Frattin, 28, has spent the entire season with the Toronto Marlies (AHL). In 47 games he has collected nine goals and 13 assists (22 points). He has appeared in 135 career NHL games, registering 35 points (17G / 18A) with the Maple Leafs, Kings and Blue Jackets.
The Maple Leafs were able to ship out Phaneuf and his massive contract without having to retain any salary. Phaneuf will make his Senators debut on Wednesday in Detroit, where he will be paired with Cody Ceci. Phaneuf has collected three goals, 21 assists (24 points) and 116 shots in 51 games with the Maple Leafs. He will be playing second fiddle to Erik Karlsson in Ottawa, but an improved offence could help his fantasy value in the long-run.
Garbutt had two goals and four assists in 43 games in his first season with the Blackhawks. He was acquired in the Patrick Sharp deal this summer but is now on his way to Montreal. He has 76 points (32G / 44A) in 241 career NHL games.
Sekac, 23, had just one goal and two assists in 22 games with the Ducks this season. In 91 career NHL games, Sekac has registered 10 goals and 16 assists. Sekac could make his Blackhawks debut on Friday.
Perron will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Despite playing the majority of the season with Sidney Crosby, Perron had just 16 points (4G / 12A) in 43 games. He could slide into Hagelin’s spot in the Ducks top six, but he remains a low-end wing option in standard 12-team leagues.
Hagelin has three years left on his deal that carries a $4M cap-hit. Hagelin had a tough three and a half months with the Ducks, scoring just four goals with eight assists (12 points) in 43 games. He is a speedy winger with good offensive and defensive zone abilities. He should make his Penguins debut on Sunday vs. the Hurricanes.
Etem, 23, was the 29th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. Etem was in his first season with the Rangers after spending the first four years of his career with the Anaheim Ducks. Etem had a difficult time cracking the Rangers lineup—he has just three assists in 19 games this season. He should have a much easier time cracking the Canucks lineup.
Jensen, 22, was the 29th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 186 lbs. right winger has registered 12 points (4G / 8A) in 27 games with Utica this season. He has three goals and three assists in 24 career NHL games. Jensen was approaching waiver-eligible status, so the Canucks feared losing him for nothing and Etem is an NHL-ready winger.
Friberg failed to record a point in five games with the Ducks this season, but has 17 points (5G / 12A) in 25 games with San Diego (AHL). He will report to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in St. John’s.
Tokarski has gone 1-3-0 with a 3.18 GAA and .878 SV% with the Canadiens this season and 3-3-4 with a 2.84 GAA and .909 SV% with St. John’s (AHL). Acquiring Tokarski gives the Ducks four NHL-read net minders, John Gibson, Frederik Andersen, Anton Khudobin and Tokarski. The chances of the Ducks actually carrying all four seem slim, so expect them to have another move up their sleeve, likely moving Khudobin so he can play in the NHL.
Jones was the fourth overall pick in 2013 and has been a force at both ends of the ice for the Predators. Nashville likely did not want to give Jones up, but they have a plethora of talented defensemen and were seeking help at forward, so Jones was dealt. He has 63 points (15G / 48A) in 199 career NHL games.
Johansen quickly fell into John Tortorella’s doghouse as soon as he was hired, but he still managed to record 26 points (6G / 20A) in 38 games this season. Entering the season he was viewed as one of the NHL’s brightest young stars after recording 63 (33G / 30A) and 71 points (26G / 45A) in back-to-back seasons. The Predators desperately needed help in their top-6 and Johansen could slot in on the second line with Colin Wilson and James Neal to start.
Weal, 23, was a third round pick (70th overall) in 2010 NHL Draft. Weal has no points in 10 career NHL games (all this season) and is coming off of a year where he had 69 points (20G / 49A) in 73 games with Manchester (AHL).
Schenn has just five points (2G / 3A) in 29 games with the Flyers this season. The 26-year-old has never been known for his offence, registering a career-high of 22 points in 2010-11 and 2011-12. He should slot in on the Kings’ third pair.
Lecavalier has not appeared in a game since November 12th and has only played in seven games this season, registering a single assist. The Flyers will reportedly retain half of his salary but this deal still opens up some much needed salary space for the Flyers. Lecavalier should slot into a bottom-6 role with the Kings.
NHL trades are decided between two or more team general managers. The front office’s job is building a winning team. Building a winning team means discussing trades with other general managers across the league.
During the NHL regular season, players can be traded up until the trade deadline. The deadline is the official cutoff point for when teams can no longer make moves between each other. Players can also be traded throughout the offseason.
Teams trade players in hockey for a variety of reasons, but generally, it is done to find success, whether that is in the short term or long term. Teams may trade their top players in search of draft picks if they are undergoing a rebuild, whereas contending teams may look to acquire talent to boost their playoff chances.
Trades are a common occurrence throughout the NHL and happen often. Some years feature less trades than others, it all depends on each teams needs and the availability of attractive talent.
