Mitch Marner (Dan Hamilton, USA Today)
The trade deadline has come and gone. The fabric of the NHL hasn't changed too much and we are approaching the part of the season where the power rankings start to become more solid. There should theoretically be less movement in the rankings from now on.
Nevertheless, drastic improvements from teams like Boston and Minnesota, both through trades and improved play, have burst the top tier of the league. Other squads like Tampa Bay and St. Louis are stumbling down the stretch.
In this article, rather than reflecting on how each team is performing, I'm going to give each team a grade for how well they performed at the trade deadline. It's important to note that the trade deadline grade doesn't correlate to the team's ranking in the article in the slightest.
With that out of the way, let's get started.
1. Colorado Avalanche
Last Week: 3
Points Percentage: .746
Since Colorado were the most talented team in the league prior to the trade deadline, I appreciated their decision to address the depth, rather than add to the top-six forward corps. Even before it looked like Claude Giroux wanted to go to Florida, I was skeptical that Giroux was a good fit for the Avs. They didn't give up any first-round picks, but they added Nico Sturm, Artturi Lehknonen and Andrew Cogliano to their bottom-six as well as Josh Manson on the blueline.
Grade: A-
2. Florida Panthers
Lucas Carlsson (Eliot J. Schechter, Getty Images)
Last Week: 2
Points Percentage: .734
This is Florida's best chance to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Let's not forget the lack of postseason success that Florida have had. The Leafs are ridiculed for not winning a playoff series since 2004; the Panthers haven't won one since 1996. This is the year to pursue a real Cup run. Giroux and Chiarot are both good players that the Panthers should get the best out of. The price for Chairot, in particular, was exorbitant, but it reminds me of Tampa Bay's trade to acquire David Savard last season. If it results in a Stanley Cup, nobody will complain. Robert Hagg from Buffalo is also good for depth.
Grade: A-
3. Calgary Flames
Last Week: 4
Points Percentage: .677
The Flames look scary. Their pragmatic defense and goaltending seemed like Calgary's strength, but they addressed some issues with offensive depth at the deadline. They proved with their 9-5 win against Edmonton on Saturday that they can score too (or maybe Edmonton's defense is that atrocious...or both). Calle Jarnkrok and Tyler Toffoli both seem like they will fit in perfectly with Darryl Sutter's system. Toffoli, in particular, has taken like a duck to water since joining the Flames. I personally would have pursued another depth defenseman, because Calgary looks a little thin in case of an injury crisis. But at the end of the day, GM Brad Treliving established Calgary as a true Cup contender.
Grade: B+
4. Carolina Hurricanes
Last Week: 1
Points Percentage: .715
The Hurricanes' hands were tied at the deadline. They lacked cap space, so adding skill to their bottom-six was harder than it seemed. Max Domi seems like a player who is holding on by reputation and track record, but we have seen him be an above-average NHL player before. I'd expect Carolina to at least turn Domi into a guy who can score 15 goals and pick up 40 points every season. The price was fairly low too, especially since other parties are covering up to 75% of Domi's cap hit. I'm not sure that Domi is worth the risk, but last time we questioned Canes management, they had a stellar offseason.
Grade: B-
5. Boston Bruins
Hampus Lindholm (Steve Babineau, Getty Images)
Last Week: 9
Points Percentage: .669
The price for Hampus Lindholm was frankly stunning, but if Lindholm can fit in with Boston's blueline and find the game that made him one of the best defensemen in the Western Conference just a few years ago, it should be justified. They inked him to a deal that could get ugly in the long-term, but for now, Boston probably had the biggest jump of any team based on their trade deadline. They suddenly seem to be the second best team in the Atlantic. A second-line center was an obvious need that GM Don Sweeney failed to address, but Erik Haula is playing like a man possessed. Boston could hope for the best-case scenario in which Haula continues this play, but I do think more center depth could have helped.
