Well that was a dud of a trade deadline. And I have a soft spot for the Leafs, so you would think I’d be numb to overinflated expectations and then the inevitable letdown by now.

 

At any rate, that was the NHL trade deadline that was. If you reside north of the 49th parallel and have even turned on the TV at least once on Monday, you would’ve known what trades went down, what it meant to both teams, how each player involved felt about the trades, how perturbed Brian Burke can be, and ultimately, how much of a waste of time the nine-hour extravaganza was. Anywhere else, hopefully you found out about all the deals in a saner manner. Either way, it’s one thing to see how these moves pan out in real life, it’s totally different to assess how they impact the world of NHL 12.

 

(Note: I based the attributes from the EA rosters without any custom tweaks. So the verdicts, especially in regards to prospects, may be different if you've manually edited players or use a custom roster, like the fantastic sets from OSer Mattg.)

 

Andrei Kostitsyn goes to Nashville

 

This is a prime example of how different it is between the real world and the world of video games. Crucially, NHL 12 doesn’t have player ratings for hustle and consistency — which is the reason why my Derek Roy-Alex Semin-Dany Heatley line can tear up the league — and so while some may question how the Brothers Kostitsyn may fare in Nashville in real life. It’s a win for players playing with the Preds franchise since there’s no worry of them coasting. In adding Kostitsyn, Gaustad and Hal Gill, the Preds essentially added skill, defense and size without giving up any roster player in return. So even if you can’t win it all with this squad — and realistically, you probably can’t — and you decide to retool, you have three more pieces at your disposal to trade for the players who you really want. Remember, the only budget limit there is in NHL 12 is the salary cap, so unlike David Poile, you’re free to spend it to the max. The only downside is the 2012 first rounder that went to the Sabres — if somehow your season ends up in the tank, you probably would love to have that pick back.

 

Hodgson and Sulzer go to Buffalo, Kassian and Gragnani head west

 

Admit it Sabres fans, you thought Darcy had nothing going at the deadline, did you? And to some, after that Ville Leino contract, maybe it’s best that he didn't make a move at all. Well, Regier did make a move, and those starting a Sabres franchise in NHL 12 should be glad he did. Again, the real life implications of this trade are a lot different, and we probably won’t know who “won” the trade until several years down the road. Besides, for those mourning the lost of Hodgson, the Canucks' prospects cupboards aren't completely bare with Jensen, Schroeder and Rodin. But if we examine this trade alone, and in NHL 12 terms, it’s a lot simpler — the Sabres fleeced the Canucks on this one. Of the four players that moved, only Hodgson will grow into an impact player. Then again, perhaps this speaks more to NHL 12’s iffy player ratings, as both Gragnani and Kassian are very underrated in the potential department.

 

Jeff Carter to the Kings for Jack Johnson

 

For the Jackets, this one was pretty easy to judge. In acquiring Johnson, they get a young stud defenseman, which allows you to shed Wisniewski and his $5.5 million contract when you go through the inevitable rebuild, and a first rounder. 

 

For the Kings, this is a high risk, high reward type of deal. The risk is that after Drew Doughty, the King’s blueline corps is frighteningly thin. Whereas in real life, where many are hoping that Slava Voynov will progress to be a great defenseman and a partner to Doughty, his mediocre ratings in NHL 12 means he’ll most likely be on the second pairing at best. The reward, however, is that including a concussion free Simon Gagne, the Kings will now have two bona fide scoring lines, with the significant bonus of no Darryl Sutter behind the bench. Remember too, that the CPU GMs in NHL 12 can’t distinguish between good, bad, or in this case, insanely mental contracts unless they violate the cap — so if you sour on Carter, his albatross of a deal won’t handcuff you.

 

Rick Nash goes… nowhere

 

Hey, another plus for the Blue Jackets! Two for two, could this be the start of something great? 

 

Again, in real life, this might’ve been a bad non trade since Nash holds the cards with his no-movement clause — especially since Howson decided to put the fire out of this hoopla by pouring two cans of gasoline on it. So how accommodating Nash will be come summer time is questionable at best. But in NHL 12, where EA have just recently figured out the concept of restricted free agency (here's hoping proper waiver rules are next), there is no such thing as a no-trade clauses. What this means is that instead of Howson making the trade — and really, would anybody trust him to do a deal of this magnitude at this point? — you can unload Nash to wherever you want for a bountiful return. Or better yet, make him stay put. Remember, while you may feel guilty about making him stay, virtual Nash can't feel a thing.