NHL Trade Deadline: Winners and Losers at the Trade Deadline

The NHL trade deadline passed at 3:00 p.m. ET Monday afternoon. There were some teams, such as the Los Angeles Kings, who helped themselves this month, while others, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets, hurt themselves now or for the future with trades made in the last few weeks.

Let's look at each team and see if they were a winner or a loser at the deadline this season.

Anaheim Ducks: Winner

The Anaheim Ducks are a winner because they did not move any of their big pieces for future talent or draft picks. The team resisted any temptation to trade star forwards Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.

The Ducks made a few small deals, but did not make any foolish, bold moves at the deadline.

Boston Bruins: Winner

According to Sportsnet, the Boston bruins acquired veteran forward Brian Rolston from the New York Islanders. This is a very good move for the Bruins, who needed a veteran forward for depth purposes. Boston also acquired Mark Mottau from the Islanders.

The Bruins likely thought about adding a veteran defenseman, but they have some good blueline depth on the NHL and AHL rosters already.

Boston also traded young defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Greg Zanon. This is a questionable move because Kampfer has good potential, but he just wasn't getting the ice time needed at the NHL level because of the Bruins' defensive depth.

Buffalo Sabres: Winner

The Buffalo Sabres made a few interesting moves on deadline day.

The biggest was acquiring rookie forward Cody Hodgson and defenseman Alexander Sulzer from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani.

This is a great trade for the Sabres because Hodgson has the potential to be a first-line player and is already good enough to play well at the NHL level. He has scored 16 goals with 17 assists this season in meaningful ice time with the Canucks.

Kassian is a good, young player, but Hodgson will help Buffalo's offense score goals consistently now and in the future. He'll also give the Sabres offense more speed.

The Sabres also traded veteran forward Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a first-round pick. This is a tremendous move because Gaustad was going to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and acquiring a first-round pick for him was a huge boost to the team.

Calgary Flames: Loser

The Calgary Flames made a trade, acquiring Mike Cammalleri from the Montreal Canadiens back in January, but closer to the deadline, they made no moves that will have a profound impact on their playoff hopes.

It seems that there is a dilemma with the Flames; that is, do they sell and rebuild, or be buyers and chase the playoffs? I think it's time to rebuild in Calgary.

Carolina Hurricanes: Loser

The Carolina Hurricanes made no trades in the month of February and decided to re-sign trade target Tuomo Ruutu to a ridiculous four-year, $19 million extension rather than trade him for young players and/or draft picks.

The Hurricanes grossly overpaid to keep Ruutu and did not make the best decisions for the franchise going forward at the deadline.

Carolina also could have traded defensemen Jaroslav Spacek or Bryan Allen for draft picks or prospects, but neither was moved at the deadline.

Chicago Blackhawks: Winner

The Chicago Blackhawks were not able to improve their goaltending situation, but to be fair, Corey Crawford has been playing better since the team's recent losing streak.

Chicago did, however, acquire defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets, who is a tremendous upgrade to the Blackhawks' blue line. The Blackhawks really needed to upgrade their defensive depth, and they accomplished this with the Oduya trade.

The Blackhawks also traded enforcer John Scott to the New York Rangers for a fifth-round pick.

Colorado Avalanche: Winner

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Steve Downie from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincey this month, and this was a very good trade for Colorado. 

They used their good defensive depth to acquire a physical forward who can score goals, which was a real need for them heading towards the deadline.

Colorado also traded forwards Daniel Winnik, T.J. Galiardi and a seventh-round pick in 2013 to San Jose for three forwards, including Jamie McGinn, Mike Connolly and Michael Sgarbossa.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Loser

Where do we begin?

First off, regarding Jeff Carter, the Columbus Blue Jackets botched this trade badly. They sent Carter to the Los Angeles Kings for a first-round pick and offensive defenseman Jack Johnson. Columbus doesn't need Johnson because they already have an offensive-minded defenseman in James Wisniewski, who they signed to a large long-term deal in the summer.