Grade: B
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Week: 5
Points Percentage: .672
The Lightning had a fairly typical deadline by their standards. Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul are both typical pieces that all contenders look to seek, yet only the Lightning seem to uncover. I was a bit skeptical of the prices that Tampa Bay paid for the two forwards, but Julien Brisebois has a long history of being an utter genius. These two will be perfect fits in their middle-six and I love Hagel as a player, even if he's becoming a bit overrated by some in the NHL community. However, the issue with Tampa is that they are struggling a bit lately. They've lost 6 of their last 9. Nikita Kucherov has 1 goal in his last 10. Ondrej Palat has been scoreless in 19 games. The Lightning has better hope their acquisitions take a step.
Grade: B+
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Week: 6
Points Percentage: .667
Please don't waste Rickard Rakell on the third line, Pittsburgh. I loved Pittsburgh's deal for Rakell and thought that he would be a perfect fit next to Evgeni Malkin on the second line. However, he's been placed next to Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen on the third line. This seems like an awkward fit to me, unlike Rakell with Malkin, which would probably get the best of both players. I really like Zach Aston-Reese, so I'm a bit sad that they let him get away. Nevertheless, I know that Rakell is better than Aston-Reese and with Sidney Crosby performing like an MVP, this was the time to make a trade.
Grade: A-
8. Toronto Maple Leafs
Last Week: 8
Points Percentage: .664
Screw the Arizona Coyotes. Harri Sateri, who was excellent at the Olympics for Finland, seemed like a smart free agency signing for Toronto to back-up Jack Campbell heading into the playoffs. However, some stupid NHL rule forced Sateri to go on waivers where he was immediately picked up by the Coyotes. If Sateri stayed with Toronto, I would have given them a much higher grade. The Leafs needed a goalie, but because of Sateri's waiver claim, they failed in that goal. Nevertheless, I really like the addition of Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell. Both are defensively responsible and capable of chipping in offensively. However, the lack of a goalie hurts their grade.
Grade: B
9. New York Rangers
Andrew Copp (Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
Last Week: 7
Points Percentage: .669
I'm finding it really tough to find a place for the Rangers in these power rankings. I want to put them higher, but difficulties with play-driving and an overreliance on goaltending holds them back. Igor Shesterkin has looked much more vulnerable in recent games and that's why I have them back in 9th. Their trade deadline was pretty solid. Andrew Copp, Justin Braun, Frank Vatrano and Tyler Motte are all great pieces. Copp, especially, seems like an awesome player for the Rangers. However, I can't help but think that they should have gone more all-in. Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox have expensive extensions kicking in this offseason. If New York wanted a Cup, I would have been willing to sell the farm for a player like Patrick Kane.
Grade: A-
10. Minnesota Wild
Marc-Andre Fleury (Bruce Kluckhohn, Getty Images)
Last Week: 14
Points Percentage: .651
All Minnesota was looking for at the trade deadline was an upgrade in net. Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen haven't been good enough to keep a flawed team afloat. What was GM Bill Guerin's answer? Trade for the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Fleury hasn't been nearly as good with the Blackhawks as he was with the Golden Knights, but on such a leaky team, it's hard to blame him for Chicago's struggles. A conditional second-round pick is a fair price to pay for a guy with Fleury's reputation. Minnesota have been much improved lately and Fleury should help them continue on that pace. Jacob Middleton is also one of the most underrated players in the league. I thought he could go for a first-round pick, so to get him for Kahkonen and a fifth is top business. Nick Deslauries adds a mean streak.
Grade: A
11. Nashville Predators
Last Week: 12
Points Percentage: .600
For better or worse, Filip Forsberg is still a Predator. He's a brilliant player, but if GM David Poile loses his star Swede in the offseason for nothing, this deadline will be a major L. I think that Nashville are a good enough team to go with Forsberg into the postseason. The one deal that Nashville made was to pick up Jeremy Lauzon for a second-round pick. I may be alone in saying this, but I feel like that's a massive overpay. I haven't watched enough of Lauzon to make a real verdict on him and Nashville excel at developing defensemen, but this was definitely a strange deal. Nevertheless, if Roman Josi keeps doing inhuman things, Nashville are a good bet for second place in the Central.
