Montreal received this much for a guy who plays in a turtleneck. Rychel and Valiev are both fringe NHLers at this point but the latter has been having a fantastic season on defense for the Marlies in the AHL. They are both young but it became apparent their futures were not in Toronto. As for the Leafs, this trade is reminiscent of the Brian Boyle deal they made at last year’s deadline. They get deeper down the middle with a veteran 4th line center who has playoff experience and can help out on the penalty kill. A low risk move for the Leafs that shores up what was perhaps the only hole in their forward core. With Matthews/Kadri/Bozak/Plekanec at center ice perhaps only the mighty Penguins have better depth.

Winner: Toronto.

February 25th – Rick Nash (NYR retains 50% of salary) to Boston from New York Rangers for Matt Beleskey (BOS retains 50% of salary), Ryan Spooner, Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 1st round pick, and a 2019 7th round pick.

One of the biggest names on the free agent market is shipping up to Boston for a Stanley Cup run. The Bruins received the top-six winger they desired and are hoping Nash can rediscover the scoring touch that made him one of the game’s most feared snipers. The 33-year-old Nash has definitely lost a step with only 28 points in 61 games this year but perhaps he can find some chemistry with David Krejci on the second line. It is a steep price to pay for an aging rental but the Bruins could afford to do it with their deep prospect pool; however, this trade could look really ugly if Nash underperforms during the playoffs (which he tends to do).

On the other side New York received a solid haul in return for the big winger as they continue to clean house and stockpile assets. Beleskey was involved to clear cap space for the Bruins and he will probably be flipped to another team at tomorrow’s deadline. Lindgren is a left-handed defenseman currently playing at Minnesota in the NCAA. He was the Bruins 2nd round pick in 2016 and plays a smart, physical game. The most interesting player in the deal is Ryan Spooner, who has actually out produced Nash on a point per game basis the past three seasons. Spooner only has a year left on his deal and at 26 he has the potential to elevate his game even further. He was consistently inconsistent in Boston, which is why they included him in the deal, but the talent is evident. GM Jeff Norton has done a fantastic job acquiring useful assets over the past few days.

Winner: Rangers.

 

February 24th – Brandon Davidson to New York Islanders from Edmonton for 2019 3rd round pick.

The price for depth defensemen this year has clearly been set at a 3rd round pick. The Islanders are hoping Davidson can help shore up the worst defensive unit in the league as the Isles have allowed an astronomic 223 goals this season. The 6’2 rearguard has 5 points in 36 games this season. The Oilers recouped decent value for Davidson as they grabbed him off waivers earlier this year from Montreal.

Winner: Edmonton.

February 23rd – Derick Brassard (VGK retains 40% of salary), Vince Dunn, Tobias Lindberg, and a 2018 3rd round pick to Pittsburgh. Ian Cole, Filip Gustavsson, a 2018 1st round pick, and a 2019 3rd round pick to Ottawa. Ryan Reaves and a 2018 4th round pick to Vegas.

Twitter was in a state of confusion after the original deal was rejected by the NHL yesterday afternoon. Due to salary cap implications a third team had to get involved in the trade and Vegas fit the bill perfectly. The Knights retained 40% of Brassard’s $5 million salary and received Reaves and a pick in return. The abrasive Reaves gives the Knights a physical presence who can slot in on the fourth line during a nasty playoff series. We will always remember the Brassard era in Las Vegas.

Furthermore, The Penguins are poised to make the three-peat a reality as this trade gives them incredible depth down the middle. Eastern Conference defensemen are more terrified than Dustin Byfuglien in the vegan section as the Pens now have Crosby, Malkin/Hornqvist, and Brassard/Kessel playing on three separate lines. Jim Rutherford has been a deadline magician the past two seasons and he seemed to work his magic again here. The Pens also grabbed some extra forward depth with Lindberg and Dunn acting as injury insurance for the rest of the season. Perhaps the best part of it all is that the HBK line can also be revitalized.

Continuing on, I was surprised that the Sens didn’t get Daniel Sprong as part of the trade. If I was a Senators fan I would be trying my very best to cancel Pierre Dorion’s cell plan. Ian Cole is a bottom-pairing defenseman with an expiring contract and the 1st round pick will most likely be 24th overall or lower. The saving grace for this transaction is Gustavsson, who instantly becomes Ottawa’s best goaltending prospect. The lanky Swede has had a great year in the SHL and was named the goaltender of the tournament at the World Juniors. Still, this trade seems to be lacking a bit of substance from an Ottawa standpoint. At least Ian Cole will be able to fill the Karlsson sized hole on the Sens blueline come February 26th.

