Before I switch my attention to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, I decided to tackle some questions that have been bothering me for a while. Based on the comments I read on hockey blogs, in PuckPedia’s GM mode, and even in articles by the professional experts in the media…your team MUST add players at the deadline if they really want to win the Stanley Cup. And a lot of them typically go farther than that by insisting General Managers’ need to take homerun swings by acquiring an “elite” addition, even at the cost of 1st round draft picks or high-end prospects. Well, are the “go all in” types in the right? Or is it more about making “the correct move(s)” that really matters? Time to try and find out….
NHL GM’s aren’t shy about making changes to their rosters at the last second, as TSN’s all day show typically gets between 16 and 30 deals to talk about. For the sake of this exercise, I will review the trade deadline moves of the last 12 Stanley Cup Champions to try and determine how vital the transactions the respective GM’s made actually were. So the data pool runs from Paul Maurice’s 2023-24 Florida Panthers lifting Lord Stanley’s trophy less than a year ago to Patrick Kane’s 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks successful Cup run.
Before we take a detailed look at the moves made by the successful GM’s over the years, I thought I would answer some of the more obvious questions based on the accumulated data.
Has every Cup winning GM made a move at the deadline?
The answer to that is yes…12 out of 12 eventual Cup winners made a move at the deadline, even the Covid pandemic couldn’t stop the GM’s impulse to add to their clubs.
Did every one of those franchises add a player that saw post-season action?
Over those 12 years, only one campaign saw the champs fail to add a player that dressed for at least one playoff game. The exception was the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, who did add one player for depth at the deadline, but he never saw action in the post-season. The Blues caught lightning in a bottle half-way through the year and wisely chose not to mess with team chemistry.
How active were the successful GM’s at the deadline?
Well, a total of 31 trades made by eventual Cup winners, an average of 2.58 per team, tells us that they were pretty active. In those transactions, the GM’s acquired a total of 33 players, yet only 21 of those actually played in at least 1 playoff game. 13 forwards, 8 defensemen.
How often do the GM’s get a key offensive contributor in late February/early March?
Well, while the idea of “key” is a bit subjective, I can say that only 4 or 5 of the forwards made a significant offensive impact (i.e. close to a point every 2 games). On two occasions, a traded for player came close to the point per game range (22 pts in 26 gms & 18 pts in 22 gms) so they obviously made a big difference.
What about defense & goaltending?
When it comes to goalies, only two were acquired at the deadline and neither of those saw any playoff action. This seems like a recent trend, with both the Panthers & Golden Knights adding depth tending before the final stretch and nothing in the prior 10 campaigns.
GM’s picked up plenty of forwards at the last stop “Hockey Players R Us” store before the playoffs, but they also added defensemen at a higher rate when you compare the available game day positions (6 to 12). Of the 8 defenders that got into a playoff game, at least 3 or 4 defensemen saw significant playing time. None of the d-men ever eclipsed the 8 point mark, so they likely weren’t selected for their offensive proficiency.
What did the successful GM’s end up giving up?
24 draft picks traded by eventual Cup winners. Of those, only three 1st round picks were moved over the 12 seasons, while 2nds (4), 3rds (5), & 4ths (5) were the most commonly used trade bait. Surprisingly with only three 1st rounders departed with, who would have thought two of them would be done by the same GM at the same trade deadline. Possibly the best example of the “homerun swing” at the deadline, but we’ll look more into that later.
22 players were traded by eventual Cup winners. None were established top six forwards or top four defenders, most didn’t have much NHL experience. In terms of higher end prospects, only four were drafted in the 1st round and another two were 2nd round selections.
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Alright enough of generalities, let us dig into the actual moves of the past Stanley Cup champions to see exactly what type of transactions their GM’s were making. Might as well start with the most recent winners, since those memories are freshest in our minds.
2023-24 Florida Panthers
- acquired Tarasenko (F) from OTT for a 3rd & conditional 4th.
- traded for Okposo (F) from BUF for a 5th & Sjalin (5th rd pick).
- got Hellberg (G) from STL for 7th & Waeber (undrafted).
The Cats were apparently satisfied with their defense at the deadline and turned their focus to other areas. Instead, Florida added a depth goaltender who never got a sniff of playoff time, while addressing their forward corps. Tarasenko was arguably their biggest addition even though he came with a reasonable price tag. That being said, the winger hardly lit things up with 9 pts in 24 playoff contests. Okposo played the majority of games (17), but only got his name on the scoresheet twice.
