2017 EHE Trade Deadline Recap

The 2017 EHE Trade Deadline has come and gone, and as usual, it's time to declare the winners and losers based on a zero game sample size. Here we go. 

Winners

Colorado Avalanche - The best team in the league just got even better. Avs GM Kirklan Lycar made several blockbuster moves to bolster an exceptionally strong team that now looks like the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup. There's no doubt that the acquisitions came at a steep cost to the team's future as Kyle Connor, Jimmy Vesey, Colin White, two first round picks, and several prominent assets were offloaded in recent weeks. Even so, it's hard to fault an elite Cup contender for adding players like Brad Marchand, Kris Letang, and Brian Dumoulin to an already star-studded roster.

Columbus Blue Jackets - Newly minted Jackets GM Andrew Payeur wasted no time making his mark on a roster that was in need of significant change, as he made numerous shrewd transactions to retool his team in advance of the trade deadline. GM Payeur dealt talented, but struggling centerman Matt Duchene to Anaheim for a package headlined by bluechip defenseman Ivan Provorov, and maneuvered his way out of an expansion draft headache by swapping Seth Jones for Dylan Larkin and gained a first round pick out of the deal. Some pundits may question the steep price the Jackets paid to acquire Evander Kane from Calgary, but the acquisition was a necessary move to shore up a forward core that is in desperate need of talent up front. 

Montreal Canadiens - Frustrated by his team's inconsistent play and a rash of injuries, Habs GM Duran Size announced that his team was in "full sell mode"  just a few days before the deadline. Many observers interpreted this announcement as an indication that the club might make impulsive deals to trade away its best players, but GM Size instead kept his calm and made some intelligent moves to keep his team competitive long-term. Jimmy Vesey should become a top-six forward for the Habs soon, and Tyler Myers and Reilly Smith are talented players who fit into the team's core group nicely. Well done, Montreal. 

Losers
 
Nashville Predators - Preds GM Eric Wolf did address one of his team's weaknesses by acquiring offensive defenseman Torey Krug from Detroit, but it forced them to say goodbye to their best prospect in Brock Boeser and defenseman Madison Bowey. Even with Krug's arrival, Nashville's blueline still lacks offensive punch and fails to inspire confidence, and the team's goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Darcy Kuemper is arguably the weakest of any playoff team. To compound these issues, it looks likely that the team will have to go through the powerhouse Avs just to reach the Gretzky Conference final, so the Preds playoff run may already be dead in the water.

Pittsburgh Penguins - The scrappy Pittsburgh Penguins have done a good job surviving in a tremendously competitive division and boast a winning record heading into the home stretch of the season. How did GM Mat Fargas reward them for their efforts? 

...By trading away their top defenseman and number one center for very mediocre returns. 

Make no mistake, the team hasn't lived up to its preseason expectations, but with Jamie Benn and Devan Dubnyk both in their primes, it should have been given a chance to make a splash in the playoffs. Instead, the departures of Kris Letang and Tomas Plekanec indicate that for some reason, the club has given up on the season. Fans in Pittsburgh have angrily remarked that the moves feel like a slap in the face, and they have every right to believe so. 

Florida Panthers - The Cats are sitting comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division, so fans were expecting a deadline acquisition to bolster an untested checking line that could've used some veteran help. Instead, the team puzzlingly stood pat at the deadline, whicch means that Joe Colborne, Peter Holland, and Sam Bennett will shoulder the load come playoff time. Not only that, it appears likely that the team will lose one of Ryan Suter, Dion Phaneuf, Hampus Lindholm, or Morgan Rielly to Vegas in the expansion draft. Yikes.