Biggest Trade Deadline winner debated by NHL.com

The NHL landscape was reshaped over the past few days with Stanley Cup contenders adding players for the stretch run and other teams adding assets to build for the future before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline on Monday.
With the dust clearing from a wild flurry of transactions Monday, it is time to figure out which team did the best before the deadline passed.
Several NHL.com writers weighed in on the debate about the biggest winner. Here are their responses:

Calgary Flames
In adding Tyler Toffoli on Feb. 14, Calle Jarnkrok on March 16 and Ryan Carpenter on Monday, the Flames acquired right-shot forwards who solidified a weakness and three players who fit their style. Beyond that, the Flames (38-16-8) decided not to participate in the flurry of major trades made in the past 72 hours, particularly in the Atlantic Division. It was the wisest move possible for a team that's been hitting on all cylinders for most of this season and leads the Pacific Division. Calgary made modest improvements and remained in a strong position to contend for the Stanley Cup. It will not be among the teams that could eventually suffer buyer's remorse after overpaying for players in the hours leading up to the deadline. It's far from splashy but it's a sane approach and a measured victory that shows confidence in the bigger-picture performance this season. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer
Colorado Avalanche
Though the Avalanche didn't land a big fish, they didn't necessarily need to, as the NHL team with the most points (93) and a favorite to win the Stanley Cup. They acquired forward Artturi Lehkonen from the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Justin Barron and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Monday, a trade that will shore up the third line on a team that is offensively dynamic. Lehkonen, who could be a restricted free agent after the season, has speed and versatility and the ability to improve on a season that saw him score 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) for the struggling Canadiens. Add that to pickups of defenseman Josh Manson, who brings a physical presence, and forwards Nico Sturm and Andrew Cogliano, and I like what the Avalanche have done. I expected to see them in the Stanley Cup Final. Their moves at the deadline just reinforce that view. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
I'm with Amalie on this one. The Avalanche already had a tremendous roster with players such as forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. The chemistry is great and disrupting it with moves has to be a consideration. The Avalanche walked the line adeptly. I thought acquiring Cogliano was a good touch. He won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and helped the Dallas Stars get to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Aside from being a good depth forward and respected player, Cogliano is also strong on the penalty kill; he led Sharks forwards in averaging 1:53 of shorthanded ice time, a nice addition to a Colorado penalty kill that's 18th in the League (78.7 percent). The Avalanche tweaked. They should be good with that.-- Tracey Myers, staff writer
RELATED: [2021-22 NHL Trade Tracker]
Florida Panthers
The Panthers didn't just land a big name in Claude Giroux. They landed a player who is still performing at an elite level, who is motivated to win the Stanley Cup for the first time and who fits well with Florida. Imagine Giroux on the wing with center Aleksander Barkov and on the half wall on the power play with Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Florida also bolstered its defense with Ben Chiarot and added depth with Robert Hagg. It's going to be tough to come out of the Atlantic Division, let alone win the Cup. But the Panthers are going for it and for good reason. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Nick is right on the mark. To come out of the trade deadline with a top-six forward in Giroux and a top-four defenseman in Chiarot makes general manager Bill Zito and the Panthers the clear winner to me. Yes, other contenders did some tinkering to their lineups but no team brought in the type of impact players the Panthers did. Giroux has Stanley Cup Playoff pedigree with 73 points (25 goals, 48 assists) in 85 postseason games and adds to an already talented forwards group that features three players who are averaging more than a point per game this season: Huberdeau (86 points in 62 games), Barkov (62 in 49) and Sam Reinhart (60 in 59). Chiarot was in the Stanley Cup Final with the Montreal Canadiens last season and brings some much-needed sandpaper to the blue line. Robert Hagg adds depth to the defense, especially with Ekblad out week to week with a lower-body injury. The Panthers have made the playoffs three times in the past 20 seasons. Their recent moves show a berth this season won't be satisfactory enough; the goal is a deep run for a Stanley Cup.-- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
Minnesota Wild
It doesn't often work that a goalie makes a huge difference when brought in at the deadline, but Marc-Andre Fleury gets the benefit of the doubt and if anyone can do it, he's the guy. Fleury is a veteran who has won the Stanley Cup three times. He knows the level he needs to be at to win in the postseason. He will be playing behind a better defense than he had with the Chicago Blackhawks, which will be a welcome change. His presence should push fellow goalie Cam Talbot too. And Fleury, who won the Vezina Trophy, voted the NHL's best goalie by the League's general managers, last season while with the Vegas Golden Knights, will bring a smile to the rink every day. His personality is contagious. He'll be loved in Minnesota. Adding defenseman Jake Middleton from the San Jose Sharks and forward Nicolas Deslauriers from the Anaheim Ducks will also make the Wild a more snarly, tough team. They will not be pushed around in the playoffs. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken's success in five or six seasons, if it comes to be, will find its roots in what they've done this week, turning forwards Marcus Johansson, Mason Appleton, Colin Blackwell and Calle Jarnkrok and defensemen Mark Giordano and Jeremy Lauzon into 10 picks across the next three NHL drafts, giving them 34 selections in that span. They have a dozen picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, including four in the second round, and 13 in the 2023 NHL Draft. As any good fisherman knows -- and there's a lot in the Seattle area -- the wider the net, the better chance of catching a prize fish. The Kraken have given themselves an outstanding chance to reel in some winners.-- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
Seattle was busy setting up its pipeline up for the foreseeable future, which is just what general manager Ron Francis needed to accomplish. The Kraken, 31st in the NHL with 44 points, traded six players and in return acquired 10 draft picks. Though a first-round pick wasn't among the acquisitions, the Kraken received a 2022 second-round pick from the Nashville Predators for Jeremy Lauzon. The biggest move might have been the trade of Giordano, the Kraken captain, and forward Colin Blackwell to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2022 second-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. With 34 selections during the next three NHL drafts, the Kraken have the assets to accelerate its improvement. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning geared up for an attempt to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship by acquiring forwards Brandon Hagel from the Blackhawks, Nicholas Paul from the Ottawa Senators and Riley Nash from the Arizona Coyotes. Tampa Bay lost the third line that helped it win the Stanley Cup the past two seasons with Barclay Goodrow (traded to the New York Rangers), Blake Coleman (signed with the Flames) and Yanni Gourde (selected by the Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft) each departing after the 2021 playoffs. But the Lightning's championship core remains intact and Hagel, who has scored 37 points (21 goals, 16 assists) in 56 games this season, and Paul, who has scored 18 points (11 goals, seven assists) in 59 games this season, replaces some of the lost offense. Nash, who has played in 34 Stanley Cup Playoff games, was assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League and is another depth option. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer