Hello everybody, and welcome to my second annual Trade Deadline Extravaganza! I’ll be updating this live blog through out the day as rumors hit the internet and deals are made, so make sure to hit the refresh tab early and often!
I’ll also be taking questions on through the comment section below and on Twitter, so feel free to join in!
Hope you enjoy, and let the trades be amazing and plenty!
3:30 pm: Gudd Bye
Oh my god, he did it. Jim Benning did it.
Penguins acquire: Erik Gudbranson (D)
Canucks acquire: Tanner Pearson (LW)
Let me start by saying the same thing as everyone else; Erik Gudbranson was a very nice guy who was well liked by his teammates, coaches and the media and I wish him the best in Pittsburgh.
But let’s face it; Gudbranson was the Canucks’ worst player, and trading him makes the the team immediately better. His play routinely dragged down the stats of his teammates, lost the team possession of the puck and was continuously exploited by faster, more talented opponents. Moving him gives Travis Green the opportunity to play developing defenders like Ashton Sautner and Guillaume Brisebois, while also adding Tanner Pearson who brings an added scoring threat to a team that’s dying for one.
For you Penguins fans out there, I’m not sure what to tell you. He…hits people…sometimes? Sorry, no take backs.
3:00 pm: Not That Karlsson
Sharks acquire: Jonathan Dahlen (LW)
Canucks acquire: Linus Karlsson (C)
They took their sweet time, but the Canucks have finally made their appearance on Trade Deadline Day, and…it’s a weird one.
Jonathan Dahlen arrived in Vancouver to much fanfare as the big return in the Alex Burrows trade with Ottawa two seasons ago. After spending 2018-19 marinating in Sweden with Timra IK of the Allsvenskan, his time this season with the Utica Comets has been rocky.
After a slow start to the year Dahlen began to pick up steam, putting himself top five in Comets scoring with 29 points. But apparently trouble was brewing behind the scenes, and the Canucks chose to move him to the Sharks in exchange for Linus Karlsson.
Karlsson, a 19 year-old centre currently playing in the Allsvenskan with Karlskrona HK, hasn’t lived up to the hype that came when the Sharks drafted him last June at 87th overall. With just 17 points in 48 games, the Canucks are making a huge bet on his development.
In Dahlen the Sharks are getting a bonafide scorer who’ll help their AHL affliliate, the San Jose Barracuda, down the stretch for a Calder Cup run who could maybe even make the big club next season.
In other words, the real winner of this deal is Bay Area based me. Make sure to check out my Barracuda coverage at Fear the Fin for the rest of the season, cause it’s about to get a huge dose of Dahlen.
2:30 pm: The Rush to the Fax Machine
There were a lot of trades that came in late, and now it’s time to cover all of them. And don’t worry, we’ll get to the Canucks in a bit.
Predators acquire: Wayne Simmonds (RW)
Flyers acquire: Ryan Hartman (LW), 2020 conditional 4th round pick
Funny, I feel like I talked about a Ryan Hartman trade last year.
Wayne Simmonds isn’t the player he used to be, but the price Nashville paid to get him isn’t terribly steep. Simmonds will likely play a depth role under Preds coach Peter Laviolette and his aggressive style of play could work well in the rough and tumble of the Central Division.
The Flyers get a reclamation project in Hartman, who struggled to replicate his early success from Chicago when he came to the Predators. With Philly’s playoff chances slipping by the day, Hartman has the chance to play bigger minutes and develop alongside some young talent like Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny. The fourth rounder doesn’t hurt either.
Bruins acquire: Marcus Johansson (LW)
Devils acquire: 2019 2nd round pick, 2020 4th round pick
Aw man, if there was one player I was hoping the Canucks would find a way of bringing to Vancouver, it was Marcus Johansson.
Things haven’t gone well in New Jersey for Johansson or his teammates, although in his case that’s mostly due to his routine trips to the IR over the last two seasons. If Johansson can stay healthy he’ll make for a solid playmaking ace on the Bruins and play a key role in Boston’s upcoming playoff run. If they run into an offensive juggernaut like the Lightning or the Maple Leafs, they’re going to need him big time.
Let’s just hope playing alongside the guy who gave Johansson a major concussion last season isn’t gonna be a problem.
