A Solid TDL Review of Stanley Cup Champions

[HKSR]

I'm sure I'm not the only one to wonder about what the past several years of Stanley Cup champions have done at the TDL to 'put them over the top'.  Here's a review of what trades occurred at or just before the TDL each year for the eventual Stanley Cup winner:

 

2022-23 VGK acquires:

Mayo for Weber and a 5th -- LTIR Cap Dump

Barbashev for Dean -- Significant acquisition.  Barbashev was 1 year removed from a 26 goal 60 point season.  Was on a bit of a down year (40 point pace) so a cheaper cost.

Blueger for Deliberatore and a 3rd -- Solid depth acquisition.

Quick for Hutchinson and a 7th -- They needed some serious goaltending help.  Got it in Quick.  Turned out this was a pointless trade lol.  Gonna count this as a depth move.

 

VGK made 1 significant, 2 depth, and a LTIR cap dump.

 

2021-22 Avalanche acquires:

Manson for Helleson and a 2nd -- Significant acquisition.  Added a top 4D.

Sturm for Jost -- Depth acquisition.

Lehkonen for Barron and a 2nd -- Pretty significant acquisition.  Solid middle 6 acquisition.

Cogliano for a 5th -- Depth acquisition.

 

Avalanche made 1 significant, 1 pretty significant, and 2 depth moves.

 

2020-21 Lightning acquires:

Morand and a 7th for Morand -- Minor.

Savard and Lashoff in a 3 way trade for a 1st and a 3rd -- Significant acquisition.  Added a top 4D.

Claesson for Chrona -- Minor.

 

Lightning made 1 significant and 2 minor deals.

 

2019-20 Lightning acquires:

Coleman for Foote and a 1st -- Significant.  Coleman was on pace for 30 goals.

Greco for Martel -- Minor.

Goodrow and a 3rd for Greco and a 1st -- Pretty significant middle 6 acquisition.

 

Lightning made 1 significant, 1 pretty significant, and 1 minor trade.

 

2018-19 Blues acquires:

Coreau for Future Considerations -- ...

Del Zotto for 6th Round Pick -- Depth.

 

Blues made 1 depth move, and 1 nothing move.  Their big transaction obviously was the coaching change.

 

2017-18 Capitals acquires:

Chapie and Whitney for Albert and Labrie -- Minor

Kempny for 3rd Round Pick -- Depth

Jerabek for 5th Round Pick -- Minor

 

Capitals didn't do much of anything.  Just a depth and a couple minor deals.

 

2016-17 Penguins acquires:

Hainsey for Kristo and a 2nd -- Depth.

Corrado for Fehr and Oleksy -- Minor

Streit for 4th Round Pick -- Depth

 

Penguins also didn't do much.  Just a couple depth deals for their blueline and a minor deal for our very own Frankie Corrado.

 

2015-16 Penguins acquires:

Hagelin for Perron and Clendening -- Pretty significant.  Didn't rate this higher because at the time, Hagelin wasn't really performing in ANA.  He took off with PIT.

Schultz for a 3rd -- Depth at the time.  Again, took off with PIT, but looked blah with the Oilers.

 

Penguins made 1 pretty significant and 1 depth move that both turned out great for them.  These trades remind me of what PA/JR are doing here.  Finding diamonds in the rough.

 

2014-15 Blackhawks acquires:

Forsling for Clendening - Minor at the time

Abbott for Brennan - Minor

Timonen for two 2nds -- Pretty significant

Vermette for Dahlbeck and a 1st -- A very solid middle 6 guy, borderline top 6.

Desjardins for Smith and a 7th -- Minor

 

Blackhawks had Lots of movement with a couple pretty significant moves and 3 minor trades as well.

 

2013-14 LAK acquires:

Carcillo for 7th -- Minor

3rd for Scrivens -- Minor

Crescenzi for Kozun -- Minor

Quailer for Czarnik -- Minor

Gaborik for Fratton, 2nd, 3rd -- Major.  Arguably the biggest acquisition by any of these Stanley Cup winners.

Livingston for a 7th -- Minor

McNabb, Parker, 2nd, and 2nd for Deslauriers and Fasching -- Depth.  At the time, McNabb was only a 3rd year player with not a lot of proven NHL experience.

 

LAK made the biggest splash out of all these teams IMO.  Making a major acquisition in Gaborik, a depth move with McNabb, and several minor deals.

