The 2024 NHL trade deadline may not be for another two days, but Wednesday afternoon saw multiple buyers decide to make their move to the market and pull the trigger on their move.
For players on the move (and there was more than a few of ’em), it was probably a welcomed sight instead of getting hit with another “trade-related benching.” And for teams making moves, striking early undoubtedly alleviates the pressure of having to play the waiting game between now and Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline in pursuit of the best price possible.
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And in what’s been a continuation of early market trends, it appears that the Western Conference is where this year’s arms race is happening. That was already the case this deadline season — Elias Lindholm went to Vancouver, Chris Tanev went to Dallas, and Anthony Mantha moved to Vegas prior to today’s rush — but Wednesday only saw that further intensify, with three trades involving top-tier teams out West (two from Colorado and one from the Oilers).
ELMONT, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 26: Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on October 26, 2023 in Elmont, New York. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The first move of the day came in the East, however, with a trade that saw the Senators send veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Atlantic-leading Panthers in exchange for two draft picks.
Tarasenko, who was part of that St. Louis squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2019, departs Ottawa having put up 17 goals and 41 points through 57 games this season. Beyond the raw data and point totals, the underlying metrics of the Russian-born winger’s game made Tarasenko an intriguing option for any contender, and perhaps the top option, as explained by TSN’s Travis Yost.
In essence, the rich get richer with Tarasenko’s move to Sunrise. And for not all that much, as the Panthers parted with a 2024 fourth-round pick (which becomes a third-round pick if the Panthers win the Cup this season) and a 2025 third-round pick to make the trade happen.
Of course, Tarasenko had a significant say in where he went thanks to his no-trade clause, and by all means helped engineer a trade to the Panthers. (The man went full ’21 Taylor Hall on ’em.)
The Bruins will play the Panthers two more times this season, with one game in Florida and another in Boston.
Feb 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique (14) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. (Stan Szeto/USA TODAY Sports)
Edmonton, meanwhile, took a home run swing of their own in the wake of the Tarasenko news and pulled the trigger on a trade to bring centers Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick over from the Ducks.
Considered to be the best center still on the market, the 34-year-old Henrique moves to Edmonton in the midst of a campaign that’s included 18 goals and 42 points, along with 59 hits and 57 blocked shots, in 60 games. Henrique was also the best faceoff option known to be on the market, too, with a 52.9 percent success rate this season.
Carrick, meanwhile, is a physical, fourth-line energy type who has posted eight goals and 11 points, along with 137 hits (34th-most among all forwards this season), this season.
The deal, which required a third team (the Lightning) to help broker it from a salary cap perspective, saw the Oilers part with a 2024 first-round pick along with a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025.
Feb 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Sean Walker (26) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)
Not to be outdone, the first of two Avalanche trades made Wednesday came with a focus on the backend, as the team flipped forward Ryan Johansen and a first-round pick in 2025 to the Flyers in exchange for defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
A 29-year-old right shot, Walker has already established a single-season career-high in goals (six) this year, and is just three points away from matching his career-high of 19 (set in 2019-20). The 5-foot-11 defender has also set a new single-season best in hits (86), and is averaging what’s been a career-high 19:36 of time on ice per game.
Johansen, who was placed on waivers, has scored 13 goals and 23 points this season, is making $4 million both this year and next.
Mar 2, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (37) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports)
And with one forward moved out for a defenseman, the Avs decided to balance things out with a second move that brought one forward in at the expense of a defenseman, as Colorado pulled the trigger on a one-for-one deal to bring Casey Mittelstadt over from Buffalo in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.
Mittelstadt, who will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of the season, moves from Buffalo to Colorado with 14 goals and 47 points through 62 games this season. This is after a 2022-23 campaign that saw Mittelstadt, who was selected by the Sabres with the No. 8 overall pick back in 2017, established career-high marks in goals (15), assists (44), and points (59) in 82 games.
Byram, meanwhile, will get a fresh start in Buffalo after concussion woes early in his NHL career and consistency issues later in his career derailed his Colorado run.
The fourth overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram has put up eight goals and 20 points through 55 games this season, and recorded a career-high 10 goals and 24 points in 42 games for the Avalanche last season. Byram has this year and next at a $3.85 million cap hit, and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent when that deal wraps up.
Nov 16, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg (21) celebrates scoring a goal against the New York Islanders during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena. (Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports)
Back in the East, the Metro-leading Rangers made a move of their own Wednesday, with center Alex Wennberg added to the mix from Seattle in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and 2025 fourth-round pick.
Full trade, per sources:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 6, 2024
To #NYR: Alex Wennberg (50% retained)
To #SeaKraken: 2024 2nd Rd Pick, 2025 DAL 4th Rd Pick
Forgot to properly credit: @emilymkaplan first on the deal.A left-shot center, Wennberg scored nine goals and 25 points in 60 games for Seattle this season. The 6-foot-2 Swede projects somewhere in New York’s bottom-six forward grouping, you’d imagine and though he does make them deeper down the middle, he’s not a particularly great faceoff option, with a 46.7 percent faceoff percentage this season and a career 46.2 percent mark at the dot in his 693-game NHL career.
The Bruins were linked to Wennberg by some prior to his trade to New York, though it never felt as if he was anything close to a top-tier option for the B’s.
Feb 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler (24) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
Wednesday also came with one more top target off the trade market, though this was by way of an extension, as the Flyers and defenseman Nick Seeler came to terms on a four-year, $10.8 million extension.
OFFICIAL: SEELED THE DEAL. #LetsGoFlyers https://t.co/Vul7XX48Vw
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 6, 2024A rugged, left-shot defenseman, Seeler had posted 112 hits and 184 blocked shots in 63 games with the Flyers leading up to his extension with the club. The 6-foot-2 Seeler’s 184 blocks are tops in the NHL this season, and Seeler has a 12-block edge over second-place Chris Tanev.
