The 2020 NHL trade deadline was one of the season's biggest mysteries.
There weren't many obvious sellers, and the standings were so tightly packed that even the Buffalo Sabres -- who have a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs, per Money Puck -- considered themselves in the hunt. There weren't the same All-Star-level players traded as in years past, and the total inventory was anyone's guess.
But as the trade market closed on Monday, it had been a dizzying deadline: 32 trades involving 55 players, setting a new NHL record for transactions and tying the previous record for bodies.
Which teams made out the best, and which teams were fleeced? Here is our NHL trade deadline report card, where there were many more winners than losers.
Note: Emily Kaplan graded teams from the Metro and Central divisions, and Greg Wyshynski graded clubs from the Atlantic and Pacific divisions. Teams are listed alphabetically within each grade tier.
Jump ahead to a team:
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF | CGY | CAR | CHI
COL | CBJ | DAL | DET | EDM | FLA
LA | MIN | MTL | NSH | NJ | NYI
NYR | OTT | PHI | PIT | SJ | STL
TB | TOR | VAN | VGS | WSH | WPG
A grades
Carolina Hurricanes: A
Key additions: D Brady Skjei, F Vincent Trocheck, D Sami Vatanen
Key subtractions: 2020 first-round pick, F Erik Haula, 2020 conditional fourth-round pick, F Janne Kuokkanen, D Fredrik Claesson, D Chase Priskie, F Lucas Wallmark, F Eetu Luostarinen
Missed opportunity: Not getting goaltending help. The team says it has faith in its AHL goaltending duo of Anton Forsberg (45 games of NHL experience) and Alex Nedeljkovic (who led the Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup), but the Canes could have used insurance with James Reimer and Petr Mrazek potentially out long term.
General manager Don Waddell isn't going to let some bad injury luck halt the momentum the Canes have been building since last season. Carolina knew it needed defensive help ever since Dougie Hamilton -- having a Norris Trophy-caliber season -- went down with injury. That need was only accentuated this weekend, when the Hurricanes lost Brett Pesce. Waddell acquired Vatanen -- regarded as the top rental D-man available -- and doubled down by trading for Skjei from the Rangers. The Canes had dangled their first-round pick for a while and didn't mind giving it up for Skjei, considering he's under contract for another four seasons at $5.25 million; that means cost certainty, something owner Tom Dundon highly values.
The most intriguing move was trading for Trocheck, under contract for two more years at $4.75 million in average annual value. It's incredible Trocheck was even available, and he should slide in nicely at the No. 2 or No. 3 center spot. Overall, Waddell added two core players to an already exciting group, didn't have to give up too much, and gave his team the best chance to win right now and in the future. It was an excellent deadline.
Pittsburgh Penguins: A
Key additions: F Patrick Marleau, F Jason Zucker, F Conor Sheary, F Evan Rodrigues
Key subtractions: 2020 first-round pick, F Alex Galchenyuk, D Calen Addison, F Dominik Kahun, 2020 conditional third-round pick
Missed opportunity: The Pens put a ton of emphasis on adding forwards this deadline -- which will help their hodgepodge fourth line -- but it wouldn't have hurt to get some defensive help as well.
GM Jim Rutherford is going for it, and why not? There are only so many more years of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in their prime, and Pittsburgh has a decent shot at the Cup this spring. The GM's busy trade deadline -- which included picking up four NHL-ready forwards -- rewards his existing roster for valiant play throughout the first three quarters of the season as the Penguins dealt with unrelenting injury luck.
While the price for Zucker was high, the Pens feel fine with it because he's a stylistic fit and has three additional years on his contract. The Marleau acquisition garnered most of the headlines Monday, but sneakily, bringing in the speedy Rodrigues and getting Sheary back could have just as big of an impact. Kahun struggled to find his way with the Penguins after a breakout campaign with Chicago last season, so he'll get a fresh start in Buffalo.
Vegas Golden Knights: A
Key additions: G Robin Lehner, D Alec Martinez, F Nick Cousins, 2021 fourth-round pick
Key subtractions: G Malcolm Subban, C Cody Eakin, 2020 second-round pick (Pittsburgh), 2020 second-round pick, 2021 second-round pick
Missed opportunity: Not getting a true puck-moving defenseman to bolster the blue line.
