The 5 Biggest Regrets from the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline

Now that the 2024 NHL trade deadline is done, our focus shifts to how each team stacks up against each other as Stanley Cup contenders.

The teams that did make trades and big additions before Friday are all probably pretty happy with their moves.

But some teams might already be having some regrets or looking at the potential for disappointment in a few weeks and months.

So, let's take a look at five teams that might end up having some big regrets for what they did, or didn't do at the NHL trade deadline.

Edmonton Doesn't Address Goaltending

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EDMONTON, AB - FEBRUARY 28: Edmonton Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner (74) makes a save in the second period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the St Louis Blues on February 28, 2024, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Getting Adam Henrique to be the Oilers' third-line center was a strong move, especially at the cost they paid (a first-round pick).

The 34-year-old is a strong two-way presence and will give their 5-on-5 play a significant boost, especially when either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl is off the ice.

That has been a big problem for the Oilers.

But do you know what else has been a big problem in recent years? Goaltending.

And it remains a big question mark this season. In Edmonton's defense, both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have played much better in recent weeks, with the latter owning an impressive .919 save percentage in his 14 appearances.

That has lifted the Oilers into the top 15 in both 5-on-5 save percentage and all situations save percentage for the season. You can win with that, especially given how good their overall play is.

The question is whether they can maintain that level of play throughout the playoffs.

Skinner has been extremely hit-and-miss, and for as good as Pickard has played, it's an unprecedented level of performance for him at the NHL level. Before this season he had played just 30 games in the NHL since the start of the 2017-18 season and posted a save percentage well below .900.

Are you convinced he has magically figured it out at the age of 31? Are you convinced that Skinner will not hit a cold spell in the playoffs? That might be asking a lot, and it might be putting McDavid and Draisaitl's best chance at a Stanley Cup in jeopardy.

The Oilers might regret that.

Detroit Holds and Doesn't Do Anything

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 29: Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red WIngs attends the 2023 NHL Draft at the Bridgestone Arena on June 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Detroit Red Wings have not made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season and have not won a playoff series since 2012-13. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, they seemed primed to end the playoff drought thanks in large part to one of the league's best offenses.

However, their problem is that they can't defend and they have no goaltending.

And the Red Wings did nothing to address either weakness ahead of the deadline, choosing to stand pat and go forward with the roster they have.

It's a little baffling given their lack of success over the better part of the past decade.

Yes, Detroit still probably sees itself as a rebuilding team. And yes, it does not want to give up too much when it's probably not a serious contender to win a Stanley Cup this season.

Over the past two years, though, the Red Wings have been one of the most aggressive teams in the league when it comes to making moves, adding the likes of Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, David Perron, Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher to their roster.

Those moves are the type of moves you make when you are trying to win and win now. Why stop now?

Even if they are not ready to compete for a championship right now, they have to make the playoffs at some point to show some real progress.

The postseason is within reach, but Detroit is 23rd in goals against, 27th in expected goals against per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play and 29th in in expected goals differential. That latter number is by the worst among all serious playoff contenders.

With the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals still making a late surge, the Red Wings' once-secure playoff spot is suddenly hanging by a thread. And after Tuesday's blowout loss to the Sabres, they find themselves on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Maybe there wasn't a trade that was going to get them a Cup this season, but they could have at least done something to shore up their defense and goaltending to improve their chances of getting back to the playoffs.

At some point, the Red Wings need to do that or there are going to be serious questions about general manager Steve Yzerman's plan. He might regret his decision to do nothing if the playoff drought is extended by another season.

Boston Doesn't Address Its Defense More

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BOSTON, MA - MARCH 05: Boston Bruins right defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) pulls a move during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers on March 5, 2024, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins made a couple of minor moves at the trade deadline, acquiring forward Pat Maroon and defenseman Andrew Peeke.

Individually, there is nothing wrong with either move. Maroon brings a lot of energy and tenacity to the bottom six, and the Bruins might be able to bring more out of Peeke than Columbus could.

But was his addition to the defense enough? There is reason to be skeptical of that.

As good as the Bruins' goals-against numbers are (seventh in the NHL), a significant portion of that comes from the play of their goaltending duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. When it comes to the team's actual defensive play in front of their netminders, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Almost all of their meaningful defensive metrics relating to shot attempts against, scoring chances against, high-danger scoring chances against and expected goals against are in the bottom half of the league.

Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm are outstanding all-around defensemen to lead their top four, but there is a significant dropoff in talent and production after them.

At the start of the season, center depth seemed like it might have been the Bruins' biggest need. It turned out to not be an issue as Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha have stepped up in bigger roles.

It turns out their defense—once their biggest strength—has given them the most cause for concern. They might regret not doing more if Ullmark or Swayman see their form drop off even a little come playoff time.

Everything Toronto Did and Didn't Do

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TORONTO, ON - MARCH 4: Ilya Lyubushkin #46 of the Toronto Maple Leafs shoots the puck against the Boston Bruins during the first period at Scotiabank Arena on March 4, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj/NHLI via Getty Images)

This was the most confusing trade-deadline performance of them all.

There is no team in the NHL facing more pressure to win in the playoffs than the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This core group has not done anything meaningful over the past seven years, and Toronto is again a mid-level team in the Eastern Conference that is running the risk of wasting another prime year of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

The Maple Leafs also had serious needs when it comes to their scoring depth and blue line.

While they did add two defensemen to their roster—Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson—they might not be the type of defensemen that they need, mainly because they don't make much of a positive impact when it comes to preventing shots, chances and goals.

They will bring physicality, and they might give fans some excitement when they deliver a big hit. But it's debatable whether they will make the team any better.

It just makes you wonder if there were better options available.

They did not trade their first-round pick, they are reluctant to deal top prospects, and a lot of teams around them got better. That's a problem because the Maple Leafs are already heading toward another third-place finish in their division and the possibility of having to go through Boston and Florida in the first two rounds.

At some point, they have to do something with this core, especially with Marner and John Tavares set to enter the final year of their contracts next season. Toronto did not really give them much help to potentially make a big run.

That could be a regrettable decision if the team loses in the first or second round again.

The Kings Do Not Add Offense

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings controls the puck in the third period during the game against the Buffalo Sabres at Crypto.com Arena on January 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images)

Almost every Western Conference contender around the Los Angeles Kings made a significant move.

Colorado added Casey Mittelstadt. Vancouver added Elias Lindholm. Winnipeg added Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. Vegas added Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl. Dallas added Chris Tanev. Edmonton added Adam Henrique.

The Kings? They added nobody. That's especially concerning because they had a clear and significant need when it comes to their ability to score goals.

For the season, they are 20th in the NHL in goals per game, a number that drops to 27th since the start of December.

The Kings do everything well as a team, from their defensive play to their ability to control possession, and they are even getting some surprisingly strong goaltending. But they can not consistently score and turn all of that territorial dominance into actual goals.

They are already a step below some of the top contenders, and all of them managed to get a little better.

The Kings didn't, and it might see them miss out on a great opportunity in the Western Conference.