The NHL trade deadline has passed and although this year was not nearly as busy as the previous years, there were still some big moves. Here are some of the moves that may have an impact:
1. Alexei Kovalev to the Pittsburgh Penguins
This was an excellent pickup for the Pittsburgh Penguins, especially right now. The reason for that is with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby out with injuries, the Pens could certainly use another player to provide offense. Pittsburgh is also familiar territory for Kovalev who played there from 1998 to 2003 and also tallied 44 goals in the 2000-2001 season. He may be coming towards the end of his career soon but there’s no denying Alex Kovalev still has what it takes to play in the NHL.
2. Jason Arnott to the Washington Capitals
Like Alex Kovalev, Arnott is still capable of putting up some good numbers even at the age of 36. The only question Capital fans may want answered is, can he keep up with players like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom? Personally, I think yes. Put him on the 3rd or 4th line and that would certainly boost the numbers of one of those two lines.
3. Bryan McCabe to the New York Rangers
The Rangers needed a veteran defenseman and that’s exactly what they got. The Rangers have some great young defensemen in Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Michael Sauer but there’s not much experience. McCabe has been playing in the NHL since 1995 and has plenty of experience in the playoffs as well with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s got a strong slapshot from the blue line and that may be what the Rangers need for the powerplay.
4. Dustin Penner to the Los Angeles Kings
Looking at his stats over the past few seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Penner has definitely been a solid player for them. With 21 goals and 18 assists so far this season, this is a great pickup for L.A. and certainly makes them an even bigger threat for the rest of the season and for the playoffs. Anze Kopitar? Ryan Smyth? Dustin Brown? Michal Handzus? Yeah, I think Penner is going to fit in just fine with these guys for the next couple of months.
5. Brad Boyes to the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are pushing hard for a playoff spot and are only a few points out. The St. Louis Blues were willing to give up Boyes for a draft pick and what a steal this is for Buffalo. Although the last couple of seasons for Boyes haven’t been very productive, maybe it was just time for him to get out of St. Louis. It’s worked for plenty of players prior to this and who knows what it could do for Boyes? Maybe a fresh start with a new team is just what the guy needs.
Lastly I want to thank Tom Daniels for setting me up here on Pulse and letting me do my first Hockey article. I’m hoping to improve my work here and write some more articles that Hockey fans can enjoy reading.
