NHL Trades 2014: Highlighting Most Interesting Deadline Moves

Unlike the trade deadline in some of the other major North American sports, the NHL's ultimatum arrived on Wednesday, with plenty of interesting moves occurring before it expired.

The clear headliner happened when the Tampa Bay Lightning sent captain Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers in exchange for another captain in Ryan Callahan. This mind-boggling, bold swap will leave a profound impression on both players and their clubs as the 2013-14 season bounds toward its conclusion.

It's hard to even digest that trade enough to look at what else happened on the final day of the deadline, but there were a couple of more notable developments worth highlighting.

Here's a closer look at each of Wednesday's most compelling trades and analysis into what they mean for the teams involved.

Note: News of  all trades is courtesy of NHL.com's official tracker.

Rangers and Lightning Exchange Captains

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

A failure to agree on a long-term contract for Callahan in New York and an embittered relationship between St. Louis Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman and St. Louis culminated in the biggest deal of the 2014 NHL trade deadline.

For an idea of the gravity of this deal, Sportsnet's Jeff Marek has been unable to find another captain-for-captain trade in league history:

Tampa Bay also secured a 2015 first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick for the upcoming draft, so the Lightning very well may have gotten the better end of this deal. That's especially so considering what Callahan meant to the Rangers as a leader and how St. Louis was requesting a trade out of Tampa Bay as it was.

Rumor had it that St. Louis was upset that Yzerman didn't select him for the initial Team Canada 2014 Sochi Olympics roster and requested a trade, per NHL.com.

Darren Dreger of TSN noted how minimal the gap was in negotiations between Callahan and the Rangers:

Callahan felt he was going to stay in the Big Apple but acknowledged the sometimes harsh business side of contract negotiations when news broke of the trade after Wednesday morning's skate around, per the New York Times' Jeff Z. Klein:

"

I truly thought we’d work something out that worked for both sides. I said all along going through this that I wanted to stay there and get a deal done, and that was the truth. But it’s part of the business that, unfortunately, you have to deal with, and we couldn’t find a deal that worked for both sides so I parted ways with New York. But I have nothing but great things to say about that organization

"

TSN's Bob McKenzie suggests that Callahan isn't viewed as a long-term option for Tampa Bay but more of a quick plug-in to what is a formidable team:

It's amazing that a trade like this was pulled off, considering that entering Wednesday's action, the Rangers and Lightning were separated by only four points in the standings. The Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up, and now two key cornerstones for both have switched teams.

St. Louis is 38 years old but is a prolific scorer and should liven up New York's offense, while Callahan will bring grit and toughness to Tampa Bay.

How this exchange impacts chemistry moving forward will go a long way in determining these teams' destinies. Both figure to be contenders to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Final, though, so it will be fascinating to see how Callahan and St. Louis mesh in new, suddenly changed environments.

Los Angeles Kings Seek Spark in Acquiring Marian Gaborik 

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

When Marian Gaborik was healthy for the Blue Jackets this season, he played rather well in posting 14 points in 22 games. But between injuries and his big $7.5 million salary, Columbus felt it was right to get rid of him.

At least the 32-year-old right winger is looking forward to his new beginning in the City of Angels:

This may have been a bit impulsive by the Jackets, whose offense has been impressive this season. However, it could have been even better in the run up to the playoffs if Gaborik and Nathan Horton were given more time to jell.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen analyzed why Gaborik never quite fit in, per the club's official Twitter account:

For a player of Gaborik's talent level to be let go approximately a year after the Blue Jackets acquired him at last year's trade deadline, it's possible he'll have a chip on his shoulder to prove himself. The Kings are allowing the fewest goals in the NHL this season but are just 27th in goals per game. 

Gaborik may be walking into the perfect storm, where he'll be given free rein to control the puck and strut his skills to give Los Angeles a lift offensively.

Plus, Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times reports that Gaborik arrives intent on staying with the Kings, per general manager Dean Lombardi:

Forward Matt Frattin joins the Jackets as part of the trade along with two other draft picks, but neither will contribute in a significant way to Columbus' bid for the postseason. This is a big win for Los Angeles, and even though Gaborik may not re-sign since he's a free agent in the offseason, he is worth the risk given his ability when healthy.

Jaroslav Halak Traded Twice Ahead of NHL Deadline

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

The former St. Louis Blues goaltender has played well this season, posting a record of 24-9-4 with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. In spite of that, he was part of the package sent to Buffalo in exchange for star goalie Ryan Miller.

Then on Wednesday, Halak was on the move again. This time the capable 28-year-old netminder was shipped to the Washington Capitals for netminder Michal Neuvirth and defenseman Rostislav Klesla.

Expectations have been high for Washington in recent years with the excellent roster it's built around star scorer Alexander Ovechkin. Unfortunately, the team hasn't performed well in the playoffs, failing to make it out of the first two rounds in each of the previous six trips.

Allan Walsh, Halak's agent, is confident his client can get the job done in the nation's capital given his history, per the Washington Post's Katie Carrera:

Typical Capitals starting goaltender Braden Holtby has been inconsistent this season, yielding a 2.94 GAA to go with a rather pedestrian 19-13-3 record. At least Halak gives Washington hope that the all-important position can be upgraded, and he can split time with Holtby to spell the 24-year-old youngster as he continues to face pressure.

This is a far better situation than Halak was anticipating with the Sabres, who are in the midst of rebuilding and have had a deadline fire sale. Now Halak has a chance to compete for a starting job and help drive the Capitals to playoff success.