NHL Trades: Power Ranking Winners of Deadline Deals

The NHL trade deadline was quite active in 2012 with a total of 15 trades involving 31 players and 11 picks.

These picks ranged from minor swaps, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs shipping Dale Mitchell to the Anaheim Ducks for Mark Fraser, to major swaps, as evidenced by the Vancouver Canucks nabbing Sami Pahlsson, Marc-Andre Gragnani and Zack Kassian to prepare for another playoff run.

Here’s a breakdown of the day’s biggest winners.

Vancouver Canucks

The ‘Nucks made two deadline deals and are immediately better for it going into the postseason.

They acquired Samuel Pahlsson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for two fourth-round picks and minor-league prospect Taylor Ellington.

The steal was when they took Marc-Andre Gragnani and Zack Kassian off the Buffalo Sabres’ hands for Alexander Sulzer.

These were two great moves with a ton of upside. Vancouver is my deadline deal winner.

Nashville Predators

The Preds were able to add Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens for a 2013 second-round pick.

It reunites him with his brother, Sergei, and the two should make a formidable force in Nashville.

The two brothers played together in Montreal from 2007-2010 and can hopefully rekindle their magic for the postseason.

Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago added a solid blueliner in Johnny Oduya a mere hour before the 3:00 P.M. ET deadline.

The Winnipeg Jets sacrificed their defenseman for a second- and third-round pick in 2013.

It’s a risky move but one the team had to take if they want a chance to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals this season.