Photo: NESN

With the 2022-23 NHL season in the books, several players changed placed and some turned around their teams whether they were dealt last offseason or in-season. NoVa Caps looks at the most impactful trade acquisitions from last season.

14. LW Jakub Vrana

Trade: 2025 seventh-round pick, LW Dylan McLaughlin to Detroit Red Wings from St. Louis Blues on March 3

With Detroit in a rift with the 26-year-old, St. Louis was able to get Vrana for basically nothing. He tallied 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games to finish off the season following the trade after Detroit dressed Vrana for only five games all season. St. Louis also got Detroit to pay 50% of Vrana’s contract, which runs through next season with a $5.25 million NHL salary cap charge.

13. D Rasmus Sandin

Trade: Boston Bruins’ 2023 first-round pick (28th overall), D Erik Gustafsson from Washington Capitals to Toronto Maple Leafs on February 28

The 23-year-old, who was selected 29th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, tallied three goals (one short of his total in Toronto this season in 33 fewer games), 15 points (five), a -7 rating, 46.87% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 43.97% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 42.82% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 19 games with Washington, where he skated an average of 22:59 per game (including 2:17 on the power play). Though his defensive statistics were not strong, his team spiraled out of the Eastern Conference postseason race in the final three weeks of the campaign. Sandin has another season remaining at $1.4 million against the salary cap and can become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after 2023-24.

12. C Ryan O’Reilly

Trade: acquired, along with C Noel Acciari, by Toronto from St. Louis and RW Josh Pillar from Minnesota Wild for LW Mikhail Abramov, C Adam Gaudette, Toronto’s first-round pick in 2023, Ottawa’s third-round pick in 2023, Toronto’s second-round pick in 2024 (to St. Louis); Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2025 (to Minnesota) on February 17

The 32-year-old tallied four goals, 11 points, and a 61.96% faceoff-winning percentage in 13 regular-season games for Toronto. O’Reilly, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, added three goals and nine points in 11 postseason outings.

11. LW Marcus Johansson

Trade: acquired by Minnesota from Washington for 2024 third-round pick on February 28

The 32-year-old notched six goals and 18 points in 20 games after being re-acquired by Minnesota, where he played 36 games during the 2020-21 season. Johansson scored twice in Minnesota’s six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team re-signed him to a two-year contract that carries a $2 million cap hit after the season before Johansson became eligible for unrestricted free agency.

10. D Dmitry Orlov

Trade: acquired, along with RW Garnet Hathaway, by Boston from Washington for RW Craig Smith, 2023 first-round (28th overall), 2025 second-round, 2024 third-round picks on February 23

The 31-year-old popped up for four goals (one more goal he had in Washington this season in 20 fewer games), 17 points (two fewer), a +10 rating, 56.83% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 58.3% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 61.04% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage while playing an average of 22:13 per game (1:54 on the power play, 2:43 on the penalty kill) in 23 regular-season games with Boston. Orlov, who can become an unrestricted free agent a week from Saturday, earned a team-leading eight assists, including two in Game 7 of Boston’s first-round series against the Florida Panthers, in seven postseason games.

9. D Vladislav Gavrikov

Trade: acquired, along with G Joonas Korpisalo, by Los Angeles Kings from Columbus Blue Jackets for Quick, conditional 2023 first-round, 2024 third-round picks on March 1

The 27-year-old equaled his goal total (three) and came a point short (nine) from his 52-game tenure with Columbus this season in 20 regular-season games with Los Angeles, where he averaged 21:01 per game (1:59 shorthanded). Gavrikov also tallied a 54.13% Corsi-for percentage, 58.9% expected goals-for percentage, and 56.93% scoring chances-for percentage at five-on-five. He potted an assist and a +5 rating in Los Angeles’ six-game first round exit. Gavrikov signed a two-year contract extension ($5.875 million cap hit) with Los Angeles on June 7.

