Welcome to the End to End Hockey Live Trade deadline blog as I will be giving my opinion on all the things that have happened throughout the day.
Trade: the Wild continued to improve their roster for their playoff push by adding offensive defensemen John Klingberg.
Minnesota Anaheim
John Klingberg 50% Andrej Sustr
Nikita Nesterenko
2025 4RD (MIN)
Analysis: the Ducks waited until the very last second to do it, but they were finally able to trade defensemen Klingberg, as the Wild pay sort of a soft price to acquire him.
Now for the Ducks, they had signed Klingberg in the offseason to a 1 year deal with the expectation to get a good return for him before the deadline, but they weren’t able to, as they originally wanted a 1RD pick, and then closer to the deadline they wanted a 2nd, but they had to wind up settling for a 4th round pick and a decent prospect instead, as Klingberg hasn’t played to well this year. Now the Ducks get a 4th round pick in 2025 from the Wild, and while that isn’t a great pick and one they were hoping to get for Klingberg, I do think improving their draft capital at least a bit is a good win for them. Now they got Sustr from Minnesota who is a depth defensemen at this point in his career, as he does have 326 games worth of NHL experience and has even played in Anaheim before on two separate occasions, as he does have 5 assists in 28 games with Anaheim, but has been more of a AHL player over the past few seasons, and I do believe he will get a NHL shot with Anaheim, because guys like Drysdale and Vaakanainen are injured and Klingberg and Kulikov are now gone, so I think he will get a NHL opportunity, but I could also see him remain in the AHL, and the they also get Nesterenko. Now Nesterenko is a Center prospect who is signed, and was a 6th round draft pick back in the 2019 draft, and has been playing over in college for the past few seasons, and has done pretty well, as he had 24 points in 37 games last year, and has done even better this year, putting up 11 goals and 30 points in 33 games and looks to be a pretty decent prospect, and when he signs his ELC with Anaheim, I would expect him to probably play a year or two in the minors, but I could see him be a NHL forward in a year or two, so while he isn’t a top prospect, I do think he could be a bottom six forward down the road.
As for the Wild, they are able to bolster their defence with the addition of Klingberg. Now Klingberg is having a down season this year, and while some of that is injuries and going from playing on Dallas to playing on Anaheim, some of it is also him, as he had 6 goals and 47 points which was his best point total in 4 years last season with Dallas, but this year only has 8 goals and 24 points and doesn’t look the same as last year. Now on Minnesota, they already have Dumba and Spurgeon ahead of him on the depth charts, so he will most likely be the teams 3rd pair RD, and if he can get some power play minutes and do well on the third pair, I think he should be able to play a lot more like last season and Anaheim ate 50% of his salary so his cap hit for Minnesota is only $3.5 Million, so good for Minnesota and I really like the addition on the back end and I think Klingberg will be a really good offensive defensemen for the Wild.
So I do like this deal for both sides, even though I think Minnesota wins the deal given how well Klingberg could and the return they had to give up, but I think the Ducks did alright, adding to their draft capital with the 4th round pick, getting a decent stopgap defensemen in Sustr, and getting a okay prospect in Nesterenko, and I think this will wind up being a good deal for both sides.
Trade: the Ritchie brothers are traded for each other in a deal between the Flames and Yotes.
Calgary Arizona
Nick Ritchie Brett Ritchie
Troy Stecher Connor Mackey
Analysis: something we don’t see very often is brothers getting swapped for each other, and that is what we see here, as Nick Ritchie and Troy Stecher get dealt to Calgary, and in exchange the Coyotes get Nick’s brother Brett Ritchie as well as young defender Connor Mackey.
Now to start off with, the Flames get a couple of good upgrade that can help with their playoff push this year. Now with Ritchie, he has had a few up and down season over the past couple seasons, bouncing from Anaheim to Boston to Toronto and then to Arizona, but in his first full season with Arizona he has done well, as he did have a pretty good season last year, putting up 12 goals and 23 points with the Maple Leafs and Coyotes combined, but this year he had a hot start and showed just how well he can do on the power play, now he has since cooled off and only has 9 goals and 21 points in 58 games this year, and I do think he will be a upgrade in the Flames bottom six. , as I think Nick Ritchie can slot on their 3rd line and maybe their power play as well and be a really good depth scorer for the Flames, and I know that the Flames wanted a good top 9 upgrade, and while I don’t think Nick Ritchie is going to be a extreme upgrade, I do think he will help out the Flames bottom six for this run as he is a pending UFA and I would expect him to do well in Calgary, as for Stecher, he will be a really good upgrade to the Flames bottom pairing D, as Stecher is also in the final year of his deal after signing a one year deal with Arizona, and was coming off a injury riddled season, where he only had 1 goal and 3 points in 29 games with the Red Wings and Kings combined, but had a fantastic showing in the playoffs for LA, putting up 4 points in 4 games, and that was able to help him land a NHL contract, but with the Flames, I could see him be maybe on the third pair for the Flames with Zadorov, or maybe be the 7th defensemen with the Flames and come in if someone isn’t playing too well or their is a injury, but I think Stecher has more experience then Mackey does and he would be a good upgrade on the blueline, even if he doesn’t get into many games with Calgary.