The fact that Martinez isn't the swiftest skater might be the only thing holding the Knights back from an A-plus. The two second-rounders they moved to the Kings for Martinez were a fair price for a defenseman with term. The wild three-way deal for Lehner, which saw Toronto pick up a portion of his salary en route from Chicago, ended with Vegas getting a Vezina Trophy finalist insurance policy in a down season for Marc-Andre Fleury. Eakin made too much ($3.85 million) and was a pending unrestricted free agent. The Knights were dealing from a position of strength when it came to picks, and kept their first-rounder. Let's go.
Los Angeles Kings: A-
Key additions: F Tyler Madden, two 2020 second-round picks, 2020 third-round pick, 2021 second-round pick
Key subtractions: F Tyler Toffoli, D Alec Martinez, D Derek Forbort
Missed opportunity: Failing to move Jeff Carter to the Flyers in a reunion we all hoped to see, but it takes two teams to tango.
The Kings did the business we all expected they'd do at the trade deadline. Toffoli netted Madden, a solid prospect, along with a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional fourth. Martinez earned them second-rounders in 2020 and 2021 from Vegas. They got a conditional fourth from Calgary for Forbort. While not technically part of the deadline, they also snagged forward Trevor Moore, a third-rounder and a conditional third-rounder from the Leafs for Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell. The Kings have the deepest prospect pool in the NHL and now have upward of 13 possible picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts.
New York Rangers: A-
Key additions: 2020 first-round pick
Key subtractions: D Brady Skjei
Missed opportunity: Not dealing one of their goaltenders to end the awkward three-man carousel. Then again, there will be a better market for Alexandar Georgiev this summer, and New York also dealt with the news that rookie Igor Shesterkin will miss weeks after fracturing ribs in a car accident on Sunday night.
There were so many directions the Rangers could have gone this trade deadline. They had the best pending UFA forward available, Chris Kreider, who was so coveted, he could have landed New York a small fortune. Jesper Fast was a pending UFA, too. Teams were also surely interested in pending RFAs such as Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. Instead, New York decided to keep everyone around, highlighted by inking Kreider to a seven-year extension. Ring the bells, the rebuild is over. (It sure helped that the team is within striking distance of the playoffs, and seemed to find its groove right before the deadline.)
The Kreider deal had consequences, though. Knowing the money and term already locked up -- and what's due for DeAngelo and Strome this summer -- the Rangers felt compelled to trade Skjei, who was under contract through 2025. Skjei is a popular player who might have regressed a bit since his breakout two years ago, but is young and might not have hit his ceiling yet. It's just one of the costs of doing business, and at least the Rangers got a first-rounder out of it.
Ottawa Senators: A-
Key additions: F Matthew Peca, 2020 first-round pick (conditional), 2020 second-round pick, 2020 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick, 2022 third-round pick (conditional)
Key subtractions: F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, D Dylan DeMelo, F Tyler Ennis, F Vladislav Namestnikov
Missed opportunity: Draft picks are nice, but solid prospects can be even better.
We don't know if GM Pierre Dorion can build a winning team, but he's really good at selling off pieces from a loser. This deadline didn't have the bounties of previous trades, but then there wasn't an Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone or Matt Duchene on the block. Getting a first and a second for Pageau was a solid return, and Dorion found takers for Ennis and Namestnikov. No one was giving him more than a third for DeMelo, and that's what he received from the Jets. Ottawa now has 22 picks over the next two drafts, including three first-rounders this year (unless the Islanders get a top-three pick, in which case it's two this season and next). If Dorion drafts half as well as he sells, Ottawa is in business.
San Jose Sharks: A-
Key additions: 2020 first-round pick, 2020 second-round pick, two 2021 third-round picks, D Brandon Davidson
Key subtractions: F Barclay Goodrow, F Patrick Marleau, D Brenden Dillon
Missed opportunity: Failing to move Joe Thornton to a Stanley Cup contender, despite his wishes to see that happen.
Obviously, we're all a little bummed that Jumbo didn't move to the Bruins (for the storybook ending) or the Stars (for the Little Joe reunion) or Vegas (because once you hire Peter DeBoer, no other transaction with the Sharks will be as awkward ... OK, maybe Evander Kane). But if the trade wasn't there, it wasn't there, and so we're left grading GM Doug Wilson on what did go down. A second-rounder and a conditional third from the Capitals for pending UFA Dillon is good value. Getting a third that upgrades to a second if Pittsburgh wins the Cup for Marleau is great value. And getting a first (!) for Goodrow (!) is shocking at first, until you realize that solid young forwards with great cap hits and term were valued quite highly at this deadline. The Sharks didn't want to part with him, but that's an offer you can't refuse.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A-
Key additions: F Barclay Goodrow, F Blake Coleman, D Zach Bogosian
Key subtractions: F Nolan Foote, two 2020 first-round picks
Missed opportunity: Not getting the kind of goalie insurance that Vegas did.
