Hockey fans! March 5 at 3:00 pm was the 2014 NHL trade deadline. Teams were looking to equip themselves with some last-minute acquisitions to beef up their rosters heading into the home stretch of the season. Other teams seemed to declare re-building mode. Several big-name players moved around this year… some teams won and some teams lost. For those of you who weren’t fanatically watching TSN TradeCentre all day, here are the Benchwarmer’s most exciting and controversial trades:
First up, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo was traded back to Florida along with winger Steven Anthony for forward Shawn Mathias and young goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom. After years of speculation and hard treatment in Vancouver, particularly with that monster 12-year contract, 34-year-old Luongo is looking for a fresh start with his original NHL team. Florida was the winner in this one, getting an experienced and skilled starting goaltender without giving up any valuable assets. Once again, Canucks GM Mike Gillis has been on the short end of the stick, as he probably should have been able to get more value for Luongo. That being said, he did succeed in unloading an enormous contract without the pain and embarrassment of a buy-out.
Arguably the most exciting trade of the day was the captain swap, with Tampa Bay dealing Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers for their captain, Ryan Callahan. Following St. Louis’s controversial exclusion from the initial Canadian Olympic team roster by his own NHL manager Steve Yzerman, there were rumours that he had asked for a trade to New York. St. Louis is currently 12th in scoring with 62 points (29 goals and 33 assists) and was always relied on to be a leading point-getter in Tampa Bay.
Callahan, on the other hand, is a different kind of player: Known primarily for his defensive responsibility, shot-blocking ability (reminiscent of former coach John Tortorella’s strategy) and his leadership, Callahan brings new depth to Tampa Bay’s roster. Steven Stamkos is finally ready to return to Tampa’s lineup, so it’ll be a whole new look with these two when they hit the ice. This was likely the closest to a ‘fair’ trade at this deadline, yet New York ultimately got the edge here, gaining one of the most consistent scoring forwards in the game as they look to tighten their hold on a playoff position in the East’s Metropolitan division.
The other big-name on the table was Thomas Vanek. Already dealt from Buffalo to the New York Islanders this season (for forward Matt Moulson along with first and second round draft picks), it was anticipated that he would be moved once again before the trade deadline, being an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. To make sure they’d get something for Vanek rather than have him walk at the end of the end of the season, the Islanders sent him off to the Montreal Canadians in exchange for prospect Sebastien Collberg and a 2014 second-round draft pick. Vanek has 53 points thus far, including 21 goals and 32 assists. He adds some much-needed size and depth up front for Montreal, who look to hang on to the second spot in the Atlantic division, with Toronto and Tampa Bay right on their heels. Montreal was undoubtedly the winner in this one – the catch being, will they be able to convince Vanek to re-sign at the end of the year? That will depend on their success or failure in this year’s playoffs and how much they’re willing to pay.
There are only 20 games left in the regular season and then it’s playoff time. It will be interesting to see the effects of these trades in the playoffs, particularly if one of these players finds his game right away on his new team. Best of luck to your favourite teams in the home stretch! Stay tuned for another NHL report as the season comes to a close.
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