Here is a recap of each trade and a bit on who I think walked out a winner, and who walked out a loser.
Nashville had one Kostitsyn brother, and got the other to get some chemistry between the two for their playoff run this season, but they may have given up too much for a pending UFA. Kostitsyn was drafted 10th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. The 27-year old had 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games last season and is at a similar pace this season. Those aren't astonishing numbers, but he may prove to be a good secondary scorer. Andrei's brother Sergei will be an RFA this summer. If he decides to stay in Nashville, maybe he can convince his brother to stay as well, and Nashville might walk out winning this trade after all.
The Lightning acquire a veteran defenseman from the Red Wings for a conditional seventh round pick. Commodore has an annual cap hit of $1 million and his contract expires this summer. The cost was low, his salary is low, and it expires after the season, why not take a chance at a player when it costs you so little.
The Oilers wanted a more defensive defenseman, whereas the Wild wanted a more offensive defenseman. The two have almost identical contracts, except Gilbert has a $500,000 higher cap hit. If I were to pick which player I would rather have on my team I would choose Gilbert, but Edmonton already has several puck moving defenseman, so I don't see anything wrong in moving one of them.
Given the depth the Maple Leafs have at defense, Keith Aulie was expendable. Aulie has really struggled to find his game this season after a promising end to last season. In return the Leafs get former first round draft pick Carter Ashton. The 20-year old stands at 6'3" and 200lbs. He is the prototypical player that Brian Burke likes, he is big but can still skate and move the puck well.
The Sharks acquire Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi, but gave up two good prospects and a roster player similar to the two they received in return. San Jose did not get an impact player in this trade. They are trying to bolster their team for a playoff run, but acquired a decent player in Winnik, and one that has really been struggling in Galiardi. The Sharks gave up Michael Sgarbossa, who is just 19-years old and has played very well in his last couple of seasons in the OHL. He has 146 points in 96 games for the Sudbury Wolves. They also gave up Mike Connolly who amassed 30 points in 40 games for the Worchester Sharks before being traded.
The Lightning trade Matt Gilroy for a younger Brian Lee. Neither of these two are guys that will make of break your team, but I think the Senators gave up on Brian Lee a little too early in this deal. Gilroy is a UFA after this season.
The Canucks pick up a very good defensive forward in Sami Pahlsson. The price was moderate considering Ellington, a former second round draft pick, hasn't really shown much promise towards becoming a player in the NHL. Pahlsson will prove valuable to the Canucks in their playoff run in the spring.
The Blackhawks definitely overpaid for Johnny Oduya. The Jets had to part with a good defender during their push for the playoffs, but were rewarded generously for Oduya, who is a UFA in the summer.
WINNER: BOSTON
The Bruins gave up two struggling prospects in hopes that the 39-year old, Brian Rolston, can pull together a good run in the playoffs. Rolston has proven that he can be a quality goal scorer in the past, but his stats have fallen considerably this season. He is a UFA this summer. The Bruins also pick up Mike Mottau. He is also in the last year of his contact and will provide some depth for Boston's defense.
I find it hard to believe the Predators traded their first round pick for a 30-year old rental player whose highest scoring season is 36 points, despite seven years in the NHL. Gaustad does bring some intangibles to the table, but Nashville overpaid.
WINNER: MINNESOTA
The Bruins make the swap for an older, more experienced Greg Zanon, but Kampfer is only 23 years old and has plenty of hockey ahead of him. Zanon's contract ends after this season whereas Kampfer's has another year. The only reason this trade makes any sense is if the Bruins are intentionally dumping a roster spot for next season.
I don't know much about John Scott, but he is a 29-year old who just broke into the NHL a few years ago and has only mustered five points in 140 NHL games. I don't know know what the Rangers see in him, maybe they were trying to get TSN's James Duthie to stop making jokes and pushing buttons that make annoying sounds you would only hear in a mid-90's radio show.
Anaheim wins simply because they put Fraser on waivers last month and the Leafs could have claimed him for free. This trade seems more of a good gesture from the Leafs to give Dale Mitchell a chance in another organization. He has struggled in his limited time with the Marlies over the past couple of seasons.
The Sabres walk away laughing with this deal. They didn't give up much and managed to pry Cody Hodgson out of Vancouver. I do like Gragnani for the Canucks, but it wouldn't have taken much to get him out of Buffalo. The deal hangs mostly on Zack Kassian, and I think the Canucks over-valued him significantly. He is just 21-years old though, so he has plenty of time to prove me wrong. How everyone on Buffalo's end managed to keep a straight face until the deal was signed is beyond me.
And finally...
The Canucks pick up Andrew Gordon in this deal, and although his AHL stats are great and would lead one to believe he is a very good pick up, the 26-year old hasn't been able to do much in the NHL. The Ducks pick up 22-year old Sebastian Erixon from the Canucks.
The best show came from the Nashville Predators who continued to buy yesterday in hopes of a long and prosperous playoff run. Nashville has given up quite a few draft picks over the last week or so, I hope for their sake things work out.
Overall, it was a boring day in the hockey world compared to trade deadlines in the past. Maybe next season TSN's trade deadline special wont be ten hours long. You know things are slow when you're looking at a possible roster selection for the 2014 Olympic games...