These are "Stanley Cup or bust" type moves for the Lightning, but also smart ones: Coleman and Goodrow are perfect additions to their forward depth, and also under contract for an additional season. They're both the kind of players who can score a big goal when Tampa's best are being held in check -- like, for example, in a tough first-round series against an inferior opponent with designs on a sweep. You know, should that happen again. Trading two firsts (and Foote) for them was a little shocking, but the Bolts are all about the present. Bogosian gives them another option on the right side, and he didn't cost them as asset after his release from Buffalo.
Washington Capitals: A-
Key additions: F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Brenden Dillon, F Daniel Sprong
Key subtractions: 2020 second-round, 2020 third-round pick, 2021 conditional third-round pick, D Christian Djoos
Missed opportunity: Not signing Kovalchuk in December when he was on the street and the Capitals wouldn't have had to give up a draft pick for him. It would have taken some cap finagling, but it's always better to get a player on the team sooner so he has more time to adjust.
The Capitals have been one of the NHL's most complete and dangerous teams. So really, they didn't need to do much. Washington did enter the deadline on a slump -- going 4-7-1, allowing 3.67 goals per game -- which is perhaps why GM Brian MacLellan felt compelled to give his team some juice (while subtracting Djoos). The addition of Dillon was a smart one (and a typical one; the Caps adding a blueliner at the deadline is now a yearly tradition). Dillon adds reliability and toughness on the blue line, and should mesh well with the locker room.
The Kovalchuk trade was more of a luxury. Alex Ovechkin and Kovalchuk have dreamed of teaming up ever since they were teenagers, and seeing the two of them on one power-play unit is appointment television. Kovalchuk isn't the dangerous sniper he once was, but he proved in his short Montreal stint that he still has something left. Most importantly, MacLellan got the Sharks and Canadiens to pay half of Dillon's and Kovalchuk's salaries, which helps the high-spending team stay cap-compliant.
B grades
Anaheim Ducks: B+
Key additions: F David Backes, D Axel Andersson, F Danton Heinen, D Christian Djoos, F Sonny Milano, D Matt Irwin, 2020 first-rounder
Key subtractions: F Ondrej Kase, D Korbinian Holzer, F Devin Shore, F Daniel Sprong, F Nick Ritchie, F Derek Grant
Missed opportunity: Not getting Ryan Getzlaf to waive his no-move clause, given the market for centers (and stars).
With seven trades, the Ducks were the busiest team in the Western Conference, and did some interesting business. If Kase can stay healthy and clicks in Boston, that trade could look rather lopsided. If he doesn't, then GM Bob Murray pulled a (low) first-rounder and Andersson, a midrange prospect, for a player who clearly wasn't in their long-term plans, and cap space for what's left of Backes (with the Bruins picking up 25% of the veteran's cap hit). Heinen is a better player than Ritchie. Getting Milano from the Blue Jackets, where he was underutilized, was one of the low-key best deals of the day.
Boston Bruins: B+
Key additions: F Ondrej Kase, F Nick Ritchie
Key subtractions: F Danton Heinen, F David Backes, D Axel Andersson, 2020 first-round pick
Missed opportunity: Ilya Kovalchuk. The Bruins had a shot at him as a free agent. They reportedly made their bid to get him via trade at the deadline. He's a Capital now.
It's not every trade deadline that a team gets to shed 75% of a problem contract (Backes) and pull a 24-year-old standout like Kase out of the deal. Your mileage on this deal greatly depends on whether you feel Kase can stay healthy, as he's signed through 2020-21 (at a terrific AAV of $2.6 million) but has averaged 49.7 games per season over his first three NHL campaigns. That said, he had 96 points in 198 games with the Ducks and generated offense without the benefit of much playing time with either Ryan Getzlaf or Adam Henrique in the past two seasons. The Ritchie trade made the Bruins bigger, nastier and cheaper, if not necessarily better.
