Looking Back on the NHL Trade Deadline

This is like Luke kissing Leia weird: Crosby still has all his teeth.

They say you can't accurately judge a trade immediately after it happens.  That's why I waited a week before writing this.  That should be plenty of time to avoid any awkward statistical anomalies like Jaromir Jagr contributing to 100% of his team's offense in his first game.  All one goal of it.

This post is only looking at trades involving NHL players swapping teams so the big moves that sent Martin Erat, Jarome Iginla, and the aforementioned Jagr to a new equipment rooms won't be examined as it's almost impossible to gauge how even these trades will be viewed for several years, or in the case of Erat for Filipe Forsberg, probably next week.  

All statistics were from Monday April 8th (disclaimer for when Brassard goes Darryl Sittler for 10 points or Mason goes all Dave Reese Tuesday night).

In the case of Iginla, the Flames haven't been burned that bad since the lopsided 1989 trade that sent Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Rick Wamsley, and Kent Manderville to Toronto for Gary Leeman, a bag of pucks (Craig Berube), some loose change from Cliff Fletcher's couch (Michel Petit), and a box of Tim Horton's donuts (Alexander Godynyuk and Jeff Reese). 

At this moment in time, Steve Delisile probably feels like a 3rd wheel after being shipped from the New York Rangers to Columbus and then back in what probably feels like the custody battle of a broken home.  It's good to feel wanted, right?  Even if it's not by the big clubs.  In another post, probably over the summer, I'll look at the entire Nash to the Rangers and Gaborik to the Blue Jackets comparing the overall roster turn over.


Looking into the lastest episode of Roster Swap: Derek Brassard either didn't like Steve Mason, Columbus didn't have a defensive system that involves actively trying to get in the way of pucks, or is absolutely smitten by the stunning Henrik Lundqvist based on his blocking three shots in his past three games for the Rangers compared to three in 34 games for Columbus.  Blocking that few suggests that he's not actively trying to get in the way of anything harder than a Roger Whitaker album. Or John Tortorella's losing the room has been great exaggerated.

Brassard also put up all four of his points in his first game (12:54), meaning that over the following three games he blocked three shots and doled out seven hits in 42:09 minutes of ice time.  But he did go a nasty 17/23 (73.9%) in the dot, so he's got that going for himself, which is nice.  So, while jacked up like a spider monkey on Mountain Dew immediately after the trade, it looks like he's come back to Earth a bit, as one would expect.

Gaborik has 3 points in his first three games, which basically doubles his average (19 points in 35 games in New York).  This boost could either from caffeine left behind by Brassard or, more likely, the excitement of a fresh start.  Also not skating around with the Tortorella ball and chain will probably help his game a bit.  By the way, your goalie's name is Sergei Bobrovsky.  You can meet him at the end of the year party.  Just don't let J.S. Giguere hear you talk about it or he'll throw you under the bus faster than Mike Milbury and Don Cherry ganging up on an enigmatic Russian.

Mason has only played one period of relief work for the Flyers stopping all 9 shots he faced.  He should probably call it for a career as a Flyer before the fans turn on him.  Which I expect to be between the national anthem and the first goal he allows.  He signed an extension?  Poor bastard.  However, that was better than Leighton's 21 save, 5 goals against night, in his only action this year against Tampa Bay on January 27th.

So, as expected, it's too hard to call winners and losers.  Except for the Flames who got screwed and the Penguins who got everything they wanted for Christmas.  Except their captain who got a lump of coal in the form of getting pucked up in the face and now wishes he had his two front (lower) teeth.