Which deals have made the biggest playoff impact?

	Worst and best: Keith Tkachuk did little for the Thrashers, but Sean Avery was a huge plus for the Rangers. Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
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(Note to readers and NHL general managers : Clip or stick this in some electronic folder or whatever you internet generation people do, save, and read it next February as the frenzy of the trade deadline approaches.)

So, now that the first round of the 2007 playoffs is over, how did those hasty deadline deals work out?

Keith Tkachuk to the Thrashers for a first, second and third-round draft choice and journeyman Glen Metropolit?

Uh, not so well.

Tkachuk was the marquee player who moved in February, post Peter Forsberg to Nashville, but his new team was swept in the first round. The contributions of the left winger-turned-center were minimal, which should not have been a shock given his middling playoff resume.

General manager Don Waddell's other major deal -- landing defenseman Alexei Zhitnik from Philadelphia -- probably had more impact on the ice, at least providing the immobile Atlanta defense someone who can skate and move the puck. One day, Waddell might be known as a guy who can build a winner. Considering the prospects and picks he gave the Blues and Flyers in this desperate attempt to make a playoff run, it is a toss-up whether that team is Philadelphia, St. Louis or his own.

Forsberg to Nashville?

The Predators, who had more young talent than any organization, gave some of it (defenseman Ryan Parent, forward Scottie Upshall and two high draft choices) to Philadelphia to obtain the best playoff player of his generation. But Forsberg, although he played tolerably, appears to be running on empty. He had season-long problems with his right foot, and is an unrestricted free agent July 1 (as are Paul Kariya and captain Kimmo Timonen). While Nashville needed to solidify its place in the market with an extended playoff run -- the Predators never have won a playoff series -- the Forsberg trade didn't solve its most pressing problem.

Ryan Smyth to Long Island?

Not bad at all, even in the Islanders were bounced in the first round by Buffalo. Forget the stats: Smyth is one of the most important players in the NHL, rarely making mistakes and leading by example. New York made the playoffs -- a stunning accomplishment if you look at this team at the start of the year -- in part because of Smyth. If he re-signs there instead of opting for free agency - a distinct possibility - the Islanders have their next captain.