NHL Trade Deadline Grades

      The NHL trade deadline did not disappoint, providing more chaos than we ever could have hoped for. While we didn’t get a frantic flurry of action at the 11th hour, 65 deals took place between the All-star break and the 3:00pm Eastern deadline last Friday, with the majority of big moves coming to a crescendo during the week leading up to it.

      There were far too many transactions for me to break down in a single article, but today I’ll highlight some clear winners of the deadline and break down their biggest roster additions as well as the price they paid to acquire them. For details on every transaction from every team, check out each team’s trade history page on capfriendly.com. They do a great job of documenting every move as well as presenting a clear picture of each team’s cap situation. 

      From the unprecedented arms race in the loaded East, to teams taking their shot in the wide-open West, this year’s slate of action gives us plenty to talk about. In no particular order, here are my biggest winners of the 2023 NHL trade deadline.

Boston Bruins

Notable Additions

F Vladimir Tarasenko

D Niko Mikkola 

F Patrick Kane 

F Tyler Motte

Notable Losses

F Sammy Blais

2023 1st round pick (conditional)

2034 2nd round pick (conditional)

2024 4th round pick (conditional)

2025 3rd round pick (conditional)

2025 4th round pick

Analysis

      The Rangers have been somewhat inconsistent this season, but have looked like worldbeaters when they're on their game. GM Chris Drury added some major star power to a roster that shocked the world with last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Final before succumbing to Tampa Bay’s cup winning experience in a hard fought 6 game series. 

      While Kane's arrival on Broadway had been rumored all season, Drury’s first addition threw water on the fire and made some (including Kane himself, in a refreshingly candid interview) question the possibility of such a move. He brought in Vladimir Tarasenko, an accomplished sniper who was having a down season in St. Louis, and a physical depth defenseman with a high compete level in Mikkola to bolster the blue line. He also must really like Tyler Motte’s penalty killing and well rounded game, because this is the second year in a row he’s traded for the utility knife of a forward ahead of the deadline. 

      Tarasenko has broken the 30 goal barrier in 6 of his 11 seasons, hitting 40 in one of those. He’s got an incredible release that allows him to score in tight or from distance, and has shown willingness to throw his massive frame around in big games. He’s been a great addition to the Rangers’ top line, developing chemistry with Mika Zebanejad and Chris Kreider that seems to grow every game. He’s got 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points in 12 games since arriving in New York.

      It didn’t seem like the Rangers would have the cap space (or maybe even the need) to bring in Kane after acquiring one star winger, but the future Hall-of-Famer made it clear to Chicago that he would only waive his no trade clause if it meant they were moving him to New York. This depressed his trade value, and eventually the Blackhawks decided something was better than nothing and accepted a 2nd round pick with the potential to become a first rounder, a 4th rounder, and a middling prospect to let the Rangers have him. 

      There was so much hype surrounding a reunion with Artemi Panarin, who was Kane’s running mate during two magical years in Chicago, but in two games against difficult competition they’ve been held off the scoresheet. It almost seemed like they were trying to force the puck to each other, but now that the initial excitement has worn off and Kane has had a chance to acclimate to the new system, I expect him to be a big time producer down the stretch and into the playoffs. At the very least, he’s a massive upgrade from Jimmy Vesey, who’s been fanning on tap-ins and overpassing pucks while playing opposite of Panarin most of the season.

New Jersey Devils

Notable Additions

Timo Meier

Curtis Lazar

Zacharie Émond 

Santeri Hatakka 

Timur Ibragimov 

2024 5th round pick 

Notable Losses

Andreas Johnsson

Fabian Zetterlund

Nikita Okhotiuk 

Shakir Mukhamadullin

2023 1st round pick (top 2 protected)

2024 2nd round pick (conditional)

2024 4th round pick

2024 7th round pick 

Analysis

      The devils landed the best player available at this year’s deadline, and it only cost them a 1st round pick (hilariously top 2 protected just in case they lose every single game the rest of the season) and a 2nd rounder that could become a 1st if they make the conference final one of the next two seasons along with a whole mess of lower picks and prospects that’s not even worth breaking down. They received a similar mess of picks and prospects along with Meier as the Sharks looked to make wholesale changes to their prospect pool, but Timo himself is really the only part of this deal that matters. 

