Blockbuster NHL Trades Reshapes League Ahead of Roster Freeze

The NHL’s week-long roster freeze begins when the clock strikes midnight on Saturday.

Already, hockey fans who clamor for Santa to bring them trade winds have received amazing presents that will affect the rest of the season and prelude the swap-and-shop fun until the March 6 trade deadline.

The pair of blockbuster deals on Friday have the potential to bring plenty of smiles for everyone involved. Whether they mean a Stanley Cup is another story, but at least the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks showed courage in making their moves.

To recap. The Oilers finally pulled the trigger on a goaltender swap by acquiring from the Penguins Tristan Jarry, along with forward Sam Poulin, in exchange for goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick. The Oilers subsequently moved a third-rounder to the Nashville Predators for Spencer Stastney.

The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last two seasons; will this put them over the hump? That’s a tough call. Jarry has enjoyed a bounce-back year so far, but his playoff record does not hold a candle to what Skinner has achieved. (Acquiring Stastney makes total sense, being a younger and cheaper Kulak to develop.)

It is obvious Skinner’s time in his hometown needed to end. A change of scenery could be huge for him. The Penguins are plummeting after a torrid opening month, so it is a boon if their fortunes change and they could possibly flip Skinner and/or Kulak by the deadline if they continue to flounder.

The even bigger deal saw Minnesota acquire Quinn Hughes, one of the best defensemen in the game, from the Canucks for blue-chip blueliner Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren and a first-round draft pick. With the Wild in the same division as the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, this was the home run swing they could not afford to let pass.

Hughes will give them an even greater offensive dynamic without sacrificing the team’s defensive play.

For the Canucks, it is also a great trade. The divorce between Vancouver and their captain was becoming obvious, and they Canucks made the most of a bad situation. Sure, Minnesota received the best player, but Vancouver has a young top-pairing defenseman, a middle-line center (Rossi), a likely third-line winger and first-round draft capital while they rebuild.

Fascinating to follow will be the impact, especially the Hughes trade. With Colorado seemingly running away and Minnesota making such a huge move, what will Dallas and Winnipeg Jets chase?

As well, what impact does this have on the league’s sellers? The Canucks have a few other pieces likely to be moved, starting with Kiefer Sherwood.

The Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues have big-name players in the twilight of their careers who could help contenders. From Nashville, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault and Michael Bunting are all floundering on a team that must reset after flopping with their free-agent push in the summer of 2024.

St. Louis would be best served to move the likes of Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Blues should consider dealing Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Binnington.

The true wildcard is the Calgary Flames. Sure, defenseman Rasmus Andersson appears a sure bet to be dealt, and would be a huge piece to acquire. If the Flames truly practised intellectual honestly, they would not stop there and move a pair of forwards who can make huge contributions and have winning pedigrees in Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri.

Last week’s trades provided some goodies. Brace for more bounty to follow.