2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights
- picked up Barbashev (F) from STL for Dean (1st rd pick).
- got nothing for sending Weber & a 5th rounder to ARZ.
- traded for Blueger (F) from PIT for 3rd & Dilibertatore (6th rd pick).
- acquired Quick (G) from CLM for Hutchinson & a 7th rounder.
It is hardly surprising that the gambling Knights franchise is our first team to move a higher end asset at the deadline. Swapping Barbashev for a former 30th overall pick that doesn’t appear to be panning out that well (2 pts in 8 AHL gms) turned out to be a great move as the forward produced 18 pts in 22 games. Blueger is the only other addition that saw post-season action (2 pts in 6 gms), so the other two transactions were more about goalie depth & salary cap maneuvering.
2021-22 Colorado Avalanche
- snagged Lehkonen (F) from MTL for Barron (1st rd pick) & a 2nd rounder.
- added Manson (D) from ANA for Helleson (2nd rd pick) & a 2nd rounder.
- got Cogliano (F) from SJ for a 5th rounder.
- picked up Sturm (F) from MIN for Jost.
The Avs are another team that was fairly aggressive at the deadline, shedding 4 high draft picks/prospects to add just two players. The GM apparently thought his squad needed more assistance, since he acquired a couple more additions to play a part in the Cup run. Both Manson (8 pts) & Lehkonen (14 pts) played in all 20 contests while playing a significant role, while the other two depth forwards saw regular action too (combined for 29 games & 8 pts).
2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning
- acquired Savard (D) from DET for a 4th rounder.
The Bolts took the minimalist approach (possibly due to the pandemic) to the deadline as they looked for the 2nd straight Stanley. Only parting with a 4th rounder for Savard, Tampa added a significant defender who also chipped in 5 pts over the 20 playoff games it took to lift the Cup.
2019-20 Tampa Bay Lightning
- traded for Coleman (F) from NJ for Foote (1st rd pick) & a 1st rounder.
- added Goodrow (F) & a 3rd rounder from SJ for Greco (undrafted) & a 1st rounder.
Looking for the first championship, the Lightning were much more active at this deadline. They pretty much went “all in” when they traded the equivalent of three 1st rounders. While the end result might have made the cost worthwhile, the offensive production received wasn’t earth-shattering (combined for 19 pts in 50 gms). That being said, Coleman did help the middle six out by chipping in 13 pts, while Goodrow was lauded for his leadership & work in the bottom six (as well as 6 pts) by his eventual Cup winning teammates.
2018-19 St. Louis Blues
- got Del Zotto from ANA for a 6th rounder.
The Blues suddenly turned into a winning team half way through the season and rode the great play from goalie Binnington all the way to the Stanley Cup parade. The GM seemed to not want to mess with things, and only picked up a spare part (no playing time for Del Zotto) as other franchises scrambled to make the right move.
2017-18 Washington Capitals
- picked up Kempny (D) from CHI for a 3rd rounder.
- acquired Jerabek from MTL for a 5th rounder.
The Caps only made two transactions at or near the trade deadline, but did add a full-time player in defenseman Kempny (5 pts in 24 gms). Another d-man, Jerabek picked up a point in 2 post-season contests, so you could say they both had some impact on the successful run.
2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins
- added Hainsey (D) from CAR for Kristo (2nd rd pick) & 2nd rounder.
- got Streit (D) from TB for a 4th rounder.
- traded for Corrado (D) from TOR for Fehr, Oleksy, & a 4th rounder.
The Pens were looking to wrap up the 2nd straight Cup at this deadline and their GM paid a fairly high price to stiffen their defense with Hainsey (equivalent of two 2nd rd picks). The d-man did put up 8 pts in 25 playoff games, helping Crosby & company become champions for back-to-back seasons. While Corrado never saw action, Streit did manage to get into 3 matches (2 pts).
2015-16 Pittsburgh Penguins
- snagged Schultz (D) from EDM for a 3rd rounder.
- added Melindy, O’Donoghue, & Jeffrey from ARZ for Marcantuoni (4th rd pick).
- picked up Plachta from ARZ for Plotnikov (undrafted).