Grade: C
12. Los Angeles Kings
Last Week: 11
Points Percentage: .604
Keep an eye on the Los Angeles Kings. GM Rob Blake felt that it was a year too early to go all-in at the deadline and by only adding a depth defenseman in Troy Stecher, the Kings preserved cap space. A lot of other teams improved around L.A., which could jeopardize their playoff status, but with a fairly comfortable gap to the last wild-card team, the Kings should make the postseason and they didn't have to make any silly desperation trades to secure it.
Grade: B-
13. Edmonton Oilers
Last Week: 13
Points Percentage: .583
The Oilers unwisely were not in the market for a new goaltender. In their defense, the market for goalies was middling at best. Once Fleury was off the board, I can't judge GM Ken Holland too much for his decision to not pursue players like Semyon Varlamov or Alexander Georgiev. However, after watching the Oilers get absolutely dominated by Johnny Gaudreau and the Flames' first line on Saturday, I'm confused as to why they didn't go for somebody like Anthony Stolarz or Kaapo Kahkonen. I also don't understand why unvaccinated winger Josh Archibald is still in Edmonton. Brett Kulak and Derick Brassard are solid additions from a defensive perspective, but the price for Kulak was quite high.
Grade: C+
14. Washington Capitals
The Caps celebrate (Rob Carr, Getty Images)
Last Week: 16
Points Percentage: .627
Marcus Johansson and Johan Larsson are good fits for Washington. They both filled needs for the Caps, giving them some defensively responsible forwards that can play up and down in the lineup. Larsson especially is a player I really admire, I wanted him for Toronto, but Washington picked him up to fulfill the roster spot left by Carl Hagelin's injury. However, the price was a little strange to me. I'm not entirely sure that Johansson is a big upgrade on Daniel Sprong, who the Caps dealt to Seattle for Johansson's services. For a team that looks like an obvious first-round exit, it was weird.
Grade: C+
15. St. Louis Blues
Last Week: 10
Points Percentage: .617
The Blues are in a bit of trouble. They've been leaky defensively, have struggled with goaltending after a tough stretch for Ville Husso, and aren't getting the dynamic offense they expect from Jordan Kyrou. To solidify the team for a playoff run, the Blues overpaid for Detroit defenseman Nick Leddy. To give up Oskar Sundqvist, a solid forward as well as a decent D-man in his prime (Jake Walman) along with a second-round pick. St. Louis needed a fourth-line forward, but they instead sent one away (Sundqvist). A little strange if you ask me.
Grade: C
16. Dallas Stars
Last Week: 15
Points Percentage: .586
Dallas really couldn't do much at the deadline. John Klingberg was obviously on the trade block, but Miro Heiskanen's mono diagnosis. Braden Holtby likely garnered some interest, but if Dallas didn't trade him, it seems obvious to me that there weren't any suitable offers. To cover up for Holtby's injury, Dallas made a minor move for former Arizona Coyotes goalie Scott Wedgwood. Vladislav Namestnikov was a good acquisition for the bottom-six, even if he was a bit underwhelming. Unmovable contracts and uncontrollable situations involving their depth forwards hindered Dallas' ability to do much, but they did still see some of their opponents make big moves around them.
Grade: C+
17. Winnipeg Jets
Mark Scheifele celebrates a goal with his teammates (Jonathan Kozub, Getty Images)
Last Week: 19
Points Percentage: .545
It's looking less and less likely that Winnipeg will be making the playoffs this season. Their playoffs odds now lay at under 10%. Due to the fact that Kevin Cheveldayoff wasn't ready to commit to a clear path (is he ever, to be fair?), Winnipeg neither bought nor sold. Frankly, buying would have been silly. I think a full-blown firesale is better off in the offseason or at the next trade deadline. They got a solid return for Andrew Copp and got rid of Bryan Little's albatross of a contract. Along with a trade for Mason Appleton (who I really like), those moves are good. However, holding onto Paul Statsny and dealing for Zach Sanford was a bit weird. Definitely a mixed bag for the Jets.
