Joe Sakic won the trade deadline. Sakic got 2 rugged 4th liners ( Yakov Trenin and Brandon Duhaime) built for playoff hockey. Sean Walker plays a heavier defensive game than Bowen Byram and has some offense in his game. It’s early but it appears Casey Mittlestadt is the 2nd line center the Avalanche have been looking for since Nazeem Kadri left Colorado. Val Nichushkin is also back. Colorado is my favorite to win the West.
The Sabres turned Casey Middlestadt, a middle six center into a top-pair defensemen Bowen Byram . Good work GM Kevyn Adams.
The Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Sheveldayoff did not take the trade deadline day off. The Jets finally made a consequential deadline move. Tyler Toffoli is the shot in the arm the Jets have never received coming down the stretch.
Is David Copperfield the Vegas Golden Knight GM ? Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin were strewd moves but aquiring Tomas Hertl was pure magic.
Edmonton GM Ken Holland has not enhanced his Hall of Fame resume in Edmonton until this year. Middle six center Adam Henrique and gritty winger Sam Carrick give the Oilers much needed depth up front. Defense Troy Stetcher is another body on defense. Sure he’s a seven -eight but you need more than six to make a big run.
When a team is clicking like the Florida Panthers are making changes is risky. Florida changes were measured not overkill. Vlad Tarasenko is a Stanley Cup winner and still a lethal sniper. Kyle Okposo is a veteran good guy who only wants a ring.
The Carolina Hurricanes never have had a game breaker to instantly change a playoff series with a goal. Evgeni Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzal are both game breakers. Both men have scored huge playoff goals on Stanley Cup winning teams.
The New York Rangers should have traded Kaapo Kakko to Anaheim in a package and received Edmonton’s deal,Henrique and Carrick.
Brad Treliving did just enough to appear to be working. Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson are decent bottom pair defensemen but where is the top end defenseman and bottom six scoring they needed.
Tampa got exactly who Toronto needed, Matt Dumba and Anthony Duclair.
The Bruins acquiring Pat Maroon will let Trent Frederic concern himself with scoring goals and not fighting heavyweights.
Steve Yzerman traded away Detroit’s only toughness in Klim Kostin.
Lindy Ruff lost his head coaching job because he had inadequate goaltending. A day after Ruff’s firing the Devils traded for Jake Allen. Allen could have been gotten months ago. The D
evils goaltending is still inadequate.
Critics can pan Penguins GM Kyle Dubas but nobody wanted to pay a high price, if anything at all for what he had to trade. Jake Guentzal was a rental player. He was not going to fetch a huge haul. Nobody wanted the other Penguins everyone wanted to be shipped, Riley Smith, Rickard Rackell and Ryan Graves.
The Penguins season on the ice has not been a success be any means but for most fans bringing Jaromir Jagr back to the organization more than makes up for it.
I’m not a John Tortorella fan and he should have left the bench in a timely fashion, but referee Wes McCauley’s ego is out of control. Fans should not even know his name. McCauley is way to happy with himself for a guy who screws up most calls.
Matt Rempe was a fun story albeit over hyped because he’s a New York Ranger. Rempe actions vs the New Jersey Devils was bush league. I think he should a fought Kurtis MacDermid , his heavyweight counterpart on a top rival . He didn’t. Ok, but then don’t’ throw a reckless elbow to one of his teammates heads. Worse yet waive to him as you’re whisked to safety by a linesman. Teams and players have long memories. The fans have even longer memories.
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