Maple Leafs acquire: Nic Petan (C)
Jets acquire: Par Lindholm (LW)
This is a fairly decent trade for both teams as far as prospects go. Petan is a guy who needs a little extra time developing in the minors, something the stacked Leafs can give him without getting impatient. Lindholm is ready to take the next step into a permanent NHL role now, and the Jets could use a solid forward like him in their bottom six during the postseason.
Jets acquire: Matt Hendricks (D)
Wild acquire: 2020 7th round pick
The Jets have had a lot of injuries to deal with when it comes to their defense over the course of the season, so bringing back Matt Hendricks makes sense from that regard. Aside from that, I don’t get why you’d pay a draft pick for a 37 year-old who’s best offensive season was nearly nine years ago.
Jets acquire: Nathan Beaulieu (D)
Sabres acquire: 2019 6th round pick
This deal makes more sense. The Jets put in a lot of work to rebuild their depth on defense, and while Nathan Beaulieu isn’t a big point-getter he won’t be expected to be in Winnipeg. He can play a low-risk defensive role and could work for special teams when needed.
Look out world, here come the Jets.
Blues acquire: Michael Del Zotto (D)
Ducks acquire: 2019 6th round pick
Picking up Michael Del Zotto is a curious call for the Blues. St. Louis’ defense is arguably their best quality, which means Del Zotto will likely be a seventh man when the team is at full health. It is slightly disappointing that Bob Murray was able to get a higher pick for MDZ than Jim Benning, getting Luke Schenn along with the Ducks’ 7th rounder has apparently become a much more valuable addition today.
12:20 pm: THE BIG ONE
Well, it’s official.
Golden Knights acquire: Mark Stone (RW), Tobias Lindberg (RW)
Senators acquire: Oscar Lindberg (LW), Erik Brannstrom (D), 2020 2nd round pick
The Golden Knights are building a dynasty out in Vegas, and Mark Stone is going to a huge piece of that plan. Stone’s 62 points not only put him on pace for the best season of his career, but immediately make him the Knights’ scorer by a full 19 points. To make it even better for Vegas, Stone is expected to sign an eight-year extension with a cap hit of $9.5 million per season the first day he’s able to, March 1. You’re a bunch of lucky devils, Knights fans.
For Senators fans…I’m so so so sorry. On the bright side, Erik Brannstrom is an exceptional defensive prospect who’ll pair nicely with finely aged Thomas Chabot, and Oscar Lindberg can help Ottawa stay competitive in the short term future. But it’s gonna be hard to sell any of that to a fanbase that’s completely lost all hope in their ownership and management.
Again, sorry Ottawa.
12:10 pm: Not That Granlund
Predators acquire: Mikael Granlund (RW)
Wild acquire: Kevin Fiala (LW)
When I first saw the name “Granlund” pop up on my Twitter feed, I thought the Canucks had made a move. Alas, this is a fun deal to look at regardless.
Mikael Granlund is on pace for his third straight 50-point season and could easily slot into the Predators second line alongside Kyle Turris and Colton Sissons. And with a year left on his contract, adding Granlund gives Nashville a little added control over their Stanley Cup window.
For the Wild, this is a continuation of rookie GM Paul Fenton’s plan to retool and make Minnesota a younger, faster team. Fiala played a short but key role during Nashville’s run to the Cup Final in 2017, and while his point-per-game numbers have dropped this season the Wild will be able to afford him more ice time opportunities to bring those totals back up.
12:00 pm: STOP THE PRESSES!
The deadline has passed, and the biggest deal of the day is done. Mark Stone is headed to Sin City. As we wait for the rest of the deals to get done I’m going to take a quick lunch break before breaking down the rest of the days moves. Stay tuned.
11:35 am: Fanten-ing the Flames
Flames acquire: Oscar Fantenburg (D)
Kings acquire: 2020 conditional 4th round pick
The Flames wanted a left handed defenseman, and they get it in Oscar Fantenburg. The 27 year-old Swede will likely play a shutdown role in Calgary, especially since the Flames’ goaltending situation is a mixed bag. It’s not a perfect deal for Brad Treliving, but it’s something.
11:31 am: Canucks Update
We’re approaching the territory where the best Trade Deadline acquisition the Canucks make today is Thatcher Demko.
11:00 am: One hour left!
