There was a flurry of trades made in the hours leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline last Friday, with a number of contenders adding that one piece that might propel them to a Stanley Cup victory. A number of clubs played a premium to get the team they were trading with to retain salary or get another team to serve as a middleman, while others who had the benefit of cap space created by LTIR were able to take on a high-salaried player for a bargain basement price.
Here are the rest of the trades made on Friday and the grades:
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Connor Dewar
Minnesota Wild acquire Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Toronto Grade – B
Minnesota Grade – B-
The Leafs were looking for bottom-six depth and penalty-killing help, and they got both in Dewar, who has a career-high 10 goals this season.
New Jersey Devils acquire Jake Allen
Montreal Canadiens acquire a 2025 third-round pick.
New Jersey Grade – B-
Montreal Grade – B
The issue in this deal is not the acquisition of Allen, who will improve the Devils sorely lacking goaltending, but the timing. GM Tom Fitzgerald may have cost New Jersey a playoff spot by not acting sooner. Montreal has two young goalies looking for regular playing time and needed to find a home for the 33-year-old, who has another year left on his contract.
Philadelphia Flyers acquire Denis Gurianov
Nashville Predators acquire Wade Allison.
Philadelphia Grade – B
Nashville Grade – C
A swap of 26-year-olds who have played most of this season in the AHL. Allison played most of last season with the Flyers but was not a fit with John Tortorella. Gurianov split time between Milwaukee and the Preds and has been effective in the NHL with Dallas.
Winnipeg Jets acquire Tyler Toffoli
New Jersey Devils acquire a 2025 second-round pick and 2024 third-round pick.
Winnipeg Grade – A-
New Jersey Grade – B+
Tyler Toffoli is finally on the move as he is trade to the #GoJetsGo.@JimBiringer reacts on the #NightCapRecap.#NHL #NHLTradeDeadline @FullPressRadio pic.twitter.com/n0sca2btkq
— Full Press Hockey (@FullPressNHL) March 8, 2024
The Devils got a good return for Toffoli, who they attempted to get re-signed right up until the deadline. Winnipeg needed some top-six scoring and added a playoff-tested winger who scored 34 goals last season in Calgary and 26 this season with the Devils.
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Winnipeg Jets acquire Colin Miller
New Jersey Devils acquire a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Winnipeg Grade – B+
New Jersey Grade – B
The Jets acquisition of Toffoli and earlier trade for Sean Monahan shows that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is going for it this season. The addition of Miller is a fine depth move. The 31-year-old is right-handed and has eight years of NHL experience with Boston, Vegas, Buffalo, Dallas, and the Devils.
San Jose Sharks acquire Vitek Vanecek and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
New Jersey Devils acquire Kaapo Kahkonen.
San Jose Grade – B
New Jersey Grade – A-
The deal was a move by Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald to clear out the year remaining on Vanecek’s deal after New Jersey added Allen in a deal with Montreal, but in Kahkonen, they may have acquired a better goalie. The Sharks are going to be a bottom-dweller for the next few years and will not have players to occupy roster spots, which made taking on Vanecek with term remaining acceptable.
New York Rangers acquire Chad Ruhwedel
Pittsburgh Penguins acquire a 2027 fourth-round pick.
New York Grade – B
Pittsburgh Grade – C
Similar to Winnipeg’s trade for Miller, the Rangers are a contender and were looking for experience blueline depth and Ruhwedel provides that. The Pens got a fourth round pick but have to wait three more years to get it.
Vegas Golden Knights acquire Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick
San Jose Sharks acquire David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick.
Vegas Grade – A-
San Jose Grade – B+
The Golden Knights continue to explore the bounds of using LTIR space and add a top-six winger in Hertl, who has six more years left on his contract, to take a run at a second straight Cup. Hertl clearly wanted to get out of San Jose in the midst of their rebuild. The Sharks retained $1.38 million in the deal, and got Edstrom (the Golden Knights 2023 first rounder) and their 2025 top pick.
Carolina Hurricanes acquire Evgeny Kuznetsov
Washington Capitals acquire a 2025 third-round pick.
Carolina Grade – B
Washington Grade – C+
It was a case of addition by subtraction on the part of the Capitals, who have been trying to jettison the troubled Kuznetsov for a couple years, but in the end they had to accept a third-round pick and retain 50% of his $7.8 million contract. It could be a no-lose for Carolina, as they did not pay a hefty price for a very talented player and they could reap the rewards if they can get his head straightened out.
#CauseChaos are all in with the acquisition of Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetzov.@JimBiringer reacts on another #NightCapRecap.#NHL #NHLTradeDeadline @FullPressRadio pic.twitter.com/iNfxdsg4uk
— Full Press Hockey (@FullPressNHL) March 8, 2024