Faces in new places following the NHL trade deadline

The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline has passed and a lot of players ended up changing teams over the past few weeks. Stanley Cup contenders made additions that they hope will put them over the top, and non-playoff teams made moves with an eye toward the future. We take a look at some of the top names that are on the move. 

This was the first significant trade of the trade deadline season and saw the Flames add a significant piece to their roster. Calgary has an outstanding top line with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau (one of the best and most productive duos in the league this season), an elite defense, and fantastic goaltending. They lacked secondary scoring and Toffoli is a huge addition that also has a history with coach Darryl Sutter from their days with the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and Toffoli gives them just what they needed without having to give up a ton in return. 

Giroux's time with Philadelphia ended just after his 1,000th game with the team. He had a no-trade clause and was able to dictate where he went, favoring the Florida Panthers in his attempt to get a Stanley Cup. The Panthers traded forward Owen Tippett and a future (2024) first-round draft pick to the Flyers for Giroux. He is not the elite scorer he was at his peak, but he is still a legitimate top-line option and makes an already outstanding offense that much better. 

This is probably the biggest trade of deadline day. The Chicago Blackhawks season turned into a mess and resulted in them selling off assets after spending wildly in the offseason. Fleury, a pending unrestricted free agent, is one of the players to move for a conditional second-round pick that could become a first-round pick if the Wild advance to the Western Conference Final. Fleury has not quite repeated his Vezina Trophy performance from a year ago but he is moving to a much better team (defensively and overall) and should get a boost as he shares the crease with Cam Talbot. 

The Lightning are hoping they can get a repeat of the Blake Coleman trade here, snagging a good third-line player that is signed long-term (two more full seasons after this season) for a dirt-cheap rate ($1.5 million) against the salary cap. Coleman was more proven and a better defensive player, while a lot of Hagel's production this season is tied to an outrageously high shooting percentage, he is still a good addition. The Lightning sent two future first-round picks and two depth players to Chicago for Hagel and two future fourth-round picks. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are still legitimate Stanley Cup contenders but needed another scoring option for their middle-six lines. Rickard Rakell is a nice addition by general manager Ron Hextall who did not have to trade a first-round pick or any of the Penguins' top prospects to acquire Rakell. The Penguins sent fourth-liners Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, along with a 2022 second-round draft pick and goalie prospect Calle Clang, to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the trade. Rakell is not the 30-goal scorer he was a few years at his peak in Anaheim, but he is still a solid 20-25 goal option with a lot of skill for their second or third line. 

The New York Rangers have been one of the most top-heavy teams in the league this season, being carried by an elite goalie, a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, and two great lines at the top of the forward group. They desperately needed more depth and Copp is a fantastic addition for their bottom-six, bringing strong defensive play and a bit of an offensive punch. The Rangers had more salary cap space than any other Stanley Cup contender or playoff team in the league and while they did not hit an obvious home run, they did use their salary cap space smartly. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs decided to not address their goaltending questions (they tried to sign Gold Medal winning goalie Harri Sateri, but he was claimed on waivers by the Arizona Coyotes) and instead tried to strengthen their defense with Giordano. Giordano has been one of the league's best defenseman throughout his career and was the first-ever captain for the expansion Seattle Kraken. He is not as dominant offensively as he used to be, but he is still very good defensively and will improve Toronto's defense, especially in the absence of veteran Jake Muzzin. Toronto also received a quality depth forward in Colin Blackwell in this trade. 

This might be one of the best additions of the trade deadline. Artturi Lehkonen is an outstanding two-way player that can drive possession and chip in some offense while also playing a strong defensive game. He is going to be an outstanding fit on the Colorado Avalanche's third line and make what is already the league's most impressive roster and team even better. There is no weakness on this roster right now. 

Things did not work out for Max Domi with the Columbus Blue Jackets and he is on the move yet again, moving to his fourth different organization in the past five seasons. The Hurricanes are not going to need him to be a top contributor, but he will bring some skill and playmaking to their bottom-six while having the ability to play up and down in the lineup. 

