Let's recap the (uneventful) trade deadline today. Via NHL.com's Trade Tracker:
Let's go over a few of the bigger deals of the day.
-Zack Kassian for Cody Hodgson:
I think this is a really good deal for both sides. If last year's Cup Final against Boston was any indicator, it showed that the Canucks don't have as much toughness as the Bruins (understatement of the year, perhaps). Zack Kassian, a winger, is only 21, but he's as tough as they come. He can definitely play a little on the edge and stir up some controversy with hits like this one in the WJCs a couple of years ago. Regardless, the Canucks could definitely use some more physicality to their game if they intend on competing against a lot of the other teams in the league.
Hodgson, on the other hand, is a young, right-handed centerman who is projected to be a pretty decent scorer in the league. As is the case with most good teams, however, he got buried by the depth of the Canucks' roster. Of course, it didn't help that they went out and picked up Sammy Pahlsson, but that's beside the point. Either way, however, Buffalo did good here, picking up a young center that can help their team on both ends of the rink.
-John Scott for a 5th round pick:
A real good pick up for the Rangers. John Scott will fit right in on Broadway because he's their type of player. He's big (6'8 270 pounds), brutal, intimidating, and he'll kick the crap out of you in a fight. I read that he was picked up to do just that, too; to keep other teams from taking liberties at the Rangers' players. The only thing I don't understand about this deal is that Chicago was looking for defensive depth, and they trade away a defenseman. Granted, Scott may not be the greatest at defending, but when you're already limited, why take more away from yourself? Then again, as the saying goes, if I knew anything about the game, I'd be in it.
-Steve Kampfer for Greg Zanon:
Along with the other moves Boston made, this is more of a depth move. Kampfer has potential, but again, he got buried by depth. By sending him to Minnesota, they get an experienced, veteran defenseman in Zanon, who should help them in the playoffs. Minnesota, on the other hand, sheds some salary and gets younger on their blueline. The Wild definitely need some work, but their blueline is going to be rather decent in the coming years. Scandella, Spurgeon, Kampfer, Falk...they have some good players that will be around for a while.
-Paul Gaustad for a 1st round pick:
Gulp. That was the sound of the Central Division getting a little more worried about Nashville. Gaustad and Hal Gill both now? I'd watch out for the Predators. Arguably the biggest trade of the day, Nashville really came out on top on this deal. Yeah, Buffalo put a high price on Gaustad, but Nashville did good to get a fourth round pick out of it too. Say what you will about him, but David Poile is a really good GM in my opinion. Earlier, there was an explanation on why Gaustad had such a high price on him. Buffalo didn't really want to get rid of him, but if someone was willing to pay the price, then they'd be foolish to not take it. One person on Twitter described it as "if I were to sell my car for $70,000, that's a really high price, but if someone wants to buy it I'd be a fool to not sell it" or something along those lines. Valid point, I suppose.
-Sammy Pahlsson for two 4th round picks:
As if Vancouver weren't stacked enough as it is, they just added more depth to their team. They now have three of the best faceoff men in the league with Kesler, Malhotra, and Pahlsson. The latter two essentially play the same style and have the same role (defensive zone faceoffs, kill penalties, etc), but those third and fourth liners tend to be very underrated. Real good move by the Canucks. Now if they could get a goalie, they'd be all set...
-Carter Ashton for Keith Aulie:
Brian Burke didn't make any of the big moves that Leafs Nation wanted, but he did get rid of an underperforming (admittedly, young) defenseman in exchange for a big bodied forward. Ashton was a first round pick a few years ago, and was generally regarded as Tampa's finest prospect. Scouts say he still needs some fine tuning, but he has good speed, he's really good defensively, he's physical, and he can put up some points as well. With that said, Steve Yzerman probably felt he needed to retool his defense after getting blown out by the Penguins last weekend. Aulie isn't a bad defenseman by any means, and he should be in the league for a while once he works on a few aspects of his game. For what it's worth though, he is a big, physical defenseman who isn't afraid to drop the gloves. Good moves by both Burke and Yzerman.
-Mike Commodore for a conditional 7th round pick:
Again, Yzerman was refining his defense, and this is a good pickup for him. I would have liked to have seen Commodore play more than 17 games with the Wings, but as I keep repeating, he got buried by depth. I think Commodore is another underrated, veteran defenseman that just needs an opportunity after getting snubbed by Columbus (how does Scott Howson have a job after the Nash comments???). Either way, he should get his chance in Tampa, especially with Hedman rumored to be out with another concussion. As for the Wings and the 7th round pick, they'll receive it as long as Commodore plays 15 games for Tampa and they make the playoffs. Assuming that happens, we all know what that means for the Wings: they'll be drafting another Zetterberg or Datsyuk.
-Andrei Kostitsyn for a 2nd round pick, conditional 5th round pick:
I say this is a real good deal for Nashville again. A lot of people are skeptical about reuniting the Kostitsyn brothers, but I have a feeling it'll be different this time around. No, Andrei hasn't been a prolific goal scorer, but he's also been playing in the high pressure market that is Montreal. Some people just aren't cut out for that. I think with both of the Kostitsyns reunited in a low pressure city, it could give them a spark and end up surprising a lot of people, but again, I don't know anything. What I do know, is that Nashville isn't messing around this year by going all in and doing what they can to win. Hopefully that's enough to convince Ryan Suter to re-sign with them.
That's enough for now. With the deadline over, that means one thing: the playoffs are right around the corner and it's time to drop the puck.
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