Leafs, Jets, Oilers and Habs add depth on trade deadline day
Mantha off to Capitals, Bennett joins Panthers, Gaudette now a Hawk
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens all secured depth moves with an eye towards the playoffs on a relatively quiet NHL trade deadline day.
After making the biggest splash among Canadian teams Sunday by acquiring veteran forward Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie David Rittich from the Calgary Flames, the Leafs added defenceman Ben Hutton from the Anaheim Ducks for a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. cutoff.
Toronto, which leads the Canadian-based North Division, also shipped winger Alexander Barabanov to the San Jose Sharks for minor-league centre Antti Suomela.
In desperate need of help on their blue line, the Jets snagged defenceman Jordie Benn from the Vancouver Canucks for a sixth-round selection.
The Oilers got blue-liner Dmitry Kulikov from the New Jersey Devils for a conditional 2022 fourth rounder, while the Canadiens acquired defenceman Erik Gustafsson from Philadelphia for a 2022 seventh-round pick, with the Flyers retaining 50 per cent of Gustafsson’s contract.
Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg sit comfortably in playoff spots in the North. Any player acquired by a Canadian franchise from a U.s.based club will have to quarantine seven days before joining their new teammates.
The Canucks also shipped Adam Gaudette to the Chicago Blackhawks for fellow forward Matthew Highmore, while Calgary dealt centre Sam Bennett — the fourth pick in the 2014 draft — and a 2022 sixth-round selection to the Florida Panthers for prospect Emil Heineman and a 2022 second rounder.
The Ottawa Senators, who traded defencemen Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn for draft picks Sunday night, sent bruising blue-liner Erik Gudbranson to the Nashville Predators for minor-leaguer Brandon Fortunato and a 2023 seventh rounder.
The day started with the confirmation the Boston Bruins had acquired former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall from the last-place Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins also added winger Curtis Lazar in exchange for forward Anders Bjork and a 2021 second rounder as part of a swap that sees the Sabres retain half of the remainder of Hall’s one-year, $8-million (U.S.) salary.
Gaudette tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30, the first case in an outbreak that would eventually rip through the Canucks. In all, 26 people — 22 players and four members of the coaching staff — have tested positive, with one additional player being deemed a close contact.
Gaudette was the first member of the Canucks removed for the league’s COVID protocol list Sunday, but teammate Jay Beagle was added. Vancouver, which currently sits sixth in the North, hasn’t played since the outbreak.
Canucks GM Jim Benning said last week putting players through the stress of a trade after what they’ve been through recently wouldn’t be ideal from “the human side of things.”
“They’ve dealt with a lot,” he said at the time. “I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do at this point in time.”
Vancouver also acquired defenceman Madison Bowey and a 2021 fifth rounder from the Blackhawks for a fourth in the same draft.
The NHL’S pandemic-shortened 56-game season has presented a number of unique challenges, including a flat salary cap and quarantine periods.
A number of contenders made moves in the week leading up to the deadline. The Tampa Bay Lightning got defenceman David Savard from Columbus on Saturday after the New York Islanders secured the services of forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac on Wednesday
Hall, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, has two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 37 games, and is in the midst of a 16-game goal drought as he heads to Boston.
The Bruins are fourth in the East Division, four points ahead of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.
In other notable moves made on a relatively slow deadline day, the Detroit Red Wings traded forward Anthony Mantha to Washington for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik a 2021 first-round pick and second rounder in 2022, while the Capitals also got forward Michael Raffl from the Flyers for a fifth rounder.
The Nhl-topping Colorado Avalanche reacquired centre Carl Soderberg to Blackhawks for the rights to unsigned prospect Ryder Rolston and forward Josh Dickinson.
The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, traded forward Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins late Sunday for a pair of conditional draft picks.