Poll: Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
While it was a slower day than normal, the trade deadline is now behind us. There were still a good number of impactful swings made on deadline day and in the week leading up to it. Over the next week, PHR will be running a series of polls asking which team had the best deadline in each division. Today, we’re starting out with the Atlantic. Here’s a synopsis of all eight teams, sorted by best to worst points percentage in 2025-26:
Tampa Bay Lightning
It was a relatively quiet deadline season for the Bolts. Despite dealing with several injuries this season, the only trade the team made was acquiring Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2028 second-round pick.
Perry has already registered two goals and one fight since returning to Tampa Bay, adding to his 13-goal, 30-point campaign this season. He’s appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, losing them all, giving the Lightning a familiar, hungry, and experienced veteran winger in the bottom-six.
Buffalo Sabres
Although they were unable to acquire defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues, the red-hot Sabres were still one of the most active teams on deadline day. In three separate deals, the Sabres acquired Sam Carrick, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, and Logan Stanley for Jacob Bryson, Isak Rosen, a 2026 third-round pick, a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, Chicago’s 2026 sixth-round pick, a 2026 seventh-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Outside of Carrick, the other three acquisitions will become unrestricted free agents this summer, unless Buffalo extends them before July 1st. Additionally, even though they parted with five draft selections in the next two drafts, the Sabres still have 10 picks available, with plenty of time to replenish their cupboard. It was a shift from the big-game hunting the Sabres were expected to pursue, but it was a wise strategy to enhance their depth for the upcoming playoff run.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were arguably the most surprising team on deadline day. Montreal was active on several fronts leading up to the deadline, yet it was one of the few teams that did not make a single trade.
Although it’s defensible that the team didn’t pull the trigger on acquiring a second-line center, given the asking price for many of them, it was surprising that the Canadiens couldn’t find a way to move on from Patrik Laine. During the Olympics, it was reported that Montreal wasn’t expecting Laine back with the team this season, even if he became healthy. The Kings were one of the few teams interested, but the Canadiens will hold onto him until the summer.
Boston Bruins
Like the Canadiens, the Bruins were another quiet team on deadline day. Although they made a few trades, they were only made to build up their AHL squad, the Providence Bruins.
Unlike Montreal, there were very few expectations around Boston to make a move. A few reports linked them to some of the higher-level names available, though the Bruins are only one year removed from being one of the most active sellers at the deadline. Boston likely could have made some additions to reward the team’s performance this year, but they weren’t in a position to give up significant assets.
Detroit Red Wings
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, the Red Wings likely had the highest expectations leading up to the deadline. Over the past two years, despite being in a wild-card spot, Detroit effectively stood pat at the trade deadline, leading many to question the team’s commitment to getting back to the postseason.
Connected to most of the market’s top names, the Red Wings arguably landed the best player of any of their divisional opponents. Just before the deadline, Detroit acquired top-four defenseman Justin Faulk from the Blues for prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick. Earlier in the day, the Red Wings traded Elmer Söderblom to the Penguins for the third-round pick that was eventually sent to St. Louis, and acquired veteran winger David Perron from the Senators for a fourth-round pick.
Ottawa Senators
If only the Senators had gotten league-average goaltending for the first part of the regular season. Because of the lackluster play between the pipes, the Senators are on the outside of the playoff conversation, though they do have plenty of time to make up the ground. Still, it made for a complicated deadline strategy.
By the end of the deadline, the only move of consequence Ottawa made was sending Buffalo’s 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 conditional third-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for Warren Foegele and a Dallas’ conditional 2026 third-round pick. Effectively, Foegele replaces Perron in the lineup after a difficult start to the year with the Kings. Foegele is only one year removed from back-to-back 20-goal campaigns.
Florida Panthers
Nothing stops a juggernaut like injuries. Although they aren’t mathematically eliminated, it’s highly unlikely that the Panthers will have the opportunity to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships this spring.
According to most reports, the Panthers were thought to have been looking to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents, but only parted ways with defenseman Jeff Petry with the Minnesota Wild. It appears that Florida is more interested in keeping the group together and hopes for better health during the 2026-27 campaign.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Like every other team, the Maple Leafs aren’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, but it is highly unlikely they’ll continue their postseason streak. Given that, Toronto was thought to be listening to nearly every player on the roster to maximize their potential return.
