Welcome to the Hotstove! As always, I'm your host, Travis Yost.
The 2013 Trade Deadline didn't have the same quantity of trades we've grown accustomed to seeing over the years, but there were a handful of mini-blockbusters in the final hour. And, it's important to note that just days prior to the April 3, 2013 drop-dead date, quality pieces in Jarome Iginla and Jaromir Jagr were moved to playoff contenders -- potentially huge acquisitions as teams gear up for the stretch-run.
A full list of transactions can be found
here.
The Q: After all of the moves had fallen, which organization had the strongest trade deadline performance? Remember, context is key -- buying and selling are two different animals, with two very different goals.
To get the conversation off, I'll throw my hat in the ring for the San Jose Sharks and GM Doug Wilson. Wilson, predominantly in a seller role, shipped out depreciating and/or depreciated players that can be replaced with internal talent, including Douglas Murray [to Pittsburgh], Ryane Clowe [to New York], and Michal Handzus [to Chicago].
The trio of moves earned them a pair of second-round picks, a pair of conditional second-round picks, a third-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to bolster a pretty depleted San Jose farm system.
But, not to ignore the reality that the San Jose Sharks are still pushing for the post-season, Doug Wilson went out and made two cheap buys: Scott Hannan at the low-cost of a conditional seventh-round pick, and Raffi Torres for a third-round pick. Hannan's value-added is questionable, but the disparity between him and Murray appears marginal at best. Considering the variance in price, I think that's a pretty big win.
My favorite move, though, is the grab of Raffi Torres. I think Torres' ugly reputation -- one he's earned, make no mistake -- has shadowed the fact that he's a pretty fine bottom-six talent. He can chip in offensively in the scoring department, but plays a high-quality two-hundred foot game with
functional toughness. In a league where every GM in the league is looking for a big, strong F skater that can also play the game of hockey, Torres' is a desirable asset, and again, I question how much less he's going to contribute to this team overall than the departed Ryane Clowe.
Wilson protected his current team as they chase down another playoff berth, but additionally made huge gains in keeping this organization a viable franchise down the road. At some point, Wilson needed to address his depleted prospect pool, and he's going to get a chance to do that in a big way at future drafts.
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