8. G Alexander Georgiev

Trade: acquired by Colorado Avalanche from New York Rangers for 97th, 161st overall picks in 2022, 2023 third-round pick on July 8

After signing a three-year contract extension ($3.4 million cap hit) with Colorado, the 27-year-old went 40-16-6 with a .919 save percentage, 2.53 goals-against average, 23.31 five-on-five goals-saved above average, and five shutouts in 62 regular-season games during his first season as an NHL starter. Georgiev also posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average in Colorado’s seven-game first-round series loss against the Seattle Kraken.

7. D Mattias Ekholm

Trade: acquired by Edmonton Oilers, along with 2024 sixth-round pick, from Nashville Predators for LW Reid Schaefer, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick on February 28

While averaging 20:47 per game, including 38 seconds on the power play and 2:11 on the penalty kill, the 33-year-old recorded four goals (one fewer than in 36 games with Nashville before the trade), 14 points (four), a league-leading +28 rating from the day of the trade onward, 58.5% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 61.67% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 61.04% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 21 games to close out the regular season with Edmonton. Ekholm tallied a goal, seven points, and an even rating in 12 postseason outings.

6. LW Tyler Bertuzzi

Trade: acquired by Boston from Detroit for 2024 conditional first-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick on March 2

The 28-year-old equaled his goal total (four) from his time in Detroit this season in eight fewer games with Boston and tallied two more points (16). Bertuzzi, who can become an unrestricted free agency a week from Saturday, tied the team leads with five goals and 10 points in the first round.

5. D Brent Burns

Trade: acquired by Carolina Hurricanes from San Jose Sharks for C Steven Lorentz, G Eetu Makiniemi, 2023 third-round pick on July 13

While leading Carolina with an average of 23:13 per game (3:00 on the power play – most among team defensemen, 2:06 on the penalty kill – fourth), the 38-year-old tallied 18 goals, 61 points, a +19 rating, 61.54% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 61.09% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 62.13% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage. Burns, who earned two goals, nine points, and a +6 rating in 15 postseason games, earned his best offensive numbers since the 2018-19 season and highest possession metrics in his 19-year NHL career. Burns has two seasons left at an $8 million cap hit, but Carolina is paying just $5.28 million of it each of the next two years.

4. G Adin Hill

Trade: acquired by Vegas Golden Knights from San Jose for 2024 fourth-round pick on August 30

After playing just 27 regular-season games where he went 16-7-1 with a .915 save percentage, 2.50 goals-against average, and 1.28 five-on-five goals-saved above average, the 27-year-old led Vegas to the Stanley Cup. Hill went 11-4 with a .932 save percentage (first in NHL), 2.17 goals-against average (third), two shutouts (tied for league lead), and a 9.11 five-on-five goals-saved above average (first) in the postseason after making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 3 of the second round vs. Edmonton. Hill can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

3. LW Kevin Fiala

Trade: acquired by Los Angeles from Minnesota for 2022 19th overall pick, D Brock Faber on June 29

The 26-year-old led Los Angeles in assists (49) and points-per-game (1.04) in addition to ranking second in points (72) in 69 regular-season games. Fiala, who signed an eight-year contract ($7.9 million cap hit) with Los Angeles after the trade, played just three postseason games but tallied five assists and six points.

2. LW Ivan Barbashev

Trade: acquired by Vegas from St. Louis for C Zach Dean on February 27

The 27-year-old, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, earned 10 assists and 16 points in 23 regular-season games before tallying seven goals (fifth on Vegas) and 18 points (fifth) in 22 postseason contests for the Stanley Cup Champions.

1. LW Matthew Tkachuk

Trade: acquired, along with a 2025 fourth-round pick, from Calgary Flames by Florida for LW Jonathan Huberdeau, D MacKenzie Weegar, C Cole Schwindt, 2025 lottery-protected first-round pick on July 22

The 25-year-old, who signed an eight-year contract ($9.5 million cap hit) with Calgary as part of the deal, tied for fifth in the league with 69 assists, tied for sixth with 109 points, and tied for 14th with 40 goals during the regular season. Tkachuk, who’s 11 goals and 24 points both tied for third in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, is nominated for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.

By Harrison Brown