By the end of deadline day, the Maple Leafs had traded Nicolas Roy, Scott Laughton, and Bobby McMann for Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick, Colorado’s 2026 fifth-round pick, Ottawa’s 2026 third-round pick, Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick, and Anaheim’s 2026 fourth-round pick. Toronto still lacks its top two selections this season, unless they finish fifth overall or higher. However, they managed to re-stock some of their draft capital over the next two years.
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, which do you think had the best deadline season? Vote below!
Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
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Buffalo Sabres 54% (282)
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Detroit Red Wings 18% (93)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 11% (60)
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Montreal Canadiens 6% (30)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 5% (28)
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Boston Bruins 3% (14)
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Ottawa Senators 2% (10)
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Florida Panthers 2% (10)
Total votes: 527
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Kings, Senators Swap Jan Jenik, Samuel Bolduc
According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Jan Jeník from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Samuel Bolduc. Each player will report to their respective AHL clubs.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Jeník was considered one of the better prospects for the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes. He was drafted with the 65th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft and began his professional career during the 2020-21 season.
Although he didn’t make much noise in the NHL, Jeník got off to a promising start, scoring six goals and 14 points in 29 games for the Tucson Roadrunners. During his sophomore season, he significantly improved offensively, registering 17 goals and 47 points in 51 games.
Over the next few years, he continued his productive scoring pace in the AHL, scoring 23 goals and 59 points in 85 games. Still, between 2020 and 2024, Jeník only appeared in 22 games for the Coyotes, scoring four goals and six points while averaging fourth-line minutes.
It was after the 2023-24 campaign that Jeník eventually requested a trade, and he was traded to the Senators. Since then, he has primarily played for the Belleville Senators, scoring 21 goals and 46 points in 93 contests.
Meanwhile, Bolduc, who is a few years older than Jeník, was in his first season with the Kings organization. Playing for the Ontario Reign this year, he’s scored five goals and 21 points in 56 games with a +7 rating.
Before his time with the Reign, Bolduc spent several years in the New York Islanders organization, playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Islanders. He was an effective two-way defenseman for several years, scoring 28 goals and 92 points in 211 games with a -54 rating.
Senators No Longer Forfeiting 2026 First-Round Pick
This year, the first round was only going to be 31 picks. The Senators were due to forfeit their first-round selection as a result of failing to disclose Evgenii Dadonov‘s trade protection when trading him to the Golden Knights in 2021, resulting in a botched trade when Vegas attempted to send him to the Ducks the following season. Now, the NHL has modified that penalty – instead of losing their first-round pick entirely, it’ll be moved to the back of the order, giving them the 32nd overall pick, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.
There are additional restrictions on the selection, the league announced. The Sens can’t trade it for an asset or to move up in the draft order. In the realistic scenario that they don’t make the playoffs, they won’t be eligible for the draft lottery, and a redraw will be held if their number is drawn. They’re also getting fined an additional $1MM in Canadian dollars.
The league took into account that the violation five years ago occurred under a different general manager and ownership. As a result, the Senators “behind the scenes have been lobbying the NHL for quite a while” to reach a resolution that didn’t result in a full forfeiture, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN.
There is precedent for this type of reversal of sanctions. Back in 2010, when the Devils signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a massive 17-year deal that the league deemed to be cap circumvention, the NHL voided the deal and stripped them of a first and third-round pick, along with a $3MM fine. Three years later, when Kovalchuk shockingly retired and walked away from the deal, the league acquiesced in a similar manner when pushed by then-New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello. The NHL returned half the fine and gave the Devils the 30th overall pick in the 2014 draft (then the last selection of the round) with the same restrictions applied.
“The Senators subsequently applied to the League for reconsideration and relief from the original penalty, citing primarily the change in Club ownership and oversight which, in the Club’s view, changed the appropriateness of the penalty initially imposed,” the league said in its statement. “After due and thorough consideration, the League has decided that a modification of the original penalty is warranted.”
