Eastern Conference Makes A Splash With NHL Trade Deadline

A month after the NBA saw Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook being dealt, it was hard for Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, to imagine the talk around their deadline getting much attention. Ice hockey in the United States has always struggled in popularity compared to the NFL and NBA, but the trade deadline was a great way to bring more awareness to the sport. 

If any non-NHL familiar sports fan in the US was asked about players in the NHL they’ve heard of it probably consists of Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, or the best American to ever play the sport, Patrick Kane. And even better, where else to move him to than the United State’s mecca of hockey, New York City. Patrick Kane, nicknamed in his career ‘Broadway’, has found his new home as a New York Ranger, being dealt days before the deadline last week. Even those who have seen hockey as an afterthought won’t want to miss this spring when the Rangers hit the ice during playoffs in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. At the end of the day, Gary Bettman can’t ask for more than that.

Patrick Kane was obviously the biggest chip traded this season. However, other big names were sent to teams in the weeks approaching the deadline. Bo Horvat, the long-time captain of the Vancouver Canucks, was sent to the New York Islanders at the All-Star break, breaking open the floodgates for trades. Quickly signing a contract after that weekend with an evaluation of $8.5 million a year, it was clear that teams were going to have to gear up and make some moves in order to compete. The Boston Bruins, who just became the fastest team to reach 100 points in NHL history, somehow became a better team post-trade deadline. By locking up David Pasternak, and trading for Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, and Garnet Hathway, while giving up minimal picks, they garnered themselves the title of most anticipated to win the Stanley Cup. With their already sound core of anticipated Vezina trophy winner Linus Ullmark, frequent Selke winner Patrice Bergeron, and in Norris contention Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins are a team to look out for. The Toronto Maple Leafs were another team in the East to make quick work of the players available. Kyle Dubas, the General Manager of the Leafs, acquired Ryan O’Reilly, a widely sought-after Stanley Cup winner in St.Louis, as well as Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, Erik Gustafsson, Luke Schenn, and Rasmus Sandin. This bolsters their weak defense, allowing fans to look forward to the potential of finally exiting the first round in the playoffs. Any matchup in the East is set to be an exciting contention. 

The player that was probably of the highest caliber in the current level of play available at the deadline was Timo Meier. With the Rangers acquiring Patrik Kane after the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko, and the Islanders going for Bo Horvat, the Devils were in the hot seat. The New Jersey Devils have had a season nobody expected, sitting second in the Metropolitan division and proving the haters wrong with their consistency in the level of play. It became obvious that Timo Meier should go to the Devils in order to compete with the teams around them. Once the trade was official, it was clear that the battle for the Eastern Conference title was going to be a bloodbath. The Tampa Bay Lightning, having won cups in 2020 and 2021, have the experience and goalkeeping to win a cup, but have been anything but outstanding this season. They traded for Tanner Jeannot, a sought-after, bottom-line player that fits into the spirit of Tampa’s Stanley Cup-winning teams by giving up Cal Foote, a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a third, fourth, and fifth pick. His personality fit so well into the culture ingrained within Tampa Bay that they were willing to give up more than the Rangers gave up for Patrick Kane. By giving up an extreme price for Jeannot, the Lightning are yet another Eastern Conference team gaining a valuable addition to their lineup. It’s almost like each team in the East acquiring assets, making others around them do the same. 

While this is exciting for the fans that live on the coast of the Atlantic, it leaves the Western Conference looking quite measly. Not to say the Edmonton Oilers or defending Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche, can’t put up a good fight, but with all big trades being made in the East, it starts to make you wonder, how will the west compete?