Canucks join the Capitals as deadline day winners

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It wasn’t the busiest trade deadline day ever, but there was plenty of activity to talk about, including a couple of deals that could help the hometown Canucks make a deep playoff run.

Sixteen trades went through on the final day of trading in the NHL, with the biggest winners of the day being the Washington Capitals.

The Caps are having a tough season, trying to play a grittier style than from years past and it’s hurt their goal production, so what do they do? They acquire a highly skilled offensive defenseman in Dennis Wideman and a proven playoff performer in veteran forward Jason Arnott.

Wideman will help Washington’s power play as well as give depth on a blueline that already features one of the NHL’s top offensive defenseman in Mike Green.

Arnott brings 106 games of playoff experience as well as a Stanley Cup ring. The seventh overall pick of the 1993 draft also brings 19 years of NHL experience. The Capitals may be using Arnott as a rental player (he is an unrestricted free agent this summer), but he should be a key piece for Washington as they look to rebound from a first round exit they experienced in last years playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks come in a close second during the trade frenzy.

With very little happening early in the day, GM Mike Gillis pulled off two deals right at the noon deadline that will help his club immediately, without having to give up a roster player to do so.

Gritty agitator Maxim Lapierre is a sandpaper type player that gives the Canucks a solid center on its fourth line. The former Montreal Canadian helped the Habs during their playoff run last spring, registering 4 points and 20 penalty minutes in 19 games for Montreal.

Chris Higgins is a former 20 goal scorer, who over the years has developed himself into a versatile forward who can play a grinder type role or play in the top six forward group. He should help push struggling forward Mason Raymond as well as add much needed depth and scoring to Vancouver’s bottom six forwards.

Both the Capitals and the Canucks didn’t have to sell the farm to get what they needed to improve, which is what makes them the big winners of the day.

Washington parted with David Steckel which was the only roster player they had to give up. They also lost journeyman forward Jake Hauswirth, while the Canucks dealt forward Joel Perrault and defenseman Evan Oberg, who were both low on Vancouver’s depth chart.

Both teams lost low round picks, but neither team parted with any first rounders, the most coveted picks of them all.