Edmonton Oilers: B+
Key additions: F Andreas Athanasiou, F Tyler Ennis, D Mike Green
Key subtractions: 2020 second-round pick, 2020 fourth-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick, F Sam Gagner
Missed opportunity: Not clearing a bit more cap space.
Oilers GM Ken Holland dipped into the Red Wings roster he constructed and pulled out Green, who can still play 21 minutes per game and transition the puck well, if not exactly hold up the defensive end of the bargain; and Athanasiou, the blazing fast 25-year-old winger who could be a stellar linemate for the equally brisk Connor McDavid. (He, Ennis and McDavid had a strong debut game Tuesday night.) Two second-rounders, a conditional pick (fourth in 2020 or third in 2021) and Gagner were essentially the price tag, while Holland got Ennis for a fifth. This could all end up being a bargain if the Oilers make the playoff cut, especially considering Athanasiou is a restricted free agent. Strong shopping in the first deadline in Edmonton for Holland, who sends the message that at least he's trying, which is a welcome change from previous Oilers deadlines.
Minnesota Wild: B+
Key additions: 2020 first-round pick, F Alex Galchenyuk, D Calen Addison
Key subtractions: F Jason Zucker
Missed opportunity: Seeing the proposed Zach Parise trade to the Islanders fall apart. Minnesota is saddled with Parise's $7.5 million cap hit through the 2024-25 season; convincing a team to take that on would have given the Wild a ton of future flexibility.
Rookie GM Bill Guerin has been patient in assessing what he has before putting a stamp on this team. And then two weeks before the deadline, Guerin came in with his first big splash, completing a trade his predecessor tried to pull off at least twice, though it fell apart for various reasons. Zucker was a key piece of Minnesota's offense, but the return was too good to pass up. Galchenyuk is likely a one-and-done, as he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and now has a reputation as a guy who has cycled through four teams in three seasons. Addison, 19, was the Penguins' top prospect, and immediately vaults to the top of Minnesota's defensive prospect pool, an area of need for the Wild. And a first-round pick is the currency Guerin needs right now; he needs to start drafting his own players.
The Wild could have pulled off a few more drastic moves. Several teams were interested in Minnesota defensemen Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin, who both have term, though Guerin decided to keep them. Guerin made the rare move in admitting to the failed Parise trade. The fact that he was that close to unloading a 35-year-old entering decline and couldn't get it done is what prevents us from giving Minnesota an A.
New Jersey Devils: B+
Key additions: F Nolan Foote, 2020 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, 2020 conditional fourth-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick, G Zane McIntyre, F Janne Kuokkanen, D Fredrik Claesson, D David Quenneville
Key subtractions: F Blake Coleman, F Wayne Simmonds, D Andy Greene, D Sami Vatanen, G Louis Domingue
Missed opportunity: Not keeping Simmonds. Plenty of teams were interested in the rugged veteran forward, and to trade him for a 2021 fifth-rounder (while retaining 50% of his salary) seems silly. Simmonds would have offered more value by remaining a strong leader for this impressionable, young roster for the rest of the season.
Tom Fitzgerald still has the interim tag as GM, and this trade deadline is his audition for the full-time gig. It was a lost season by the time Fitzgerald took over, so he was just trying to salvage it the best he could. (A quick recap: The team had already traded star player Taylor Hall, fired coach John Hynes and GM Ray Shero.) The first two moves for Fitzgerald were impressive. Extracting a second-round pick for 37-year-old, stay-at-home defenseman Greene -- a rental whose options were limited given his no-trade clause -- was excellent. The haul for Coleman (beside a first-rounder, the Devils acquired Foote, the Lightning's top prospect) sets the Devils up well for the future. What's more, Fitzgerald articulated a clear plan: He wanted to acquire young players to build around Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.
Fitzgerald's Monday activity was less inspiring. The return for the likable Simmonds was so low, he might have been better off making no move at all. The value for Vatanen wasn't as high as expected, but that might have been affected by the fact that the veteran hasn't played since Feb. 1 because of injury.
New York Islanders: B+
Key additions: F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, D Andy Greene
Key subtractions: 2020 first-round pick, 2020 second-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, conditional 2022 third-round pick (given to the Senators only if the Isles win the Stanley Cup), D David Quenneville
Missed opportunity: For GM Lou Lamoriello, the missed opportunity was the trade that fell apart with the Wild, which would have reunited him with forward Zach Parise.
