Underrated NHL Trade-Deadline Moves That Look Great Now
Front-office executives completed 66 trades between the beginning of the 2014-15 season and the March 2 deadline. Some trades, such as the Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk deals for the New York Islanders, were made earlier in the year, but a majority came on deadline day and a week before the freeze occurred.
A total of 18 days have passed since the March 2, 3 p.m. EST trade deadline, and some deals have really paid off despite the lack of fanfare when the deal was initially announced. Trades are always a tricky proposition, because there are never any guarantees of whether or not the investment will be worth the potential return.
With that in mind, here are underrated NHL trade deadline moves that look great now.
*Due to the frequency of early trades, this slideshow will cover "deadline deals" that occurred from February 23, 2015 to March 2, 2015.
Curtis Glencross to the Washington Capitals
1 of 6
There wasn't a ton of commotion when Curtis Glencross was dealt from the Calgary Flames to the Washington Capitals. The motivation behind the Capitals trading for an aging winger who has seen his production decline for three consecutive seasons was up for interpretation, but the move has really paid off.
Glencross has averaged 12:53 a game in Washington, and he's tallied four goals and two assists in eight games played. The Capitals will benefit from Glencross' hard-nosed play during the playoffs, and he's a forward who can move up and down the lineup depending on how Washington is playing.
He clearly has some game left, and it appears the reduction in pressure and ice time has been what Glencross has sorely needed.
Lee Stempniak to the Winnipeg Jets
2 of 6
The New York Rangers traded Lee Stempniak to Winnipeg because they needed salary-cap room, and they gained that space by receiving prospect Carl Klingberg who was immediately assigned to the minors.
The Jets' deal for Stempniak appeared to be minor at the time, but in a short span he's produced at a relatively efficient rate.
Through 53 games in New York, Stempniak had a 0.34 points per-game average, and he was playing 12:26 a game. Thus far in Winnipeg, Stempniak has averaged 0.43 points per game playing 13:50 a night with Jim Slater and Jiri Tlusty.
Marek Zidlicky to the Detroit Red Wings
3 of 6
The Detroit Red Wings has had a bevy of left-handed defenders on the payroll for the past few years, but they haven't had a right-handed defender of note since Brian Rafalski retired. When it was announced that Detroit traded for 37-year-old Marek Zidlicky, there wasn't a major reaction and for good reason.
He wasn't the top option, because, according to Kevin Allen of USA Today, the Wings had showed interest in Jeff Petry who ultimately ended up in Montreal.
Expectations were low for Zidlicky coming to the Red Wings, because he had a points-per-game average of 0.37 while playing 21:56 a game with the New Jersey Devils.
Zidlicky's minutes have decreased to 18:04 a game since coming to Detroit, but that hasn't stopped him from tallying seven points in eight games for a points-per-game average of 0.88.
Chris Stewart to the Minnesota Wild
4 of 6
When the Minnesota Wild acquired Chris Stewart, it was a bit of a surprise, but why?
Besides Stewart finding out about the deal on live television, maybe it had something to do with the fact that the Wild already had wingers such as Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter and Justin Fontaine on the company payroll.
Adding Stewart presented a problem, because it would mean that he would play on a lower line than he was in Buffalo and would inherently be defeating the purpose of the trade. In an unexpected turn of events, Stewart has solidified a spot on the second line, and a "secret weapon" third line of Vanek, Coyle and Fontaine has been created in the process.
Stewart's points-per-game average has increased by 0.15 points since changing zip codes, and he could end up being a vital playoff contributor for Minnesota.
Jaromir Jagr to the Florida Panthers
5 of 6
Who would have thought that a 43-year-old would be the player who has made the biggest impact since changing teams at the deadline? If you don't count the group of fellas that travel North America with No. 68 sweaters and matching mullets, the number is probably very low.
Since coming to Sunrise on February 28, Jagr and the Florida Panthers have a 6-3-1 record. They are currently within striking distance of the Boston Bruins, and this is of note because the two teams will play thrice more before the season's coda.
There's a chance he could decide to remain in Florida after this season and be an Obi-Wan Kenobi for the youth of the Panthers. He's already had a profound impact for Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, and the line has a total of 11 points combined over the last five games.
Tyler Kennedy to the New York Islanders
6 of 6
Tyler Kennedy at his peak was a 45-point player for the Pittsburgh Penguins. After he came back to earth, he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks where he was rather ineffective. Kennedy tallied only 26 points in 92 career games in San Jose, and the New York Islanders decided to make a deal for him at the deadline.
Since he changed coasts, Kennedy has two goals and four points in five games. He is only playing 12:01 a night, but he's been a consistent contributor for a team that has been in a tailspin for the last month.
He has shown in the past that he can be a productive middle-of-the-lineup forward, and to date that's what he has done on Long Island.
Stats via Hockey-Reference.com prior to start of action on March 20. Trade information via NHL.com's trade tracker.
