To the casual NHL fan, the 2011 trade deadline was quite uneventful. The biggest move you might have heard about would be Dustin Penner to Los Angeles. But that’s not all that happened. Here’s a breakdown of some of the highlights from the 2011 NHL trade deadline.
To Capitals: Jason Arnott
To Devils: David Steckel, 2nd Round Draft Pick (2012)
The Capitals acquire a veteran to the game, and a player with the leadership qualities they will desperately need to make a run in the playoffs. Arnott has been in those situations before, won a Stanley Cup and he’s definitely going to be hungry to get back there. He’ll be a great asset to a team looking to make an impact in the playoffs.
The Devils make out pretty nicely from this trade as well. They get a younger player in Steckel, as well as a future draft pick to help their rebuilding process. While it remains unlikely that the Devils will be able to squeeze into the playoffs, they have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL as of late. Throughout February, the Devils picked up 11 wins, and points in 12 of 13 games.
To Sabres: Brad Boyes
To Blues: 2nd Round Draft Pick
Boyes, a right winger, will surely make an impact for a Sabres team who wished to add another potent scorer. While Boyes was stuck in a scoring drought last season, he has seemed to find his scoring touch again this year. Through 66 games, the winger already has as many goals as he scored in all 82 games last season, and has more assists and points. Good news for Sabres fans, Boyes has fit in and found chemistry right away, picking up four points in four games thus far with his new squad.
The Blues have all but given up on the playoffs this season. Injuries to T.J. Oshie for much of the season, as well as David Perron, who has not played since early November, have been a crushing blow. They’ll regroup in the off season, and the players will come back healthy and ready to make a push for a playoff run next season. The additional draft pick will help add an additional prospect for the future, which certainly never hurts, or can be used as trade bait itself later on.
To Thrashers: Radek Dvorak, 5th Round Draft Pick
To Panthers: Niclas Bergfors, Patrick Rissmiller
I’m going to call this one a win for the Florida Panthers. Picking up the talented young Niclas Bergfors will be a great move. In his rookie season, Bergfors snatched up 44 points playing 81 games for the Devils and Thrashers. This season, he started hot, but has lost consistency as of late. The good news, for Panthers fans, is Bergfors just turned 24 today. He still has time to develop, and if his work ethic is good, he’ll see plenty of ice time alongside Florida’s best players.
The Thrashers, on the other hand, have fallen pretty hard after a great start and there’s no shot at the playoffs now. They have pretty much thrown in the towel already, and Dvorak can’t do much to help.
We’ve seen bigger moves at past deadlines, but the impacts of this seasons deadline will be felt throughout the league. What team do you think made the biggest move at the deadline?