Here's one thing we know about Lamoriello in his three-decade-plus career as an NHL general manager: When he thinks his team is good, he adds and gives it a chance to go all the way. When he doesn't believe in his team, he stands pat. This season, the 77-year-old Lamoriello is shooting his shot.
The Isles rank 22nd in the league in offense and could use some scoring help, so Lamoriello went out and got Pageau, the best rental forward available. The general manager mortgaged a lot for a 27-year-old who had not reached the 20-goal mark until this season, but that was softened by the fact the Islanders immediately signed Pageau to a six-year extension. The Isles' blue line has been banged up, and they don't totally trust youngster Noah Dobson yet, so Lamoriello acquired Greene. The GM knows Greene well from their days in New Jersey, and Greene fits into the Islanders structure. The price was a bit rich, but hey, Lamoriello believes this team is worth it.
Vancouver Canucks: B+
Key additions: F Tyler Toffoli, G Louis Domingue
Key subtractions: F Tyler Madden, F Tim Schaller, G Zane McIntyre, 2020 second-round pick
Missed opportunity: Not dealing either pending RFA Troy Stecher or pending UFA Chris Tanev in a "hockey trade."
The price for Toffoli seemed a shade high -- Madden is a promising prospect -- until we understood the necessity for the deal in light of Brock Boeser's injury. Same goes for the small trade for Domingue, with Jacob Markstrom missing some time. But whether or not Boeser getting hurt accelerated the timeline, Toffoli is a nice rental -- and potentially more -- for the Canucks. He's strong on possession and can play in their top six. In the Western Conference arms race, this was a solid move for GM Jim Benning.
Calgary Flames: B
Key additions: D Erik Gustafsson, D Derek Forbort
Key subtractions: 2020 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Failing to flip T.J. Brodie's expiring contract for a bounty.
As far as that "missed opportunity," it makes sense that Brodie didn't get moved despite pending unrestricted free agency. Calgary has been missing Mark Giordano and Travis Hamonic to injury, and that's part of the reason it made these moves for two defensemen on expiring contracts. The Gustafsson move could end up being a good one, given the lack of offense from the Calgary blue line this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets: B
Key additions: F Devin Shore
Key subtractions: F Sonny Milano
Missed opportunity: Considering how high prices were this trade deadline, the Blue Jackets could have moved forward Josh Anderson, a restricted free agent this summer. Columbus should be in asset recuperation mode after giving up a ton at last year's deadline.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen was in a precarious spot. The Blue Jackets famously went all-in on their chances in 2019, which sacrificed future flexibility. Columbus simply couldn't afford to give up too much this year. And yet, in a season when external expectations were low, the Blue Jackets have been overperformers. They are -- somewhat miraculously -- in the playoff mix. Stellar goaltending gets most of the attention, but credit the rest of the roster, too. The GM likely wanted to reward his group, and he at least checked in on a few available names, such as the speedy Andreas Athanasiou from Detroit. In the end, prices were likely too rich for the Blue Jackets. So Kekalainen went for a minor change-of-scenery trade, swapping two depth forwards. He and coach John Tortorella will ride it out with this group.
Dallas Stars: B
Key additions: None
Key subtractions: None
Missed opportunity: Not trading for Joe Thornton. The Sharks center was willing to waive his no-movement clause to win his first Stanley Cup, and Dallas -- where he could reunite with Joe Pavelski -- was reportedly among his preferred destinations. The Stars, however, never made a formal offer.
The assignment asked for key additions, and the Stars' only move -- trading AHL defenseman Emil Djuse to the Panthers for a 2020 sixth-round pick -- doesn't quite qualify. The Stars functionally stood pat this deadline. You understand why GM Jim Nill didn't feel the big need to add to his group. Dallas has been playing some great hockey lately; since Dec. 28, it has the best record in the West, picking up 16 wins in 24 games. That puts the Stars squarely in second place in the Central Division and poised for a long playoff run.