Jake Sanderson Out Week-To-Week
Senators star defender Jake Sanderson is out week-to-week with the upper-body injury he sustained against the Kraken on Saturday, head coach Travis Green announced (via Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia).
Ottawa recalled Dennis Gilbert from AHL Belleville in a related move this morning, but he will not play tonight against the Canucks. Nikolas Matinpalo has been cleared to return from his undisclosed injury and will replace Sanderson in the lineup, sliding in as their #3 lefty alongside Nick Jensen, the team said.
Sanderson’s first significant injury since undergoing season-ending hand surgery in March 2022 couldn’t come at a worse time. After beating Seattle 7-4 over the weekend, the Sens have kept pace in the wild-card race and entered play Monday five points back of the Bruins for the second spot with a game in hand. They still have the Blue Jackets to leapfrog before putting themselves in duel mode with Boston, though, and considering Columbus has matched them with a 7-1-2 record in their last 10, they’ll need to keep all the pressure on.
While the Eastern Conference field has separated into the haves and have-nots post-deadline, there are still 10 teams truly in the mix for eight playoff spots. Ottawa currently sits 10th in that group, and while MoneyPuck gives them a 50.8% chance of making the playoffs, fifth and 10th place in the conference are so close that there are seven teams in the 50-85% range, with Ottawa bringing up the rear there as well.
All that means a lot still needs to go right for the Sens to get back to the playoffs for the second straight season. One saving grace is that they don’t have a particularly difficult schedule with around league-average opponents the rest of the way. They get their easiest remaining matchup out of the way tonight in what is an absolute must-win against the last-place Canucks. Meanwhile, three teams they’re chasing – Boston, Detroit, and Pittsburgh – have three of the five most difficult remaining schedules.
It will get even more difficult to make up ground without Sanderson. On the heels of a 10th-place Norris Trophy finish last season, he’s upped his points per game from 0.71 to 0.77 while posting a career-best +9 rating, averaging 24:49 of ice time per game, and posting spectacular 5-on-5 possession numbers. Ottawa is controlling 56% of shot attempts, 57.1% of scoring chances, and 56.8% of expected goals with Sanderson on the ice.
Green must now shuffle the deck regarding his defense pairings. He has the luxury of another top-pair caliber lefty, Thomas Chabot, sitting behind Sanderson on the depth chart. He’ll go back to being the Sens’ #1 in terms of ice time, moving up to slot in alongside top shutdown righty Artem Zub. Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence, who have been so effective as Ottawa’s third pairing, will receive second-pairing deployment tonight while Jensen, who’d served as Chabot’s partner at even strength for much of the year, will see reduced minutes alongside Matinpalo.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Senators Recall Dennis Gilbert
The Senators announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from AHL Belleville. He will likely need to dress tonight against the Canucks to give Ottawa six healthy defensemen, meaning he qualifies as an emergency recall and doesn’t take up one of the Sens’ five allotted post-deadline standard recalls.
The Sens had seven defensemen rostered coming out of the trade deadline. Nikolas Matinpalo had already been unavailable for the last five games with an undisclosed injury, and while he’s still listed as day-to-day, there hasn’t been an update on his status in a while. Then, star lefty Jake Sanderson left Saturday’s win over the Kraken in the second period with an apparent right shoulder injury after taking a hit from Brandon Montour. As Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen writes, the Sens haven’t commented on Sanderson’s evaluation or return timeline, as they didn’t practice yesterday.
Gilbert, 29, is in his second stint in the Ottawa organization in as many seasons. The team acquired him via trade twice in the span of nine months. They first picked him up from the Sabres at last year’s trade deadline as part of the Dylan Cozens/Joshua Norris swap. He then left to sign a one-year deal with the Flyers in free agency, but was flipped back to the Sens in November for the signing rights to Max Guenette after clearing waivers.
A third-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2015, Gilbert has now appeared in 112 NHL games in parts of seven seasons in Chicago, Calgary, Colorado, Buffalo, and Ottawa (he never got into regular-season action in Philly). The 6’2′, 216-lb defensive-minded lefty appeared in 20-plus games in three straight seasons from 2022-25 but appears headed back toward being a minor-league fixture as he enters the latter half of his pro career. In 31 games with Belleville this season, he’s managed 12 assists and a -1 rating with 27 penalty minutes.