Not much time to left to make a deal, and apparently a Mark Stone deal might be on the way. In the meantime:
Blue Jackets acquire: Adam McQuaid (D)
Rangers acquire: Julius Bergman (D), 2019 4th round pick, 2019 7th round pick
This is a questionable deal for Columbus. Adam McQuaid does add some size on the blue line, but from a skill standpoint he seems a step behind the rest of the Blue Jackets defenders. Maybe this is just a depth pickup but the way this week has gone, one thing’s for sure; the Columbus Blue Jackets are ALL IN.
10:30 am: Brassard Take Three
Avalanche acquire: Derick Brassard (C), 2020 conditional 6th round pick
Panthers acquire: 2020 3rd round pick
Derick Brassard hasn’t been racking up the points this season, but he has been getting a lot of air miles.
Brassard is heading to Team #3 on the season, after stops in Pittsburgh and Florida. He’s no longer considered a bonafide top six centre but he should provide solid depth for an Avs team that’s been running solely based on the MacKinnon-Landeskog-Rantanen combo for basically the entire season. If he can find a way to lift Colorado’s back half offensively, this move could pay off nicely for Joe Sakic.
9:52 am: (Heart) Breaking News
We interrupt the fun of Trade Deadline day to bring you this shocking revelation:
Ugh. It’s amazing how a general manager who brought Elias Pettersson to Vancouver still can’t figure out how to fix everything else.
9:38 am: Rumour Has It (oooooo)
The Leafs made a seemingly minor transaction earlier today:
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1100069620495441920?s=20
Calling up Trevor Moore would give the Leafs too many forwards, meaning there could be a deal in the works. Perhaps a deal involving a defenseman arriving in Toronto with a roster forward going back? We’ll just have to wait and see.
MDZ might be on the move again, and considering the first team to trade him was *checks notes* ah yes, the Canucks, it’s going to be interesting to see what Ducks GM Bob Murray can get for Del Zotto in a deal of his own. Knowing this team’s luck, Anaheim will somehow use him to snag Mark Stone in a one-for-one deal.
9:23 am: All Quiet on the Northwestern Front
One team that we haven’t heard much from today are the Vancouver Canucks, and that seems to be a sign. The Canucks only have one major unrestricted free agent in Alex Edler, but with a no trade clause at Edler’s disposal it seems unlikely that Jim Benning will pull the trigger on a deal involving him.
So the best moves for the Canucks to be looking at today are going to involve players with term or restricted free agent status. If Benning can find a way to turn players like Markus Granlund, Erik Gudbranson or even possibly Brandon Sutter into prospects and/or picks it’d be a massive boost for Vancouver’s future.
Darn it Jim, make me believe.
8:00 am: Awayyyy we go!
The NHL Trade Deadline usually starts off pretty slowly, but if we’re counting late last night we’ve already got a trio of pretty big deals to talk about this morning!
Sharks acquire: Gustav Nyquist (RW)
Red Wings acquire: 2019 2nd round pick, 2020 conditional 3rd round pick
The Sharks have been the team to beat in the Pacific Division ever since they acquired Erik Karlsson at the beginning of the season, and now they’ve added another major offensive threat in winger Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist has had a career year with the Red Wings, putting up 49 points in 62 games, and he’s sure to add to those numbers on an already stacked San Jose club.
Blue Jackets acquire: Keith Kinkaid (G)
Devils acquire: 2022 5th round pick
Aside from adding one of Hockey Twitter’s best follows, the Blue Jackets are getting an experienced backup in Keith Kinkaid. Last season Kinkaid was red hot down the stretch and played a key role getting the Devils into the playoffs, but this year’s been a lot tougher for himself and New Jersey. Kinkaid might not be a late bloomer that everybody expected, but he could provide Columbus with some good insurance if Sergei Bobrovsky can’t get the job done in the race to the playoffs and beyond.
Jets acquire: Kevin Hayes (RW)
Rangers acquire: Brendan Lemieux (LW), 2019 1st round pick, 2022 conditional 4th round pick
Oh man, talk about the rich getting richer.
The Jets haven’t been steamrolling their competition lately, but that could change with the major pickup of Kevin Hayes from the Rangers. Hayes is a skilled two-way forward that’ll immediately make Winnipeg a much tougher team to play against, and a scoring touch that’ll fit seamlessly into their top six.
On the Rangers side of things, they continue to add to their plethora of draft picks after starting the rebuild process last season, and they get a gritty young forward in Brendan Lemieux who has NHL experience and could keep New York competitive in the short term future.
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