TRAIKOS: Why the teams in the Atlantic Division could end up as the big losers at the trade deadline


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And the winner of the trade deadline is … check back in a few months.
Seriously, deciding which team came out on top is a bit difficult considering the playoffs haven’t even begun. With that being said, there were some things that stood out. From Florida, Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto getting involved in a mini-arms race to Anaheim and Seattle stocking the cupboards, here is a look at the good and bad of what was deadline day.

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WINNER

Trigger-happy GMs
The week leading up to the trade deadline might not have been the busiest it has ever been. But it certainly was the most eventful. From Claude Giroux and Mark Giordano to Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm, the big names went early and often. By the time the Monday deadline arrived, there wasn’t much left but a bunch of depth players and some procrastinating general mangers wondering if they had waited too long to pull the trigger.

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Deadline Day coverage
There were more than 20 trades completed on the last day of the deadline. But none involved a first-round pick. Aside from Marc-Andre Fleury going to Minnesota, few were what you would call impactful.

WINNER

Marc-André Fleury
The 37-year-old, who had received considerable interest from Toronto, eventually decided to waive his no-trade to go to Minnesota. And while the Wild might not be considered one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, his decision makes sense for a couple of reasons. Minnesota has given up the ninth-fewest shots this season. And, perhaps more importantly, he’s heading there as the No. 1 goalie — something that might not have been the case had he gone to Toronto to be Jack Campbell’s backup.

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Jakob Chychrun An ankle injury suffered a week before the deadline might have cost the 23-year-old defenseman a chance to land with a contender. That being said, the Coyotes were in no rush to trade Chychrun, who is under contract for three more years and could be a useful piece once the team is done rebuilding.

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WINNER

Calgary Flames
Though they acquired forward Ryan Carpenter on deadline day, the Pacific-leading Flames did the bulk of their heavy lifting more than a month ago by trading for Tyler Toffoli, who has eight goals and 15 points for a team that is 12-3-2 since then. Having added Jarnkrok Street last week also provided the team with the kind of depth needed for a long playoff run.

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Edmonton Oilers
You could argue that the Oilers made their big move a month ago, when they acquired Evander Kane. But while the top-six winger has provided secondary scoring, with 12 goals and 20 points in 22 games, the team’s biggest needs were on the backend. And, sorry, but acquiring Brett Kulak from the Habs is not going to help Edmonton’s goals-against average.

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WINNER
Kraken amateur scouts The Kraken, who have the second-worst record in the NHL this season, have not followed Vegas’ expansion blueprint when it comes to early success. But with Matty Beniers (No. 2 overall in 2021) and what is looking like a top-3 pick in this year’s draft, GM Ron Francis seems more concerned with setting the team up for long-term success. To that end, Seattle now has more picks in the next three years (33) than players under contract (32) after parting ways with Mark Giordano, Colin Blackwell, Calle Jarnkrok, Jeremy Lauzon and Marcus Johansson.

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Chicago’s Veterans
While trading Fleury from Chicago was inevitable, considering he was on the final year of his contract, parting ways with 23-year-old Brandon Hagel (who went to Tampa Bay for a couple of fourth-liners and two first-round picks) probably didn’t make Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane very happy. It means that the next few years in Chicago are going to be painful. It also means that Toews and Kane could be one step closer to waiving their no-trade clauses at next year’s trade deadline.

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WINNER Metropolitan Division
Unlike the Atlantic, the Metro opted for smaller, more sensible deals at the deadline. Carolina added grit in the form of Max Domi; Pittsburgh acquired Rickard Rakell and Nathan Beaulieu; the Rangers picked up Justin Braun and Tyler Motte; Washington traded for Marcus Johansson and Johan Larsson. None of them were what you’d classify as earth-shattering, leaving the division as wide open as it has been all season.

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Atlantic Division
The Division of Death. That’s what the Atlantic has become after Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Boston got into an arms’ race over rentals. The Panthers, who acquired Claude Giroux, Ben Chiarot and Robert Hagg, were the big winners. But with the Lightning adding third-line forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul, Boston picking up No. 1 defenseman Hampus Lindholm and Toronto trading for veteran Mark Giordano, everyone seemingly got what they were looking for. For that reason, you might say that they were the big winners. The only problem is they all play in the same division, which means at least two — maybe three — of those teams are not getting out of the first round.

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WINNERS
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek
In his first trade deadline as GM of the Ducks, Verbeek did not hesitate in yanking the Band-Aid off a team that is only seven points back of a wild card spot in the West. After trading Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell and Nicolas Deslauriers, you can pretty much kiss the playoffs goodbye. That being said, getting back top defensive prospect Drew Helleson from Colorado and what looks like a low first-rounder from Boston should make Anaheim even more competitive in the coming years.

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Colorado’s first-round opponent
The best team in the NHL added hulking defenseman Josh Manson, third-line center Nico Sturm and fourth-line winger Andrew Cogliano to a roster that didn’t have any holes that needed filling. No wonder Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said this in regards to whomever has the unfortunate honor of playing Colorado in the first round: “It’s going to be a waste of eight days.”

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