TRADES AND THE STANLEY CUP

Do trade deadline deals actually help teams that go on to win the Stanley Cup? Here’s a look at how it has played out in the salary cap era.

2016:

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Key Deal: Acquired D Justin Schultz from Oilers for 2016 third-round pick. The Skinny: Schultz was a regular on the Pens blueline during the playoffs and saw his ice time inflate when Trevor Daley was injured during the Eastern Conference final. Of note: this was the final tweak of Jim Rutherford’s reload, a housecleaning that saw the likes of Daley, Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel all acquired over the seven previous months. 2015:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Key Deals: Acquired F Antoine Vermette from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2015 first-round pick and Klas Dahlbeck; acquired F Andrew Desjardins from San Jose for F Ben Smith and a conditional 2017 seventhround pick; acquired D Kimmo Timonen from Philadelphia for a 2015 second-round pick and a 2016 conditional fourth-round pick. The Skinny: While Timonen and Desjardins were role players, Vermette scored three gamewinning goals — two in overtime — in the final two series en route to helping the Hawks win their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. 2014:

LOS ANGELES KINGS Key deal: Acquired F Marian Gaborik from Blue Jackets for F Matt Frattin, a 2015 secondround pick and a conditional third-round pick. The Skinny: Once called Maid Marian by his critics, Gaborik led the entire NHL in playoff scoring with 14 goals (and 22 points) in helping the Kings win the Cup. In his wildest dreams, GM Dean Lombardi could not have foreseen a more ideal scenario. 2013:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Key deal: Acquired F Michal Handzus from the Sharks for a fourth-round pick in 2013. The Skinny: Ended up chipping in three goals and eight assists in the playoffs, plus took key draws and killed penalties. 2012:

LOS ANGELES KINGS Key deal: Acquired centre Jeff Carter from the Blue Jackets for defenceman Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick. The Skinny: Carter’s nine points in 16 games after the trade helped the Kings squeeze into the post-season, but it was his eight playoff goals that were key to bringing the franchise its first Stanley Cup. 2011:

BOSTON BRUINS Key deal: Acquired defenceman Tomas Kaberle from the Maple Leafs for a 2011 first-round pick, conditional 2012 second-rounder and forward Joe Colborne; acquired forward Rich Peverley and defenceman Boris Valabik from Atlanta for forward Blake Wheeler and defenceman Mark

Stuart; acquired forward Chris Kelly from Ottawa for a 2011 second-round pick. The Skinny: Role players, take a bow. Indeed, the Bruins don’t win the Cup without Peverley, Kelly and Kaberle. Peverley and Kelly stepped up to fill in for Nathan Horton and Marc Savard, who were concussed for the majority of the final versus Vancouver. Peverley, Kelly and Kaberle combined for 24 post-season points. While Kaberle’s career was on the downswing from its peak days with the Maple Leafs, then-Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, the GM who made the moves, says that “we would not have won the Cup without him.” 2010:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Key deal: None The Skinny: The Blackhawks won their first Cup in almost five decades by adopting the notion that the best trades sometimes are the ones you don’t make. 2009:

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Key deals: Acquired forward Bill Guerin and a 2009 conditional pick from the Islanders for defencemen Andy Wozniewski and Danny Richmond; acquired forwards Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi from the Ducks for defenceman Ryan Whitney. The Skinny: With Sidney Crosby thirsting for an upgrade in wingers, GM Ray Shero hit the jackpot by adding Guerin and Kunitz, who combined for 29 post-season points. 2008:

DETROIT RED WINGS Key deal: Acquired defenceman Brad Stuart from the Kings for a 2008 second-round pick and a 2009 fourth-round pick. The Skinny: Helped the Wings control the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the final, to some extent anyway. 2007:

ANAHEIM DUCKS Key deal: Acquired forward Brad May from the Avalanche for goaltender Michael Wall. The Skinny: Brian Burke has never believed in the trade deadline. May’s one point in 18 postseason games probably didn’t change his mind on that front. 2006:

CAROLINA HURRICANES Key deals: Acquired forward Mark Recchi from the Penguins for forwards Niklas Nordgren and Krystofer Kolanos and a 2007 second-round pick; acquired forwards Doug Weight and Erkki Rajamaki from the Blues for forwards Jesse Boulerice, Mike Zigomanis, Magnus Kahnberg, a first-round pick in 2006, and (from previous deals) Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2006 and Chicago’s fourth-round pick in 2007. The Skinny: Jim Rutherford strikes again, this time landing two of the most coveted players on the market. Both rental players, Recchi and Weight combined for 32 points in the playoffs.