Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber kept his eye on the NHL trade movement during Tuesday's deadline and then graded the activity. He also offered his thoughts on significant trades throughout the afternoon. To see what Farber had to say about Monday's Pavel Bure deal, click here.
Grade: A
New York Rangers: This goes back to the Pavel Bure deal. They picked up a guy who can play in their system and will give them some jump. And the only player they really gave up off their roster is Mike York, a nice player, but a small player. The Rangers will miss York's versatility and work ethic, but if they make the playoffs, it’s a small price to pay. While New York was acquiring weapons, Montreal, by comparison, picked up Bill Lindsay off waivers and Stephane Fiset, who’s spent a lot of time in the minors. That’s the benefit of being the Rangers.
Grade: B+
Colorado Avalanche: Darius Kasparaitis is not a difference-maker, the balance of power in the Western Conference hasn’t shifted. Kasparaitis' name doesn’t belong in the same sentence with some of the previous moves Colorado has made for defensemen, but he was the best one who moved; a second- or third-pair guy. He’s an impact defenseman in the way he hits, but he’ll also make mistakes. Still, he doesn’t cost the Avs much and they kept him away from Detroit.
Washington Capitals: They basically threw in the towel on the playoffs, which you don’t like to see a team do when they’re close, but they maxed out on a 39-year-old player in Adam Oates. General manager George McPhee has his eyes on an offseason deal to bring in a center that is more compatible with Jaromir Jagr; plus, he got a future No. 1 goaltender.
Grade: B
New Jersey Devils: Not only did they get Joe Nieuwendyk, who can still be a No. 1 center, but they also picked up a promising player in Jamie Langenbrunner. On the other hand, Jason Arnott hadn’t lived up to his performance from the Stanley Cup finals the Devils won.
Philadelphia Flyers: GM Bobby Clarke went out and got the guy he wanted. Adam Oates will play another year after this, maybe two. He is in tremendous shape, hasn’t been injured a whole lot and leads the league in assists. He is the best passer in the NHL since Wayne Gretzky left the game.
Grade: C+
Detroit Red Wings: They needed more of the Kasparaitis type of defenseman, but Jiri Slegr is a professional. He’s a terrific puck mover when he’s healthy and he can have moments of brilliance.
Grade: C
Boston Bruins: They failed to address their most pressing need, a power-play defenseman. Tom Poti would have filled the bill. Slegr might have, too. Jeff Norton is too long in the tooth to do it now. The Bruins didn’t hurt themselves, but didn’t help themselves appreciably, while the Flyers made the boldest move in the Eastern Conference.
Disappointing deadline efforts: I think the Islanders could have done something more, and Toronto needed another defenseman in a fallback position. Phoenix didn’t do much, but is right where it wants to be. When you’re getting that much from those players, sometimes you don’t want to change anything. I’m not sure Atlanta, for all its maneuvering, got all that much. If the picks end up as Kovalchuks and Heatleys, fine, but they aren’t going to be high picks.
Player most likely to succeed: Tom Poti in New York. He’ll take a secondary role in which he should be able to relax. He’ll also be playing a system in which defensemen are encouraged to join the play.
Player most likely to be overhyped: Kasparaitis in Colorado. He’s a hard, combative player who will certainly will help, but people shouldn’t believe all the hype.
Devils | Stars
Get:
C Joe Nieuwendyk
RW Jamie Langenbrunner
Get:
C Jason Arnott
RW Randy McKay
1st round pick
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
Arnott has been bothered by some back problems lately, so we’ll have to see how that turns out. He had his one superb playoff season when New Jersey won the Cup, but he’s never emerged as one of the top handful of centers in the league. He played mostly on the wing in Edmonton, so he does give the Stars some flexibility if they want to convert him back into a power winger. McKay is nearing the end of a road in which he made the most of his ability. It is noteworthy, though, that Dallas picked up a No. 1. The Stars have lagged behind most NHL teams because of their high draft position, but in part because some picks didn’t pan out.
Dallas had a glut of centermen and, given his age, Nieuwendyk was the most expendable. You’re not going to trade the NHL’s best forward, Mike Modano. And Pierre Turgeon has started to come on of late. Langenbrunner has always been on the cusp but has never really blossomed. Certainly, he’s a useful winger and he’ll fit in nicely on New Jersey’s third line. He'll also be playing in a system not too different from the one he played in Dallas.
The Bottom Line
Nieuwendyk proved at the Olympics that he could still play and he’ll be able to move up to the No. 1 center role in New Jersey. Langenbrunner is the cherry on top. Despite the relative ages of the centers swapped, if Arnott doesn’t find his Stanley Cup playoff form, this should be a good deal for the Devils.
