The NHL trade market was booming ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
Several Stanley Cup contenders made one last push to gear up before the playoff, while rebuilding teams stacked draft picks. At least one Cup-deprived veteran center on the Sharks landed with a postseason favorite and hey, Chris Kreider still is a Ranger.
The Carolina Hurricanes took center stage during the hectic day, acquiring forward Vincent Trocheck from the Panthers. Carolina dealt left winger Erik Haula, center Lucas Wallmark and two prospects to Florida to start off the day.
Carolina then shelled out a package of ex-Rangers defenseman Frederik Claesson, Finnish forward Janne Kuokkanen and a conditional fourth-round pick in exchange for injured defenseman Sami Vatanen, according to multiple reports.
The Hurricanes then picked up another defenseman, Brady Skjei, from the Rangers for a first-round pick just as the deadline passed.
Despite a bizarre goaltending situation – in which the team lost both its netminders in Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs and had to use an emergency backup goalie — the Canes didn’t add a goaltender.
In the wee hours Monday morning, the Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Mike Green to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick in either 2020 or 2021. It was reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets were front runners for Detroit’s Andreas Anthanasiou, but talks fell through and instead the Oilers obtained the left-handed winger.
The Oilers acquired Athanasiou and Ryan Kuffner by sending forward Sam Gagner and a second-round draft pick to Detroit. Edmonton also will retain 10 percent of Gagner’s $9.45 million contract. Edmonton also snagged Tyler Ennis from the Senators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2021. The move puts Ennis on his fifth team in the past four seasons.
There was the Islanders, who sent a conditional first-round pick in 2020, a second-round pick in 2020 and a conditional third-rounder in 2022 to the rebuilding Ottawa Senators in exchange for veteran center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Isles then extended Pageau with a six-year, $30 million deal.
Montreal sent veteran center Nate Thompson to the Flyers for a fifth-round pick. Philadelphia also acquired center Derek Grant from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Kyle Criscuolo and a fourth-rounder.
Patrick Marleau, the Cup-chasing 40-year-old center, was dealt from the San Jose Sharks to perennial contender Pittsburgh, with the Penguins sending back a third-round pick. Longtime Sharks center Joe Thornton, also 40, stayed put in San Jose despite trade rumblings throughout the day.
The Rangers, who had two players on the top of trade targets on the market, decided to at least stick with one long term. The team announced that it signed Kreider to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $6.5 million.
Wayne Simmonds was dealt at the deadline for a second straight season, ending his seven-month stint with the Devils as they traded him to the Sabres for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021.
The Boston Bruins traded David Backes to the Ducks over the weekend, but the two teams continued to do business Monday as Boston sent two-way forward Danton Heinen to Anaheim in exchange for forward Nick Ritchie. The Ducks also traded Devin Shore to the Blue Jackets in exchange for young forward Sonny Milano.
An hour before the deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks sent defenseman Erik Gustafsson to Calgary, which also picked up defenseman Derek Forbort from the Los Angeles Kings.
Chicago also dealt former Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner to the Vegas Golden Knights, who relinquished a prospect and second-rounder, as the deadline passed.
The Sabres shipped Conor Sheary back to Pittsburgh along with fellow winger Evan Rodrigues for center Dominik Kahun in return.