      Acquiring a power forward who can score from anywhere on the ice and play any style of game is huge for New Jersey. They’ve had a dream season, highlighted by a 13 game win streak in which they outscored their opponents 56 to 24, and they’re firmly locked into a playoff spot for the first time since 2017-18. While their regular season has been spectacular, they were somewhat one-dimensional, generating most of their offense off the rush while lacking the personnel in their top 6 to grind out ugly goals off the cycle that are necessary to win a tight playoff series. 

      Meier changes all of that, bringing a hard nosed, powerful game that allows him to win board battles, create havoc in front of the net, and apply pressure on the forecheck while still possessing the speed and skill to create the beautiful rush chances New Jersey has become known for this season. He already scored in his Devils debut, and the sky's the limit for what he can do with this talented roster. 

      Lazar’s addition is a minor move, but he brings a heavy game of his own to New Jersey’s bottom 6 and should provide a strong veteran presence both on and off the ice. Depth and experience are two things you can’t have too much of in the playoffs, and he adds both to one of the youngest rosters in the league. Not bad for the price of a 4th round pick.

Edmonton Oilers

Notable Additions

D Mattias Ekholm

C Nick Bjugstad

2024 6th round pick

Notable Losses

D Tyson Barrie

F Jesse Pujujarvi

2023 1st round pick

2024 4th round pick

Analysis

      The Oilers have finally added the kind of player they’ve desperately needed since McJesus entered the league: a reliable shut-down defenseman. Mattias Ekholm didn’t come cheap, as Ken Holland shipped Tyson Barrie and an unprotected 1st rounder to Nashville in a trade that also included some mid picks and prospects, but he finally bumps this roster to the status of Stanley Cup Contender.

      Edmonton has always been able to score, but the inability to keep pucks out of their own net has burned them in the playoffs every single year. Bringing in Ekholm gives them a guy who can eat big minutes while holding his own against opposing top lines, bumping every other defenseman down to their appropriate slot in the lineup. This will make life a lot easier for the much maligned goaltending tandem of Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner, who have been shaky at times, but ultimately have performed well considering how often they’ve been hung out to dry. 

      The loss of Barrie sucks from an emotional standpoint (he was beloved in the locker room and really enjoyed his time in Edmonton) but it was ultimately necessary to clear cap space and make the deal happen. His production on the ice shouldn’t be missed much, as his offense (especially on the powerplay) was really all he brought to the table and the Oilers have more than enough of that. Look for Darnell Nurse or Evan Bouchard to seamlessly fill his shoes on the best power play in the league, as they’ve both had success there in the past. 

      Bjugstad is an underrated addition, the journeyman can play all three forward positions and adds some skill to an underwhelming bottom 6, with the ability to fill in on the top 2 lines if necessary. He also gives the Oilers another right handed faceoff guy, something they desperately needed considering Derek Ryan was the only one on the roster. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

Notable Additions

C Ryan O’Reilly

C Noel Acciari

D Jake McCabe

D Erik Gustafsson

D Luke Schenn

F Sam Lafferty

2023 1st round pick

2024 5th round pick 

2025 5th round pick

Notable Losses

D Rasmus Sandin

C Adam Gaudette 

C Mikhail Abramov 

RW Julien Gauthier

2023 1st round pick 

2023 3rd round pick 

2023 3rd round pick

2024 2nd round pick

2024 3rd round pick 

2025 1st round pick (top 10 protected)

2025 4th round pick

2026 2nd round pick 

Analysis

      Dear God where do we even start here? Kyle Dubas is completely in “fuck dem picks” mode, as this could very well be his last season as Leafs GM and he’s emptying the chamber, burning every future asset at his disposal in an all-or-nothing bid to FINALLY make it out of the 1st round. I really can’t blame him either, if these moves pay off and the Leafs finally go on a playoff run, he’s a hero who was able to do what no GM before him could since 2004. If they bow out in the first round again, he’s probably gone anyway so he won’t have to deal with the fallout. 

