Winners and losers of the 2015 NHL trade deadline

Every year the trade deadline brings a bit of everything; intrigue and speculation are always surrounding each team regardless of their disposition in the days prior to the deadline. It can be beautiful for writers like myself and it can be torturous for players (sorry Patrick Sharp) but nonetheless it becomes a pseudo holiday for all involved. While these trades won’t be evaluated properly until years down the line, I still want to give my knee jerk reaction on yesterday’s winners and losers.

Winners

Toronto Maple Leafs

They went out and did what they said they were going to do. Sell off assets prudently and prepare for the future. Moving Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli early proved to be intelligent and set the price high for multiple teams later on looking for depth on their blue line and on the wing. David Clarkson’s trade to Columbus was a stroke of genius and allowed them to get away from the albatross of a contract they signed only a couple of seasons ago. The team is completely out of the playoff race this year and bound for the lottery but with shrewd moves made this year, they could find themselves back in the hunt, sooner rather than later.

Arizona Coyotes

Much like the Leafs before them they are setting themselves up for the future and ensuring that in the years ahead that they will have visions of the Stanley Cup playoffs dancing in their heads. They were able to trade Antoine Vermette for a first round pick and (Santa) Klas Dahlbeck, a move many panned for the Blackhawks as many saw this as a steep overpayment for Vermette. They were then able to move Keith Yandle to the New York Rangers for Anthony Duclair, John Moore and a 2016 first round pick, one of the biggest moves of the entire deadline, the Coyotes are going to find themselves in a good position come draft day and have bolstered their prospect depth a significant amount.

Losers

Columbus Blue Jackets

In a series of head scratching moves the Columbus Blue Jackets had one of the most perplexing deadlines in recent memory. Bringing in David Clarkson was universally panned by writers and bloggers alike, hurting General Manger Jarmo Kekalainen credibility for many around the league. Revealing that they have been dealing with an internal cap, the Blue Jackets sent James Wisniewski to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a second round pick, William Karlsson and Rene Bourque. Wisniewski is regarded by many as one of the best defensemen on the Jackets and was believed to be highly coveted on the market. The return they received seemed to show that this was anything but the case and only disappointed people in central Ohio further. Moving forward this brings up a couple of valid questions. Is Kekalainen and company in over their heads in Columbus? And how exactly do the Blue Jackets view themselves as a team? Contenders? Pretenders?

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers only made one trade on deadline day and that was Jeff Petry to the Montreal Canadiens for a couple of draft picks. The problem that seems to be facing this team, year in and year out is the idea of asset management. Time and time again, they will come in possession of a skill forward or defensemen and are unsure how to utilize that player properly. So when the time comes, other teams have their knives and forks ready to feast on the Oilers and their pipeline of players. Continually selling low on players like Petry and Perron will do nothing to change the minds of many outside of Alberta that this team will be basement dwellers on into the distant future. God speed Oilers fans.

About Sam Blazer

Sam is a self proclaimed chess prodigy. He once placed seventh in the state of Ohio in Chess when he was in kindergarten. He will rarely if ever mention though that only eight people were entered in this tournament. Contact him at sblaze17@gmail.com

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