How The Trades Of The Other Western Conference Playoff Teams Affects The Golden Knights
A number of people conseider the Vegas Golden Knights the clear winner of the trade deadline but many Western Conference teams made big moves that will make the Golden Knights quest for back-to-back Stanley Cups that much harder.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports - How The Trades Of The Other Western Conference Playoff Teams Affects The Golden KnightsA number of people considered the Vegas Golden Knights the clear winner of the trade deadline but many Western Conference teams made big moves that will make the Golden Knights' quest for back-to-back Stanley Cups that much harder.
To start, the Golden Knights made three moves. The first was to acquire Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals. The next day the Golden Knights made their second big splash to land the top available defenseman, Noah Hanifin. The final move they made was the biggest surprise of the deadline and came in the final moments, the trade to land Tomas Hertl.
The Edmonton Oilers made a trade to acquire Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers also picked up Troy Stretcher to provide depth to their defence. The Oilers needed more scoring in their top six and found it with the acquisition of Henrique.
The Colorado Avalanche made a couple of trades on before the deadline day to acquire Sean Walker and a fifth-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Johansen and a first-round pick. They also traded for Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres for Bowen Byram. Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin were also added to help strengthen their bottom six. The Avalanche made a moves to add another scoring centre to play on their second line, a puck-moving right handed defenseman and size for their bottom six.
The Los Angeles Kings put a pair of young players on waivers. Jaret Anderson-Dolan was claimed by The Nashville Predators. Jacob Moveare cleared waivers and was given a two-year contract extension worth $775,000 annually. The Kings tried to acquire Tyler Toffoli and other forwards but couldn't get anything done.
The Pacific division-leading Vancouver Canucks didn't make any deals on deadline day but made two big moves during the season. Both deals the Canucks made were with the Calgary Flames. They traded for Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm. Zadarov is a big defenseman that has helped the Canucks defend the front of their net. Lindholm hasn't found his game so far but the Swedish centremen provides the Canucks with a solid two-way game.
Before the season started the Winnipeg Jets traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings for Gabriel Villardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari. At the deadline, the Jets added Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli and Colin Miller. Miller will provide the Jets with depth on the back end. Toffoli and Monahan will play massive roles for the team. They'll both play in the top six and will need them to be key contributors in the playoffs.
The Dallas Stars have a very balanced roster. Good puck-moving defensemen, big and fast forwards and a top goaltender so they felt fairly comfortable with only making one move. The move they did make was a significant one. The Stars acquired Chris Tanev, a big defenseman who has a great all-around game. All though it's not a trade, the Stars calling up Logan Stankoven may have been the best move they've made. In the seven games he's played this season he's scored five goals and eight points.
The final playoff team is the Nashville Predators and they had a quiet deadline due to them being a team caught in the middle of wanting to acquire young talent but also providing the team with a roster that can win in the playoffs. The Predators traded for Anthony Beauvillier, Jason Zucker and Wade Allison. The Predators also claimed Anderson-Dolan off of waivers. Depth forwards were what the Predators had their eyes set on.
If the playoffs began today the Golden Knights would match up against the Canucks. A heavyweight tilt between two teams that gave up a lot of assets to improve their rosters. The Western Conference was more active in the trade market this year than the Eastern Conference, meaning the West will be a battle.
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