As for Arizona they are able to offload two contracts that were in the final year of their deals and get a good young defender in return. Now first for Brett Ritchie, just like his brother Nick he is in the final year of his deal, and he will probably just finish out the season with Arizona before leaving via free agency. Now Ritchie had spent the past 3 seasons in Calgary as a bottom six forward and had done quite well with them, putting up 13 goals and 20 points in 106 games with the Flames over those three years, but he hasn’t hit the double digit point mark in a season since he had 14 points with Dallas in the 17-18 season, and I think with Ritchie being a good veteran player who the Coyotes will probably use on their 3rd line due to their depleted roster, I feel that Ritchie will be able to get 2 points and finally hit the double digit point mark, and while it is not overly ideal to go to a bottom dwelling team, he will at least get more of a opportunity in Arizona and should show how well he is with Ritchie needing a contract in the offseason, so it is a good addition there, and lastly with Mackey, he is a good young defensemen who Arizona could use for the next couple years. Now Mackey is also in the final year of his deal, but he is a RFA and could remain with the Coyotes past this season, and looks to be a good 3rd pair defensemen. Now he got into a bit of NHL action before this season, getting into 9 NHL games with Calgary in the 2 seasons before this year, and was able to put up a goal and 4 points in those years and made the roster this year for the Flames, but after a couple of games became the teams 7th defensemen and had only gotten into 10 games for the Flames this year before being dealt and had 2 goals and 3 points with the Flames. Now with the Coyotes he should have a better chance to get into game action, as Arizona is a young team and doesn’t have too many NHL level defenders so I would think that Mackey could slot right in on the left side on the 3rd pair and maybe get a bit more of a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL, but I think with his limited playing time in Calgary, the move to Arizona will be a welcome one.
So a pretty good deal for both sides as I believe Calgary does win this deal as they are able to get two more players too help with their playoff push in Nick Ritchie and Stecher and it doesn’t cost them picks or prospects, but I think a good bottom six forward in Brett Ritchie and a young defender in Mackey is a pretty decent return for the Coyotes, and I think both of these teams will wind up being happy with this deal.
Trade: Wild replace Greenway with the Sundqvist addition.
Minnesota Detroit
Oskar Sundqvist 2023 4RD (MIN)
Analysis: the Wild are going for it this season and they are able to get a couple of pending UFA’s before the deadline, and they are able to get a good middle six forward from Detroit in Sundqvist in exchange for a 4th round pick.
Now Minnesota gets Sundqvist, who played the past few seasons with St.Louis, helping them win a cup and having his career season in the 18-19 season putting up 31 points in 74 games, but he was a deadline move last year as well. As after having 15 points in 41 games with the Blues before last years deadline, he was moved and dealt to Detroit where he had a strong finish to the year, putting up 8 points in 18 games, and then has basically been a 3rd line forward for the Wings this year and put up 7 goals and 21 points in 58 games and might even challenge for a new career high this season, but definitely I think this is a good addition for Minnesota, as Sundqvist is a bigger body and would work extremely well on their 3rd line, especially with Greenway now not on the team, and he can also put up points, so with the Sundqvist and Johansson additions, I think the Wild’s top 9 is much better and I really do like the deal for Minnesota getting Sundqvist to replace Greenway on their 3rd line.
As for the Red Wings, they get a draft pick for a pending UFA which I think it good for them, now it isn’t a major selection for them, but they do improve their draft capital with the draft pick and it is a mid round draft selection in this years deep draft, so given the fact it was highly unlikely that Sundqvist was going to resign with Detroit, I think getting at least a draft selection is good and although they lose a good middle six forward, they at least get something instead of losing him for nothing.
So good move on both sides in my opinion as the Wild get a short term upgrade in their middle six and I like Sundqvist’s for in Minnesota, while the Wings get a 4th round pick for a player in the finally year of his contract and who could’ve walked as a free agent, so to get something back is good and I think that Minnesota did win the deal but I think this was a smart trade for both sides.
Trade: Sens get a bottom six forward in Brown.
