Rangers, Penguins Prove the Biggest Winners at the NHL Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the big winners at the NHL Trade Deadline last year, scoring Marion Hossa, but the New York Rangers were the big winners this year. The Pittsburgh Penguins did well, again, but nobody beat the Rangers.

After the Penguins got Marian Hossa last year, they went on a run that knocked off the Rangers, after they beat the New Jersey Devils, and it took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

This year, Pittsburgh added Chris Kunitz to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and that could mean trouble for every team they play. They also signed Eric Tangradi, who could be "The Next One," and as a bonus, he's an American and he's from the same state as the Penguins. After adding Kunitz from Anaheim earlier, they picked up Bill Guerin from the Islanders. Pittsburgh is suddenly much stronger.

The Rangers needed a scorer, a blue-liner, and some spirit, and they got Nik Antropov, Derek Morris, and Sean Avery. At 6'6" and 230 pounds, and with 21 goals this season, Antropov is now the Rangers biggest scorer. Morris can quarterback a power play with the best of them.

And Avery can remind the team how to swagger like New Yorkers, play with energy and passion, talk trash and back it with firsts.

They got a new coach, too, but not by trading. Tortorella's game plan is to attack aggressively, which should be good for the new Rangers.

If the team gets Gomez and Drury going, again, plus Naslund, they'll be able to take on the Bruins in the playoffs. Picture this power-play: Morris, Antropov, and Avery with Gomez or Drury. It's going to be a lot of fun to see this team sprint to the finish of the 2008-09 season.

Nobody's going to call them The Vanilla Rangers again.

The four newcomers are thrilled, reportedly, as none had playoff hopes before the Rangers’ makeover pulled them in. Now they do, with 18 games left to do it.