Dallas once again is stingy defensively, but a bit challenged on offense. It ranks 24th in the league in goals per game (just 2.68) and its top scorer is Tyler Seguin, who has 48 points while league leader Leon Draisaitl is at 99. Heck, even rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes has cracked 50 in Vancouver. Trading for Thornton could have made sense, not just for on-ice production, but what he could mean to the locker room. Dallas hasn't made it past the second round of the playoffs since it went to the Western Conference final in 2008. However, Dallas didn't have much currency it was willing to give up. After being buyers at last season's deadline, the Stars entered Monday with just four picks in the upcoming draft. They also didn't want to touch their prospect pool, which isn't among the NHL's best. So Nill exercised confidence in the roster he already built. In this case, complacency isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Detroit Red Wings: B
Key additions: F Sam Gagner, 2020 second-round pick, 2020 fourth-round pick, 2021 second-round pick
Key subtractions: D Mike Green, F Andreas Athanasiou, F Ryan Kuffner
Missed opportunity: Failing to move out any more of the team's 13 pending free agents for an even greater collection of draft picks.
GM Steve Yzerman has made it no secret how he intends to remake the Red Wings: It's going to be through the draft. The Wings now have 11 picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts. They got second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 from Edmonton for Athanasiou and Kuffner, and a conditional pick (fourth in 2020 or third in 2021) for Green, both courtesy of former Detroit GM Ken Holland's Oilers. They took on expiring contracts for Gagner and Kyle Brodziak, who is retired. Not a bad deadline, considering Yzerman apparently didn't have Athanasiou or Green in his plans, but there's still much work to be done.
Philadelphia Flyers: B
Key additions: F Derek Grant, F Nate Thompson
Key subtractions: 2020 fourth-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Players with term were hot commodities this trade deadline, so the Flyers should have given some thought to trading puck-moving (but slumping) defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. GM Chuck Fletcher said he got some calls on Gostisbehere but wasn't looking to move him.
All season, the Flyers have needed a third-line center, as Nolan Patrick remains sidelined with a migraine disorder. Fletcher has remained optimistic that Patrick will return, and perhaps that's why he didn't swing for bigger names. Instead, the Flyers added depth forwards Grant and Thompson. They are fine NHL players who add necessary depth for a playoff run but don't necessarily rock the boat. Fletcher probably wanted to do more, especially as his team has surged (the Flyers have picked up 12 wins in their past 17 games). However, his options were limited, with only about $2 million in functional cap space.
The GM was also hesitant to overpay for players who would leave this summer, especially looking at this year's crop. "I don't really believe this was the best collection of rental talent I've ever seen," Fletcher told reporters. "In fact, it's maybe the weakest group I've seen in several years." Grant and Thompson are rentals, but they didn't cost too much. Jean-Gabriel Pageau would have been an excellent addition, but when you see what the division-rival Islanders ponied up, you see why Fletcher was hesitant.
St. Louis Blues: B
Key additions: D Marco Scandella
Key subtractions: 2020 second-round pick, conditional 2021 fourth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Not getting Chris Kreider weeks ago. The Blues were rumored to be in on the Rangers forward for months, but ultimately he stayed in New York and the Blues stood pat up front.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have inspired everyone by the way they've fended off a hangover. The Blues began the season with as much dominance as they ended last season and never slowed down; this is wild, considering they have been without their most dangerous offensive weapon, Vladimir Tarasenko, since late October. Since Tarasenko is on long-term injured reserve, they could have used his cap space to snag another scorer, such as Kreider; however, that would only work, capwise, if Tarasenko is out for the remainder of the regular season. And so by not making a move, it appears St. Louis is expecting a Tarasenko return sooner rather than later. The Blues have made it this far atop the Central Division without him, and he is more talented (and is a known commodity as a fit for their team) than any of the names available on the market.
The Scandella addition was necessary after Jay Bouwmeester's scary cardiac episode this month. The price wasn't too bad, and it's already looking like a smart pickup.
Winnipeg Jets: B
Key additions: D Dylan DeMelo, F Cody Eakin
Key subtractions: 2020 third-round pick, 2021 conditional fourth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Getting someone to trade for Dustin Byfuglien's contract. It was a long shot, but the Jets could have recouped value there. However, Byfuglien is not going to play for any team this season.
The Jets have been great overperformers this season. They remain relevant in the playoff picture despite all the drama they've gone through, which includes putting out a hodgepodge defensive group for most of the season. The DeMelo trade was a solid one, as it improves Winnipeg's blue line and the price was palatable. Acquiring Eakin, a hometown boy, could be underrated. For Vegas, it was a salary dump. For Winnipeg, it was a deal that bolsters the bottom six. Eakin was having a bad season but could reignite some magic, which would help him this summer when he becomes a UFA. Having someone trade for Byfuglien's contract was more of a pipe dream, especially considering the defenseman's health -- and desire to make a comeback -- are largely unknown.