Ottawa Philadelphia
Patrick Brown 2023 6RD (OTT)
Analysis: the Senators had been rumoured to be in the market for a Center before the deadline, and while it isn’t a major upgrade, they do get 4th line Center Patrick Brown from the Flyers for a 6th round draft pick.
Now for the Senators, I think the addition of Brown is actually a really good under the radar pickup, Brown has played the most games in a season over the past two seasons with Philly, as he has had 6 goals and 16 points in 87 games over the past two seasons with Philly, and he has really showed he can be a good bottom six forward in the NHL, now he is also a really good faceoff player and I could see him take Gambrell’s spot at 4th line Center, and he could also help on the penalty kill and I feel this is a low risk situation for Ottawa as he is a pending UFA and they only needed to give up a late round draft pick for him, so in my eyes, although he isn’t a major upgrade and by no means will be able to help replace the production lost by the Norris injury, I think he will be a really good bottom six add on for Ottawa.
As for the Flyers, with Brown being a pending UFA and pro bal not coming back to the team, they felt that if they could get something for him now it would be better then having him walk as a free agent in the offseason, so I think a 6th round pick is pretty good value for Brown, given he is a 4th line Center and the pick is in this years deep draft, so it is a even bigger win for them, and to just get some more draft capital should be good for the rebuilding Flyers even if the pick isn’t high.
So in my opinion, Ottawa would win this deal just given the fact that I think Brown can provide a good bottom six presence that the Sens need for a playoff push, and although, the Flyers do get a draft pick in return, I just feel Ottawa came out the better team, so a decent depth trade for both teams and I do like how both teams wound up making out.
Trade: Sabres move Asplund to Nashville.
Nashville Buffalo
Rasmus Asplund 2025 7RD (NAS)
Analysis: now after the acquisition earlier in the day of Jordan Greenway, the Sabres needed a roster spot for him, and they got it by moving 4th line forward Asplund to the Preds for a draft pick.
Now for the Predators, they moved a lot of players over the past few days, including forwards Jeannot, Niederriter and Granlund, and they wanted to get someone who could play with them for the rest of the season, and I think that Asplund should do well there. Now Asplund has turned into a really good bottom six, penalty killing forward for the Sabres over the past couple of seasons, as he has spent parts of the last three seasons and this year with the Sabres, and currently has 18 goals and 49 points in 164 career NHL games for Buffalo, including a career high 27 points in 80 games last year, and even though he hasn’t done as well this year, only putting up 2 goals and 8 points in 27 games, he still looks like a good bottom six forward, and with the now depleted forward group in Nashville, I think he could nab a 3rd line spot with the Preds and help on the PK as well, so a good addition in my opinion for the Predators to help that bottom six.
As for Buffalo, they acquired Greenway earlier in the day, and would’ve had to move someone down via waivers, so at least by doing this move they get something in return, and I know that a 7th round pick a few years from now isn’t a huge add, but they at least get a bit of draft capital for a player who wasn’t probably going to be on their roster much longer, so a good deal for Borge sides as the Sabres improve their draft capital, and the Preds get a bottom six forward who can help them right now and possibly in the future as he is a RFA and could remain with the team, so in my eyes the Preds won this deal, but definitely a good trade for both sides.
3 more small player trades that happened before the deadline.
New York R Colorado
Anton Blidh Gustav Rydahl
Analysis: the Rangers and the Avalanche swap depth forwards as the Rangers get Blidh in exchange for Gustav Rydahl.
Now for the Avalanche, I would expect Rydahl to remain in the minors for this season as he is currently in his first pro season, as the undrafted 28 year old Center came over on a one year deal from the SHL to play with the Rangers AHL affiliate and had done well with the Rangers in the AHL, putting up 15 points in 40 AHL games, and due to the fact that Rydahl is in his first pro season, doesn’t have any NHL experience and the Avalanche have a deep forward group ahead of him, I would expect him to remain in the minors this year and just be a depth forward for the Avalanche.
As for the Rangers they get the more experienced player in Blidh, as Blidh does have some NHL experience over the past few seasons as he has been a fringe NHL player, as he currently has 4 goals and 12 points in 84 career NHL games, but has played most of this year with the Avalanches AHL affiliate, as he had 6 goals and 12 points in 36 games with Colorado in the AHL. Now I think with the Rangers depth on the forward group he has almost no chance of making the Rangers roster, but if they were to run into injury trouble, then I could see him be a call up candidate with his NHL experience, so a good swap of forwards for both teams, but I do think that NYR won the deal given the got the player with more experience.