As for Rick Nash, it's clear his long-term future isn't in Columbus, but the team did not trade him despite his agent telling TSN this week that the list of teams Nash will approve a trade to won't change in the future.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the last few weeks have taken a toll on Nash.

"

Nash said to be almost emotionally drained by this process. Probably a fair bit of frustration as well. #tradecentre

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 27, 2012"

Dallas Stars: Winner

The Dallas Stars traded defenseman Nicklas Grossman to the Philadelphia Flyers for some draft picks earlier in the month, which was a good move, but they also did not trade gritty forward Steve Ott, which benefits the team because he is a quality forward they will need to make the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings: Winner

The Detroit Red Wings did not make a large deal, which was a smart move because they will remain a large player in free agency thanks to their large amount of salary-cap room. They also wisely added some defensive depth by acquiring defenseman Kyle Quincey from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Edmonton Oilers: Loser

The Edmonton Oilers made a terrible decision by overpaying to re-sign winger Ales Hemsky to a two-year, $10 million contract extension. 

The team also did not trade young forward Sam Gagner, who is a good player, but with Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall needing massive raises over the next few years, Gagner likely isn't part of the long-term future in Edmonton.

The team also did not improve its defensive depth near the deadline, which was a large area of concern.

Florida Panthers: Winners

By acquiring Wojtek Wolski from the New York Rangers on Sunday, the Florida Panthers added a quality offensive player who can also help the team with his shootout ability. The Panthers do not fare well in shootouts.

The Panthers also added Jerred Smithson from the Nashville Predators to bolster their forward depth.

Los Angeles Kings: Winner

The Los Angeles Kings had to improve offensively by acquiring a reliable goal scorer, and they did that by trading for Blue Jackets center Jeff Carter. Carter has 30-goal ability and will likely be more comfortable in Los Angeles than he was in Columbus.

They did give up talented defenseman Jack Johnson in exchange for Carter, but Slava Voynov should be able to fill his role quite well.

Minnesota Wild: Winner

The Minnesota Wild were likely to move defenseman Marek Zidlicky before the deadline, and they found a great package in exchange for him from the New Jersey Devils, which included three players and two draft picks.

The Wild certainly brightened their future this month without hurting their current NHL squad.

Montreal Canadiens: Winner

The Montreal Canadiens traded Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators for a second-round draft pick and two players, then also traded Andrei Kostitsyn to Nashville in exchange for two more draft picks.

The Canadiens got some good value for these players and did not make a foolish move like trading Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price or P.K. Subban.

Nashville Predators: Winner

The Nashville Predators made a smart move by holding onto unrestricted free-agent-to-be Ryan Suter and actually becoming buyers by acquiring forward Andrei Kostitsyn and defenseman Hal Gill from the Montreal Canadiens.

Nashville also acquired veteran forward Paul Gaustad from the Buffalo Sabres, which will add some toughness and faceoff skill to the team's offensive corps.

The Predators definitely improved their team at the deadline and are positioned for a deep playoff run.

New Jersey Devils: Winner

The New Jersey Devils filled a need defensively by acquiring defenseman Marek Zidlicky from the Minnesota Wild, but also resisted any temptation to trade captain Zach Parise despite his ability to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Devils have been playing well of late and really didn't need to mess with their roster too much.

New York Islanders: Winner

The New York Islanders did not give up an important part of their NHL roster before the deadline, but also did not trade goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, whom they will try to re-sign before the end of the season.

The Islanders are slowly building a very good roster of young talent. They do, however, need to find a top-four defenseman during the summer.

New York Rangers: Winner

The New York Rangers are arguably the best team in the NHL right now and have the best record in the Eastern Conference. There was no reason to make a drastic change to this talented team, which also has very good chemistry.

The Rangers have done a fine job of building their young talent the past few seasons and wisely did not deal young stars Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto. They also held onto top prospect Chris Kreider of Boston College.

Ottawa Senators: Winner

The Ottawa Senators needed to find a goalie after starter Craig Anderson hurt his hand and underwent surgery. 

