The Trade DEADline
Perhaps the most dreaded day in the NHL for a player is the trade deadline. The day that comes once a season where you could wake up in Vancouver and go to sleep in Buffalo. In years past their has been a lot of movement on the trade front. To the relief of fans and players alike, this season seemed little lighter on the trading front. Despite falling only 1 short of the 51 trades made last season. The fact that trades didn’t really start rolling in until well past 12pm est; obviously led to an initial slow start to the trade deadline. With a slow start came an influx of speculation across the social media sites.
Perhaps the biggest name in the trade market that didn’t simply didn’t get picked up: Rick Nash (CBJ). It seemed over the past few weeks every team was in the running to pick up the Columbus Blue Jackets captain; but when it came down to the end, no deal seemed to make the cut.
A few teams that you might have expected to make a trade, but ended up settling on the current rosters; the struggling Washington Capitals and the Dallas Stars. The two teams that had the most action before the deadline were Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Boston Bruins were anticipated to make a few big trades but fell short before the deadline and acquired veteran players for AHL players. They didn’t give up a lot to recieve a potential Mark Recchi kind of locker room presence; something that the currently team of young guns is clearly lacking.
The deadline rundown:
Nashville Predators acquire forward Andrei Kostitsyn from Montreal for a second-round draft pick in 2013 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2013.
Tampa Bay Lightning acquire defenceman Mike Commodore from the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2013.
Edmonton Oilers acquire defenceman Nick Schultz from the Minnesota Wild for defenceman Tom Gilbert.
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire forward Carter Ashton from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenceman Keith Aulie.
San Jose Sharks acquire forwards Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi as well as a seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft from the Colorado Avalanche for forwards Jamie McGinn, Mike Connolly and Michael Sgarbossa.
Ottawa Senators acquire defenceman Matt Gilroy from Tampa Bay for defenceman Brian Lee.
Vancouver Canucks acquire centre Sami Pahlsson from the Columbus Blue Jackets for two fourth-round picks in 2012.
Chicago Blackhawks acquire defenceman Johnny Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets for second- and third-round picks in 2012.
Boston Bruins acquire forward Brian Rolston and defenceman Mike Mottau from the New York Islanders for forward Yannick Riendeau and defenceman Marc Cantin.
Nashville Predators acquire forward Paul Gaustad and a 2013 fourth-round pick from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2012 first-round pick.
Boston Bruins acquire defenceman Greg Zanon from the Wild for defenceman Steve Kampfer.
New York Rangers acquire defenceman John Scott from Chicago for a 2012 fifth-round pick.
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire defenceman Mark Fraser from the Anaheim Ducks for forward Dale Mitchell.
Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Zack Kassian and defenceman Marc-Andre Gragnani from the Buffalo Sabres for forward Cody Hodgson and defenceman Alexander Sulzer.
Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Andrew Gordon from the Ducks for defenceman Sebastian Erixon.
