Too many teams were tight against the cap. No money was available to make deals. That's what we heard for the past couple of months. But when the horn sounded, it turned out to be one of the busiest days in trade deadline history. Just after the 3 p.m., 33 teams were on the phone, on hold, with the league's Central Registry to file their trade details.
The final score: 33 trades with 54 players changing teams. That probably speaks to how competitive this year's playoff tournament could be. Can you imagine what would have occurred if teams had considerable cap room?
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) January 5, 2021
Here are six observations from a very busy trade deadline day:
1. Eastern Conference arms race
The Florida Panthers reeled in Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot. The Bruins picked up Hampus Lindholm to partner with Charlie McAvoy. The Penguins acquired Rickard Rakell to play with Evgeni Malkin. The Maple Leafs grabbed Mark Giordano to plug their hole on defense. Carolina took a flyer on Max Domi. The Rangers had an exceptional day. The two-time defending champion Lightning improved themselves. I don't remember a trade deadline where all of the top teams improved themselves. This year's Eastern playoffs could be the most competitive and entertaining postseason we've witnessed in a while.
2. Another Lightning strike
Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said he didn't have the cap space to make any significant moves this season. But BriseBois went old school on us, swapping players off his roster, and giving up two first-round picks, to acquire 21-goal scorer Brandon Hagel from Chicago and big forward Nick Paul from Ottawa. The Lightning's third line potentially could be as formidable as it was last season. The Lightning are more dangerous today. They want that third consecutive title.
3. Guerin manages the way he played
Plenty of teams considered trying to land goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. But Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin got it done. In his short time in Minnesota, Guerin has proven himself to be an aggressive manager. With his goaltending not to his liking, Guerin didn't hesitate to call the Blackhawks and work out a deal. This Wild team could be a bigger factor in the Western Conference than some of you realize.
4. Rangers opt for substance over flash
The Rangers were rumored in all of the big-name players and didn't acquire any of them. Instead, they brought in defenseman Justin Braun, center Andrew Copp and forward Tyler Motte. All three of those players fill a need for New York and all of them are players whose styles are conducive for tight-checking playoff hockey.
5.Avalanche added playoff-ready personnel
As it turned out, the Avalanche may never have truly had a shot at trading for Claude Giroux. He wanted to go to Florida and he had a no-trade clause. But that turned out to be a blessing. The Avs had to cap space to add feisty defenseman Josh Manson, big center Nico Sturm who is good on faceoffs and Artturi Lehkonen, a forechecking forward whose style makes him a treasure at playoff time.
6. Claude Giroux deserved to have it his way
Find it curious that some people thought Giroux owed it to the Flyers to let them trade him to multiple teams. Fans were hoping bidding on Giroux would drive up the price. But really the Flyers owed it to Giroux to make his exodus as painless as possible. He gave them many quality seasons. He didn't want to leave. The Flyers mismanaged their salary cap and don't have room for him. That's on them. They gave him a no-trade clause because he deserved one. You can't be mad at him for using one of the perks of being a veteran NHL player.