Trade deadline winners include Golden Knights, Panthers, Hurricanes — and Kyle Okposo
NHL teams combined to make 23 trades Friday, dealing 33 players and more than 20 draft picks, before the league’s deadline, with some teams and players seeming to win — and some seeming to lose.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, threetime defending Metropolitan Division-champion Carolina Hurricanes and league-leading Florida Panthers appear to have made the most of the opportunity.
“Some of the teams at the top were very aggressive — and it looks like a real arms race,” Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said.
Here’s a look at how some fared at the NHL trade deadline.
Golden Knights
Shooting to win a second straight Stanley Cup in their seventh season, Vegas put more chips on the table with a series of trades.
“We wanted to help our team,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “Our recent play hasn’t been good enough.”
The Golden Knights acquired two-time all-star centre Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks in perhaps the biggest deal on Friday. Earlier in the week, they acquired point-producing defenceman Noah Hanifin from Calgary and 29year-old forward Anthony Mantha, who has 20 goals this season for the third time in his career, in a deal with Washington.
McCrimmon said he anticipates Hertl, who is recovering from knee surgery, to be available in the regular season to help with the franchise’s push for playoff positioning.
Hurricanes
Shooting to go from good to great in the playoffs, Carolina boosted its chances to score and contend by acquiring two players who have hoisted the Cup.
The Hurricanes added centre Jake Guentzel, who is averaging more than a point per game, from the Penguins on the eve of the deadline.
They followed that bold move by adding even more depth at centre, getting Evgeny Kuznetsov in a trade with Washington.
Panthers
Florida flourished in the days and hours leading up to the deadline, helping the franchise keep up with the Hurricanes.
The Panthers added more help up front with scoring winger Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa and forward depth and leadership with Sabres captain Kyle Okposo.
Okposo
The forward, 35, can be deemed a winner, getting away from the Sabres, whose post-season drought dates to 2011, and landing with one of the Stanley Cup favourites — along with Edmonton — according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Sharks
Unless team doctors don’t think Hertl can bounce back from his knee surgery, San Jose may regret giving up a player possibly in his prime that was under contract through the 2029-30 season.
The Sharks, at the bottom of the NHL standings with Chicago, did get top prospect David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick in exchange for Hertl. There’s a chance Edstrom or the prospect chosen, though, won’t be as good as Hertl.