Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
With the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline less than two months away, let’s look back at the 2024 deadline and focus on which three moves look like the best ones today.
Trades by the Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche were more than boosts to a club for the home stretch of last season. They still benefit these clubs nowadays in important ways.
Trade No. 1: Hertl To The Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights acquired center Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-round draft pick and a 2027 third-round pick from San Jose for center David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick
Breakdown: No matter what you think of the Golden Knights, you have to credit GM Kelly McCrimmon for never being afraid of swinging for the fences in trades.
This deal was one of the more recent examples of Vegas winning bidding wars for a veteran star’s services and keeping them around for the long term. Hertl was believed by many to be a lifer with the Sharks, but after San Jose GM Mike Grier began tearing up his roster for a full rebuild, Hertl wanted to go to a winner. That’s what happened with this trade.
This isn’t to say the Golden Knights didn’t have to pay a significant price to make this trade palatable for San Jose. The Sharks traded Edstrom for top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, and Vegas’ first-rounder this coming summer will make this deal worthwhile for San Jose.
But Hertl is currently second on the Knights with 16 goals in 47 games, and he’s fourth on the team in points with 36. That’s exactly the type of value McCrimmon was looking for, and although he had to pony up a great package to land Hertl, nobody in Vegas would say this trade was anything other than a win for the Golden Knights.
Related: NHL Power Rankings: Not All Roses For The Elite Teams As Capitals Hang On
Trade No. 2: Noah Hanifin To The Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin in a three-team trade with Calgary and Philadelphia. Calgary acquired a 2025 first-round pick, defenseman Daniil Miromanov and a conditional 2025 third-round pick. Philadelphia received a 2024 fifth-round pick.
Breakdown: Just as they did with the Hertl trade, the Golden Knights targeted a proven veteran they could keep over the long haul, and they got their man by picking up arguably the top defenseman available in Hanifin. McCrimmon did not hold back on the assets that had to be moved out to get this deal across the finish line.
Now that…