There you have it — the dreaded NHL trade deadline has passed. To my fellow Bruins fans, unfortunately, March 7 was not a dream. Here is a breakdown of the major storylines of a shocking day of trades.
The Avs are going for glory
In a trade that shocked hockey fans everywhere, the Colorado Avalanche, or the Avs, traded star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Martin Nečas Jan. 24.
Since then, Colorado had the most successful and productive trade decisions of any team in the NHL. New York Islanders veteran forward Brock Nelson filled in a noticeable gap in the team’s second line center position. Bruins forward Charlie Coyle brought even more talent, joining the third line, also at center. With forward Nathan MacKinnon remaining as the first line center, the Avs easily have the most depth at the position and lines will be easily interchangeable.
Colorado will not only have an impressive offense, but also an extremely talented defense. Defenseman Cale Makar has been one of the best players in the league in any position this season. The team added defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers, who has 43 playoff games under his belt. The Avs welcomed back defenseman Erik Johnson from the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to leaving the team in 2023, Johnson spent 12 seasons with Colorado, winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. Beloved by fans and players alike, having Johnson back on the roster will certainly give the Avs a boost.
Following the trade deadline, the Avalanche has one of the strongest lineups in the league. If the new members of the team are cohesive, the team is likely to win it all.
Boston Bruins fire sale, everyone must go!
Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney seems to have completely abandoned hopes of sending his team to its seventh-straight playoff appearance. However, Sweeney seems to be unsure of his goal in dispatching three members of Boston’s core.
Defenseman Brandon Carlo was sent to the Bruins’ historic rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs and Coyle was sent to the Avs. The most shocking trade though came when captain and 16-year Bruins veteran Brad Marchand was traded to the Florida Panthers, a divisional rival and the team responsible for knocking Boston out of the playoffs two years in a row.
Had Marchand desired a trade, this decision would be more understandable, but that was not the case. Marchand wanted to stay in Boston and retire as a Bruin, but Sweeney did not share the same sentiment. Another slap in the face was the return for the trade: a conditional second round draft pick that will turn into a first round pick if the Panthers play in the second round of the playoffs and Marchand plays in 50% of the games.
Despite being 36 years old, Marchand was one of the best offensive producers for Boston and worth much more than a draft pick. Rumor has it that he will return come summer, but Marchand might not want to come back to a team who all but tossed him out.
Sweeney was not confident in his own decisions, saying, “If I had done my job appropriately, we’d be adding like we have in the previous 10 years,” at a March 7 press conference. This is not the way to inspire confidence in players, fans and sponsors. Boston has been performing solidly since the trade of its captain — winning both of its games March 8 and 11 — but that is based on the talent of remaining players, not in Sweeney’s trade decisions.
Sweeney has yet to make any good draft decisions, with forward Johnny Beecher being the only pick so far to consistently play for the team after being drafted in 2023.
Bill Zito’s trade deadline masterclass
Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito has effectively set his team up to win the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years.
San Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek is an excellent option to play backup to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Vanecek has been a consistent performer for the duration of his time as a career backup goaltender, winning the majority of games he has featured in.
Chicago Blackhawks veteran defenseman Seth Jones will be a beneficial presence on the Panthers’ back line once playoff season arrives. In the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, Jones’ nine points in 10 games aided in the Columbus Blue Jackets winning their first series ever. As a player that has been in the league for 10 years, Jones will be hungry to win his first Cup.
The Panthers added a player vying to grab a second Stanley Cup in Marchand. After winning in 2011 and coming up short in 2019, there is no doubt that Marchand will want another one.
Perhaps the best decision Zito made was to put forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injury reserve, as it freed up salary cap space, allowing his general manager to pick up signings like Jones, Vanecek and Marchand. If he is healthy, Tkachuk will be eligible to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With an already talented lineup, adding veteran stars searching for their first or another championship gives Florida all the pieces necessary to win its second title.
There is no doubt that the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs will be highly entertaining and competitive. The Avalanche and the Panthers have put themselves solidly into championship contention. However, nothing is a given in the NHL.
As always, although it hurts at the moment — go Bruins!
