Who won the NHL trade deadline?

Another NHL trade deadline is in the books, with few huge moves, it wasn’t the splashiest of deadlines, but it did show us who believes they are contenders and who is planning for the future. Let’s take a look at some winners and losers from an eventful deadline.

Las Vegas again made a bold move at the deadline, trading for Sharks forward Tomas Hertl. Hertl has been dealing with injuries this year, but is a two-time All-Star and is expected back before the end of the regular season.

The Knights made two more moves before the deadline, acquiring defenseman Noah Hanifin from Calgary and forward Anthony Mantha from the Capitals to bolster their roster. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said, “We wanted to help our team. “Our recent play hasn’t been good enough,” when asked why they made their moves. Can’t argue with that.

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The Canes were also aggressive at the deadline, making a move for Jake Guentzel from the Penguins. Bryan Murphy for Sporting News puts it well, “While Guentzel isn't at a superstar level, he is a seamless fit with the Hurricanes and the exact kind of complimentary piece that could put them over the edge.”

The rich get richer as the first-placed Panthers acquire goal-scoring winger Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa and Kyle Okposo from the Sabres. Is there a more complete team in hockey right now?

The Stars made their move early, well before the trade deadline, acquiring Chris Tanev from Calgary. Tanev is one of the elite defensemen in hockey and adds to an already formidable roster in Dallas.

Hockey isn’t always about winning now, as the Flames are proving this year. They were sellers at the deadline but were able to come out of it with an extra two first-round picks, one second-rounder, two third-rounders, and one fourth-rounder, plus some prospects and roster players, per Adam Proteau for The Hockey News.

The Avs were one of the more active teams at the deadline, acquiring several talented players to bolster the team. Sean Walker was perhaps the biggest move, acquired for a first-round pick from the Flyers, which may seem steep, but having reliable defensemen will be needed as they gear up for another run at the Cup.

Sean Walker only played 63 games in Philly before being shipped out for a first-round pick, and Ryan Johansen’s bloated contract. The Flyers now own eight picks in the top two rounds during the next two years, per The Hockey Writers. This stockpiling of draft picks allows them flexibility and could help give them some consistency at last.

Sid the no-longer Kid is playing lights-out hockey this season, but the Penguins aren’t in a position to capitalize and decided to trade one of their most valuable assets in Jake Guentzel as they look to the future. It’s a sad day for Crosby as the decline is sure to come at some point, and he may never be in serious contention for a Stanley Cup again.

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One of the other teams involved in the Jake Guentzel was the Rangers, per Vince Mercogliano, but were beaten to the punch by the Panthers. The Rangers and the Panthers are two of the top teams in hockey, and the Guentzel trade could be enough to swing the pendulum away from New York.

The Kings stayed put at the deadline, refusing to make a single move. In itself that doesn’t seem unreasonable, but as Adam Proteau puts it, “even a depth addition or two would’ve positioned the Kings to be ready for a long playoff run.”

The Blue Jackets were a bit like that strange store in a mall that always seemed to be going out of business. The deals look great, but you still don’t want to buy anything. Despite going full-sell mode, they couldn’t get much of anything done.

The Islanders are very much in the playoff race, but, much like the Kings, did nothing to improve their team.

The Devils were looking to be Stanley Cup contenders this season, instead, they sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report described their season as, “a huge disappointment,” that has seen them deal away players that were supposed to be part of their playoff push.

It just wasn’t as exciting as perhaps everyone hoped it would be. Still, some teams came out looking loaded for the playoff run.

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