Monday's NHL trade deadline brought the customary annual excitement for hardcore hockey fans. As 3 p.m. drew closer and closer, pundits and fans feverishly monitored Twitter and refreshed browser windows, waiting for a game-changing trade to happen at any moment.
Yet this year, no teams attempted a truly blockbuster deal, like the one that saw Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen leave the New York Islanders for Florida in 2000, or the one that sent Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins from Hartford just before the 1991 trade deadline.
But just because there were no major deadline-day shocks does not mean Monday's deals won't have major implications for the teams involved. Only time will tell if any of the teams that were active this trade deadline will end up just like those 1991 Penguins: skating with the Stanley Cup that same spring.
Here's a breakdown of the five most important trades from Monday (earlier deals excluded):
5. Ottawa Senators - Chicago Blackhawks: Senators get forward Ryan Potulny and a second-round draft pick; Blackhawks get defenseman Chris Campoli and a conditional 2012 seventh-round draft pick.
Chicago, which had already made moves prior to Monday — acquiring Michael Frolik from the Florida Panthers for Jack Skille — shored up its defense with the addition of the Senators' Campoli, a key move in anticipation of another deep playoff run.
The team does so at the cost of Potulny, who had only suited up in three games for the Hawks this year prior to being traded. The center is more likely to see meaningful ice time in Ottawa.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Phoenix Coyotes: Blue Jackets get forward Scottie Upshall and defenseman Sami Lepisto; Coyotes get defenseman Rostislav Klesla and forward Dane Byers.
Trading Klesla to Phoenix was a bittersweet moment for Blue Jackets fans. The 28-year-old defenseman was the first player selected by Columbus in the 2000 entry draft and the last remaining member of the franchise's inaugural roster. He, along with minor-league prospect Byers, is off to Phoenix to play in front of all-star goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.
In return, the Jackets get journeyman Lepisto, but the big ticket here is Upshall. A versatile forward and physical presence, Upshall had 16 goals prior to being traded and added another for his new club against Edmonton on Tuesday night. Not a bad way to start a new job.
3. Florida Panthers - Washington Capitals: Panthers get forward Jake Hauswirth and a third-round draft pick; Capitals get defenseman Dennis Wideman.
A move of this type was to be expected from both sides — the Capitals looking to solidify their defensive corps, and the aging and underachieving Panthers looking to rebuild. The Panthers get Hauswirth, an East Coast Hockey League prospect decently suited to such a rebuilding process, as well as one of several draft picks General Manager Dale Tallon stockpiled at the deadline.
The key piece of this trade is Wideman. The former Boston Bruin is a rock-solid presence who brings depth and stability to the Caps' blue line, especially with the health of defensemen Mike Green and Tom Poti less certain of late. Wideman's impact has already been felt in D.C.: He posted a team-high 26:44 in ice time, a plus-2 rating and three shots in his debut Tuesday.
2. Edmonton Oilers - Los Angeles Kings: Oilers get defenseman Colton Teubert, a first-round draft pick and a third-round 2012 draft pick; Kings get forward Dustin Penner.
In the ultra-close Western Conference, the trade deadline was a potential way to shake up an intensely crowded playoff picture. Plenty of Western Conference teams made deals in the days before the deadline, but none made a bigger splash than LA.
In last place, the Oilers were one of the few Western teams not in contention, so off goes the big winger Penner to LA. In return for one of their bigger stars, the Oilers hope the defensive prospect Teubert will become an integral part of their rebuild, as will their draft picks, including a first-rounder next year.
In LA, Penner will complement center Anze Kopitar and captain winger Dustin Brown. It's an attempt to galvanize a talented roster with some outside help — and it could be exactly what the Kings need to surprise everyone come playoff time.
1. New Jersey Devils - Washington Capitals: Devils get forward David Steckel and a second-round 2012 draft pick; Capitals get forward Jason Arnott.
Announced just minutes before the 3 p.m. ET deadline, this is perhaps the most high-profile move of the day. Both teams are in the playoff picture; the Capitals are solidly in contention, while the Devils are furiously chasing the eighth seed after a dreadful start to the season.
The Caps land Arnott, a veteran presence and the second-line center the team has needed for a long time. Arnott clearly wants to be in Washington, as he waived his contract's no-trade clause in order to make the deal go through. The Devils shed Arnott's contract in return for Steckel, a third- or fourth-line center at best — but also an elite faceoff specialist who leads the league with 63.7 percent of his draws won.
For Washington, this could be a move that pays off in a big way — it will be interesting to see what impact Arnott's presence has on the locker room. He's no stranger to hockey's "second season" and brings a mental toughness that has eluded the Caps in three consecutive early playoff exits. But as with any other big personnel move, only time — and playoff success — will determine whether all the trade deadline excitement is ultimately worth it.
