Last Word On Hockey will do an examination on every division at the trade deadline. Whether the teams were buyers, sellers, or stood pat we examine how each team did. No matter how big or small, we take a look at how these moves impact the clubs going forward. Today, we examine the Atlantic Division Trade Deadline Moves.
Examining The Atlantic Division Trade Deadline Moves
Boston Bruins
Our first team on our Atlantic Division Trade Deadline moves is the best team in the league. The Big Bad Bruins did not stay quiet this deadline. While already being the best team in the eastern conference, they went on to load up. With the team having high cup aspirations and the futures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci it made perfect sense to go all in. The Boston Bruins acquired defensemen Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals. You can never have too many defensemen come playoff time and Orlov is a solid two-way defender. His impact has been immediately felt with five points in three games. Hathaway brings back the big bad brains attitude and brings a physical element lacking. With the injuries to Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, a big move arrived. Tyler Bertuzzi was acquired to shore up the depth. Depth is important and that’s what the Bruins have as they embark on a deep playoff run.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres did not do much at the trade deadline. In hindsight, that is okay for this season. However, what they did do is lock up their young core. With Tage Thompson locked up a summer ago, Dylan Cozens got his payday. The club has needs on their roster, but overall this is a Sabres team that will be a problem in the coming seasons.
Detroit Red Wings
With all the buzz surrounding star players in Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, only one was shipped out. In fact, Larkin signed an eight year extension to remain with the club. As mentioned above, Bertuzzi was shipped up to Boston as contract talks did not go well. The team has their franchise centre for the long haul. Steve Yzerman did net a super nice return for defensemen Filip Hronek. One thing he did do was extended defensemen Jake Walman. With playoff hopes in limbo, he opted to stand pat and let the season play out. Still, work to be done in Detroit and a long off season of contract negotiating.
Florida Panthers
There is nothing this team could do entirely. After all the moves they made last off-season, the team lacks draft capital. In addition, the hefty contracts on the books make jumping through hoops that much more challenging. Florida is playing better hockey as of late and the addition of Anthony Duclair will be like a trade deadline acquisition. If they maintain their level of play, they could sneak into the playoffs as is.
Montreal Canadiens
It is a lost season in Montreal and the real prize is the hopes of landing Connor Bedard. The first player removed was Evgeni Dadonov in exchange for Denis Guriaanov. Montreal retains 50% of Dadonov salary, but looking at the big picture it is about the player. Gurianov was struggling in Dallas and given the way Martin St. Louis has developed younger talent this is huge for Montreal. He joins a young core and becomes a piece to the youthful puzzle.
Ottawa Senators
After a disappointing season, the Ottawa Senators became sellers. The party got started by trading Tyler Motte to the New York Rangers for draft picks and forward Julien Gauthier. Overall the need works as Gauthier is younger and has upside. In addition, Ottawa shipped out Nikita Zaitsev’s contract for future considerations. However, Ottawa did make a big splash trade by acquiring Jakob Chychrun. It gives the franchise a reliable defensemen to pair with Thomas Chabot. The core of this team is shaping out nicely. In addition, the back end is beginning to take shape. With the added cap the focus shifts to an Alex DeBrincat contract extension.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The King of the east did not do a lot, but the one move they did make shocked the hockey world. Tampa Bay paid a kings ransom to land Tanner Jeannot. He has had a brutal year this season, but has an upside. Jeannot is the type of player the Lightning need and the goal is to replicate the former third line that helped capture the championships. His ability to forecheck and finish his checks is his bread and butter. His production should rise in Tampa as they guy is one year removed from a career-high in goals (24) and points (41). Tampa is all in on winning now while the Hall Of Fame core is still playing at a high level. His upside is his age and after seeing the potential last year, it makes sense why they got him.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Here is our last examination of the Atlantic Division trade deadline moves. The biggest headlines came from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kyle Dubas has done everything in his power to go all in on this club. You can make the case it isn’t just first round or bust, but cup or bust. The biggest move of all was the move for Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari. O’Reilly is perfect for this club. Despite a down season, he had turned it on for the Leafs. As it stands, he is centring John Tavares and William Nylander. However, to make the lineup deeper, they could always shift to the third line making it a nightmare matchup wise. Acciari is the perfect bottom six player with the ability to score while also bringing physicality. The team also made a big splash and acquired Sam Lafferty who had been a bright spot in Chicago. Like Acciari, he adds snarl to the lineup while also being able to produce. Toronto beefed up the bottom six to go along with their dynamite top six. Out the door up front is Pierre Engvall who is now a New York Islanders.
The Blue Line
That was not all. The Toronto blue line is revamped. In addition to Lafferty, Jake McCabe joins the club. The bonus is Lafferty and McCabe have term left on their current deals and are not rentals. Adding more physicality to the back end is Luke Schenn. However, Dubas did part ways with Rasmus Sandin and brought in Erik Gustafsson. Gustafsson is seen as a good power-play specialist which should bode well for the skill up front. The big kicker is going to be activating Matt Murray to the roster when the time comes and being cap compliant. Dubas went all in on the team and now it’s up to the players to get the job done when round one begins.
Main Photo: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