 

TLDR:  So what does this tell us? 

 

Rarely do Stanley Cup champions make MAJOR acquisitions at or around the TDL.  What defines a MAJOR acquisition in this context -- a top line F or top pair D.  However, they do seem to make a significant acquisition (a top 6F or a top 4D) and then usually follow it up with a depth move. 

 

So what about the Canucks this year?

 

Lindholm -- Major or Significant?  IMO, given his production last year and so far this year, I'd equate it to a significant acquisition -- a top 6F.  If we had acquired Lindholm back when he was putting up a 42 goal and 80+ point campaign, I'd say he would have been a major acquisition. 

What I'd like to see now is a pretty significant middle 6F, and another solid depth defenceman that is a #5 that could slot into a #4 if necessary.

 

 

Edited February 5 by HKSR

[Ghostsof1915]

Well we already have Bluegar. So we're set?

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

Curious to know how much "hidden assets" (ie. via LTIR) that became available after season for each of the champs, bearing in mind that one of those Lightning years involved one of either Stamkos, Kucherov, or Vasilevskiy (can't remember which for which year) and Mark Stone's timely return last year for the Golden Showers.

[-AJ-]

I'd say you'd have to count Zadorov as a similar trade. Sure, it was much earlier, but it was made when it was looking like we were going to be a lot better than expected, so with that in mind.

[HKSR]

Just now, -AJ- said:

I'd say you'd have to count Zadorov as a similar trade. Sure, it was much earlier, but it was made when it was looking like we were going to be a lot better than expected, so with that in mind.

Yeah I had to cut it off somewhere.  For this analysis I basically started looking about 2 months prior to the TDL (usually around January onwards).  Looking through these years and PIT made a pretty significant deal in Dec 2015 to acquire Daley.  Other than that, for the months of Oct, Nov, and Dec for these teams, there wasn't anything that significant to note. 

 

Zadorov for the Canucks is probably somewhere between a pretty significant to a depth type move.  I wouldn't classify him as a true top 4D.  More of a #5 to #4 IMO.

[canuck73_3]

The Blues are the most interesting on that list, between the coaching change the lightning in a bottle of Binnington stepping up and the uncertainty with how their season started I can see why making minor moves only was the best decision wouldn't want to upset what they had. And it is not like the Canucks this year where they were consistent and earned a heavy cost "reward" of an impact player move. 

 

I am liking Allvin and JR's approach of big deals well in advance and add or round out the rest by deadline approach. Extra time for chemistry is fantastic with the bigger names. 

[Gawdzukes]

8 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

The Blues are the most interesting on that list, between the coaching change the lightning in a bottle of Binnington stepping up and the uncertainty with how their season started I can see why making minor moves only was the best decision wouldn't want to upset what they had. And it is not like the Canucks this year where they were consistent and earned a heavy cost "reward" of an impact player move. 

 

I am liking Allvin and JR's approach of big deals well in advance and add or round out the rest by deadline approach. Extra time for chemistry is fantastic with the bigger names. 

 

I was thinking O'Reilly was a pretty big acquisition. Just not TDL.

[IBatch]

Issues I have with this is context.   Where were those teams trending?   How had their previous playoff experiences gone.   Canucks can add exactly what you're suggesting, but they aren't the PENs, or the CAPs, as in good to top teams that you regularly see in the playoffs.   They aren't the Knights either.   As in a beast mode team since day one minus one off Eichel added year where most of their key players spent a ton of time in the infirmary.    We saw first hand what they could do, and they got better. 

 

St. Louis is a bit of an outlier.  But those guys had a lot of playoff experience despite missing before they went all the way.   

 

It's not as simple as that, as your post suggests too.   What about L.A.?   Or other CHI cups.   Every time they won, they had to trade guys away to make cap work.  

 

What about Dallas.  Or CAR or FLD.  Or even Trotz led Isle's (was it 3 of 4 years they made it to the conference finals?  think so.) 

 

Appreciate the dialogue and the interest.   Some of those guys became winners later too.  Perron in St. Louis? 

 

TB was a top team for years before they won.  They remind me of the Wings of the 90's a little.    About the best collection of players we've seen since then.    Taxes matter. 

 

Dallas two conference finals in a row.   The AVs. 

 

Think it has a lot more to do how a team is built then it does what they do at the end.    Alvin has done the legwork, that much is certain.  

