in NHL Articles
NHL Trade deadline Winners and Losers
by Dave Bond
The 2010 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and it turned out to be a rather uneventful day as far as Trade Deadlines go. The real deals took place weeks ago when Ilya Kovalchuk, Dion Phaneuf, Olli Jokinen and JS Guigere were moved in pre-Olympics trades.
Still, 52 players were moved on Wednesday and they acted to remind us which teams are serious Cup contenders and which aren’t. There were some definite Winners and Losers on Trade Deadline Day and here they are:
Winners
Washington Capitals – Some might question the logic of shaking up a lineup that leads the NHL in points and that is far and away the favorite to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010. Others applaud the Caps management team for analyzing their team and not being quite satisfied with its makeup.
The Washington Capitals got a lot grittier on Wednesday. Their attempt to toughen up for the stretch drive and expected long playoff run was realized. The Caps added Scott Walker, a hard nosed player that will keep other teams from taking liberties on their top tier talent. They also traded for Eric Belanger who himself plays with an edge and at the same time is able to win face-offs plus add secondary scoring to the #1 ranked Washington Offense.
Both of these players are strong on the penalty kill which is one of the few weaknesses of this exciting team. Joe Corvo adds grit and experience on the Blue Line and will take some of the defensive pressure off of Mike Green.
The Washington Capitals are the unquestioned winners of the NHL Trading frenzy. They made their team a whole lot better and filled the few holes that it had on its roster.
Anaheim Ducks – The Anaheim Ducks currently sit out of the playoffs but with their additions on Wednesday, they figure to be in the mix by season’s end. Aaron Ward brings the experience of 3 Stanley Cup wins to Anaheim and also adds an element of grit to the team. Ward is a winner and will be as valuable in the locker room as he is on the ice. Lubodir Visnovsky will also help a defense generate offense. He will be a key member of the Ducks Power Play going forward.
The Ducks shored up their defensive needs on Wednesday and significantly improved their team. Getting rid of Vesa Toskala’s huge contract and mediocre netminding was also an incredibly smart move.
Phoenix Coyotes – Most in the Hockey World imagined that the Coyotes would be sellers at this point in the season. Instead, they were able to pick up the 14th overall selection in the 2004 draft Wojtek Wolski, and veteran defensemen Derek Morris and Mathieu Schneider. The Coyotes added 3/5 of their first power play unit on Wednesday – not too bad!
Pittsburgh Penguins – Although the Pens were less active than their rival Washington Capitals, they made a splash on Wednesday too by adding 6 foot 4 winger Alex Ponikarovski in a trade with the Maple Leafs. Size and scoring ability are what he brings to Pittsburgh and he should thrive knowing that the burden of offense is no longer on him. Defenseman Jordan Leopold adds experience and good puck moving ability to a stacked Pens lineup as well.
Edmonton Oilers – Make the Winners list for the simple fact that they were able to unload nearly ten million dollars in salary. Free agency is the way that this team is going to improve and by freeing up a lot of dollars, they can be shoppers come summer time.
Losers
Boston Bruins – The Boston Bruins are the lowest scoring team in the NHL but for some reason failed to add a scorer at the Trade Deadline. Phil Kessel’s departure in the summer left a gaping hole at forward for the Bruins – a hole that the Bruins needed to address in order to be serious contenders in the playoffs. Shame on you Bruins!
Vancouver Canucks – The Canucks have a deep farm system anchored by first round draft choice, goaltender Corey Schneider. The fact that the Canucks couldn’t move him for a sorely needed second or third line scorer is a failure indeed.
Dallas Stars – Everyone that the Dallas Stars are chasing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference made moves to better their teams on Wednesday, the Stars did not. An opportunity to bolster their squad was lost.
Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers appear to be satisfied with Michel Leighton in net, but everyone knows that he will not carry the Flyers to the promise land. With Tomas Vokoun, Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron and Rick DiPietro available, the Flyers dropped the ball on Deadline Day.
Other teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers failed to take advantage of the talent available on Wednesday, a move that may or not pay off.
If you enjoyed this article then get full access to all our other features plus a 50% bonus when you sign up with us by clicking on this link