Chicago Los Angeles Austin Wagner Future Considerations Analysis: the Hawks traded a lot of their forwards off the roster and needed a stop gap player, and they get one here as they get Austin Wagner in exchange for future considerations. Now for Wagner he does have some NHL experience from a couple of years ago, as he played 3 seasons in the NHL with the Kings, and did very well in a bottom six role, putting up 22 goals and 40 points in 171 games, but last year and this year, with the Kings reworking their offense, he was demoted to the AHL, where he has 22 goals and 34 points in 79 AHL games over the past two seasons, but now with Chicago I could see him be called up as the Hawks lack very many forwards, and maybe he doesn’t, but with the lack of forwards on this team, I think Wagner would get called up, and if he plays well enough he is a pending RFA, so he could remain with the team beyond this season, and LA was okay to trade him as he didn’t have a future with LA, so a good trade here and hopefully Wagner gets a NHL shot with Chicago.
Vancouver New York RFuture Considerations Wyatt KalynukAnalysis: the New York Rangers get some more defensive depth before the trade deadline happened, as they get depth defender Wyatt Kalynuk from the Canucks in exchange for future considerations. Now for Kalynuk, he played his first two pro seasons with the Hawks prior to this season, and he did well, getting into 60 AHL games for the Hawks AHL Affiliates and putting up 37 points and over those two seasons, he even got into 26 NHL games, and was able to put up 4 goals and 9 points in those games, and looked like he had a future as a depth defensemen, but signed a 1 year deal with Vancouver and has played consistent AHL minutes, putting up 17 points in 46 games, and I expect him to continue to be in the AHL with NYR, but if they run into injury trouble, I could see them possibly call him up so that will be interesting, but a good depth add for NYR and for Vancouver they didn’t see a future with him so they were willing to move him for nothing, so good depth add by the Rangers.
3 small player for player deals
San Jose DallasJacob Peterson Scott Reedy Analysis; this is just a minor swap of forwards between the Sharks and the Stars as Dallas gets Reedy while the Sharks get Peterson.
Now for Dallas, Reedy was a 4th round pick in 2017 and has been playing in the minors for the past few seasons, had a really good year last season which was his first pro seasons as he had 27 points in 38 AHL games and got into his first NHL action of his career putting up 7 goals and 9 points in 35 games, but was a AHL player this year, having 13 points in 38 AHL games and while I dont see him playing at the NHL level this season, in a year or two I could see him play as a bottom six forward in the Stars organization, so a good pickup for Dallas there, as for San Jose it is the same sort of thing with Peterson, as he was a 5th round pick in 2017 draft and has played in the minors the past couple seasons, but had a lot of games last year in the NHL, putting up 17 points in 65 games, but has played in the AHL this season putting up 26 points in 44 games, and just like Reddy I think he could be a decent bottom six forward, so I really like this trade for both teams and hopefully both will get into NHL action.
Toronto Calgary Radim Zohorna Dryden HuntAnalysis: the Maple Leafs and Flames have swapped depth forwards, as the Maple Leafs get Zohorna from the Flames in exchange for Dryden Hunt. First with Toronto, they are able to get a good physical presence in the AHL in Zohorna, who does have 33 games of NHL expieence and 10 points in those games, but has played a majority of the season in the AHL this year, putting up 29 points in 44 AHL games this year and I think that Zohorna is a good 4th line forward at the NHL level, but with the depth on the Leafs I would expect him to continue to play in the AHL for Toronto, and as for Calgary they wind up with Hunt, who has been to a lot of teams this year, as after he had 17 points in 76 games last year with the Rangers, he has split time between NYR, Colorado and Toronto and had 3 goals in 37 games with the 3 teams, and even went to the AHL for Toronto, but in Calgary I can easily see him getting more of a NHL opportunity then he had with Toronto and while he any not get called up, I think it is much more likely with Toronto, so good move for both teams to get a depth forward.
Anaheim Buffalo Chase Priskie Austin Strand
Analysis: the Sabers and the Ducks wind up swapping players, as Priskie is off to Anaheim and the Sabers get Strand.
Now for Chase Priskie, the Ducks are getting a good AHL defender, as Priskie signed a one year deal with Buffalo this past offseason and is a pending UFA, but is a really good AHL player, as he has spent the past 4 seasons in the AHL, but had a breakout season last year, putting up 8 goals and 31 points in 54 AHL games for the Panthers and got his first taste of NHL action, getting into 4 NHL games but not producing a point, and this year he has since played in the AHL, putting up 9 points in 42 games, so I would expect Priskie to remain in the minors, but I could see him maybe get a call up opportunity at some point, as for Buffalo, they get another depth D-Man in return, but i think the better of the two in Strand, as Strand also signed a one year deal last year and but will be a RFA, and Strand has more NHL games then Priskie does, as he has gotten into 26 NHL games and has 3 assists, so I would also expect him to continue to play in the AHL, but if they run into injury trouble, then I think he could be a good 3rd pair option, so I like this deal for both sides although I do feel Buffalo wins this deal.
