Nicklas Grossman, Cody Hodgson Amongst Top NHL Deadline's Best Gets

Nicklas Grossman: The Flyers sorely needed bulk on the blue line. Grossman and Pavel Kubina came for similar price tags, but expect the Flyers to receive a greater contribution from Grossman, who led the Stars in blocked shots this season with 100.
 
Grossman is already plus-three with three assists in four games as a Flyer.
 
Dominic Moore: Although Moore's goal production has dropped drastically this season from last, the 29-year-old center has shown a penchant for the big play at the right time, an intangible the Sharks have lacked for about 15 years.
 
Kyle Quincey: The Red Wings released Quincey in 2008 and now pay for their sin in the form of a first-round pick and defensive prospect Sebastien Piche. Quincey is an extremely cerebral defenseman who can make Detroit's second power-play unit almost as dangerous as its first.
 
Jerred Smithson: Smithson was an unlikely hero for Nashville last postseason, scoring the first overtime playoff goal in Preds history in a pivotal Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks. Now the 32-year-old center is "bringing his talents to South Beach."
 
Smithson has 100 hits and a 55.6 percent faceoff percentage on the season, qualities that make the suddenly deep Panthers even more of a pain to play against.
 
Cody Hodgson: Another relatively boring deadline day suddenly exploded at about 3:30 p.m. EST with the announcement of a cross-continent, blue-chip trade off.
 
Here, a pair of teams with different needs tapped into each other's strengths for a good old-fashioned hockey deal. Buffalo gave up more very good players. Vancouver gave up the best player.
 
As a rookie, Cody Hodgson has 16 goals and 17 assists in only 12:43 of ice per game. His 15.5 percent shooting percentage led the team.
 
What had ailed Hodgson is a mild case of what used to be known as "Jordan Staal Syndrome," the state of playing behind the two best centers on the planet. Consider him cured. The 22-year-old can play 17 minutes a night in Buffalo without a problem.

One good young center is worth two good young players at other positions.
 
Zack Kassian is a legitimate right wing prospect and Marc-Andre Gragnani is having a wonderful season, leading the Sabres in plus/minus by a healthy margin, but Darcy Regier scored hard with Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer.