In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on the losers at and leading up to this year's trade deadline.
Todd Cordell
I'll go with Montreal.
In February the Canadiens scored fewer goals per game than every team in the NHL. It was crystal clear that they needed a boost offensively.
The Canadiens didn't bring in anyone who could help the team offensively. Instead, they acquired three 4th liners who have combined for 28 points in 161 games this season. Two of the three -- Andreas Martinsen and Steve Ott -- are among the worst 5v5 players in the NHL, too.
A case could certainly be made that the Habs made themselves worse with these trades, which is always the goal for a team sitting 1st in their division.
Adam French The Kings have one of the worst prospect pools in the league. It's not a secret and it's understandable. This is a team going for it most years and their prospect pool has naturally suffered with that. However, their prospect pool has suffered unnaturally by giving anybody of worth away as quickly as they seemingly can. Valentin Zykov, Roland McKeown, Hudson Fasching and now Erik Cernak. I can see why they want to trade picks, since they seem so content to trade them away a year or two after being drafted. Thankfully they had the good grace to keep Kempe and Clague, but then...there's always next years deadline.
The Kings got Bishop so that Quick can have some rest in what is a schedule that sees them having a lot of back to backs. While Budaj isn't perfect, you can't tell me that he couldn't do at least an okay job in those back to backs. For the price of Cernak...I don't like it. Especially since they will lose Bishop and even if they make the playoffs, they probably won't go far.
Iginla. What a career. What a warrior. What a hero and idol for kids growing up in Calgary and in general. But he's 100 years old and can't skate. At this stage in his career, he's essentially a tough pylon that can only be effective on the PP where he doesn't need to move. I get that they gave up nothing for him, but I just don't see how he helps an already slow team by getting slower.
As for the King trade? I have very few feelings on it. It's fine. He's an UFA and a 4th liner. That's fine. Iginla in, King out, on paper it sounds great, in reality...well hopefully the move gives Iginla the Fountain of Youth.
This seemed like a last ditch effort to save a job, but they didn't have the assets to actually make the splash needed to do so.
Peter Tessier
Loser, the people who lost or the ones who have yet to gratifying results? The teams that did not do well may be the ones that are simply marking time, those like Colorado, Montreal, Boston etc. The one team that did make more of the curious type of moves is Ottawa and in all honesty they may not be losers as much questionable decision makers. For the lack of volume and depth at this deadline with deals it's hard to point to any one team given the element of the expansion draft and the fact salary cap.
It's always fun to point at one team and say- LOL but Jim Benning did alright this go around. We may know more as the season winds down about who came out on top and at the bottom but right now it's not that obvious.
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