Trade: Pittsburgh gets Bonino in three team deal
Montreal Pittsburgh San Jose Tony Sund Nick Bonino Arvid Henrikson 2024 5RD (SJ) 2023 7RD (PIT) retain 50% on Bonino 2024 5RD (PIT) COND
Analysis: the Penguins get another good depth add to their team as they bring back a player who helped them win the Cup before, as they get Bonino from the Sharks in a 3 player deal.
Now to start with from the Penguins get some more bottom six help with the addition of Bonino, now Bonino played in Pittsburgh in the 15-16, 16-17 season and help them win a cup, and has really bounced around ever since then, but has definitely played over the past two seasons with San Jose, putting up 26 points in 80 games last year and 19 points in 56 games so far and I think after moving McGinn and Kapanen, Bonino should slot in as 3rd line Center for the Penguins and along with Granlund, should make their third line much tougher to play against so a very good addition in my opinion for the Penguins and they are the winners given they only gave up two depth selections for Bonino.
As for the Sharks, they get a few good pieces here, they get Henrikson from Montreal who was a 7th round pick in the 2016 draft and is still playing in college, so they get his signing rights although I dont think he will ever make the NHL, and then they get a 7th round pick in this year draft and a conditional 5th round pick in next years draft that would improve to a 4th if the Penguins wound up making the eastern conference finals, so a couple of low end draft pick and a low end prospect for a pending UFA in Bonino is a pretty good deal for San Jose.
And as for the Canadiens they get a undrafted prospect in Tony Sund who is playing overseas right now and I also dont think that Sund will make the NHL any time soon so I definitely think that is another prospect who wont make the NHL, and they get the Sharks 5th rounder in next years draft for retaining salary on Bonino, so a pretty good deal for Montreal to get a couple assets for retaining salary, but I do think Pittsburgh wins this deal.
Trade: Sharks deal Namestnikov to Winnipeg.
Winnipeg San Jose Vladislav Namestnikov 2025 4RD (WIN)
Analysis: the Jets improved their bottom six before the trade deadline even more by acquiring forward Vladislav Namestnikov from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2025.
Minnesota Anaheim
John Klingberg 50% Andrej Sustr
Nikita Nesterenko
2025 4RD (MIN)
Analysis: the Ducks waited until the very last second to do it, but they were finally able to trade defensemen Klingberg, as the Wild pay sort of a soft price to acquire him.
Now for the Ducks, they had signed Klingberg in the offseason to a 1 year deal with the expectation to get a good return for him before the deadline, but they weren’t able to, as they originally wanted a 1RD pick, and then closer to the deadline they wanted a 2nd, but they had to wind up settling for a 4th round pick and a decent prospect instead, as Klingberg hasn’t played to well this year. Now the Ducks get a 4th round pick in 2025 from the Wild, and while that isn’t a great pick and one they were hoping to get for Klingberg, I do think improving their draft capital at least a bit is a good win for them. Now they got Sustr from Minnesota who is a depth defensemen at this point in his career, as he does have 326 games worth of NHL experience and has even played in Anaheim before on two separate occasions, as he does have 5 assists in 28 games with Anaheim, but has been more of a AHL player over the past few seasons, and I do believe he will get a NHL shot with Anaheim, because guys like Drysdale and Vaakanainen are injured and Klingberg and Kulikov are now gone, so I think he will get a NHL opportunity, but I could also see him remain in the AHL, and the they also get Nesterenko. Now Nesterenko is a Center prospect who is signed, and was a 6th round draft pick back in the 2019 draft, and has been playing over in college for the past few seasons, and has done pretty well, as he had 24 points in 37 games last year, and has done even better this year, putting up 11 goals and 30 points in 33 games and looks to be a pretty decent prospect, and when he signs his ELC with Anaheim, I would expect him to probably play a year or two in the minors, but I could see him be a NHL forward in a year or two, so while he isn’t a top prospect, I do think he could be a bottom six forward down the road.
As for the Wild, they are able to bolster their defence with the addition of Klingberg. Now Klingberg is having a down season this year, and while some of that is injuries and going from playing on Dallas to playing on Anaheim, some of it is also him, as he had 6 goals and 47 points which was his best point total in 4 years last season with Dallas, but this year only has 8 goals and 24 points and doesn’t look the same as last year. Now on Minnesota, they already have Dumba and Spurgeon ahead of him on the depth charts, so he will most likely be the teams 3rd pair RD, and if he can get some power play minutes and do well on the third pair, I think he should be able to play a lot more like last season and Anaheim ate 50% of his salary so his cap hit for Minnesota is only $3.5 Million, so good for Minnesota and I really like the addition on the back end and I think Klingberg will be a really good offensive defensemen for the Wild.
