Photo: Daily Hive
With the 2023-24 NHL season in the rearview, teams made significant additions to their roster that helped them take big steps whether their clubs were looking to make a step towards the Stanley Cup or reloading for the future. NoVa Caps looks at the five best trade acquisitions from last season:
Trade: Guentzel, D Ty Smith from Pittsburgh Penguins for LW Michael Bunting, C Vasili Ponomarev, RW Ville Koivunen, RW Cruz Lucius, 2024 44th overall pick (D Harrison Brunicke) on March 7
In need of a natural goal scorer, Carolina acquired the 29-year-old in an attempt to go all-in for the Stanley Cup.
While the Hurricanes did not accomplish that ultimate goal, Guentzel scored eight goals and 25 points in 17 regular-season games after Pittsburgh traded him, leading Carolina in points-per-game (1.47). He added four goals and nine points in 11 postseason outings.
After the two sides could not come to an agreement on a contract extension, the pending unrestricted free agent’s rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 third-round pick. Guentzel would sign a seven-year contract that carries a $9 million cap hit in Tampa on July 1.
- D Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
Trade: Hanifin from Calgary Flames for 2025 first-round pick, D Daniil Miromanov, 2025 84th overall pick (G Kirill Zarubin); Philadelphia Flyers received 2024 148th overall pick (RW Noah Powell) from Vegas on March 6
With Vegas being aggressive as always to go back-to-back, they landed the 27-year-old to strengthen an already deep blueline. A week after the trade, the two sides agreed to an eight-year contract extension that comes with a $7.35 million salary cap charge.
Hanfin tallied 10 assists, 12 points, a +6 rating, .5489 five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, .5597 five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and .5737 five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 19 games to finish the regular season in Vegas, where he averaged 23:07 per game (second among Golden Knights defensemen), including 2:16 on the power play (third among blueliners to appear in at least five games with the team) and 2:28 on the penalty kill (second).
Hanifin added two goals and five points in seven postseason contests.
- C Gabriel Vilardi, Winnipeg Jets
Trade: Vilardi, C Rasmus Kupari, C Alex Iafallo, 2024 37th overall pick (D Alfons Freij) from Los Angeles Kings for C Pierre Luc Dubois on June 28, 2023
After getting acquired in a blockbuster trade, Vilardi signed a two-year contract that carries a $3.4375 million cap hit as a restricted free agent. He will once again be eligible to become a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights on this upcoming July 1.
The 24-year-old’s first campaign in Winnipeg was derailed by injuries, including an enlarged spleen and sprained MCL, but Vilardi finished with 22 goals and 36 points in 47 regular-season games (a 38-goal, 63-point pace over a full 82-game season).
Vilardi added four assists in the Jets’ five-game first-round exit to the Colorado Avalanche.
- RW Andrei Kuzmenko, Calgary
Trade: Kuzmenko, rights to D Hunter Brzustewicz, rights to D Joni Jurmo, 2024 28th overall pick (RW Matvei Gridin), 2024 107th overall pick (C Heikki Ruohonen) from Vancouver Canucks for C Elias Lindholm on January 31
With many players on expiring contracts reluctant to commit to the Flames and the team falling out of the Western Conference postseason race, Calgary was forced to move their pending unrestricted free agents before the trade deadline, including Lindholm and Hanifin.
After getting sent to Calgary in a blockbuster trade, the 28-year-old tallied 14 goals and 25 points in 29 games. Kuzmenko led the Flames in goals from the beginning of February onward despite missing four games and ranked second in points-per-game (.86).
- C Yegor Sharangovich, Calgary
Trade: Sharangovich, 2023 80th overall pick from New Jersey Devils for RW Tyler Toffoli on June 27, 2023
Toffoli was another Flame who refused to engage in contract extension negotiations so Calgary dealt him to New Jersey and got Sharangovich as part of the return.
The 26-year-old finished among the NHL’s top-40 in goals (31) and second on the team with 59 points in 82 games after inking a two-year contract that comes with a $3.1 million cap hit last summer.
On the first day he was eligible to sign a contract extension this year, Sharangovich was locked up to a five-year deal that carries a very fair $5.75 million cap hit.
Meanwhile, Toffoli was flipped to Winnipeg by the Devils for the 2024 91st overall pick (left-wing Herman Traff) and a 2025 second-round pick at the trade deadline. He signed a four-year contract with the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
By Harrison Brown