      Dubas paid a lot for his additions, but he’s effectively filled almost every conceivable hole in the roster. Bringing in O’Reilly and Acciari from the Blues gives head coach Sheldon Keef limitless flexibility when constructing his forward lines, and although O’Reilly has been ruled out for a few weeks with a broken finger, he looked great in the top 6 and should be back for the playoffs. He’s an incredibly responsible defensive center with enough skill to score at a 2nd line rate, and he brings a championship pedigree, having won the Conn Smyth for playoff MVP during the Blue’s 2019 cup run. He can play wing or center, and looked pretty damn good in limited action prior to his injury, with a hat trick and an assist against one of his former teams, the Sabres. 

      Acciari is a well rounded bottom 6 winger with some scoring talent (he had 20 goals in florida 3 years ago). He makes the Leafs 3rd line a legitimate scoring threat when matched up against opposing bottom 6 skaters, and has found some nice chemistry with defensive center David Kampf. 

      Dubas wasn’t done yet, after beefing up the forward group, he turned his attention to the injury plagued blue line. With Jake Muzzin done for the season, and Rasmus Sandin failing to earn trust in a top 4 role, along with veterans Morgan Reilly and TJ Brodie missing time this season due to various injuries, the Leafs needed to add depth and experience to compete in the postseason. 

      Jake McCabe came over from Chicago along with middle 6 center Sam Lafferty for a package including a top 10 protected 1st rounder in 2025. Mccabe is a no nonsense, stay at home D man, and is expected to eat most of the minutes usually tasked to Muzzin, and with Chicago retaining half his salary, Toronto has him locked up at an incredibly affordable cap hit of $2 million through 2025. Lafferty’s addition has already paid off, as he’s currently filling in for the injured John Tavares in the middle of the 2nd line. 

      Next we saw the departure of Rasmus Sandin, a once promising young blueliner who excelled in a sheltered 3rd pair role, but seemed to fold when elevated up the depth chart. He brought back an incredible return, netting a 1st round pick from Washington (funnily enough it was the same pick Boston traded for Orlov) and offensive D man Erik Gustafsson who was having a resurgent year for the Caps with 38 points in 61 games. Turning Sandin into a productive, cheap talent (Gustafsson only carries a cap hit of $800,000) and a first round pick might just be Dubas’ most impressive move during his tenure in Toronto. 

      With the added forward depth, Dubas was able to ship Pierre Engvall to the Islanders for a 3rd rounder, a nifty move to recoup a draft pick while clearing cap space, which he then used to acquire Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks. Schenn plays a game similar to Mccabe, responsible, physical, not flashy at all but pretty effective. Together, they should be able to fill Muzzin’s shoes and then some. 

      This was the roster shakeup of all roster shakeups, and only time will tell if all these new players can mesh to the tune of playoff success, but I really like each of them for the needs Toronto had to fill. The Leafs are deeper, more physical, more defensively responsible, and have more scoring punch than ever before. If they can’t make it out of the first round this year, they might actually be cursed.

Ottawa Senators

Notable Additions

D Jakob Chychrun

RW Julien Gauthier

C Patrick Brown

Notable Losses

F Tyler Motte

D Nikita Zaitsev

2023 1st round pick  (top 3 protected)

2023 2nd round pick

2023 6th round pick

2024 2nd round pick (becomes a 1st if Sens make it to ECF)

2026 2nd round pick

2026 4th round pick

Analysis

      There have been rumors swirling around Chychrun for a year now, and the Senators have been in on the star blueliner since the very beginning but never wanted to pay ransom Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong was asking. Luckily for them, nobody else did either, so after overplaying his hand and holding Chychrun out of the lineup to avoid the risk of injury for what felt like an eternity, Armstrong finally accepted Ottawa’s offer of a top 5 protected 1st rounder, a 2nd with potential to become a 1st if Ottawa makes it to the conference final, and another 2nd rounder 3 years in the future. 