Rangers | Oilers
Get:
D Tom Poti
C/F Rem Murray
Get:
LW Mike York
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
Tom Poti fits in as the second offensive defenseman, behind Brian Leetch, which is just what he needs. He was under a microscope in Edmonton and I think he was picked on a bit. Basically he’ll slip under the radar screen in New York as everyone looks at their new toys. And Rem Murray is a player Glen Sather knows well; he can play in the middle or on the wing and in his best year had 21 goals.
Mike York is a nifty, smaller player who has shown a tendency to break down later in the season. He tends to benefit from playing with good players more than good players tend to benefit from playing with him. York really blossomed on a line with Eric Lindros and Theo Fleury, but you can’t say he led that line in any way. As skilled a player as he is, I think York was moved at the top of his market.
The Bottom Line
The Rangers favor an up-tempo game with a premium on offense, a system in which Poti should fit well. Glen Sather did more than any GM over the past two days to give his team a legitimate shot and he did it without giving away the store.
Red Wings | Thrashers
Get:
D Jiri Slegr
Get:
F Yuri Butsyaev
2002 3rd round pick
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
The Red Wings desperately needed one more defenseman, as they always seem to at the trade deadline. Maybe they would have been better off with a defenseman who has more bite. But Slegr’s a slick veteran; on the power play he can take some late minutes away from Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom. He’s an excellent puck mover and will fit in well on a veteran team.
Butsyaev is a left wing who just never fit in with Detroit. We don’t know if he can play or not, but he never had a chance there and he will in Atlanta. The Thrashers are just dumping salary and they also get a pick in return.
The Bottom Line
Detroit got a defenseman. The question is, given Kasparaitis’ availability, did they get the right one?
Blackhawks | Blue Jackets
Get:
D Lyle Odelein
Get:
D Jaroslav Spacek
2002 2nd round pick
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
Lyle Odelein’s a tough defenseman, who will fit right in with the Blackhawks, giving them more ammunition for the playoffs. He can fill in on the point on the second power play unit and he’s had the experience of playing for a Cup winner.
This is an excellent deal for general manager Doug MacLean. Jaroslav Spacek is a very good puck-moving defenseman; he hasn’t had a great year but on a team that has to score more goals he’ll help, especially a forward like Geoff Sanderson. And they also get a pick.
The Bottom Line
I kind of like this deal for Columbus. Ultimately Spacek will help make the forwards better. And they got younger in the process.
Flyers | Capitals
Get:
C Adam Oates
Get:
G Maxime Ouellet
2002 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
They lost two centermen in one game, both of whom could be out a significant about of time. Jeremy Roenick’s knee will keep him out two weeks, at least. The Flyers were absolutely desperate for a centerman. Oates is certainly going to become a fixture on the power play, which has been disappointing. And when you play him with a winger who doesn’t need the puck as Jaromir Jagr does, and John LeClair comes to mind, the combination is even more effective.
Ouellet is a past star in the World Junior tournament for Canada. He still has a bright future and could be a legit No. 1 in the NHL within a few years. Three picks are a lot for the Flyers to give up, but 2002 isn’t considered an exceptional year for prospects. Basically, this move breaks up the No. 1 line, but they’re getting some guys back healthy. It certainly hurts their playoff chances, because that Jagr-Oates paring had worked since the Olympic break.
The Bottom Line
The Flyers made the move they needed to, as they were unwilling to go into playoffs with weakness at a critical position. They paid a price, but if they get through the East, it was worth it.
Avalanche | Penguins
Get:
D Darius Kaparaitis
Get:
LW Ville Nieminen
D Rick Berry
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
They picked up a formidable defensive presence in Kasparaitis, who takes the pressure off Rob Blake and Adam Foote. It also keeps Kasparaitis out of Detroit’s hands.
Ville Nieminen, who was so effective as a third-line banger in the playoffs last season, has had a disappointing season. The emergence of Radim Vrbata made Nieminen expandable.
The Bottom Line
This is a bigtime move for Colorado, which will allow Bob Hartley to play five defensemen as the Avs did last year when they won the cup.
Bruins | Oilers
Get:
D Sean Brown
Get:
D Bobby Allen
What's in it for them
What's in it for them
They get a little toughness on the blue line and a guy who can play on the third pair, a No. 6 or a No. 7 defenseman. What they get, too, is immediate help.
Edmonton gets a former college player who has a little more upside than Brown and who next year, or the year after, might be a second pair defenseman.
The Bottom Line
A minor trade, really. You can’t proclaim a winner and a loser in this one, but it does underline Boston’s desire to do something this year in the playoffs.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the
magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.
