It's been three weeks since the March 3 NHL trade deadline. Since then, the teams that made moves leading up to deadline day are getting an early read on how those deals have panned out for them.
Some teams, like the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, made significant moves that appear to be paying off. Others, however, could be feeling some disappointment with their decisions.
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle despite acquiring three veteran forwards. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres could be wishing they'd made a more impactful move as they tumble further out of playoff contention.
Here's a look at what we believe are the five biggest regrets from the 2023 NHL trade deadline.
Arizona Coyotes Accept a Lesser Return for Jakob Chychrun
The subject of trade rumors stretching back to last season, Jakob Chychrun was finally moved by the Arizona Coyotes, shipping him on March 1 to the Ottawa Senators. In return, the Coyotes received a conditional first-round pick in 2023 (top-five-protected), a conditional second-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2026.
Trading Chychrun meant little to the Coyotes' fortunes this season as they're poised to miss the upcoming 2023 playoffs. It's what they got from the Senators that drew media criticism after Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong held out for over a year in search of a better return.
Armstrong told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Jan. 28 that he set his asking price to be what teams received for comparable players last season. Back on Dec. 6, ESPN's Emily Kaplan suggested he could be seeking what the Anaheim Ducks received for Hampus Lindholm last year. That return included a first-rounder, two second-rounders and two players.
On March 11, The Athletic's Michael Russo observed that there was a perception that Armstrong overplayed his hand. Three days later, the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch noted that many observers were shocked that the Senators didn't have to give up any of their top prospects to land Chychrun.
Garrioch noted that Armstrong disagreed, telling The Cam and Strick Podcast that critics overlooked Chychrun's injury history during the previous 18 months as well as the blueliner's struggles in 2021-22.
Armstrong couldn't let Chychun's situation drag on indefinitely when it was common knowledge that he was shopping the defenseman. Nevertheless, he accepted a return of draft picks when his club is already overstocked with them. He could end up regretting not pushing for prospects that could speed up his club's rebuild.
Buffalo Sabres Fail to Improve Their Goaltending and Defense
For the first time in years, the Buffalo Sabres were still playing meaningful hockey in March as the trade deadline approached. They found themselves on deadline day with a record of 31 wins, 25 losses and four overtime losses for 66 points, sitting just four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
Led by Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens, the Sabres by deadline day sat third among NHL clubs with 224 goals. However, that high-octane offense was struggling to offset their porous defense and goaltending, giving up the 10th-most goals with 215.
General manager Kevyn Adams did make six minor moves by the deadline. The most notable saw him acquire defenseman Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks and gritty winger Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild.
The Sabres had plenty of cap space ($17.1 million), draft picks and prospects to draw on for trade bait. Adams could've used some of those assets to pursue a goaltender or add a couple of experienced shutdown defensemen.
Those players didn't have to be playoff rentals. Adams had the cap space for next season to add players with term remaining on their contracts. Nevertheless, he put his faith in the players currently on his roster.
Adams might end up wishing that he made a bigger splash in the trade pool. Since the trade deadline, the Sabres have won just two of their 10 games, giving up 47 goals while scoring just 27. With 72 points, they've dropped eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, poised to miss the playoffs for the 12th straight season.