So I do like this deal for both sides, even though I think Minnesota wins the deal given how well Klingberg could and the return they had to give up, but I think the Ducks did alright, adding to their draft capital with the 4th round pick, getting a decent stopgap defensemen in Sustr, and getting a okay prospect in Nesterenko, and I think this will wind up being a good deal for both sides.
Calgary Arizona
Nick Ritchie Brett Ritchie
Troy Stecher Connor Mackey
Analysis: something we don’t see very often is brothers getting swapped for each other, and that is what we see here, as Nick Ritchie and Troy Stecher get dealt to Calgary, and in exchange the Coyotes get Nick’s brother Brett Ritchie as well as young defender Connor Mackey.
Now to start off with, the Flames get a couple of good upgrade that can help with their playoff push this year. Now with Ritchie, he has had a few up and down season over the past couple seasons, bouncing from Anaheim to Boston to Toronto and then to Arizona, but in his first full season with Arizona he has done well, as he did have a pretty good season last year, putting up 12 goals and 23 points with the Maple Leafs and Coyotes combined, but this year he had a hot start and showed just how well he can do on the power play, now he has since cooled off and only has 9 goals and 21 points in 58 games this year, and I do think he will be a upgrade in the Flames bottom six. , as I think Nick Ritchie can slot on their 3rd line and maybe their power play as well and be a really good depth scorer for the Flames, and I know that the Flames wanted a good top 9 upgrade, and while I don’t think Nick Ritchie is going to be a extreme upgrade, I do think he will help out the Flames bottom six for this run as he is a pending UFA and I would expect him to do well in Calgary, as for Stecher, he will be a really good upgrade to the Flames bottom pairing D, as Stecher is also in the final year of his deal after signing a one year deal with Arizona, and was coming off a injury riddled season, where he only had 1 goal and 3 points in 29 games with the Red Wings and Kings combined, but had a fantastic showing in the playoffs for LA, putting up 4 points in 4 games, and that was able to help him land a NHL contract, but with the Flames, I could see him be maybe on the third pair for the Flames with Zadorov, or maybe be the 7th defensemen with the Flames and come in if someone isn’t playing too well or their is a injury, but I think Stecher has more experience then Mackey does and he would be a good upgrade on the blueline, even if he doesn’t get into many games with Calgary.
As for Arizona they are able to offload two contracts that were in the final year of their deals and get a good young defender in return. Now first for Brett Ritchie, just like his brother Nick he is in the final year of his deal, and he will probably just finish out the season with Arizona before leaving via free agency. Now Ritchie had spent the past 3 seasons in Calgary as a bottom six forward and had done quite well with them, putting up 13 goals and 20 points in 106 games with the Flames over those three years, but he hasn’t hit the double digit point mark in a season since he had 14 points with Dallas in the 17-18 season, and I think with Ritchie being a good veteran player who the Coyotes will probably use on their 3rd line due to their depleted roster, I feel that Ritchie will be able to get 2 points and finally hit the double digit point mark, and while it is not overly ideal to go to a bottom dwelling team, he will at least get more of a opportunity in Arizona and should show how well he is with Ritchie needing a contract in the offseason, so it is a good addition there, and lastly with Mackey, he is a good young defensemen who Arizona could use for the next couple years. Now Mackey is also in the final year of his deal, but he is a RFA and could remain with the Coyotes past this season, and looks to be a good 3rd pair defensemen. Now he got into a bit of NHL action before this season, getting into 9 NHL games with Calgary in the 2 seasons before this year, and was able to put up a goal and 4 points in those years and made the roster this year for the Flames, but after a couple of games became the teams 7th defensemen and had only gotten into 10 games for the Flames this year before being dealt and had 2 goals and 3 points with the Flames. Now with the Coyotes he should have a better chance to get into game action, as Arizona is a young team and doesn’t have too many NHL level defenders so I would think that Mackey could slot right in on the left side on the 3rd pair and maybe get a bit more of a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL, but I think with his limited playing time in Calgary, the move to Arizona will be a welcome one.
So a pretty good deal for both sides as I believe Calgary does win this deal as they are able to get two more players too help with their playoff push in Nick Ritchie and Stecher and it doesn’t cost them picks or prospects, but I think a good bottom six forward in Brett Ritchie and a young defender in Mackey is a pretty decent return for the Coyotes, and I think both of these teams will wind up being happy with this deal.
Minnesota Detroit
Oskar Sundqvist 2023 4RD (MIN)
Analysis: the Wild are going for it this season and they are able to get a couple of pending UFA’s before the deadline, and they are able to get a good middle six forward from Detroit in Sundqvist in exchange for a 4th round pick.
