Trade Deadline: Winners

Winners:

Toronto Maple Leafs
No, the Leafs weren't able to pick up any big names, nor any big prospects, but they were the envy of many teams in their successful attempts to drop bad players with bad salaries and get some useful assets in return. They dropped Hal Gill (making over $2 million next year), Wade Belak (UFA at end of season), and Chad Kilger ($700k next year).

11:18 am, Tuesday February 26, 2008
Acquire: Wade Belak	Acquire: 5th round draft pick

2:47 pm, Tuesday February 26, 2008
Acquire: Hal Gill	Acquire: '08 2nd round pick, '09 5th round pick

3:20 pm, Tuesday February 26, 2008
Acquire: Chad Kilger	Acquire: 2008, 3rd round pick

Overall, Toronto gets a 2nd, 3rd, and a couple of 5ths which is pretty good considering they got rid of a guy they had no intention of resigning, a defenceman that practically doesn't belong in the NHL, and a guy that can be replaced by a youngster who might have a big(ger) upside. The Toronto media called Toronto losers, but truly they are the winners.

Dallas Stars
I suppose I'm being a bit hypocritical after my last post, but I don't consider Brad Richards to be a rental in the same way Brad Stuart was a rental for Calgary. This is a move more in the tradition of the New Jersey Devils picking up a player like Joe Niewendyk ( March 19, 2002: Dallas traded C Joe Nieuwendyk and RW Jamie Langenbrunner to New Jersey for C Jason Arnott, RW Randy McKay and New Jersey's 1st-round pick in the 2002 Entry Draft.) who's a champion who will be a cornerstone of the team for years to come. It didn't pay off that year for New Jersey who bowed out in the first round to the upstart Carolina Hurricanes who made it all the way to the final. Turns out Niewendyk had the flu that year. He didn't the next year as he played his way to the final and won the cup for a third time on a third team. If you ever looked up champion in the dictionary I am sure Niewendyk's name would be mentioned one way or another.

Is Brad Richards a Joe Niewendyk type guy? I don't know, he doesn't have the experience, but he certainly has a good pedigree. Nonetheless, this wasn't just a short term 2008 playoff run move, this was a long term move where Dallas said we want our team to have championship pedigree. In my books, collecting champions is always a good move, especially if you can afford it.

11:46 am, Tuesday February 26, 2008
Acquire: Brad Richards Johan Holmqvist	Acquire: Mike Smith Jussi Jokinen Jeff Halpern 2009 fourth-round pick