It’s been three days since the frenzy of the Deadline and today we’ll take a closer look at the debuts of many big names after they were traded. You’ll find details on how they performed in their first game and how they’ll impact their new teams. Let’s go!
Marian Gaborik, Kings
Just fresh off his return from injury, Gaborik found out that he was traded again, this time to the Kings. In the trade that saw the Jackets receive Matt Frattin and two draft picks, this is the second time in as many years Gaborik has been traded.
Even though Gaborik has had a long history of injury troubles, his arrival will greatly help the Kings’ goals per game, a stat that has tumbled into 27th place in the league after they finished last year in seventh. Gaborik scores when he plays, and is a three-time 40-goal scorer. The Kings have won six games in a row, and can only become more devastating as their offence picks up the pace.
Gaborik’s first game with LA saw the Kings win 3-1 in Winnipeg, but he was put off the scoresheet with a minus-1 rating.
Jaroslav Halak, Capitals
Just five days after his trade to the Sabres for Ryan Miller, Halak was dealt to the Capitals without even appearing in a Buffalo game. In a deal that involved the departure of goalie Michal Neuvirth and newly-acquired Rusty Klesla, Halak will back up Braden Holtby.
Halak is expected to make his first start for the Capitals tonight against Phoenix.
Considering that Holtby has been maintaining a subpar 2.98 GAA and .911 SP, there is no doubt Halak will challenge Holtby for the No 1 spot. But whatever happens, Washington has ensured that they will have two playoff-calibre goalies on their roster.
Ales Hemsky, Senators
With so many young talents joining Edmonton year after year, Hemsky was pushed down the depth chart, both to make room and because of his injury troubles. It was evident he wanted to leave Edmonton, and GM MacTavish did just that, sending him to Ottawa in exchange for picks.
Hemsky’s clearly enjoying himself now with the Senators, after a quiet debut in Calgary, he exploded for three assists in a win against the Jets. He now has 5 points in his last three games.
For a team that’s still finding inconsistencies here and there, Ales Hemsky will fit in nicely as a top-6 winger. He remains one of the most creative forwards in the league will be a great leader in the long run.
Roberto Luongo, Panthers
Although a trade to send Luongo out of town was already in the workings on Monday, nobody knew about it until the trade was announced on Tuesday and it sent shockwaves through Twitter. After two years of being mired in goaltending controversies, Luongo was finally let go. With prospect Steven Anthony involved with the deal as well, the Canucks received Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias in return.
Luongo made his second debut for the Panthers last night, blanking the Sabres 2-0 with 25 saves for his fourth shutout of the year. With chants of LUUUUU resounding across BB&T Center, Luongo’s feeling right at home.
Playing in the town where his family lives plus reduced pressure will be two main factors why Luongo’s numbers are bound to go up. He has always been comfortable playing in Sunrise and if the Panthers manage to build a better team in the next few seasons, they’re locked in for a playoff position.
In Vancouver, Jacob Markstrom, who now backs up Eddie Lack, didn’t have the outing he was looking for when he also made his debut two days before. Replacing Lack after he coughed up 5 goals, Markstrom only made 4 saves as the Canucks dropped a 6-1 decision in Dallas.
Prospected to be a top-flight goalie, Markstrom still needs more seasoning in pro hockey, his GAA has been well over 3.00 over the past two seasons. However, it remains likely that he will challenge Lack for the starting position.
Ryan Miller, Blues
In a blockbuster trade that happened five years prior to the Deadline, Ryan Miller and Steve Ott were sent out of Buffalo in exchange for Chris Stewart, Jaro Halak, William Carrier, and two draft picks.
St Louis solidified their status as a top-tier Cup contender by adding a franchise goalie, and Miller quickly answered the Blues’s expectations. The 33-year old has not lost since joining St Louis, going 4-0-0 with a .933 SP. As of now, St Louis is only 1 point behind for the President’s Trophy and are locked and loaded for a deep playoff run.
Matt Moulson, Wild
Two years after signing homecoming players Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to lengthy contracts, the Wild have developed into playoff-ready team. Minnesota is currently riding on a 5-game win streak and are pushing to fight for playoff home ice.
GM Chuck Fletcher helped the team by bringing in Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick in return for Torrey Mitchell and picks. Moulson, a three-time 30-goal man, will be a regular on the Wild power play and a great linemate to both Parise and Mikko Koivu.
Both McCormick and Koivu will make their debut with the Wild in Dallas tonight.
Martin St-Louis, Rangers
As the relationship between Martin St-Louis and Steve Yzerman continued to crumble, St-Louis was dealt to New York on Wednesday in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a first-rounder in 2015, and a second rounder and 2014.
In his first game with the Rangers, St-Louis spent an uneventful 20 minutes on ice with a minus-1 rating. Despite New York scoring two shorthanded goals on one single Leafs power play, they couldn’t come with a win, losing in overtime.
The Rangers have missed an elite right winger ever since trading away Gaborik, and St Louis will be a significant upgrade over the Slovak sniper. He’s never had consistency issues, and he’s been one of the healthiest players in the NHL, even at age 38.
As for Callahan, he made his Lightning debut on Thursday, had four shots, and played well on the penalty kill. He’s exactly the emotional leader Tampa Bay needs if they plan to go on deep playoff runs in the future.
Thomas Vanek, Canadiens
One of the most surprising trades in this year’s Deadline saw the departure of Thomas Vanek to Montreal, in return for Sebastian Collberg and a 2nd round pick.
The arrival of Vanek could boost the Habs from their status as a playoff team to contender. He’s a given point-per-game player and is well capable of making his teammates better. With forwards like Briere, Gallagher, and Plekanec all fighting scoring slumps, Vanek is the perfect player to kick their production back into place.
The Coyotes were too much for the Habs however, in the first game Vanek played with Montreal as the Yotes won 5-2, beating Montreal for the first time since 1998. Vanek saw first-line minutes and was held off the scoresheet with a minus-1 rating.
ABOVE FEATURED IMAGE: Luongo makes a stop in his return to Florida after being traded from Vancouver. (NHL.com/Getty Images)
