This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.
On Monday, I wrote that the NHL's trade deadline day "could be a dud," since many of the top targets had already been picked off the market. Yesterday, the league proved me simultaneously right and wrong: there were plenty more moves to be made, but Tuesday's late-afternoon flurry only increases the chances that Friday, when GMs must put down their proverbial pens by 3 p.m. ET, lacks drama.
A quick catchup: Patrick Kane, who spent 16 seasons with Chicago, is now on the Rangers. Mattias Ekholm, who spent 12 seasons with Nashville, is now an Oiler. Luke Schenn is, once again, a Maple Leaf (cue Diddy and Skylar Grey). Read a roundup of yesterday's trades here. This morning, Jonathan Quick, the goalie who won two Stanley Cups over 16 years with the Kings, was relocated to Columbus.
Here's where Canada's teams stand less than 48 hours from the deadline:
Edmonton Oilers
As always, the Oilers needed to shore up their goaltending, defence and depth scoring. The acquisition of Ekholm, viewed as one of the most reliable defencemen in the league, can only help in the goals-against department. The 32-year-old is under contract for the next three seasons, which is also when Connor McDavid — who, friendly reminder, is already at 50 goals and 115 points for the year — can hit free agency. The scoring should be boosted by the imminent return from injury of Evander Kane, but the crease looks to be a much tougher fix. At least the West is weak enough that Edmonton's starpower could be enough. The Oilers' first test with Ekholm comes tonight against the renovated Maple Leafs.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Over the past two weeks, the Leafs added forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari and Sam Lafferty, defencemen Schenn, Jake McCabe and Erik Gustafsson, and Boston's 2023 first-round pick. Outgoing were a pair of Toronto's own first-rounders, defenceman Rasmus Sandin and forwards Pierre Engvall and Joey Anderson.
The full picture is a team that's supposedly tougher and thus more ready for playoff hockey. Time will tell if the strategy pays off, especially with Toronto essentially locked into a first-round matchup against three-time defending East champion Tampa Bay. League-leading Boston — owner of a ridiculous +97 goal differential and a 13-point lead on the Presidents' Trophy — would possibly await in round 2.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets were cruising toward a playoff spot, thanks largely to a Vezina-calibre season from Connor Hellebuyck and improved defence. But Winnipeg now finds itself getting booed on home ice and riding a four-game losing streak after blowing a two-goal lead last night to the Kings. Over the weekend, the Jets added solid forward Nino Niederreiter from Nashville. Suddenly, this team doesn't appear quite so worthy of further investment. With that playoff spot now in peril, a Friday-Saturday home-and-home against the Oilers, with whom the Jets are tied in the standings, looms large.
Calgary Flames
Their big acquisition happened in the off-season, when the Matthew Tkachuk trade request yielded Jonathan Huberdeau, who tallied 85 assists and 115 points last season in Florida. But Huberdeau has mostly disappointed in Calgary (40 points in 48 games) and the team has followed suit, sitting five points out of a playoff spot. The frustrating season was encapsulated last night when the Flames outshot the Bruins 57-20 but allowed the winning goal with five seconds left in overtime. Jacob Markstrom, a Vezina finalist last year, ranks 43rd of 48 qualified goalies in save percentage. Locked into its core, Calgary has been quiet on the trade front so far.
Ottawa Senators
In happier news, the Senators are… fighting for a playoff spot? Back-to-back wins against Detroit this week slotted Ottawa five points shy of a wild-card spot, but with teams still left to leapfrog, its postseason chances remain slim. Still, a young team finally getting to play meaningful games probably deserves some sort of deadline boost — veteran Derick Brassard said it himself. Forwards Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk have taken another leap this season, while vet Claude Giroux is still plugging away at a point-per-game pace.
Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens
Two teams firmly in the draft lottery sweepstakes for the right to select generational prospect Connor Bedard. The Canucks already played their biggest card with the Bo Horvat deal to the Islanders, and they also got a third-rounder from the Leafs for Schenn. Scorer Brock Boeser could be next to go. The Habs' trading cupboards appear pretty bare, especially with Sean Monahan injured and Evgenii Dadonov already dealt to Dallas.