Now Minnesota gets Sundqvist, who played the past few seasons with St.Louis, helping them win a cup and having his career season in the 18-19 season putting up 31 points in 74 games, but he was a deadline move last year as well. As after having 15 points in 41 games with the Blues before last years deadline, he was moved and dealt to Detroit where he had a strong finish to the year, putting up 8 points in 18 games, and then has basically been a 3rd line forward for the Wings this year and put up 7 goals and 21 points in 58 games and might even challenge for a new career high this season, but definitely I think this is a good addition for Minnesota, as Sundqvist is a bigger body and would work extremely well on their 3rd line, especially with Greenway now not on the team, and he can also put up points, so with the Sundqvist and Johansson additions, I think the Wild’s top 9 is much better and I really do like the deal for Minnesota getting Sundqvist to replace Greenway on their 3rd line.
As for the Red Wings, they get a draft pick for a pending UFA which I think it good for them, now it isn’t a major selection for them, but they do improve their draft capital with the draft pick and it is a mid round draft selection in this years deep draft, so given the fact it was highly unlikely that Sundqvist was going to resign with Detroit, I think getting at least a draft selection is good and although they lose a good middle six forward, they at least get something instead of losing him for nothing.
So good move on both sides in my opinion as the Wild get a short term upgrade in their middle six and I like Sundqvist’s for in Minnesota, while the Wings get a 4th round pick for a player in the finally year of his contract and who could’ve walked as a free agent, so to get something back is good and I think that Minnesota did win the deal but I think this was a smart trade for both sides.
Ottawa Philadelphia
Patrick Brown 2023 6RD (OTT)
Analysis: the Senators had been rumoured to be in the market for a Center before the deadline, and while it isn’t a major upgrade, they do get 4th line Center Patrick Brown from the Flyers for a 6th round draft pick.
Now for the Senators, I think the addition of Brown is actually a really good under the radar pickup, Brown has played the most games in a season over the past two seasons with Philly, as he has had 6 goals and 16 points in 87 games over the past two seasons with Philly, and he has really showed he can be a good bottom six forward in the NHL, now he is also a really good faceoff player and I could see him take Gambrell’s spot at 4th line Center, and he could also help on the penalty kill and I feel this is a low risk situation for Ottawa as he is a pending UFA and they only needed to give up a late round draft pick for him, so in my eyes, although he isn’t a major upgrade and by no means will be able to help replace the production lost by the Norris injury, I think he will be a really good bottom six add on for Ottawa.
As for the Flyers, with Brown being a pending UFA and pro bal not coming back to the team, they felt that if they could get something for him now it would be better then having him walk as a free agent in the offseason, so I think a 6th round pick is pretty good value for Brown, given he is a 4th line Center and the pick is in this years deep draft, so it is a even bigger win for them, and to just get some more draft capital should be good for the rebuilding Flyers even if the pick isn’t high.
So in my opinion, Ottawa would win this deal just given the fact that I think Brown can provide a good bottom six presence that the Sens need for a playoff push, and although, the Flyers do get a draft pick in return, I just feel Ottawa came out the better team, so a decent depth trade for both teams and I do like how both teams wound up making out.
Nashville Buffalo
Rasmus Asplund 2025 7RD (NAS)
Analysis: now after the acquisition earlier in the day of Jordan Greenway, the Sabres needed a roster spot for him, and they got it by moving 4th line forward Asplund to the Preds for a draft pick.
Now for the Predators, they moved a lot of players over the past few days, including forwards Jeannot, Niederriter and Granlund, and they wanted to get someone who could play with them for the rest of the season, and I think that Asplund should do well there. Now Asplund has turned into a really good bottom six, penalty killing forward for the Sabres over the past couple of seasons, as he has spent parts of the last three seasons and this year with the Sabres, and currently has 18 goals and 49 points in 164 career NHL games for Buffalo, including a career high 27 points in 80 games last year, and even though he hasn’t done as well this year, only putting up 2 goals and 8 points in 27 games, he still looks like a good bottom six forward, and with the now depleted forward group in Nashville, I think he could nab a 3rd line spot with the Preds and help on the PK as well, so a good addition in my opinion for the Predators to help that bottom six.
As for Buffalo, they acquired Greenway earlier in the day, and would’ve had to move someone down via waivers, so at least by doing this move they get something in return, and I know that a 7th round pick a few years from now isn’t a huge add, but they at least get a bit of draft capital for a player who wasn’t probably going to be on their roster much longer, so a good deal for Borge sides as the Sabres improve their draft capital, and the Preds get a bottom six forward who can help them right now and possibly in the future as he is a RFA and could remain with the team, so in my eyes the Preds won this deal, but definitely a good trade for both sides.