The Boston Bruins did not add to their forward depth, but they did add to their defense by adding Josh Brown from Ottawa and Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks. Lindholm is a significant addition because he is not only the better of the two players but because they followed his acquisition by immediately re-signing him to an eight-year contract extension worth $52 million. That averages out to a salary-cap number of $6.5 million per season. That is a significant contract for a 28-year-old defenseman, but Lindholm will be a nice No. 2 for Boston behind Charlie McAvoy and make an already great defensive team even better. 

Josh Manson was one of the other pending unrestricted free agents traded by the Anaheim Ducks, landing with the Avalanche. Colorado already has one of the best blue lines in the league, but with Samuel Girard sidelined for a while the Avalanche had the salary-cap space and the need for some more depth there. He joins a defense that, when everybody is healthy, boasts Cale Makar, Girard, Devon Toews, Erik Johnson, and Bowen Byram which is elite in every way. 

The Florida Panthers paid an extremely high price to add Ben Chiarot, and it is a little confusing. Chiarot is best served as a third-pairing defender, and while he plays a physical brand of hockey his overall impact on the game is minimal. Still, Florida gave up a first-round pick and a prospect for him (as a rental) and he does not even really fit their style of play. With Aaron Ekblad sidelined for the foreseeable future they could have used more on defense, but I am not sure Chiarot and their other trade deadline addition (Robert Hagg from the Buffalo Sabres) really make a significant impact. At least not the impact the Panthers might want. 

Before adding Giordano from Seattle, the Maple Leafs added Lyubushkin from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a package that included Nick Richie. Lyubushkin is a defensive-minded player that adds some additional depth to Toronto's blue line. It is interesting that Toronto went in this direction to upgrade its defense when the biggest problem and question mark for the team has been in goal. They are really betting on Jack Campbell being healthy and bouncing back in the playoffs. 

The Lightning traded Mathieu Joseph to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Paul to add a little more versatility to their lineup (Paul can play center). He is an unrestricted free agent after this season while Joseph is still a restricted free agent, but Tampa Bay may not have been able to tender him a contract to keep him due to salary cap issues. 

Another solid depth addition for the Rangers. Vatrano is not a game-changer, but he does give the Rangers exactly what they needed: Somebody to play in their bottom six that can score the occasional goal. Florida moved him in an effort to create some salary-cap space so they could acquire Giroux, Chiarot, and Hagg. 

Jarnkrok is not going to get a ton of attention, but he quietly goes about his business scoring 15 goals and playing good defense every year. He is the perfect third-line player. Between him, Toffoli, and Ryan Carpenter the Flames perfectly addressed their forward depth concerns and have a rock-solid team from top to bottom that can compete with anybody in the Western Conference. 

Another depth addition for the Rangers, Braun might be the most questionable of the Rangers' trades. He was out of place in a top role for the Philadelphia Flyers at this stage of his career, but the Rangers are ideally hoping for him to play third-pairing minutes and be a stabilizing veteran presence on their blue line. 

After bouncing around the league the past few years, Marcus Johansson returns to the Washington Capitals, the team he began his career with and had his most success with, in a deadline deal for Daniel Sprong. Not a huge trade, but Johansson will probably be used more than Sprong was by the Capitals' coaching staff and a solid depth addition to a Capitals team that might be a little overlooked right now. 

The Blues have an outstanding offense and seem to have stumbled on to a solution in goal with Ville Husso playing great. The big Achilles heel, oddly enough, seemed to be on defense, a position that was at one time not that long ago a major strength for them. They did not get one of the top defenders available or that moved, but they did take a chance that Leddy can bounce back after a down season in Detroit. The price was right and there is some potential there. 

The Capitals did not go for a major splash at the trade deadline, instead opting for a couple of solid defensive forwards. Larsson joins Johansson in a depth role for the Capitals. They are a likely Wild Card team and looking at a first-round matchup against either the Carolina Hurricanes or Florida Panthers, both of which have outstanding offenses. Any additional defensive help at forward or on the blue line will help in those potential matchups.