Columbus Blue Jackets get: LW Thomas Vanek
Vancouver Canucks get: C Tyler Motte, LW Jussi Jokinen
Follow all the trade deadline action here.
Click here for all of the trade grades ahead of the 2017-18 deadline.
Columbus Blue Jackets: B
Yes, Vanek is 34 years old, but he's still got it: He has 17 goals and 41 points through 61 games this season. There are 101 players who have scored 40 or more points this season. Vanek has the lowest average time on ice of those players, at 13:58.
He likely slides into the third line, centered by Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets didn't give up a ton, and receive a player who has a high floor, though not a terribly high ceiling.
This seems like a deal targeted at one specific area: special teams. Columbus' power play has been an Achilles' heel. The Jackets currently rank 30th in the league. Vanek has 133 career power-play goals.
Combined with the Ian Cole trade, GM Jarmo Kekalainen's deadline was defined by conservative moves that bolster his lineup with experience. Neither move, however, really moves the needle.
Vancouver Canucks: C
GM Jim Benning signed an extension this month, and his first move under the new contract was an assertive one -- though divisive among the fan base.
Benning signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a three-year extension instead of testing the market at the deadline. We'll see how that plays out. It was clear, however, that Benning couldn't afford to hold on to Vanek, who is 34 years old and an unrestricted free agent this summer. When you're trying to rebuild, a player like Vanek needs to be moved.
Benning didn't get a ton for the winger. We would have loved for him to at least pick up a draft pick -- especially for a team that's a few years away. In a year where first-rounders are being passed out like candy, Vanek should have at least commanded a fourth-round pick, but probably a third.
Instead they received Motte, a tweener who hasn't been able to crack a regular NHL lineup yet, and Jokinen, a venerable veteran who is on his fifth team since the end of last season. Not ideal.