Big deadline moves happen early in an `abnormal year'
Between the All-Star break and the NHL trade deadline, teams completed 65 deals in all — far higher than the usual amount of moves in a sport known more for long-term security than risky business.
The vast majority of the deals that move the needle happened before Friday, when activity slowed to a trickle.
“This is just one of those years,” Carolina general manager Don Waddell said. “And maybe it's an abnormal year. We'll see what the future holds.”
What the immediate future holds is a race down to the wire for wild-card spots and what looks like an absurdly challenging path through the Eastern Conference to the Stanley Cup Final with Waddell's Hurricanes, division-rival New York Rangers and New Jersey, league-leading Boston, two-time recent Cup champion Tampa Bay and suddenly stacked Toronto.
Every one of those teams made moves and they weren't alone. Even losing teams that stocked up could wind up — someday — contending for a championship.
WHY SO MUCH ACTION BEFORE DEADLINE DAY? >> The Islanders jumped the blocks to get 30-goal-scorer Bo Horvat from Vancouver before the end of January — more than four weeks before the deadline.
Waddell, the Carolina GM, waited until the final week to get offensive help in winger Jesse Puljujarvi and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. He said the trade of a top player like Horvat earlier than usual made some colleagues change gears to, “If we're going to make a move, let's get going now.”
Conversations just after the All-Star break culminated with the Rangers making their first major addition by getting prolific scoring winger Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 9, and the Maple Leafs answered a little over a week later in acquiring Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly.
The action built from there, with 11 trades being finalized Tuesday alone, including Chicago star Patrick Kane going to the Rangers.
WHY WERE SO MANY FIRST-ROUND PICKS TRADED? >> The upcoming draft is regarded as one of the deepest in terms of talent, and yet multiple picks in the first round in 2023 got traded. A few — including one in the Horvat deal and one the Capitals got from Boston and flipped to Toronto — were even moved twice.
A total of 13 first-round picks over the next three drafts were traded in recent weeks, including two from New Jersey to the Sharks for big winger Timo Meier, who's just 26 and not a pending unrestricted free agent.
The Lightning gave up a first-rounder as one of five picks sent to Nashville for Tanner Jeannot. Previous all-in moves led to Cup celebrations in 2020 and 2021 and a trip to the final in 2022.
WHAT DOES THE SHUFFLING DO FOR PLAYOFF RACES? >> Nearly all the first-round picks traded originated from East contenders going blow for blow with big trades. Now that the dust has settled, the East looks like the class of the NHL, while the West is wide open.
Boston, which is on pace to have the best regular season since the salary cap era began in 2005, added help from Washington with defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway and got winger Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit.
The defending Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche shored up their defense by reacquiring Jack Johnson and filled a void at center by getting Lars Eller from Washington.
Edmonton got defenseman Mattias Ekholm; Vegas scooped up veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick after he was traded from Los Angeles to Columbus; the Kings upgraded in net and on the blue line with Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov.
A TRADE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN? >> Erik Karlsson remained with the Sharks, who will revisit trading him this summer, perhaps after he wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman for a third time. At 32, he has four more seasons left on his contract at an annual cap hit of $11.5 million.