Kleven Fined For Cross-Checking
- Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was also assessed a fine by the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was forced to hand over $4,166.67, max allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann in the face in Saturday’s match between Ottawa and Seattle. Kleven was assessed a two-minute slashing, five-minute cross-checking, and 10-minute game misconduct penalty on the play, which occurred with just under four minutes left in regulation. He scored his second goal of the season prior to his ejection. Kleven is now up to 12 points and a minus-two in 57 games this season. He will continue in his role offering the Senators defensive depth.
Troy Murray Passes Away
Former NHL forward and longtime Blackhawks broadcaster Troy Murray passed away on Saturday at age 63, the team announced. Murray had battled cancer since first publicly sharing his diagnosis in 2021, still serving as the team’s radio color analyst for most of that time up until this season.
Murray had two separate stints in Chicago as a player, totaling nearly 700 games over 12 seasons. The first started when they drafted him in the third round in 1980, preceding a highly successful two-year stint at the University of North Dakota – including captaining Canada to a gold medal at the 1982 World Juniors – before turning pro in 1982 and immediately becoming a fixture in the Hawks’ lineup. He spent the remainder of the decade as one of the league’s top defensive centers, winning the Selke Trophy in 1985-86 while routinely putting up 50-plus points. He had five consecutive 20-goal seasons from 1984-89.
The second half of Murray’s career was as more of a journeyman, but a highly valuable one. He was traded to the Jets in the 1991 offseason for rugged defender Bryan Marchment and was immediately named Winnipeg’s captain. A year and a half later, they shipped him back to the Hawks at the 1993 deadline for a hopefully long playoff run after they reached the Cup Final the year before, but they were swept out in the first round in a significant upset by the Blues. Murray was traded twice in each of the next two seasons – first to the Senators in 1994 and then to the Penguins in 1995 – before signing on with the first-year Avalanche for 1995-96 after their relocation from Quebec. That was the last NHL season of his 15-year career, but he ended it with a Stanley Cup win, suiting up eight times in the Avs’ march to their first Cup.
Murray played one more pro season, captaining the Chicago Wolves (then of the now-defunct IHL) in 1996-97, before officially retiring. He immediately began his second act as a broadcaster and called Hawks games on WGN Radio for over two decades. While doing so, he was the president of the Blackhawks’ alumni association.
Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz’s statement was as follows:
The Chicago Blackhawks are deeply heartbroken today as we mourn the loss of Troy Murray, our beloved “Muzz,” and our love and support go out to his family.
Troy was the epitome of a Blackhawk, so far beyond his incredible playing career with a presence felt in every corner of our organization over the last 45 years. He was admired by his teammates and our players, and was so proud to connect generations of Blackhawks through his work with the Blackhawks Alumni Association. He jumped at every call to support our local community with our Foundation. He never missed a chance to say ‘hello’ in our press box and always knew the perfect time for a joke just when someone around the office needed it most. And he absolutely loved bringing Blackhawks hockey to you, our fans, night after night with a dedication to his craft that never wavered to the very end.
During his long and hard battle with cancer, it was often said that Troy didn’t have any ‘give up’ in him. While our front office simply won’t be the same without him, we will carry that spirit forward every day in his honor. We’ll miss you, Muzz.
Murray had 230 goals, 354 assists, and 584 points with a +53 rating in 915 career NHL games, including 488 points in 688 games as a Hawk. He’s 23rd in franchise history in appearances by a skater, 18th in assists, and 19th in points. PHR joins others around the game in sending condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, coworkers, and former teammates.
Capitals Trade Graeme Clarke To Senators
The Senators and Capitals apparently connected on a last-minute minor deal before the deadline. Washington dealt forward Graeme Clarke to Ottawa in exchange for center Wyatt Bongiovanni, per PuckPedia. Both players will report to their new clubs’ AHL affiliates.
The deal essentially only has minor-league considerations, and both players could only last a few weeks in their new homes. Both are on two-way deals and will be Group VI unrestricted free agents this summer.
