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As the NHL trade deadline passes the Islanders, Predators and Red Wings have each improved their chances for a championship.
The trade deadline has come and gone with 25 deals made on the final day. Which teams have improved their chances at a long playoff run and which have started to look to the future? New York IslandersThe Islanders final day acquisition of All-Star Ryan Smyth from Edmonton, along with an earlier trade for Richard Zednik, adds some serious offensive punch for the playoffs. This may be a rental situation and you may see Smyth back in Edmonton come July but for now the Islanders look like a serious contender. San Jose SharksThe Sharks dealt for Bill Guerin from the Blues for offense and Craig Rivet from Montreal to strengthen the defense. This should break the Sharks out of their recent slump and ready them for a long spring run. Detroit Red WingsDetroit picked up Todd Bertuzzi from Florida in the hope that he can recover from his back injury and add some size and power for the Red Wings. It's a bit of a gamble but if he regains his health Bertuzzi could put Detroit over the top. Dallas StarsThe Stars acquired defenseman Mattias Norstrom to add to an already tough defense. The Stars don't do a lot of scoring but they say defense wins championships and the Stars are as tough as they come. Nashville PredatorsThe Predators traded for Peter Forsberg from the Flyers well before the deadline. The premier player available in the trade makes Nashville the Stanley Cup favorite for many. Notably absent from the trading table were the Anaheim Ducks and the New Jersey Devils who both decided to avoid the rental market and 'Dance with Them What Brung You'.
The copyright of the article NHL Trades in Ice Hockey is owned by Dan Conner. Permission to republish NHL Trades in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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