Grade: B-
18. Vegas Golden Knights
This sums it up (BlindRefLogic, Instagram)
Last Week: 17
Points Percentage: .559
Jeez, what an awful trade deadline for Vegas. Their tight cap space situation and lack of a clear path (like Winnipeg), left them incapable of adding to the roster. To lessen the salary cap issues, the Golden Knights traded Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks. Only problem was that the Ducks were on Dadonov's no trade list. So, the league voided Vegas' trade, embarrassing them in front of the whole league. To make matters even funnier, Dadonov has been Vegas' best player since being "welcomed" back to the Golden Knights. Yikes.
Grade: F
19. Vancouver Canucks
Last Week: 18
Points Percentage: .545
The Vancouver Canucks were the team to watch at the trade deadline. JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland were all among the top trade chips in the entire league. However, GM Jim Rutherford kept his chips to himself and stuck with minor moves. They essentially replaced Travis Hamonic with Travis Dermott, who is younger, better and cheaper than Hamonic. That's unreal business by "Trader Joe." They got a fourth round pick for Tyler Motte, which seems fair. It wasn't noisy, but it was effective.
Grade: B+
20. New York Islanders
Semyon Varlamov (Mike Stobe, Getty Images)
Last Week: 20
Points Percentage: .516
Why did we expect Lou Lamoriello to do anything? The subtle general manager did nothing fun, making no trades. Players like Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene likely weren't stirring up much of a vigorous market and I can understand why Scott Mayfield was untouchable. However, this seemed like a good time to deal goalie Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov is clearly New York's second best option in the crease and there were enough contenders that needed a netminder to justify letting him go. To not get a single asset at the deadline is a major failure.
Grade: C-
21. Columbus Blue Jackets
Last Week: 22
Points Percentage: .523
I honestly thought that the Jackets made off like bandits in the Max Domi trade. I don't think very highly of him anymore and think that he is way too expensive for his production. I know utterly nothing about Aidan Hreschuk, who was Columbus' return, but getting Domi's contract off the books is a big deal. I'm not too sure what to make of the fact that Joonas Korpisalo is still a member of the team. I think it's fine, but they could have pursued at least a minor return for the UFA.
Grade: B
22. San Jose Sharks
Last Week: 23
Points Percentage: .508
The Sharks signaled that they were not ready for a rebuild after penning star forward Tomas Hertl to a long-term deal. I'm in the camp that this was the wrong move. A team like Boston or Calgary would have given up a king's ransom for Hertl. I don't think San Jose's corps is nearly good enough to compete for anything more than a wild-card spot, so committing to Hertl seemed odd to me. Not only that, but the return for Jacob Middleton was a bit underwhelming in terms of draft pick haul. A cheap, effective defenseman should return at least a first-round pick. I don't think that Kahkonen is worth a 1st-round pick.
Grade: C-
23. Anaheim Ducks
Ryan Getzlaf (Dave Reginek, Getty Images)
Last Week: 21
Points Percentage: .485
Pat Verbeek is legendary. In his first trade deadline, Verbeek arguably won every single trade of the week leading up to the deadline. He committed to a retool and got many long-term assets for his pending UFAs with Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm chief among them. This team, evidenced by their dramatic fall in the last few months, is not yet good enough to compete, even with the aging UFAs in the mix. However, with some new assets with room for growth, Anaheim look like a potential future powerhouse.
Grade: A
24. Buffalo Sabres
Last Week: 30
Points Percentage: .423
You know, I was excited when I heard that Buffalo could be a buyer at the deadline. Apparently, they were seeking a defenseman partner for their star prospect, Owen Power. However, a lack of options meant that the Sabres were willing to just pair Power with one of their other prospects. In terms of selling, the rental market was very limited, so it makes sense that Buffalo wouldn't want to settle for assets that couldn't add in the future.
Grade: C+
25. Chicago Blackhawks
Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (David Banks, USA Today)
Last Week: 26
Points Percentage: .439
Kyle Davidson promised a full-blown rebuild. Getting a potential three first-round picks for a goalie they acquired for nothing in the offseason and a very cheap former free agent signing is decent business. They probably would have liked to get at least something for Calvin de Haan and Dominik Kubalik, who both seemed like typical trade deadline pieces, but the way they handled the trades they did make earns them a good grade.
