It was an interesting year in the NHL on the trade front.
We saw the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning pull off a rare captain for captain swap. The Pittsburgh Penguins turned heads when they sent a former 40-goal scorer packing. We were also reminded that Dean Lombardi always gets his man from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Here are five of the best NHL trades from 2014.
Rangers and Lightning swap captains
Martin St. Louis did not take kindly to his initial omission from Team Canada’s roster for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Despite taking his injured Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos’ place on the roster, St. Louis’s relationship with general manager Steve Yzerman was compromised.
St. Louis requested a trade and the New York Rangers were the only club he was interested in waiving his no-trade clause for. Yzerman obliged, and the Lightning welcomed Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan in exchange for their own captain.
St. Louis helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Los Angeles Kings. The Lightning were a non-factor last season, but Callahan has contributed 11 goals and 27 points in 30 games to a Tampa Bay team fighting for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Rangers improved immediately with St. Louis and the Lightning made Callahan an important piece of their future with a six-year, $34.8-million contract over the summer. We’ll call this one a push.
The Penguins and Predators exchange snipers
Pittsburgh Penguins fans were left scratching their heads when the team sent former 40-goal scorer James Neal to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling last summer. How could new general manager Jim Rutherford just walk in and ship Evgeni Malkin’s linemate and a perennial lock for 20+ goals out the door like that? Why?
Neal is younger than Hornqvist, regarded as a better finisher, and the difference in salaries is minimal.
As confusing as it may have appeared to some at the time, this trade worked out for both teams.
The Predators have flourished under head coach Peter Laviolette, and Neal has played a major role in the club’s offence. Nashville looks set to return to the postseason and finish with a positive goal differential for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Hornqvist has helped form one of the league’s deadliest lines along with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Rutherford gambled on Hornqvist’s ability to throw pucks at the net and it’s paid off.
Few players in the league possess the ability to drive shooting percentages like Crosby and the union he’s formed with Hornqvist has helped the Penguins firmly establish themselves as the best team in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders complete rebuild over a few hours in October
Ok, so maybe there was more to the Islanders’ turnaround then a busy few hours on October 4th, 2014. Garth Snow had a great offseason and the Islanders sport one of the best records in the Eastern Conference heading into the holidays.
Still, the acquisitions of defencemen Johnny Boychuk from Boston and Nick Leddy from Chicago just a few hours apart in early October has helped the Islanders transition from a rebuilding low-budget club to legitimate contenders and moderate spenders.
Boychuk and Leddy lead an Islanders team that ranks near the top of the Eastern Conference in Corsi for percentage. Both players could set new career highs in points this season, to boot.
Dean Lombardi is guilty of grand theft Gaborik
Marian Gaborik never turned out to be the offensive panacea the Columbus Blue Jackets coveted since severing ties with Rick Nash.
For the Los Angeles Kings, Gaborik turned out to be one of the biggest reasons why the club celebrated its second Stanley Cup championship last June. All it cost the Kings was Matt Frattin and a couple of picks at the trade deadline.
Gaborik recorded five goals and 16 points in 19 games down the stretch for the Kings last season and then scored 14 times in 26 playoff games.
Gaborik lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career and secured himself a seven-year, $34.125-million contract in the process. Maybe one day the Blue Jackets will figure out you can’t make a deal with Dean Lombardi and come out on the winning end.
Senators ship Spezza to the Stars
The marriage between Jason Spezza and the Ottawa Senators came to its end last summer.
After serving one season as the Senators’ captain, Spezza was finished with the spotlight in Ottawa. Stars general manager Jim Nill sent forwards Alex Chiasson, Nick Paul, Alex Guptill and a 2015 2nd-round pick to Ottawa in exchange for Spezza on July 1, 2014.
The Stars are a team on the rise, although their defensive shortcomings have gotten the best of them on many nights this season. Whatever the case, Spezza has settled in nicely to his new home and has helped form one of the league’s most productive lines along with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.
It will take some time before we know how this trade will truly impact the Senators. As for the Stars, Spezza and Seguin could present quite a 1-2 punch down the middle if Nill and co. continue to add depth.