They acquired Ben Bishop, who is one of the best goalies in the AHL, from the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Winner

With captain and star defenseman Chris Pronger out for the season, the Philadelphia Flyers needed to find some defensive depth before the trade deadline.

They acquired veterans Nicklas Grossman from the Dallas Stars and Pavel Kubina of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both were solid pickups. They also were wise not to trade talented young forward James van Riemsdyk.

Phoenix Coyotes: Winner

The Phoenix Coyotes have been right in the playoff mix leading up to the deadline and wisely became buyers instead of sellers. 

They acquired Antoine Vermette from the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire some much-needed forward depth and refused to trade veteran forwards Ray Whitney and Shane Doan.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Winner

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing well this season without Sidney Crosby, thanks to the MVP-caliber season of star Evgeni Malkin.

With the emergence of young winger James Neal, the team re-signed him to a long-term contract, which was a smart move, and decided not to make a drastic roster change before the deadline.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

San Jose Sharks: Winner

The San Jose Sharks' biggest concern is getting healthy for the playoffs, especially concerning injured forward Martin Havlat.

On deadline day, the Sharks acquired Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi from the Colorado Avalanche. Both players are forwards and will add some nice depth to the roster.

They also added a veteran playoff performer in Dominic Moore from the Tampa Bay Lightning, which was a solid move. The Sharks which will add some good skill to their forward depth. Moore will be valuable in the playoffs.

St. Louis Blues: Loser

The St. Louis Blues only got a second-round pick for young goaltender Ben Bishop when they traded him to the Ottawa Senators. They should have looked to get more since Bishop is so talented and only 25 years old.

The Blues also did not make any profound additions to the NHL roster for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Winner

The Tampa Bay Lightning did a great job of making some smart trades that saw veteran players leave the team and quality draft picks come in. From Feb. 18-21, the team made four trades.

General manager Steve Yzerman has done a fine job of stockpiling draft picks for this year's draft, which will help him continue building the team into a perennial playoff-caliber squad.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Loser

The Toronto Maple Leafs needed to find an upgrade at center and improve their goaltending, but the team did neither before the deadline.

The Maple Leafs now must hope their current roster can turn their slump around and find a way to earn a playoff berth.

General manager Brian Burke was smart not to part with valuable assets, such as Jake Gardiner, in a deal for Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash, but he should have acquired a goaltender to help the team moving forward.

However, the Leafs did acquire forward Carter Ashton from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Keith Aulie.

Vancouver Canucks: Loser

The Vancouver Canucks added some toughness and grit to their lineup on deadline day by acquiring Sami Pahlsson from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Ott from the Dallas Stars would have been a better addition, but Pahlsson will have an impact with the team in the playoffs.

However, trading forward Cody Hodgson along with defenseman Alexander Sulzer to Buffalo in exchange for forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani was a risky move.

Hodgson would have given the Canucks the scoring they didn't have last year in the playoffs from the bottom two lines. He has the potential to be a great player, and I think the Canucks parted with him way too early.

Kassian has good size, but has just seven points this season through 27 games.

Vancouver did hold onto young goaltender Cory Schneider, which was a fantastic decision.

Washington Capitals: Loser

The Washington Capitals are in danger of inexplicably missing the playoffs, yet they did not make a major move to help their team for the last few months of the regular season.

The team did not add a top-six forward or get some value for unrestricted free-agent-to-be Alexander Semin, who now can leave for nothing in the summer.

Washington has taken a huge risk by trusting its current roster to figure things out and make the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets: Loser

The Winnipeg Jets are in a tough fight to make the playoffs, but did not make any changes to their NHL roster that will have a strong impact in ensuring the team makes the postseason.

They also traded defenseman Johnny Oduya to the Chicago Blackhawks for a second- and third-round pick in the 2013 draft. Oduya would have been an important piece of any Jets playoff run this season. He is, however, an upcoming unrestricted free agent.