 

94 Rangers.   If you go back and look at what they did it's a bit mind blowing.   Considering they were already tops in special teams and led the league in virtually all statiscal categories at the time.    Don't think there is a magic potion.   If there was, it would be easy. 

[canuck73_3]

23 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

I was thinking O'Reilly was a pretty big acquisition. Just not TDL.

Was acquired at the draft and was on the downward spiral that led their coach being fired thou so in this context it's more of an off season move. One that initially looked disastrous based on their Oct-Jan start. 

[HKSR]

33 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Issues I have with this is context.   Where were those teams trending?   How had their previous playoff experiences gone.   Canucks can add exactly what you're suggesting, but they aren't the PENs, or the CAPs, as in good to top teams that you regularly see in the playoffs.   They aren't the Knights either.   As in a beast mode team since day one minus one off Eichel added year where most of their key players spent a ton of time in the infirmary.    We saw first hand what they could do, and they got better. 

 

St. Louis is a bit of an outlier.  But those guys had a lot of playoff experience despite missing before they went all the way.   

 

It's not as simple as that, as your post suggests too.   What about L.A.?   Or other CHI cups.   Every time they won, they had to trade guys away to make cap work.  

 

What about Dallas.  Or CAR or FLD.  Or even Trotz led Isle's (was it 3 of 4 years they made it to the conference finals?  think so.) 

 

Appreciate the dialogue and the interest.   Some of those guys became winners later too.  Perron in St. Louis? 

 

TB was a top team for years before they won.  They remind me of the Wings of the 90's a little.    About the best collection of players we've seen since then.    Taxes matter. 

 

Dallas two conference finals in a row.   The AVs. 

 

Think it has a lot more to do how a team is built then it does what they do at the end.    Alvin has done the legwork, that much is certain.  

 

94 Rangers.   If you go back and look at what they did it's a bit mind blowing.   Considering they were already tops in special teams and led the league in virtually all statiscal categories at the time.    Don't think there is a magic potion.   If there was, it would be easy. 

My post was more of one where people should really stop thinking the Canucks should go out and add another significant top 6 or top 4 D.  If history shows anything, the Cup winner doesn't ever do that.

[IBatch]

Just now, HKSR said:

My post was more of one where people should really stop thinking the Canucks should go out and add another significant top 6 or top 4 D.  If history shows anything, the Cup winner doesn't ever do that.

Gothca.   

[Gawdzukes]

8 minutes ago, canuck73_3 said:

Was acquired at the draft and was on the downward spiral that led their coach being fired thou so in this context it's more of an off season move. One that initially looked disastrous based on their Oct-Jan start. 

 

Yeah definitely, for some reason I thought the deal was made early in the year but it was in the offseason apparently.

 

I do have to agree with @IBatch that there definitely isn't any secret recipe. I always get a chuckle at the "name me the last team that was [INSERT WHTEVER]. Winning the Cup is so unique and so is the journey to get there, it's constantly changing. Maybe Lindholm is a guy we win with now, or in the next year or 3.

 

I like the Lindholm deal but I am starting to lean to I hope we resign him side. It's a pretty expensive acquisition so I'm really hoping we can re-sign a little cheaper than the 8-9 mil being bandied about. We definitely need another top 6 player and they are hard to obtain, especially at a reasonable price. I do love how strong he is on the defensive side, plus decently sized. Lekkerimaki, if he works out would be a very nice complimentary piece.

[canuck73_3]

10 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

Yeah definitely, for some reason I thought the deal was made early in the year but it was in the offseason apparently.

 

I do have to agree with @IBatch that there definitely isn't any secret recipe. I always get a chuckle at the "name me the last team that was [INSERT WHTEVER]. Winning the Cup is so unique and so is the journey to get there, it's constantly changing. Maybe Lindholm is a guy we win with now, or in the next year or 3.

 

I like the Lindholm deal but I am starting to lean to I hope we resign him side. It's a pretty expensive acquisition so I'm really hoping we can re-sign a little cheaper than the 8-9 mil being bandied about. We definitely need another top 6 player and they are hard to obtain, especially at a reasonable price. I do love how strong he is on the defensive side, plus decently sized. Lekkerimaki, if he works out would be a very nice complimentary piece.

I'm just glad it was the high risk prospects being moved  and that they're refraining from moving Lekkerimaki and Willander