New York R Colorado
Anton Blidh Gustav Rydahl
Analysis: the Rangers and the Avalanche swap depth forwards as the Rangers get Blidh in exchange for Gustav Rydahl.
Now for the Avalanche, I would expect Rydahl to remain in the minors for this season as he is currently in his first pro season, as the undrafted 28 year old Center came over on a one year deal from the SHL to play with the Rangers AHL affiliate and had done well with the Rangers in the AHL, putting up 15 points in 40 AHL games, and due to the fact that Rydahl is in his first pro season, doesn’t have any NHL experience and the Avalanche have a deep forward group ahead of him, I would expect him to remain in the minors this year and just be a depth forward for the Avalanche.
As for the Rangers they get the more experienced player in Blidh, as Blidh does have some NHL experience over the past few seasons as he has been a fringe NHL player, as he currently has 4 goals and 12 points in 84 career NHL games, but has played most of this year with the Avalanches AHL affiliate, as he had 6 goals and 12 points in 36 games with Colorado in the AHL. Now I think with the Rangers depth on the forward group he has almost no chance of making the Rangers roster, but if they were to run into injury trouble, then I could see him be a call up candidate with his NHL experience, so a good swap of forwards for both teams, but I do think that NYR won the deal given the got the player with more experience.
Now for the Jets this is a really good add for them, Namestnikov is a really good 3rd line forward, had 30 points in 75 games last season with the Wings and Stars, then signed a one year deal in Tampa and had a decent 6 goals and 15 points in 57 games with Tampa before being dealt to the Sharks as part of the Eyssimont deal, and has now been flipped by San Jose to Winnipeg. So Namestnikov will fit in well in the short term for the Jets, he should be able to play consistently on the 3rd line for the Jets, and I think especially with the Perfetti injury, the Jets can have Namestnikov be a good depth scorer and I think he should be a great bottom six addition for the Jets.
As for the Sharks they acquired Namestnikov from the Lightning to give them a little bit more cap flexibility, but there was some rumblings right after the deal that the Sharks may wind up flipping him for something and they do it here, they were never going to keep Namestnikov on the team long term, although I did think they could retain him for the rest of this year to keep as a good bottom six forward for them, but being sellers, getting a 4th round pick for Namestnikov I think is a good piece of work and I would expect San Jose to keep busy, but a good deal for both sides as the Sharks get a draft pick for a depth player, and the Jets get a depth scorer who should help them on the third line.
Jayne Kamin Oncea USA Today Sports
Los Angeles Philadelphia Zack MacEwen Brendan Lemieux 2024 5RD (LA)
Analysis: A pretty good deal for both sides as the two teams swap bottom six forwards and the Flyers also get a draft pick in return.
Now for LA, they are getting MacEwen who is a really good physical 4th line forward who should be a nice addition to the Kings 4th line. Now he had a nice season last year which was his first as a Flyer as he had a career high 9 points and had 3 goals in 75 games last year and has put up the same amount of points this year for the Flyers getting 4 goals and 9 points but in only 46 games and has missed some time due to injuries this season but he seems to be healthy now and I think this will be a great addition for the Kings, as they have a lot of good young players, but not a lot of good physical forwards that a lot of playoff teams have, so with MacEwen, who can play either on the right wing or Center, I think he will for sure slot on the Kings fourth line and be that good physical presence they need on the fourth line, and MacEwen is in the final year of his deal but is a RFA so if he can fit well with the Kings I think there is a good chance the Kings wind up extending him, but a good addition for LA.
As for the Flyers they get a good physical player themselves as Lemieux should be a good addition to the Flyers as he is signed for the rest of the year at a $1.35 Million dollar cap hit, so the Kings also get some space with this move, but this is good for Philadelphia as they are able to get Lemieux who should be able to get a more consistent role in Philly then he has on LA as he hasn’t gotten into much game action this year for the Kings, only getting into 27 games and having 3 assists, but he should be able to be a consistent 4th line forward for the Flyers, especially if the Flyers move JVR, and the Flyers also get a draft pick as they get the older and more expensive player, so the Kings give them a 5th round pick in the 2024 draft to make the trade work as it give Philly a bit more draft capital, so decent trade for both sides as the Kings get a good physical 4th line forward who is going to be a RFA at the end of the season, and Philly gets a replacement bottom six forward who is in the final year of his deal, but also get a mid round draft selection in next years draft, so pretty good move for each sides but given LA got the pinger player, I am going to say they wind this trade in my opinion.
Bob Frid USA Today Sports
Panthers to move a forward before the deadline.
Canucks to move forward with term.
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