What is a Stanley Cup-winning move at the trade deadline?
On Wednesday, we looked at what the Edmonton Oilers did at the past five trade deadlines. In this article, we’ll look at how the last five Stanley Cup champions have geared up ahead of the playoffs.
In 2020 and 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, followed by the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and the Florida Panthers in 2024. Let’s dig in!
The 2020 Lightning added Blake Coleman
Before the pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season for a few months, the Tampa Bay Lightning fired off three trades. Their first on February 16 saw them move Nolan Foote and Vancouver Canucks’ 2020 first-round pick in exchange for Blake Coleman.
Their next move four days later was small, moving Danick Martel for Anthony Greco. However, Greco was moved on February 24 along with the Lightning’s 2020 first-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for penalty killer Barclay Goodrow and the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2020 third-round pick.
Coleman played nine games for the Lightning after the trade, picking up an assist. However, once the league resumed in the bubble in the summer, he scored five goals and 13 points in 25 games en route to the Lightning’s first Stanley Cup since 2004. He also had good numbers the following season, scoring 14 goals and 31 points in 55 games, followed by three goals and 11 points in 23 games in 2020-21.
Goodrow picked up two assists in eight games after the trade. He didn’t impact the Lightning during their run nearly as much as Coleman did, scoring a goal and six points in 25 games. Like Coleman, he returned to the Lightning for the 2020-21 season, scoring six goals and 20 points in 55 games, along with two goals and six points in 18 games en route to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
The 2020 post-season was a weird one because of the global pandemic. Thanks to finishing with the second-highest win percentage in the Eastern Conference, the Lightning earned a bye to avoid the qualifying round. They defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games, the Boston Bruins in five games, and the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to head to the Stanley Cup Final. There, they defeated the Dallas Stars in six games.
The 2021 Lightning had a quiet deadline
The Lightning only made one move and it was a small one, trading Magnus Chrona to the San Jose Sharks for Fredrik Claesson. He only played two games for the Lightning that season, picking up 12 penalty minutes while posting a minus-one rating. Chrona, a netminder, played nine games with the Sharks in 2023-24 where he had less than ideal results.
It didn’t matter though, as the Lightning were coming off the 2020 Stanley Cup win. They finished third in the “Central Division” with 75 points in 56 games. They defeated the Florida Panthers in six games, the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, the New York Islanders in seven games, and the Montréal Canadiens in five games.
Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The 2022 Avs added Lehkonen, Manson, and more
In 2022, the Colorado Avalanche dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, winning their first Stanley Cup since 2001.
Their first move was a week before the deadline, training Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for defenceman Josh Manson. The following day, the Avalanche traded Tyson Jost to the Minnesota Wild for Nico Sturm.
However, the Avalanche’s moves on trade deadline day on March 21 were far more impactful. They traded their 2024 fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for former Edmonton Oiler Andrew Cogliano. The Avalanche also traded defence prospect Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick to the Montréal Canadiens for Artturi Lehkonen.
Lehkonen was their big get. After the trade, the Finnish forward scored six goals and nine points in 16 regular season games. His impact in the 2022 post-season can’t be understated though, as he scored eight goals and 14 points in 20 games and has had success with the Avalanche for the next three seasons.
Cogliano played 18 games after the trade, picking up one assist. However, he managed to score three goals and six points in 16 post-season games, playing two more seasons with the Avalanche before retiring. Nico Sturm was a bottom-six forward like Cogliano, picking up three assists in 21 regular season games after the trade, as well as two assists in 13 post-season games.
Lastly, acquiring Josh Manson was a savvy move for the Avalanche. He finished the season scoring two goals and seven points and added three goals and eight points in 20 post-season games. Like Lehkonen, he still plays for the Avalanche.
The Avalanche finished first in the Western Conference in 2021-22, earning home ice through the first three rounds at the very least. They swept the Nashville Predators, defeated the St. Louis Blues in six games, swept the Edmonton Oilers, and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win the Stanley Cup.
The 2023 Golden Knights added Ivan Barbashev
You can always expect the Vegas Golden Knights to do something big at the trade deadline. The Golden Knights remained contenders after making the Stanley Cup Final in their first season in 2018.
On February 22, the Knights made their first move, trading Shea Weber’s contract and a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for Dysin Mayo, who still plays in their organization to this day. A few days later, the Knights traded Zach Dean to the St. Louis Blues for Ivan Barbashev but they weren’t done yet.
March 1 saw them move Peter Diliberatore and their 2024 third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Teddy Blueger. Their final move on March 2 saw the Knights acquire Jonathan Quick from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
The most notable trade was the Barbashev one. After the trade, he scored six goals and 16 points in 23 regular season games, along with seven goals and 18 points in 22 post-season games. He scored 19 goals in 2023-24 and already at 18 through 51 games this season.
Quick no longer plays with the Golden Knights, spending his last two seasons with the New York Rangers. However, he did post a .901 save percentage and 3.13 goals against average after the trade. Blueger scored two goals and six points in 18 regular season games with the Knights, with a goal and two points in six post-season games.
Finishing first in the Pacific Division, the Knights faced off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, defeating the Wild Card team in five games. They followed that up with a six-game series win against both the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, before defeating the Florida Panthers in five games in the Stanley Cup Final.
The 2024 Panthers add Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo
Speaking of the Panthers, what did they do before last season’s trade deadline? Well, they added six-time 30 goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko, giving up their 2025 and 2026 third-round picks. Their other notable move saw them trade Calle Sjalin and a 2024 fifth-round pick for Kyle Okposo. The Panthers also made a small move, trading Ludovic Waeber to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Magnus Hellberg.
Tarasenko was the notable piece they acquired, as he scored six goals and 14 points in 19 games after the trade. In the post-season, the Russian winger added five goals and nine points in 24 games. Okposo was held pointless in his six regular season games and picked up two assists in 17 post-season games. Hellberg never played for the Panthers.
Florida finished first in their division, knocking off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. They followed that up with a pair of series wins in six games against the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, setting up a Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers and we know how that went, sadly.
Hopefully, the Stanley Cup will be heading back to Canada in 2025, specifically, with the Edmonton Oilers.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