      Chychrun is a huge addition to a Senators team that’s stormed back into the playoff bubble thanks to a red hot run since the end of January. He’s a brilliant puck mover, a capable defender, and he has a bomb of a shot that’s already found the back of the net twice in his 4 games playing for Canada’s capital city. He’s also only 24 years old, and locked up for only $4.6 million until the summer of 2025, so he’s going to provide a ton of value even if Ottawa doesn’t quite make it into the dance this year.

      Chychrun is the only big name on this list, but GM Pierre Dorion made a couple of small additions as well, bringing in youngster Julien Gautheir and depth forward Patrick Brown from New York and Philadelphia to give his 3rd and 4th lines a new look. These guys could be busts, but they have potential to do something with the increased opportunity and they only cost a couple of low end draft picks. 

Dorion’s only other notable trade was tossing Nikita Zaitsev and his $4.5 million salary into Chicago’s cap dumpster, a move that cost him a 2023 2nd rounder and a 2026 4th. It’s never a good feeling giving up assets to unload a bad contract, but this was necessary to bring in Chychrun while maintaining flexibility for future moves, so in the end it was worth it.

Dallas Stars

Notable Additions

RW Evgeni Dadonov

C Max Domi

Notable Losses

G Anton Khudobin

RW Denis Gurianov

Analysis

      Dallas didn’t make any huge splashes at the deadline like some of the previously mentioned teams, opting for supplemental scoring at bargain bin prices. While I would have loved to see them add an offensive D man (Miro Heiskanen is the only blueliner on their roster with more than 19 points) they chose to roll with the their current group which has been pretty damn good at limiting chances against all year, even if they haven’t been in on much of the scoring. 

      As for the additions up front, I can’t think of a better fit for this team than Max Domi. He’s bounced around the league, always showing great offensive instincts and playmaking skill, but coaches tend to run him out of town because he’s not great in his own end. Well, when he’s playing in front of a defense and goaltender the likes of which we see in Dallas, all you really need him to do is contribute offensively. He’s already developed some chemistry with Tyler Seguin, and scored his first as a Star Monday against Calgary. He turns the third line into a serious scoring threat, and is a bit of a rat in all the best ways, dropping his gloves to defend his teammates and getting under opponents’ skin during post-whistle scrums. 

      Dadonov is a consistent secondary scorer, with 130 goals in 469 NHL games. He’s looked good on the right wing of Dallas’ 2nd line with Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston, and the cost to bring him in was minimal, as Denis Gurianov’s development had stalled under two separate head coaches after a promising start to his career. A change of scenery was needed for both the player and the team, and Dadonov is a nice return that fills a definite need for the Stars.

      Sometimes less is more at the trade deadline, while some GMs go crazy and sell the farm to bring in big name players, it’s often the smaller moves that add depth to a lineup that make the biggest difference. Jim Nill did well not to get sucked into the frenzy of 1st round draft picks flying around in the weeks leading up to the deadline, and adequately bolstered the Stars’ offense without mortgaging a future that looks bright now that his elite young core is locked up.

Los Angeles Kings

Notable Additions

D Vladislov Gavrikov

G Joonas Korpisalo

C Zack MacEwin

Notable Losses

C Jonathan Quick

LW Brendan Lemioux

2023 1st round pick (conditional)

2024 3rd round pick

Analysis

      Boy, this one was a heartbreaker. The Kings didn’t make a ton of moves, but they effectively addressed their two biggest needs by upgrading their goaltending and the left side of their blue line. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of spitting in the face of a franchise legend. 

      The Blue Jackets had absolutely zero interest in receiving Quick as part of this deal, they are in full tank mode and hoping to land Connor Bedard with some draft lottery luck, so acquiring an aging goaltender who didn’t want to leave the only franchise he’s ever known was not on their radar at all. GM Rob Blake simply saw Quick’s salary as too high for the subpar production he was giving them this season, and unceremoniously kicked the driving force behind their only two Stanley Cups to the curb. 

      After being forced to take on Quick’s salary in order to make the deal happen, Columbus promptly flipped the greatest American goaltender of all time to LA’s rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, who have seen every goaltender on their roster fall to injury this season. What a treat it would be to watch a revenge-fueled Quick face his old team in the playoffs and slam the door on their cup hopes.