Pittsburgh may have made three transactions at the deadline, but only one of them is/was of any significance. Schultz accumulated 4 pts in the post-season, but was limited to only 15 appearances. Worth the 3rd rounder? Probably.
2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks
- acquired Vermette (F) from ARZ for Dahlbeck (3rd rd pick) & a 1st rounder.
- got Timonen (D) from PHI for 2nd & 4th rounders.
- traded for Desjardins (F) from SJ for B. Smith (6th rd pick) & a conditional 7th rounder.
The Hawks were looking to win another Cup to add to the 12-13 trophy they recently picked up, so the GM was fairly active at the deadline. They paid fairly high prices for Vermette & Timonen, but it was Desjardins who ended up suiting up the most (4 pts in 21 gms). The added defenseman didn’t provide any offense in his 18 contests, but did help the team out in his own end. Vermette saw action in 20 games that year, chipping in 7 pts.
2013-14 Los Angeles Kings
- picked up Gaborik (F) from CLM for Frattin (4th rd pick), a 2nd rounder, & a conditional 4th rounder.
- added a couple 2nd rounders & prospects McNabb & Parker from BUF for Fasching (4th rd pick) & Deslauriers (3rd rd pick).
The Kings’ GM did a little of adding to his current roster and his draft pool when the deadline rolled around in their championship season. Spending a 2nd rounder plus for Gaborik ended up being a great move as he put up 22 pts in 26 games to play a pivotal role. I really am not sure what Buffalo was doing in the second trade, giving up a future NHLer in McNabb and two 2nd round picks for a couple of players who weren’t high draft picks in their years and haven’t seemed to pan out very well.
2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks
- snagged Handzus (F) from CHI for a 4th rounder.
- added prospects Gotovets & Sauve from TB/BOS for prospects Paradis (1st rd pick) & Flick (4th rd pick).
Our final season played out a bit oddly, as the impact player (Handzus) who amassed 11 pts in 23 contests came cheaply, while a couple of prospects who never developed cost a former 1st round selection, who also never panned out.
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So after all that, what is the best path for a GM to take when the trade deadline approaches? Does it pay off to take a big swing and part with a 1st rounder or 1st round equivalent at the minimum to add a significant piece? Or should they take a chance while keeping their best assets close to their chest (i.e. taking 1st & high end prospects off the table)? Perhaps taking a small swing and only spending 3rds or less is the way to go?
Unfortunately, this experiment didn’t offer any clear answers to that because 5 of the Cup winners ended up paying a high price to add a player or two, while 3 took swings without going as far as a top draft pick or prospect, and 4 took the moderate approach on the road to the championship. None of the categories are significantly better than the others…too close to really call. That being said, the actual homerun trades were few and far between.
I’m guessing it more comes down to the GM’s successfully trying to plug holes in their roster, regardless of cost if they think the acquired player(s) can put them over the top. But since 96.9% of GMs ending each season without a Stanley Cup ring, it is always going to be a huge gamble.
When it comes to our Winnipeg Jets, I think there are some things that Kevin Cheveldayoff should avoid. First, considering moving an impact player like Nikolaj Ehlers at the deadline seems counter-productive if the True Northers truly have dreams of lifting the Stanley Cup. Even if that means losing him for nothing. Another suggestion might be that the true high end prospects like Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager, Elias Salomonsson, & Nikita Chibrikov should never really be considered. Because of the lack of defensive prospects in the Peg and his play in his rookie AHL season, I think Salomonsson should be considered the most untouchable though.
Perhaps the Jets would consider parting with higher end prospects that haven’t seen their development go smoothly like Chaz Lucius & Colby Barlow, but I would only if Winnipeg is really filling a hole well and for more than just a partial season. The Jets do have a lot of forward prospects and if one of them can help get a younger top four defenseman with team control (preferably right-handed), then that has to be something the team has to consider. Not sure any potential future NHL second line centers will be considered by Chevy though, so that would remove Yager, Lambert, and for me even Lucius.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the moves the successful teams made in the Comment section. Which acquisition did you think was the most pivotal? Who was the biggest steal? Also, did this article put any ideas into your heads about how Chevy should approach the upcoming March 8th deadline?
Enjoy the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off if you have the time or just take a mini-vacation from hockey. I will put up at least one article about the tournament to allow members to share their thoughts as it goes on. Might end up being more if I happen to write more Winnipeg Jets content in the next couple weeks.
