Penguins Deadline Update: Which Beast of the East Improved the Most?

Back in the spring of 2013, the Penguins were firing on all cylinders on their way to an Eastern Conference crown. Determined to buttress his team in an attempt to ensure another Stanley Cup, then-GM Ray Shero went all-in at the trade deadline.

In rapid succession he acquired Brenden Morrow, Douglas Murray and the ultimate prize…Hall-of-Fame winger Jarome Iginla. For good measure, Shero added versatile forward Jussi Jokinen. Practically everyone in the ‘Burgh, including yours truly, thought we’d locked up the Cup. Nobody was the least bit concerned at the time about team chemistry or how the new pieces would fit.

The bottom line? For all of our talent, we never quite coalesced as a team. Culminating in an embarrassing sweep at the hands of Boston in the Conference Final.

Why do I bring this up? At a glance, the Florida Panthers look like the clear winner among our Eastern Conference rivals in the trade deadline sweepstakes. Already possessing a wealth of riches, the Panthers got even richer, landing plums like forward Claude Giroux and defenseman Ben Chariot, arguably the most sought-after players on the market, not to mention sturdy stay-at-home defenseman Robert Hagg.

Reminds me an awful lot of those 2013 Pens. And despite all of Florida’s talent…burgeoning at this stage…an Achilles heel remains. Good though they are, the goaltending duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight remains a bit suspect.

And so it is. Contending teams try their darndest to shore up weaknesses at the deadline. Among our Eastern Conference rivals, who did the best job?

Obviously, the Panthers rate high on the list. I think the Rangers also acquitted themselves well. They lacked forward depth…for goodness sake former Pens reject Greg McKegg has logged 39 games for them this season. But the Blueshirts added Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte over the past few days…virtually an entire bottom-six line…along with sturdy veteran defender Justin Braun. Bad news for our Pens…their likely first-round opponent.

Tampa Bay had similar needs. The Lightning basically lost their (very good) third line over the off-season due to expansion and attrition. The Bolts landed 20-goal grinder Brandon Hagel, a prized catch, and rugged forwards Nick Paul and Riley Nash at the deadline. They paid a steep price in the process…two number-one picks and young forwards Mathieu Joseph, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk. Down the road, the additions may not be worth the subtractions.

Toronto made a splashy add, acquiring former Norris Trophy winner (and perhaps over-the-hill) Mark Giordano and bottom-six forward Colin Blackwell from Seattle. Their only loss…depth defenseman Travis Dermott…shipped west to Vancouver. However, with journeyman goalie Jack Campbell in a second-half funk and backup Petr Mrazek downright abysmal, they didn’t address their greatest need.

Ditto Boston, who landed top-pairing defenseman Hampus Lindholm and heavyweight depth defender Josh Brown. Yet the Bruins weren’t able to bolster their iffy depth scoring.

Among the teams that took a more low key approach? Washington brought back Marcus Johansson, once upon a time a 24-goal scorer in DC, and snagged grinding left wing Johan Larsson. Additions that should help flesh out the Caps’ spotty bottom six. Like the Leafs, goaltending remains an issue.

Carolina added forward Max Domi from Columbus. The son of Tie has blown hot-and-cold throughout a checkered career. But if he catches fire, he can only help a ‘Canes team that seems to have just the right blend of speed, skill and heavy to succeed in the playoffs.

Last but certainly not least…our Pens. In terms of getting bang for your buck, I think GM Ron Hextall did a fabulous job. Rickard Rakell was perhaps the top forward available this side of Giroux, and he perfectly fills our need for a middle-six scorer. With all due respect, neither of the guys we traded, Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, was a difference maker. Nathan Beaulieu may yet prove to be an underrated add while adding some grit and sandpaper to our defense.

Of course time will tell. But to my eye, the Pens and Rangers did the best job of addressing of their needs without mortgaging the farm. If the clubs finish in a Metro lock-step as they are now, it should make for one heck of a first-round series.