Five weeks is a big enough sample size to dissect the impact of the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline and discuss which team landed the biggest prize.

The fact that the Stanley Cup Playoffs start May 2, a week from today, further crystalizes the picture since many teams trading for players were looking for a postseason spark.

But which player was the biggest acquisition before the deadline March 21?

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Keys to the offseason for NHL teams, including draft, free-agency game plans

We asked 10 NHL.com writers for their opinion. Here are the answers, listed alphabetically:

 

Andrew Copp, New York Rangers

The forward came to the Rangers from the Winnipeg Jets with a reputation as the ultimate Swiss Army knife. Copp has scored 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) with New York and has scored a point in 13 of his 15 games since the trade March 21. He has played mostly on a line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, but is more than a top-six plug-in. He knows the defensive side of the game, is a strong penalty killer and has played on the power play with the Rangers and Jets. — Tim Campbell, staff writer

I agree with Tim. The Rangers needed more versatility in their lineup, a player who can play in multiple situations, on the power play and on the penalty kill, and with top players without changing the makeup of his game. Copp has delivered on all fronts. Yes he's mostly been a mainstay with Panarin and Strome, but it's more than his chemistry with them and his offensive production. Copp's ability to play below the goal line helps Panarin and Strome find more room in the offensive zone. His ability to win face-offs on his strong side has helped the Rangers control the puck more. His versatility has made the Rangers a more dangerous team.

 

Marc-Andre Fleury, Minnesota Wild

Fleury has teamed with Cam Talbot to give the Wild one of the top goalie tandems in the NHL since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21. Fleury is 8-1-0 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in nine games with Minnesota. More importantly, the Wild are 15-1-3 since the deadline, their 33 points in that span best in the NHL. Fleury, the Vezina Trophy winner as the top goalie in the NHL last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, and Talbot have split the starts for the Wild since the trade. But Fleury's experience winning the Stanley Cup three times with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017) and reaching the Stanley Cup Final with Vegas in 2018 will be difficult to ignore when Minnesota picks its starting goalie for the playoffs.