Colorado Avalanche: B-
Key additions: F Vladislav Namestnikov, G Michael Hutchinson
Key subtractions: 2021 fourth-round pick, D Calle Rosen
Missed opportunity: The Avalanche were among the teams in on Taylor Hall in December. Looking at the price Arizona paid then -- and some of the prices thrown around ahead of the deadline -- Colorado perhaps should have made that move.
Nathan MacKinnon has said that in his seven seasons with the Avalanche, this is the first time he truly feels like his team has a chance at the Stanley Cup. The aspirations are palpable, and that's why many believed GM Joe Sakic would go all-in. In a season when there's no clear front-runner for the Cup -- especially in the West -- why not bolster an already-talented lineup? The Avs had the cap space to do it. And the need right before the deadline was there, as banged-up Colorado has slipped to third in the Central Division (albeit with a good gap on the challengers below it).
Instead of going for splash, Sakic played it conservative. He built this team slowly, and the right way, and he's not going to risk all of that hard work now. The move for Hutchinson was just insurance. The Namestnikov acquisition was thrifty (the Avs had to give up only a fourth-rounder) and could pay dividends. He's a speedy player who should fit into Colorado's identity and bolster the bottom half of the lineup.
Florida Panthers: B-
Key additions: F Erik Haula, F Lucas Wallmark, D Chase Priskie, F Eetu Luostarinen, F Mason Marchment
Key subtractions: F Vincent Trocheck, F Denis Malgin
Missed opportunity: Failing to flip winger Mike Hoffman at the deadline with prices for rentals so ridiculously high.
The Trocheck trade tells you a few things about the Panthers. First, undeniably, is that rumors of a payroll cut before next season might have something to them: Trocheck is signed through 2021-22 and makes $6.25 million in that final season (his cap hit is $4.75 million). They traded him for Haula, a UFA, Wallmark, an RFA who makes $675,000, and two prospects. The second is that GM Dale Tallon is putting this playoff run squarely on the roster he already built, with the signal that more changes could come now that Trocheck has been peeled off the core. Haula can help offensively when healthy, Wallmark is a nice addition to the bottom six and Priskie addresses the shallowest part of their prospect pool. But there's no question that the best player in the trade is the one Florida shipped away.
Nashville Predators: B-
Key additions: D Korbinian Holzer
Key subtractions: D Matt Irwin, 2022 sixth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Not trading two expiring contracts: Craig Smith and Mikael Granlund. If the Predators make the playoffs, that's not a problem. But if they miss out, they'll regret not recouping value.
The Predators have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league this season. After firing coach Peter Laviolette in January -- signalling that GM David Poile believed his team needed a wake-up call -- Nashville is still right on the cusp, just hanging on in the playoff race. Since the Predators have been so up and down, it's understandable why Poile was hesitant to make any move. They'll soon welcome their second-best defenseman, Ryan Ellis, back from a long-term absence, so there's some logic to bolster the case there.
Poile made a minor trade, swapping seventh defenseman Irwin for veteran Holzer, who is likely to play a role similar to Irwin's. That's a change-of-scenery trade. It's a bit surprising that Poile didn't try to trade Granlund, who has struggled to produce in a top-six role after being acquired from Minnesota last season; on the other hand it's not too shocking, considering he would be selling low.
C grades
Buffalo Sabres: C+
Key additions: F Dominik Kahun, F Wayne Simmonds
Key subtractions: F Conor Sheary, F Evan Rodrigues, D Zach Bogosian, 2021 fifth-round pick
Missed opportunity: Not cutting deeper into the roster, which has a few pending free agents and players with term on the block who are still Sabres.
Scalps around the NHL are still recovering from aggressive head-scratching following the Sabres' acquisition of Simmonds. Not only because of the price -- a conditional fifth-rounder in 2021, when many assumed he'd fetch a better deadline price and the Devils kept 50% of his salary -- but because a team that has such a slim chance of making the playoffs traded for a rental. But GM Jason Botterill sees Simmonds as a necessary netfront presence and a positive locker room presence, and he's right on both counts.
Botterill also jettisoned both players who asked out earlier this season, waiving Bogosian and trading Rodrigues to Pittsburgh along with Sheary, a pending UFA disappointment, for 24-year-old winger Kahun, who has some promising upside. The Sabres probably should have been more aggressive here in remaking their roster, but Botterill played it safe; please note he traded with his former boss (Jim Rutherford) and former Pittsburgh co-worker (Tom Fitzgerald) on deadline day.
