With the NHL's trade deadline just a few days away, this file from THN's Archive examined past deals that included star defenseman Ryan McDonagh and star winger Daniel Briere.

The NHL’s trade deadline is three days away, and THN.com continues to look back at some of the biggest deals made at previous trade deadlines. 

In this story from THN’s Jan. 20, 2023 edition – Vol. 76, Issue 9 – writer Jared Clinton looked at a handful of high-impact deals made at the deadline.

(And here’s your daily reminder: for exclusive access to The Hockey News’ Archive, you can subscribe to the magazine).

One of the trades Clinton looked at was from 2003 when the Buffalo Sabres acquired star winger Daniel Briere from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Chris Gratton and a fourth-round draft pick in 2004. Gratton would only play one-and-a-quarter seasons with the Coyotes, while Briere played for the Sabres for more than three seasons before departing as a UFA in 2007. That makes Buffalo the clear winner in this transaction.

Another move Clinton examined was the 2018 swap that sent defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller from the New York Rangers to the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for forward Vladimir Namestnikov, defenseman Libor Hajek, forward Brett Howden, a 2018 first-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick. This trade was lop-sided, to say the least, as McDonagh became a key cog for the Lightning and won two Stanley Cups as a cornerstone defenseman for Tampa Bay. The Rangers’ return for those two talents didn’t come anywhere close to what the Bolts got, so Tampa is the winner in this swap.

TRADE DEADLINE REWIND

Vol. 76, No. 9, Jan. 20, 2023

By Jared Clinton

15 YEARS AGO

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ACQUIRE: Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis

ATLANTA THRASHERS ACQUIRE: Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, 2008 first-round pick (Daultan Leveille)

Time, as has been said, makes fools of us all, and looking back on 2008’s great Marian Hossa sweepstakes with the benefit of hindsight sure does make any assertion the deadline price was exceptionally steep seem especially ludicrous.

That’s not to say Hossa, a recently minted Hall of Famer, shouldn’t have commanded a hefty price. At the time, only six players had scored more goals and nine players more points than Hossa since the end of the 2004-05 lockout. He was a legitimate superstar, a two-way dynamo who helped the loaded Penguins advance to the 2008 Cup final.

But what makes the swap so absurd is that it was the deal’s so-called throw-in, Pascal Dupuis, who turned this into an absolute fleecing. It’d be revisionist to say he was an overnight sensation in Pittsburgh, particularly as his contribution to the Pens’ 2009 Cup victory was zero points and an average ice time below nine minutes, but Dupuis had a late-career rebirth that saw him turn into a legitimate top-six contributor and fan favorite in Pittsburgh. He peaked with a 25-goal, 59-point output in 2011-12, and his 109-goal, 247-point totals as a Penguin more than double the combined output of any of the four players who wound up Thrashers.

Especially embarrassing for then-Atlanta and current Carolina GM Don Waddell is that the Thrashers didn’t get meaningful games out of any of the acquired players. In large part, the deal hinged on Esposito. Once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, he fell to 20th in the 2007 draft, but Atlanta was banking on developing him into a top-line talent. It wasn’t to be, as Esposito never played an NHL game. Meanwhile, Armstrong played fewer than 200 games for the team before leaving as a free agent, Christensen played 57 games before being traded and Leveille’s career fizzled in the minors.

20 YEARS AGO

BUFFALO SABRES ACQUIRE: Daniel Briere, 2004 third-round pick (Andrej Sekera)

ARIZONA COYOTES ACQUIRE: Chris Gratton, 2004 fourth-round pick (Liam Reddox)

After acquiring Briere in 2003, one of the first words uttered by Sabres GM Darcy Regier was “upside.” Sure, Briere was a handy playmaker for the Coyotes and had posted a 60-point season in 2001-02, but to that point he’d been a scorer of a similar caliber – although a different mold – than the gritty Gratton.

Not even Regier could’ve imagined how Briere would blossom. He thrived in the post-clutch-and-grab era, with 57 goals and 153 points in 129 games across 2005-06 and ’06-07. Buffalo broke out, too. The Briere-led attack spurred the Sabres to consecutive Conference final appearances those same seasons.

Sekera proved to be a steady top-four D-man, further chalking this deal up as a Sabres win. Gratton played just 82 games in the desert. The Coyotes traded the fourth-rounder in a later deal with Edmonton.

FIVE YEARS AGO

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ACQUIRE: Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller

NEW YORK RANGERS ACQUIRE: Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, 2018 first-round pick (Nils Lundkvist), 2019 second-round pick (Karl Henriksson)

Steve Yzerman’s name isn’t on either of Tampa Bay’s recent Stanley Cups, but his fingerprints certainly are. Take his acquisition of McDonagh and Miller. While Miller was traded prior to the 2020 and ’21 Cup wins – sent to Vancouver for picks – McDonagh was key in both titles. He had the second-highest ice time during both runs, behind only Victor Hedman, and McDonagh splitting the load with Tampa Bay’s top defender allowed Hedman to be at his best night after night. Perhaps the Lightning win one of the two Cups without McDonagh, but it’s hard to imagine they repeat without him.

Meanwhile, the Rangers were hoping the swap would’ve paid immediate dividends for Tampa Bay. If the Lightning had won the Cup in 2018 or 2019, the 2019 pick would’ve become a first-rounder. Alas, the Bolts cracked the Cup code one year too late.

10 YEARS AGO

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ACQUIRE: Jarome Iginla

CALGARY FLAMES ACQUIRE: Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski, 2013 first-round pick (Morgan Klimchuk)

As it became evident in 2012-13 that the Flames were prepared to rebuild, it likewise became clear that Iginla’s days in Calgary were numbered. Thus, the Flames set out to give the greatest player in franchise history the best chance possible to chase a Stanley Cup.

Leading up to the deadline, it appeared that chance would be in Boston. The Bruins were a top contender and were willing to move picks and prospects – which is what made it so stunning when the Penguins snuck in at the 11th hour. Unfortunately for Iginla, Boston got the last laugh, sweeping the Penguins in the East final.

For all the emotion surrounding Iginla’s Calgary exit, the trade ended up a dud. Iginla played well in the post-season but then signed a one-year deal with Boston in the summer, while Agostino, Hanowski and Klimchuk combined for two goals and 27 games for the Flames.

25 YEARS AGO

SAN JOSE SHARKS ACQUIRE: Bryan Marchment, David Shaw, 1998 first-round pick (David Legwand)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ACQUIRE: Andrei Nazarov, 1998 first-round pick (Vincent Lecavalier)

Did you know Vincent Lecavalier was nearly a Shark? As the story goes, the Panthers were looking for scoring early in 1997-98 and targeted San Jose’s Viktor Kozlov. To get him, Florida ponied up a first-round pick. As the season wore on, however, it became clear Florida was more bottom feeder than contender while the Sharks went from woeful to post-season bubble.

So, with a top-five pick in their pocket and a playoff return in sight, San Jose sought to bolster their blueline and made Tampa Bay an intriguing offer for Marchment. If the Sharks’ first-rounder was better than Tampa’s, Tampa Bay and San Jose could swap picks. If the Bolts won the lottery, though, the teams would retain their selections. As it turned out, San Jose’s pick was the lottery winner, Tampa Bay executed its right to switch picks, and Lecavalier went No. 1 overall to the Lightning.

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