Most impactful NHL Trade Deadline acquisition debated

It's been a month since the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline passed March 8.

Contending teams made moves in the hours and days leading up to the deadline, hoping to bolster their chances of winning the Stanley Cup, most often sending assets to teams looking to rebuild for the future.

It is a delicate dance for the contending teams, identifying the player that will help them and fit into their culture, while also figuring out how many assets, and of what value, they are willing to surrender.

Final judgment on the deals made leading up to the deadline won't be ready until the Stanley Cup Playoffs play out, starting April 20. However, a month is long enough to proffer an educated opinion on what transpired.

With that in mind, we asked six NHL.com writers which player they thought was the best acquisition before the Trade Deadline. Here, in alphabetical order, are their selections:

Michael Bunting, F, Pittsburgh Penguins

At the time, the forward seemed like a throw-in to make the trade of Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes a bit more palatable, but Bunting has been more than that since he joined the Penguins on March 7. He's been a vital cog in Pittsburgh finding a way to fight back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. Bunting has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 16 games after he had 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 60 games with the Hurricanes. He has six points (two goals, four assists) in the past three games, all victories, as the Penguins found themselves, albeit temporarily, in a playoff position for the first time since mid-November. But they remain in the race with five games to play, in part because of Bunting's play. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Jake Guentzel, F, Carolina Hurricanes

The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward was one of the biggest prizes in the Trade Deadline class and has lived up to that billing since he was acquired March 7. Since March 12, when Guentzel made his Hurricanes debut, he is tied for fifth in the League with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 14 games. He has at least one point in 11 games, including seven multipoint games. The Hurricanes, not surprisingly, are 10-3-1 with Guentzel in the lineup. Guentzel has given the Hurricanes a point-producing threat they were lacking. Carolina got him for Bunting, three prospects and conditional picks in the first and fifth rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft. Bunting has delivered for the Penguins, and because of his play it's possible Guentzel could face his former team in the Eastern Conference First Round, which would certainly be a juicy storyline. For now, though, if we're talking about the player that has made the biggest impact on his new team, it has to be Guentzel. Let's not overthink this. He's been one of the best players in the NHL in the past month. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Noah Hanifin, D, Vegas Golden Knights

Hanifin has been outstanding for the Golden Knights since they acquired the defenseman from the Calgary Flames on March 6. In the 14 games since his debut against the Vancouver Canucks on March 7, he leads Vegas in average ice time (22:56). He’s tied for the Golden Knights lead with a plus-7 rating, along with center William Karlsson and another deadline acquisition, forward Anthony Mantha, who came from the Washington Capitals on March 5. Hanifin has six points (one goal, five assists), and the Golden Knights have gone 9-4-1. The 27-year-old has made the defending Stanley Cup champions even better. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Casey Mittelstadt, F, Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have a lot of great players, but they were in need of a second-line center. Enter Mittelstadt, acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on March 6. The 25-year-old has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 14 games. He’s cooled a bit offensively after he had a five-game point streak (two goals, three assists) from March 12-22, but he has given the Avalanche the center depth they need. He's also on the top unit on Colorado's power play, which is tied for sixth in the NHL (24.6 percent). The Avalanche made another move March 6, acquiring defenseman Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Ryan Johansen and a conditional pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Walker has been part of the third defense pair for the Avalanche, but the bigger get for them was Mittelstadt. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Sean Monahan, F, Winnipeg Jets

The Jets traded a first-round pick in the 2024 draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft for the center, and the returns so far have been excellent. Monahan has given Winnipeg extra scoring punch through the middle and has been delivering since he was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Feb 2. The Jets acquired forward Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Colin Miller from the New Jersey Devils closer to the Deadline as they looked to bolster their lineup for the postseason. But it's Monahan who has had the biggest impact with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 29 games for the Jets since his arrival; he had 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 49 games with the Canadiens. It took time for Monahan to get adjusted to his new surroundings, but since scoring his first goal in his fifth game with the Jets, on Feb. 17, he has been a consistent point producer. Monahan had a hat trick in a 6-3 loss against the team that drafted him into the NHL, the Flames, on Feb. 19 and currently is on a six-game point streak (three goals, three assists). Monahan seems the perfect fit, and if he can continue providing offense, the Jets will be a formidable opponent in the playoffs. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Chris Tanev, D, Dallas Stars

The Stars didn't make a move during Deadline week since their biggest splash came a week prior when they landed one of the top defensemen on the market in shot-blocking machine Tanev from the Flames on Feb. 28. Dallas already was a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, but Tanev provides a solid fit and an upgrade in the defensive zone. He also gives coach Pete DeBoer another right-handed shot option and has been a key cog on the penalty kill. Since making his Stars debut March 5, the 34-year-old is second for Dallas with 28 blocked shots and third among its defensemen with 14 hits while averaging 18:59 of ice time in a top-two pairing role. He also has four points (one goal, three assists) and is plus-5. Tanev isn't flashy but is hard on pucks and tough on forwards in areas of the ice where games usually are won and lost, particularly during the playoffs. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer