Commentary: Here were the biggest moves in the NHL transfer frenzy — but did anything change? | Sport

I liked how Florida operated in the NHL’s transfer backcourt. Two 2.5 million dollar fill-in players were brought in: Vladimir Tarasenko of Ottawa and Kyle Okposo From Buffalo. And neither of them is expected to perform magic under the southern sun.

Florida’s team is of such high quality and the game is in such a state of shock that there was no need to search the player market for wiser, bigger vibrating players. However, two long-time NHL players took hold of Haavi, who complement the ranks in a good way. These do not have to come to Florida to solve games, but only to merge into a part of the already functioning machinery. Moderate expected value is the best expected value.

It is precisely with expectations and hopes that we often go into the woods when talking about the NHL’s transfer limit.

It seems that the expectations for the closing of the transfer window, including supporters and media, have been loaded even too much. Rarely have moves been made in the transfer zone that would have totally changed the direction of the team. If the team still has problems in March, they are unlikely to be fixed by acquiring new players for the group at the last minute.

On the other hand, it is easier to grab a group on a moving train that is moving well on its tracks.

When these acquisitions, like Florida’s, are moderate and the players are assigned a clear role and reasonable expectations, the player trade is likely to get the most benefit.

Colorado question mark

On the other hand, if you think about Colorado or Edmonton, who are seriously aiming for the championship, I don’t think that they have become more pious in the transfer border.

Edmonton got an experienced center as a depth player Adam Henrique, which certainly adds value, but it still doesn’t have a championship-level defense. Such big structural problems are rarely fixed in the middle of the season with player trades.

Colorado serves as another example.

Colorado sent off a center forward who had become a problem by Ryan Johansen and procured a replacement from Buffalo Casey Mittelstadt.

Mittelstadt is a better player than Johansen, but younger, more inexperienced and still far from his potential. Although player trades are always evaluated based on the best forecast, only spring will show whether Mittelstadt is really helpful.

And acquiring Mittelstadt, for example, does not remove the Russian star Valery Nitshushkin substance abuse problems. The Russian has already been twice in the NHL’s treatment program, from which he returned for the weekend and immediately decided the match for Colorado.

However, the cold truth is that Colorado cannot trust the Russian.

Colorado already had a structural problem with its players at the start of the season, and in my opinion, it didn’t go away with the transfer deadline with a couple of player trades. And still, it is not intended to criticize the club management for trying. In the cases of Colorado and Edmonton – as examples – you have to try.

When the Stanley Cup window is open, the purse strings also need to be loosened.

Vegas is confusing

However, significant structural problems are difficult to fix in the middle of the season, and therefore I don’t think the NHL’s transfer limit has changed the balance of power in the spring. Those who were strong when we entered March will be strong in the future as well.

Florida was the biggest championship favorite coming into Friday and will be so on Saturday as well – I don’t think the Colorado and Edmonton players are still good enough for the championship.

Vegas was once again the biggest factor behind the backlash. Vegas has profiled itself as a completely exceptional factor in the NHL player market for a long time.

It rudely takes advantage of the gaps left in the collective agreement. For several spring in a row, it has transferred injured players just below the transfer limit to the long-term injured list, so their salary is not counted against the salary cap. This has made it possible to catch quality players and this is how the Knights operate this time as well.

Vegas received quite a bit of anger on social media when it grabbed a top forward from San Jose in the last moments of Friday Tomas Hertlin.

It had already captured a quality defender by Noah Hanifin as well as a power forward Anthony Manthan.

If you had to single out one winner from the transfer circus, it would be Vegas.

The acquisition of Kuznetsov is surprising

Carolina made the most interesting moves. It got the scoring power it needed from Pittsburgh, a two-time Cup winner By Jake Guentzel in terms of. If Guentzel quickly finds his place on the team, this could really be a big help.

Having completely fallen off the wagon in Washington, and sent the company to the farm, Yevgeny Kuznetsov the hijacking, on the other hand, surprised many.

Kuznetsov was the star individual of Washington’s 2018 championship team, but has since fallen far from the star level and was caught using cocaine, among other things.

For Finns, the last few days were quiet. Only played well in San Jose Kaapo Kähkönen was eventually sold.

The Helsinki goalkeeper was traded to New Jersey in exchange for another goalkeeper, Vitek Vanecek. Kähkönen has played an excellent season in a weak team and therefore the transfer to a better combination can be considered at least deserved. However, the foot can’t take off the gas at all, because Kähkönen’s contract is on hold.