Petan is a former second-round pick (No.43 overall in 2013) but struggled to get his footing in Winnipeg. Petan had back-to-back 100-plus point seasons in the WHL but has recorded just 23 points (5G / 18A) in 108 career NHL games. Petan has posted impressive numbers in the AHL but could have just as difficult of a time becoming a regular in a deep Toronto lineup.
Kiselevich was signed out of the KHL this summer and recorded eight assists in 32 games with the Panthers. The Jets picked up Kiselevich and Nathan Beaulieu to give them some extra defensive insurance as they head towards the playoffs.
Beaulieu has been a healthy scratch for half of the Sabres games this season and the Jets add him with the hopes that he can re-discover his game from his days in Montreal. Beaulieu could see some playing time while Josh Morrissey is ailing after suffering an upper-body injury on Monday.
Pearson got off to a nice start in Pittsburgh but dropped down the depth chart after they added Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Overall, Pearson has nine goals and six assists (15 points) in 61 games between the Kings and Penguins. He has a much better chance to play in the Canucks top-6 and could slot onto the top line with Bo Horvat right away.
With Olli Maatta out long-term and both Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin getting banged up on Saturday, the Penguins were in the market for a defenseman. The game may be a little fast for Gudbranson in 2019 but he brings a big, rugged style of play to a Penguins blueline that is really thin right now.
Hendricks is a quality depth/fourth-line addition for the Jets, who he played 65 games with last season. Hendricks only played in five of the Jets’ 17 playoff games a year ago, so don’t expect him to be a big factor for them this time around.
Johansson really got hot close to the deadline, scoring six goals with six assists (12 points) in the last 13 games and heads to Boston where he projects to skate with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Johansson, who has nine power-play points (2 PPG / 7 PPA) should help bolster the Bruins second PP-unit as well.
Del Zotto provides the Blues with an experienced 6th/7th defenseman, who is capable of providing a little offence. Del Zotto is already on his third team this season, scoring one goal with six assists in 35 games in his first two stops (Vancouver and Anaheim).
Hartman was acquired for a first and fourth-round picks at least year’s deadline but didn’t have the same effectiveness in the Predators bottom-6 as he did in Chicago. Hartman has a nice blend of physicality and offence that should help replace losing Simmonds on the Flyers’ third-line. This trade allows Philadelphia to continue to fight for a playoff spot without losing Simmonds for nothing.
Simmonds’ production took a predictable hit this season after the Flyers signed James van Riemsdyk in the offseason. Simmonds’ playing time dropped 1:30 TOI/gm this season and has led to him scoring 16 goals and 11 assists (27 points) in 62 games. Simmonds in on-pace for less than 10 power-play goals for the first time since 2013 but should help bolster the Predators power-play, which ranks 31st in the NHL right now.
Lindberg has been in and out of the Golden Knights lineup this season, scoring four goals with eight assists (12 points) in 35 games. The former second-round pick was a depth piece in Vegas but should play a larger role in Ottawa, given that they have traded their three top scorers in the last few weeks.
Brannstrom has become one of the NHL’s top prospects since being selected No.15 overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Brannstrom is a talented offensive-defenseman, who has been compared to former Senators’ defenseman Erik Karlsson. Brannstrom has scored seven goals with 21 assists (28 points) in 41 games with Chicago (AHL) and will report to Bellville (AHL) in the immediate future. The Senators future top-pair of Brannstrom and Thomas Chabot projects to be extremely impressive, but the Senators are going to have a long rebuild.
Stone became the face of the Senators franchise after they traded away Erik Karlsson but it became clear that they were unlikely to reach an extension, which is why he was ultimately dealt at the deadline. Stone has already set a career-high in goals (28), marking the fifth straight season he has recorded 20-plus goals and 30-plus assists. Stone is also a reliable defensive player and is one of the league’s great pickpockets. He projects to skate in the Vegas top-6 and could even start on the top-line with William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault.
The Predators were likely looking to add a centre like Matt Duchene or Kevin Hayes but pivoted to Granlund when those two were traded to Columbus and Winnipeg respectively. Granlund is a player who plays on the wing as well and is know primarily as a playmaker, but is on-pace for his third straight 20-plus goal season. Granlund seems like a player who will either bump Kyle Turris down the lineup and centre the second line or play on Turris’ wing.
The Predators were looking for Fiala to take the next step this season after scoring 23 goals with 25 assists (48 points) last season and it has not happened. The winger was impressive last season, firing 187 shots while averaging just 15:09 TOI/gm but has seen his shot volume and shooting percentage drop this year. In Minnesota, he has a clear path to playing top-6, even top-line minutes, so this trade should help boost his fantasy value through the rest of the season.
Fantenberg is a 27-year-old left-shot defenseman with three points (2G / 1A) in 46 games with the Kings this season. Fantenberg appeared in four playoff games last season and provides the Flames with some extra D-depth while Michael Stone is sidelined.
McQuaid is a big (6-foot-4, 212 lbs.) right-handed defenseman that plays a physical brand of hockey but brings little-to-no offence. McQuaid has five points (2G / 3A), 19 shots, 99 hits and 76 blocked shots in 36 games with the Rangers this season.
The Panthers are in Colorado tonight so Brassard will likely walk down the hall and face his former team. The Avalanche are looking for some help offensively and adding Brassard to their middle-6 should help. The 31-year-old centre has had an off-year, scoring just 10 goals with nine assists (19 points) in 50 games with the Penguins and Panthers.
Pu was actually traded for Tomas Jurco, but you can’t trade an AHL contract for an NHL contract, hence the “future considerations.” Pu was originally a third-round pick of the Sabres in 2016 and was one of the key pieces that went to Carolina in the Jeff Skinner trade. The 20-year-old has had a terrible season in Charlotte, scoring just one goal with five assists (six points) in 44 games.
Jurco was actually traded for Cliff Pu, but you can’t trade an AHL contract for an NHL contract, hence the “future considerations.” Jurco has spent the entire season in the AHL, where he has four goals and six assists (10 points) in 14 games with Springfield. He will report to Charlotte (AHL).
NHL trades are decided between two or more team general managers. The front office’s job is building a winning team. Building a winning team means discussing trades with other general managers across the league.
During the NHL regular season, players can be traded up until the trade deadline. The deadline is the official cutoff point for when teams can no longer make moves between each other. Players can also be traded throughout the offseason.
Teams trade players in hockey for a variety of reasons, but generally, it is done to find success, whether that is in the short term or long term. Teams may trade their top players in search of draft picks if they are undergoing a rebuild, whereas contending teams may look to acquire talent to boost their playoff chances.
Trades are a common occurrence throughout the NHL and happen often. Some years feature less trades than others, it all depends on each teams needs and the availability of attractive talent.
