NHL Trade Deadline Report Card  – Pacific Division

The National Hockey League trade market was rather brisk and eventful leading up to the trade deadline on March 3, in spite of a lower-than-normal number of deals on deadline day. A number of contenders performed contortions to stay under the $82.5 million salary, including the involvement of third teams to retain salary, while other teams on the bubble such as Nashville and Washington chose to sell off players at the eleventh hour for draft picks and future assets.

With the NHL Trade deadline now past, we can look at the 32 clubs and evaluate whether they addressed their issues to make or advance deeper in the playoffs, or got enough for the players they were shopping as sellers.

Here is a look at the teams in the Pacific Division:

Anaheim Ducks

Out – Henry Thrun, Dmitry Kulikov, John Klingberg

In – Andrej Sustr, Nikita Nesterenko, Brock McGinn, two 2024 third-rounders, 2025 fourth-rounder

The Ducks signed Klingberg to a one-year, $7 million deal last summer for the specific purpose of selling him at the deadline and did not get nearly the return that most expected (Boston College prospect Nesterenko and a mid-round draft pick), but did get an acceptable return for Kulikov from Pittsburgh, and a draft pick for unsigned NCAA prospect Thrun from San Jose.

Grade –  C-

Calgary Flames

Out – Radim Zohorna, Brett Ritchie, Connor Mackey

In – Dryden Hunt, Nick Ritchie, Troy Stecher

Flames GM Brad Treliving’s deadline moves were underwhelming based on his position in the Western Conference wildcard race. Calgary added fourth-line depth in Hunt from Toronto and a slight upgrade in obtaining Stecher and the Ritchie brother exchange with Arizona.

Grade – C

Edmonton Oilers

Out – Tyson Barrie, Michael Kesselring, Reid Schaefer, Jesse Puljujarvi, 2023 first-rounder, 2024 fourth-rounder

In – Nick Bjugstad, Mattias Ekholm, Patrik Puistola

The Oilers finally admitted failure in dealing former top-five pick Puljujarvi to Carolina for 22-year-old Finnish prospect Puistola. GM Ken Holland added big forward Bjugstad to improve his depth up front and improved his defence by swapping power-play quarterback Barrie to Nashville for shutdown defender Ekholm.

Grade – B

Los Angeles Kings

Out – Jonathan Quick, Brendan Lemieux, 2023 first rounder, 2023 and 2024 third rounders

In – Joonas Korpisalo, Vladislav Gavrikov, Erik Portillo, Zack MacEwen

After relying on journeyman Pheonix Copley for most of the season, GM Rob Blake accomplished his goal of upgrading between the pipes and on the blueline by adding Korpisalo and Gavrikov for a pair of draft picks in a deal with Columbus, but took a big risk in shipping the popular two-time Cup winner Quick in the deal.

Grade – B+

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San Jose Sharks

Out – Timo Meier, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nick Bonino, Tony Sund, Michael Eyssimont, Scott Harrington, Zachary Emond, Santeri Hatakka, Timur Ibragimov, 2024 third-rounder, 2024 fifth-rounder

In – Andreas Johnsson, Fabian Zetterlund, Nikita Okhotyuk, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Henry Thrun, Arvid Henrikson, 2023 first-rounder, 2023 seventh-rounder, 2024 second-rounder, 2024 fifth-rounder, 2024 seventh-rounder, 2025 fourth-rounder

Sharks GM Mike Grier made arguably the biggest splash of the NHL trade deadline shipping power forward Meier to New Jersey in a massive nine-player deal in which he acquired former first-rounder Mukhamadullin and Devils 2023 first, but he failed to get one of their top prospects. Grier also added promising Harvard blueliner Thrun, but mostly acted as a clearing house, moving depth forwards Bonino to Pittsburgh, Namestnikov to Winnipeg, and Eyysimont to Tampa for mid-round picks.

Grade – B-

Seattle Kraken

Out – 2023 fourth-rounder

In – Jaycob Megna

Kraken GM Ron Francis did nothing leading up to the NHL trade deadline. He only added depth defenseman Megna. Most likely because he did not want to tamper with the chemistry of the club challenging for a playoff spot in their second year.

Grade – Incomplete

Vancouver Canucks

Out – Curtis Lazar, Luke Schenn, Riley Stillman, William Lockwood, 2023 first-rounder, 2023 second-rounder, 2026 seventh-rounder

In – Vitali Kravtsov, Josh Bloom, Filip Hronek, 2023 third-rounder, 2023 fourth-rounder, 2024 fourth-rounder

After shipping team captain Bo Horvat to New York in late January, GM Patrik Allvin paid a high price using the Islanders first-rounder and another draft pick to Detroit for Hronek, did a bit of bargain basement shopping adding former first-rounder Kravtsov in a deal with the Rangers, and shipped depth players Lazar and Schenn for mid-round picks.

Grade – B

Vegas Golden Knights

Out – Michael Hutchinson, Peter Diliberatore, Zach Dean, Shea Weber, 2023 fifth-rounder

In – Dysin Mayo, Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger, Jonathan Quick

In spite of limited cap space and draft capital, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon was able to add depth players in Mayo and Blueger, and sought after rental Barbashev in a deal with St. Louis, but may have found a short-term solution for their goaltending issues by adding Quick after he was shipped to Columbus.

Grade – A-