Winner: Pittsburgh (and NHL’s salary cap accountants).

February 22nd – Michael Grabner to New Jersey from New York for a 2018 2nd round pick and Yegor Rykov.

The first trade EVER between the Rangers and Devils came late Thursday night and surely caught a lot of people off guard. The Devils were never really considered one of the frontrunners for Grabner but he is a fantastic addition for the team that is firmly entrenched in the first wildcard in the Eastern Conference. The Austrian speedster has a knack for scoring goals, as evidenced by his 25 snipes in 59 games this season, and will fit in smoothly with the Devils top-six. As for the Broadway Blueshirts, they got a fantastic return considering Grabner is a UFA at the end of the season. Rykov, a former 5th round pick, has been playing solid hockey for St. Petersburg in the KHL and is considered one of New Jersey’s best defensive prospects. I honestly cannot decipher a winner or loser for this trade due to the fact that each team received exactly what they wanted.

Winner: Participation ribbons for everyone!

February 22nd – Frank Vatrano to Florida from Boston for a 2018 3rd round pick.

Something tells me that this trade is acting as a precursor for a big move from the Bruins. Vatrano was caught in the middle of a sticky situation – he struggled to crack the regular NHL lineup, but he was also ineligible for waivers. Boston feared if they sent him down to the AHL he would be snagged by an opposing team due to the fantastic numbers he put up in Providence in 2015-16. The deft winger recorded 36 goals and 19 assists for the Baby Bruins that season and looked to be a promising forward prospect for Beantown. With only 2 goals in 25 games this season Florida clearly feels that a change of scenery might be just the thing to spark his offensive instincts. A 3rd round pick is a low-risk gamble on a player that might be able to start scoring again in Sunrise.

Winner: Florida.

February 21st – Tobias Rieder and Scott Wedgewood to Los Angeles from Arizona for Darcy Kuemper.

The Kings were looking for a bottom-six scoring winger and they struck a low-risk deal to bring in Rieder. The German forward only has 19 points in 58 games this season but he had averaged almost 36 points for the past two years. Rieder adds a good deal of speed to the team and could play anywhere in the lineup. As for the goalies on the move, Kuemper has been putting up career numbers in Los Angeles this season. He has a 10-1-3 record with a .932 save percentage and a 2.10 goals against average while Wedgewood has posted a 5-9-4 record with a .893 save percentage and a 3.54 goals against average. Kuemper, who signed a two year contract extension with the Coyotes, has clearly been the better goalie this season and will fight with Antti Raanta for the starting job. The Kings have since put Wedgewood on waivers which suggests Jack Campbell will be Quick’s backup down the stretch. I like the return for both teams.

Winner: Los Angeles

February 21st – Jakub Jerabek traded to Washington by Montreal for a 2019 5th round pick.

Hold onto your hats, the Capitals are going CRAZY at the deadline this year. This move is almost identical to the Kempny trade for the Caps (except Marc Bergevin obviously received a lesser return). With rookies Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey on the blueline it is understandable why GM Brian MacLellan would want to have some insurance. The 26-year-old Jerabek can move the puck fairly efficiently and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The Caps have bolstered their defensive depth with two shrewd acquisitions and now have some decisions to make about which six guys will be on the ice in the playoffs. For Montreal, this trade really doesn’t make much sense (but we have become used to that with this team). They only put Jerabek in the lineup for 25 games this year even though the argument can be made he has played just as good as David Schlemko, Joe Morrow, and Jordie Benn.

Winner: Any GM that trades with Marc Bergevin.

February 20th – Eric Fehr traded to San Jose by Toronto for a 2020 7th round pick.

Toronto gets to shed another contract and now have 48 of the maximum 50 organizational spots filled. This gives them all the flexibility they need to make whatever acquisitions they desire. Fehr has tallied 28 points in 34 games with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL and it looks like he will replace Daniel O’Regan as San Jose’s 4th line center for the playoff push.

Winner: Pierre LeBrun for breaking the trade first.

February 20th – Nick Holden traded to Boston by New York for Rob O’Gara and a 2018 3rd round pick.

This serves as the first deal in what should be a busy week for Rangers GM Jeff Gorton. The Bruins were in the market for a depth defenseman and after kicking tires on Mike Green and Ryan McDonagh it seems that Holden is their guy. Holden is prone to having some lapses in the defensive end but he has averaged almost 20 minutes of ice time for the past four seasons and is a capable penalty killer. The pending UFA has 12 points in 55 games this season. O’Gara is a 24-year-old Yale product that has played a majority of the season with Providence in the AHL. To me, Nick Holden really doesn’t move the needle that much and the 3rd round pick alone would have been enough. Judging from the reaction of Rangers fans on Twitter they will not miss Holden in the slightest.

