I am underwhelmed, but looking at the deals that went down not surprised.
This team has a shot at the playoffs and even winning a round if their best players pick it up - so selling is not a good idea
That leaves two possibilities - a hockey deal, or adding.
With some of the eye-watering prices to add, I am glad that this team did not drop a 1st/ 2 high picks/ pick + prospect which seemed to be the going rate. The only deal that would have made sense for cost to add depth scoring was Namestnikov.
I am disappointed that there was no hockey deal to move a defenceman for a forward, especially as that is a position with UFAs and young players (so capital to spend) and this team is really lacking a top 6 RW. But when the teams to make these trades with are also up against the cap and in playoff battles, it is hard to bring that together. There really was only one hockey trade, and that was the Trocheck - Haula deal. There was no defenceman for a forward deal, and even with the prices going around, that is a big risk to deal a D for pick(s) and then try to flip for a forward. You can't make guys wait up against a deadline.
The "failure" today speaks more to a failure to address the needs of this team in the offseason/earlier in the year. What this team needed wasn't going to happen in an 11th hour deal.
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