Clarke, 24, will bring some goal-scoring acumen to the Sens’ depth ranks. The B-Sens have lost one of their top producers with Stephen Halliday working his way onto the NHL roster, so they’ve needed a little bit of help. The former third-round pick of the Devils isn’t having the best year, but he’s still managed 15 goals in 50 games for AHL Hershey after signing with the Caps as a non-tendered RFA last summer.
Ottawa will be the fourth NHL organization for Clarke. He does have an NHL resume, but it only consists of three games with New Jersey in 2023-24. He was then traded to the Wild for Adam Beckman the following summer and then spent all of 2024-25 in the minors before Minnesota opted not to issue him a qualifying offer.
Bongiovanni, 26, has put up comparable production, but unlike Clarke has utility down the middle. The 6’0″ pivot has been in Ottawa’s system since being acquired from the Jets for future considerations at the 2024 trade deadline. He’s posted 12 goals and 25 points in 54 games for the B-Sens this season with a -13 rating.
Halliday Potentially In Play
- League executives have told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that center Stephen Halliday is someone to keep an eye on before the deadline. The 23-year-old has been fairly productive in limited minutes for the Senators, notching four goals and seven assists in 28 games despite barely averaging eight minutes a night of playing time. Waiver-eligible for the first time next season, Halliday is the type of player that rebuilding teams will often want to take a longer look at so if Ottawa can swing a move to add another piece before the deadline, he’s certainly a candidate to be part of the return.
Red Wings Acquire David Perron
The Red Wings and Senators announced a rare deal between teams in the same playoff race. Winger David Perron is headed back to Detroit, with the Wings sending a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick to Ottawa to complete the deal. Ottawa will receive the pick, the Blue Jackets’ 2026 fourth, if Perron plays in at least one game. It will upgrade to Detroit’s third-round selection this year if the Wings advance to at least the second round of the playoffs and Perron plays in at least half of the first-round games.
Detroit has been tied to forward targets of a much higher prestige and acquisition cost, and Perron wasn’t an obvious trade candidate with Ottawa still pushing to get back into the wild-card race. He hasn’t played since January after undergoing sports hernia surgery, and it’s fair to wonder if the 37-year-old requested a move back to a familiar environment with a higher likelihood of making the postseason in what could be his final NHL season. He’s nearing the end of his projected return timeline anyway, and if healthy, he legitimately provides a third-line scoring presence the Wings desperately needed to add this week.
In his last two trips through free agency, Perron has signed two-year deals – first with Detroit in 2022 and then Ottawa in 2024. Now a pending UFA, he took a marginal pay cut from his $4.75MM cap hit with Detroit to the $4MM price tag he carries now. He was a legitimately impactful top-nine presence during his pair of seasons in Hockeytown, averaging 21 goals and 54 points with 113 hits per 82 games while staying healthy the vast majority of the time.
Due to age-related decline and a pair of injury-plagued seasons in Canada’s capital, he’s not that player anymore. A back injury held him out of nearly half the 2024-25 campaign, and his ice time and production dipped. He did manage to get his scoring back on track before his surgery this year, though, notching 10 goals and 25 points through 49 games. That’s still not the rate he was producing in Detroit, but it is still a half a point per game. That’s a significant offensive upgrade over names like Michael Rasmussen and Elmer Söderblom, who have spent time on the wings in Detroit’s top nine.
A Stanley Cup winner with the Blues in 2019, Perron also brings a wealth of experience – 1,223 regular-season games and 110 playoff games – to a club primed for its first postseason appearance in 10 years. His time in Ottawa aside, he’s been one of the league’s more consistent producers in the 50-point range since debuting for the Blues way back in 2007. Assuming he can return to play from his surgery and suit up for the Wings in the playoffs, it’ll be his 12th time in 19 NHL seasons making it to the dance.
The move offers a clear reason why the Sens opted to leverage a second-round pick to land winger Warren Foegele from the Kings earlier today. Entering play tonight six points back of a playoff spot, they weren’t comfortable sending Perron away without ensuring they could bring someone in to replace him in a separate move. The Sens do clear $500K in current cap space with the pair of transactions, but are still on the hook for Foegele’s $3.5MM cap hit through next season, while Perron is long for the open market.