Winner: New York.

February 19th – Petr Mrazek traded to Philadelphia by Detroit for a conditional 2018 4th round pick and a conditional 2019 3rd round pick.

Petr Mrazek is on his way to the City of Brotherly Love after looking like the goalie of the future in Detroit just two seasons ago. With Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth both sidelined for the next few weeks the Flyers needed to bring in an experienced goalie to keep ahold of their playoff spot. Mrazek has been a model of inconsistency over his NHL career which culminated in Detroit’s decision to leave him unprotected at the expansion draft this past summer. While his talent is unquestionable, you are never sure what Mrazek you are going to get. Will you get the goalie that stops 34/35 shots en route to a spectacular performance or will you get the over-aggressive netminder who lets in a weak wrister from the blueline in the final minutes of a game? Detroit is certainly happy to recoup some assets for the pending RFA who was almost a guarantee to leave this summer but perhaps a change of scenery is all the charismatic Mrazek needs to regain his form. He has been playing better hockey since the start of 2018 and his 8-7-3 record is more indicative of the poor Detroit team in front of him. The Flyers have been one of the league’s better teams since the start of December and they took a chance on a 26-year-old goalie who has shown stretches of dominance in the past. If Mrazek rediscovers the ability he had in 2015-16, the Flyers could be a scary matchup come playoff time.

Winner: Philadelphia.

February 19th – Michal Kempny traded to Washington by Chicago for a 2018 3rd round pick.

After being burned by Kevin Shattenkirk at last year’s deadline the Caps have opted to go for a smaller move this season. The Czech defenseman has appeared in 31 games for the Blackhawks this campaign recording 7 points and a +13 rating. He has decent possession numbers and adds depth to a Caps blueline that lost Nate Schmidt, Karl Alzner, and the aforementioned Shattenkirk over the summer. The Caps have their own 2018 3rd round as well as Toronto’s 2018 3rd round pick and the Hawks will receive the higher pick of the two.

Winner: Kempny, for not having to play on that sad Blackhawks defense anymore.

February 15th – Ville Pokka traded to Ottawa by Chicago for Chris DiDomenico.

What a blockbuster. Pokka, a former second round pick, has never played in an NHL game but has been a solid defenseman over the course of four seasons with Rockford in the AHL. The general consensus around the league is that he never received a fair shot in Chicago and he will get that opportunity in Ottawa. DiDomenico has played in six different professional leagues throughout his career and has recorded 10 points in 24 games as a Sen this season. Pokka (23) is six years younger than DiDomenico (29) so I’ll give the Sens the edge solely for that reason.

Winner: Ottawa.

February 15th – Nikita Soshnikov traded to St. Louis by Toronto for a 2019 4th round pick.

When your forward core is as deep as the Pacific Ocean you can afford to make trades like this but I really like the low-risk acquisition by the Blues. Soshnikov has had the misfortune of being hexed by the injury bug throughout his young career and the Leafs were simply too deep on the wing for him to be a regular contributor. Obviously, expectations should be tempered for a player who only has 7 goals in 70 career games but there is no doubt in my mind that Soshnikov should be a bottom-six winger in this league. He has a heavy shot and a snarl to his game that should aid St. Louis in their playoff aspirations. The Leafs were at the organizational 50 contract limit so this trade sets them up to make another deal at the deadline. With young guns Kapanen, Grundstrom, and Johnsson the Leafs could afford to let ‘Sosh’ go but I’m excited to see what he can do with the Blues.

Winner: St. Louis (although the Leafs aren’t a loser).

February 13th – Dion Phaneuf (Ottawa retains 25% of salary) and Nate Thompson traded to Los Angeles by Ottawa for Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore.

A trade that would have rocked the hockey world in 2009 is merely a cash transaction in 2018. The stingy Senators were looking to save a buck perhaps thinking about an Erik Karlsson contract negotiation in the near future. A majority of the hockey world seem to believe that the Sens will end up buying out Gaborik at the end of this season which would result in around $7 million in savings compared to the Phaneuf contract. In terms of the actual hockey implications of this trade, Los Angeles gets a solid middle pairing defenseman for their playoff push as well as a dependable utility player in Nate Thompson while the Sens get a quickly depreciating Gaborik and a bottom-six checking forward in Nick Shore. Realistically, this trade offers almost zero benefit to Ottawa on the ice but it looks better in their books. To me, the Kings got a defenseman who can play 18+ minutes a night and has already made an impact with 2 goals in the 3 games he’s played in California.

Winner: Los Angeles.