      All emotions aside, this move did make the Kings better. Korpisalo has had a brilliant season behind one of the worst defensive teams in the league, bouncing back from a cluster of injuries that caused him to struggle in previous years. His .912 save percentage is lightyears ahead of the .882 posted by the rotating cast of goalies LA has relied on up to this point, and he had a nice performance in his Kings debut, stopping 24 of 26 shots in a win over St. Louis. If he performs well down the stretch and into the playoffs, I would expect the Kings to try and re-sign him to be their full time starter next season. 

      Gavrikov has flown under the radar his entire career, toiling away as the only responsible presence surrounded by a circus act of defensive zone coverage in one of the league’s least talked about markets. Despite his on ice possession numbers (which have been cratered by run-and-gun teammates instructed by a brain-dead coach) he’s an incredibly smart and efficient defender with great gap control to break up rushes and a sturdy frame he uses to eliminate anyone loitering in front of his goaltender. He’s also got two way potential, strategically jumping up into the play when given the chance, a skill that was on full display when he vacated his point to pounce on a rebound and score his first as a king Monday against Washington.

Minnesota Wild

Notable Additions

D John Klingberg

F Marcus Johansson

C Oskar Sundqvist

F Gustav Nyquist

2023 2nd round pick

2023 5th round pick

2024 5th round pick

2025 4th round pick

Notable Losses

LW Jordan Greenway

2023 4th round pick

2023 5th round pick

2024 3rd round pick

2025 4th round pick

Analysis

      Out of everything GM Bill Guerin gained at the deadline, my personal favorite is his new nickname: The Banker. He weaponized the cap space that’s about to evaporate next season (thanks to buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter) by serving as a money laundering front for two teams previously mentioned in this piece. 

      In order for Toronto to acquire O’Reilly, they had to shave more money off his salary than the 50% St. Louis was able to eat, so he went to Minnesota first and they swallowed an additional 25% before sending him to the Leafs at a cap hit of $1.875 million, earning a 4th round draft pick for their troubles. They performed a similar service with Orlov to Boston, and were able to flip the 5th round pick they earned in that deal to Columbus in exchange for Nyquist. These aren’t huge moves, but they’re a good example of Guerin’s savvy asset management and willingness to get creative while pouncing on opportunity. 

      Nyquist won’t be available until just before the playoffs, as he’s currently recovering from an injury, but he’s a great addition nonetheless. He’s an underrated offensive threat, with great hockey sense and a damn good set of hands, but his real value lies in his responsible defensive play and ability to move around the lineup. He’s also a great penalty killer with a knack for creating shorthanded chances, and a respected leader in the locker room.

      Johansson is similar in his utility, he can play anywhere in the lineup and has shown the ability to produce offense when paired with skilled players. He’s a decent depth addition, but this is the second time the Wild have traded for him during the season and he didn’t do much last time, producing 6g-8a-14 points in 36 games with a -10 rating in 202-21. We’ll see if anything changes this time around.

      Sundvist essentially replaces Greenway (who’s development had stalled and needed to move on) as a physical presence with the ability to chip in offensively on occasion. Moving Greenway brought back a 2nd and a 5th while clearing $3 million off the books for the next two years, which is huge considering the looming buyout penalties. Sundkvist’s $2.75 million expires after this season, and he only cost the wild a 4th round pick, so these two transactions were an undisputed win on all fronts. 

      While I like most of the moves Guerin made, his biggest addition was a bit of a head scratcher. He brought in John Klingberg at a pretty cheap price, only surrendering a 4th round pick and a couple of AHL players, and I suppose Kingberg’s experience and previous seasons of success in Dallas made him an attractive target. What doesn’t make sense, is the fact that he’s a one dimensional offensive D man who bumps young stud Calen Addison out of the lineup, and Addison’s production this season (3g-25a-28pts) has been better than the 8g-16a-24pts Klingberg’s been able to muster so far. Giving up assets (no matter how small) and taking on salary to bench a productive young player for a veteran who fills the same roll with less success this season just makes zero sense to me, but I’m hesitant to question The Banker so maybe Klingberg will prove me wrong and explode with a change of scenery. Only time will tell.