The NHL trade deadline isn’t until Monday the 24th, but a lot of trades have already gone down over the last week, including four on Tuesday. Teams felt that they needed to jump the gun and get these deals done before others beat them to it. All of the deals made on Tuesday made sense and is exactly what each team needed. If this is what it looked like days before the trade deadline, it will be interesting to see what it looks like on the deadline day.
NHL: Four Trades On Tuesday
Hurricanes’ Gauthier for Rangers’ Keane
The New York Rangers made a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes as they sent defenseman prospect Joey Keane to the Canes for another prospect in Forward Julien Gauthier.
Keane was drafted by the Rangers in the third round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 49 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, he scored eight goals and had 22 assists. He is tied for sixth among defensemen in goals and tied for 13th among defensemen in points. Keane was recalled a few days ago but didn’t play. He is a very skilled defenseman that has a lot of years ahead of him.
Gauthier looked very impressive with the Charlotte Checkers in the NHL. The 22-year-old played in 44 games while scoring 26 goals and assisting on eleven. He’s scored at least one goal in half of the games played this season as he leads the team in goals. He made his NHL debut with the Rangers on October 11, 2019. His first assist/point against the Calgary Flames on December 14, 2019. Gauthier was drafted by the Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft at 21st overall.
Jets Acquire DeMelo From Senators
The Winnipeg Jets defense has just gotten stronger as they acquire Dylan DeMelo from the Ottawa Senators for a third-round pick in the 2020 draft. Demelo is a free agent after the season and wanted to showcase his talents. He isn’t putting up numbers but he wasn’t put in the best position in Ottawa. Demelo will now have an increased role with the Jets as he has made a name for himself over the past couple of years. He has the experience and the Jets are hoping he will help this team make the playoffs as they are on the brink.
Scandella To The Blues
In the wake of a terrible cardiac event, Jay Bouwmeester was put on long-term IR as expected. We don’t know his status going forward so the St. Louis Blues had to act fast and they did. Defenseman Marco Scandella was traded to the Blues from the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and a 2021 conditional fourth-round pick.
Scandella is a big and physical player that the Blues needed on the blue line after losing Bouwmeester. In 51 games, he has four goals with eight assists. He is a great fit for what the Blues want to do moving forward. His left-handed presence is what the team needed.
Dillon Traded To The Capitals
The biggest trade on Tuesday went down as the San Jose Sharks traded Brenden Dillon to the Washington Capitals for a second-round pick in 2020 and a conditional third-round pick in 2021.
Dillon was the hottest defenseman that was talked about in the trade market. The Capitals are in a division race and they got even stronger. Dillon played in 59 games and had one goal with 13 assists on a team that is underachieving. Many teams wanted and needed Dillon but the Capitals jumped on it first. John Carlson is putting up insane numbers and adding Dillon makes this team more dangerous at the blue line.
Final Horn
We’ve seen a few big trades before these four like Tyler Toffoli getting traded to the Vancouver Canucks and Jason Zucker getting traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Teams have been active and that’s great for the sport. Action at the deadline is what fans like to see and they got it. As teams make the push for the playoffs or a playoff run, they are willing to give up multiple pieces if it means they get stronger. Buckle up because the trades season has only just begun.
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