So yesterday the trade deadline came and went, and though it started off slow it picked up around 1:30 EST. The first trade started at 10:45 in the morning when the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadians exchanged some players and picks. From there 15 other deals were made before the clock ran out. Today we will discuss the winners and losers of the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline.
Winners:
1. Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres had a pretty busy day yesterday. They were getting a lot of interest from teams about center men Paul Gaustad, but with their high price of a 2012 1st round pick plenty of teams backed out. Until the Nashville Predators had contacted them where they received Nashville’s 2012 1st in exchange for Paul Gaustad and a 2012 4th round pick. With Gaustad leaving for Nashville, the Sabres were in need of a center, where they than had contacted Vancouver and agreed upon the biggest deal of the NHL trade deadline, Sabres traded off Zack Kassian and Marc-Andrei Gargnani to Vancouver for young Calder trophy candidate Cody Hodgson and defense men Alexander Sulzer. The Sabres were the clear winners from this deadline with these two moves they made.
2. San Jose Sharks- They made just one deal yesterday and though the players aren’t household names or superstars the deal they made can impact them now and in the playoffs and make them a stronger team. The Sharks had come to agreement with the Avalanche to send out youngster Jamie McGinn and two prospects for left wing T.J Galiardi and right wing Daniel Winnik along with a 7th round pick. This gives the Sharks are solid 4th liner in Winnik and a nice young player in Galiardi who can fill in on the 3rd or 2nd line in San Jose.
Losers:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs- Now they did make a few trades yesterday but they were minor deals at most. they first shipped off prospect Keith Aulie to the Tampa Bay Lightning for former 1st round pick Carter Ashton. They also shipped out Dale Mitchell to Anaheim for Mark Fraser. Now coming into the deadline it was rumored the Leafs were looking at acquiring a steady goalie along with a big time scoring forward. There name came up plenty of time for 2002 1st overall pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rick Nash, who has a limited NMC and can choose where he wanted to play. The Leafs were said to be “all in” for Nash and were putting together an offer, but GM Brian Burke had backed out after hearing about the large price for Nash. The Leafs did not help themselves get any better for the playoff push and this is why they are one of the deadline losers this season.
2. Calgary Flames- They stood pat this trade deadline after acquiring Michael Cammarelli a few weeks back from the Canadians. But with the obvious reason of needing a rebuild and having to get younger the Calgary Flames did not address that at all this deadline. A few of their older players could have gotten them some pretty nice returns had they put them on the block, Alex Tanguay who can have provided some goal scoring for another team, Captain Jerome Iginla whose whole legacy is in Calgary, but they could have gotten a great young package for him had they shipped him out and finally their star goalie Mikka Kippursoff, a team on the bring of the playoffs who need a goalie like the Capitals, Leafs, Blackhawks, Panthers, Lightning could have very well be in on him but they decided to stand pat and that is why they are considered a loser of this deadline.