Grade: B+
26. Montreal Canadiens
Last Week: 29
Points Percentage: .354
Wow. Kent Hughes with the masterclass. He completely robbed the Florida Panthers in the Ben Chiarot trade, got a great deal for analytics darling Brett Kulak and a brilliantly worked deal for Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal are fully set for a rebuild and Hughes' deadline day gives Montreal a whole new crop of assets to farm. Montreal's future looked uncertain, but Hughes' great business assures some hope. My only issue with Montreal's deadline was that they couldn't find a taker for Shea Weber's contract.
Grade: A
27. Detroit Red Wings
Last Week: 25
Points Percentage: .462
Steve Yzerman wasn't ready to make any earth-shattering moves at this year's deadline. They got draft picks for Vlad Namestnikov and Troy Stecher, though I was mildly underwhelmed with the return in both trades. What really salvages Detroit's deadline though was the Nick Leddy trade. Getting Oskar Sundqvist, Jake Walman and a second-round pick for a second pairing defenseman is utter robbery. Unfortunately they couldn't find a goalie...
Grade: B
Grade: Okay, maybe F (I'm just kidding, but my goodness, that was disgusting)
28. New Jersey Devils
Last Week: 24
Points Percentage: .392
The Devils needed a stopgap in goal and Andrew "Hamburglar" Hammond accomplishes that. However, he's now on LTIR. *facepalm* Nevertheless, once Hammond gets back, he'll give New Jersey at least league average goaltender. New Jersey understandably couldn't find any suitors for PK Subban and his massive contract. An injury to Pavel Zacha also likely hurt his trade value and could have been a reason for the fact that he still is a member of the Devils.
Grade: B-
29. Philadelphia Flyers
Mike Yeo (Eric Hartline, Getty Images)
Last Week: 31
Points Percentage: .408
What a tire fire the Flyers are. They lost every single trade they made, getting an underwhelming return on Claude Giroux, Justin Braun and Derick Brassard. GM Chuck Fletcher is simply incompetent and cannot be allowed to let this Philadelphia roster continue to crash and burn. Giroux's no trade clause was a reason for the underwhelming return, but it's still tough to swallow since Giroux was such a cultural icon in Philly. I'm also surprised that the Flyers couldn't get a return for backup goalie Martin Jones. All in all, a tough day.
Grade: C-
30. Ottawa Senators
Last Week: 28
Points Percentage: .400
What are you doing, Pierre Dorion? Not only did the Ottawa GM acquire a controversial figure in Travis Hamonic, but he paid them to acquire him. If anybody was willing to take on Hamonic, the expectation was that Vancouver would have to add a draft pick as a sweetener. I liked Ottawa's return in the Nick Paul trade, but the Hamonic deal absolutely sours my opinion of how Ottawa performed at the trade deadline.
Grade: C
31. Arizona Coyotes
Last Week: 27
Points Percentage: .344
The Arizona Coyotes took it cautiously at the deadline. They traded for the signing rights for Canadian Olympian Jack McBain, giving up one of their plethora of second round picks. They asked for too much for a Jakob Chychrun, but I have a feeling that they are secretly relieved that Chychrun stayed in Arizona. Phil Kessel's contract prevented any team from giving up assets for the winger. They also made transactions in goal, claiming Harri Sateri to replace the outgoing Scott Wedgewood as well as signing surprise netminder Karel Vejmelka to an extension. It wasn't bad, but a failure to get anything for Kessel hurts their grade.
Grade: C+
32. Seattle Kraken
Jared McCann (Christopher Mast, Getty Images)
Last Week: 32
Points Percentage: .354
Ron Francis managed to finally get some draft picks. My major criticism of Francis' expansion draft strategy was that they didn't have any idea as to what they were building towards. Nobody could tell whether they wanted to be a playoff contender or go for a dramatic rebuild. It only took them 8 months to commit to a plan. They now have 30 draft picks over the next three drafts. Francis can now use those picks to fill in the prospect pipeline or trade them away for roster pieces. They have options. Though Seattle's depth is essentially non-existent, they finally have an idea.
Grade: A-
ALL STATS COURTESY OF MONEYPUCK AND NATURAL STAT TRICK
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