The NBA trade deadline was pretty much a thick pack of meh. You can’t say the same with how things have gone in the NHL, as the league approaches the cutoff date for teams to wheel and deal players. At least a couple of trades over the past few days have sent shockwaves across the league and there’s a feeling that we may see some more as the deadline nears. Let’s revisit a few trades that have contributed drama to the trade deadline.
Notable Trade Moves
Kings shore up goalie depth
Jonathan Quick returned from a very long absence due to a groin injury but that didn’t stop the Kings from looking for help between the pipes. To that end, the Kings traded for Ben Bishop from the Lightning, who got Petr Budaj, defenseman Erik Cenrak, and a 2017 seventh-round pick in return.
Wild acquire Martin Hanzal
Arizona must be sharing the same maxim the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA are known for lately: Trust the process. The Coyotes traded once again just before the deadline a key player (Martin Hanzal) in exchange of draft picks and forward Grayson Downing. Along with Hanzal are forward Ryan White and a 2017 fourth-round pick. Hanzal’s arrival in Minnesota gives the Wild the strongest, if not one of the most impressive, group of centers as Hanzal joins a Wild team that already has Mikko Koivu and Eric Staal. Minnesota is +500 to win the Cup this year.
Caps go all-in with acquisition of Kevin Shattenkirk
Washington is hell-bent on winning the Stanley Cup this year and this deal with the Blues to acquire topnotch defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk definitely shatters doubts about that. Shattenkirk’s current contract runs just until July with the Blues shouldering 39% of his salary. St. Louis, in return, gets a 2017 first-round pick a conditional pick, Zach Sanford, and Brad Malone. The acquisition of Shattenkirk boosts the Capitals’ chances of finally copping that elusive Stanley Cup during the Alexander Ovechkin era. The Caps are +450 to win it all this year.
Click here for a complete rundown of all the trades that have transpired.
Rumors and Predictions
Matt Duchene
Duchene is regarded as the biggest fish in the trade deadline pond right now with Shattenkirk off to Washington. Duchene is a tasty would-be addition for any contender, but he’s carrying a $6 million cap hit until 2018-2019, making this trade a bit difficult to pull off, especially for teams that have a tight room in their payrolls.
Prediction: Duchene stays in Colorado.
Thomas Vanek
The Red Wings are going to miss the playoffs—most likely—making the legendary franchise fit to be a seller at the trade deadline. Vanek is having a strong season for Detroit, netting 15 goals and making 23 assists thus far this season, and could help any team that needs extra punch on offense. His salary counts just $2.6 million against the cap so interest is definitely there for the winger. Well, Vanek played
Prediction: Vanek goes to LA LA land and gives the Kings that much-needed scoring from the left wing.