Montreal Canadiens: C+
Key additions: F Aaron Luchuk, 2020 second-round pick, 2020 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick
Key subtractions: F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Marco Scandella, F Nate Thompson, F Matthew Peca, F Nick Cousins
Missed opportunity: Failing to move either Tomas Tatar or Jeff Petry on a day when the market was booming.
This was a tale of two deadlines for GM Marc Bergevin. One of them was fairly successful: The players he shipped out produced upward of six draft picks (pending conditions being met). That included two of the best examples of asset upselling in the NHL this season in Scandella (acquired for a fourth, flipped for a second and a conditional fourth) and Kovalchuk (signed after a buyout, flipped for a third). The other deadline wasn't so good: Bergevin held on to valuable parts of his roster because "we are competing right now" -- the Habs have a 4.1% chance of making the postseason -- and because those players "would be hard to replace next season" for Montreal, a team that will not make the playoffs this season with those players and hasn't made the postseason since 2017.
Toronto Maple Leafs: C
Key additions: G Jack Campbell, F Kyle Clifford, C Denis Malgin, D Calle Rosen, 2020 fifth-round pick
Key subtractions: F Mason Marchment, G Michael Hutchinson, 2020 third-round pick, cap space
Missed opportunity: Failing to find someone else's puck-moving defenseman problem in order to move Tyson Barrie.
There really wasn't much GM Kyle Dubas could do at the deadline, given the Leafs' tenuous salary-cap situation and lack of expiring contracts -- although they did take on $1.1 million of Robin Lehner's cap space for a fifth-round pick to help facilitate his trade to Vegas. Dubas' best business was done earlier this month, when the Leafs acquired goalie Campbell and forward Clifford from the Kings. For better or worse, the Toronto Maple Leafs before the deadline are the same Toronto Maple Leafs after it -- well, plus one Denis Malgin, of course.
D grades
Arizona Coyotes: D+
Key additions: None
Key subtractions: None
Missed opportunity: Thinking the trade deadline was Dec. 16.
Look, the Taylor Hall trade was bigger than any move made at the actual deadline. That's obvious. Also obvious: the need the Coyotes still have for goal scoring. They're 25th in goals per game (2.68), 23rd in goals at 5-on-5 (118) but they're actually 11th in expected goals (117.43). They're creating, but not finishing, and this is an annual problem for the team despite the additions of Hall, Phil Kessel, Michael Grabner and others. They didn't offer up enough to land Vincent Trocheck, and GM John Chayka indicated that he didn't feel the players available were upgrades over what the Coyotes already had. You'd expect the Coyotes might push in a few more chips to maximize their chances with Hall, in case he's one-and-done. Then again, look what happened when the Devils attempted the same thing.
Chicago Blackhawks: D
Key additions: 2020 second-round pick, 2020 conditional third-round pick, G Malcolm Subban, D Slava Denim
Key subtractions: G Robin Lehner, D Erik Gustafsson
Missed opportunity: Not trading Gustafsson this past summer, when his value would have been higher. Gustafsson scored 17 goals and 60 points last season and could have commanded more than a third-round pick if he were traded at the draft.
The Blackhawks have flashed encouraging signs this season, but a 1-4 road trip ahead of the deadline likely sealed their fate. The truth is, this is a roster with serious flaws -- most of them on the defensive end -- and that can't be fixed overnight. GM Stan Bowman is navigating a yearslong retooling, and that typically doesn't go over well with a fan base (as spoiled as it might be from three Stanley Cups last decade).
It wasn't necessarily a surprise that Bowman traded Lehner and Gustafsson, both popular players in the locker room. But the returns for each left a lot to be desired. Gustafsson, gifted offensively but not-so-solid defensively, had slumped this season, hence yielding merely a third-round pick. Lehner, a reigning Vezina Trophy finalist, had kept the Blackhawks in a ton of games which Chicago had no business staying early this season. But when contract talks stalled, Bowman wanted to recoup value from his offseason signing. The problem is, there weren't too many teams in the market for a goalie this deadline, hence the low return. Bowman didn't do anything drastic, such as trade Brandon Saad, but he also didn't do anything too inspiring. For the foreseeable future, Chicago will be stuck in mediocrity.