No single date on the NHLs calendar can transform an organizations fortunes as drastically as the annual trade deadline. Whether a team is buying a sets for a deep playoff run or selling off veterans to trim payroll, the anticipation that surrounds the event traditionally reaches a crescendo in the early afternoon rather than closer to the 3 p.m. ET deadline itself. This year, however, was a little different, as the bigger names on most trade boards Ottawas Jean-Gabriel Pageau, New York Rangers Chris Kreiderand Floridas Vincent Trocheck had their respective futures determined during the early portion of the days proceedings.To nobodys surprise, Stanley Cup hopefuls such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning Bradley Pinion Jersey and Edmonton Oilers, each made at least one major acquisition that could bolster their chances for postseason succe s. Conversely, a handful of le ser teams whose seasons were already on life support stood firm in their resolve to acquire additional drafts picks and notable prospects.TRADE DEADLINE: | Of all the trades made during Mondays frenzy, the following were the only deals that involved notable prospects or a first-round pick. Hurricanes get: Brady Skjei (D)Rangers get: 2020 first-round pick (le ser of two owned)Rumors surrounding the future of the Rangers2012 first-round pick began to circulate some time ago, but Skjeis price tag ($5.25 million for the next five years) made Jerick McKinnon Jersey the idea of a handsome return seem unlikely. However, the inspired play of young left-handed defenseman Ryan Lindgren and partner Adam Fox, coupled with a drop in Skjeis production (one a sist in his last 16 games) probably helped make the idea of moving him more of a nece sity. Of course, the re-signing of Chris Kreider earlier in the day put a significant strain on the Rangers cap situation, which next season will face a $6 million balloon hit courtesy of . The quickest way for general managerJeff Gorton to ease that burden was to move a contract, and he found a taker in the contending Hurricanes.Carolina already has solid defenders to make up for Skjeis shortcomings in his own end and he is a capable piece with playoff experience nonethele s. Still, Rod Brind'Amour's squad made the last years conference finals and are itching to get back; however, Skjei doesnt come acro s as the kind of player with enough influence to help vault them past Boston or Tampa.The pickSurprisingly, the Canes were willing to part with one of their two first-round picks in the 2020 draft, with the le ser of the two heading New Yorks way. The Canes acquired an extra first-round pick from Toronto when they , and as of right now the Leafs pick will remain in Carolinas po se sion. As it stands, they have74 points and Toronto has 72 with two more games played. The fact that both teams could mi s out on the postseason and provide the Rangers Jordan Matthews Jersey with a lottery pick makes this a home run for Gorton and Co.Advantage: Rangers Hurricanes get: Sami Vatanen (D); 50 percentof contract retainedDevils get: Janne Kuokkanen (F), Fredrik Clae son (D) and2020 conditional fourth-round pickThe Devils may have had high hopes for this season but the experience has been nothing short of a disaster. Not only did New Jersey follow up their busy offseason by stumbling out of the gate, but they and were forced to trade 2018 Hart Trophy winner . Although most of the pre-deadline narrativescentered ongoal-scoring winger Kyle Palmieri, they instead moved an oft-injured puck-mover like Vatanen and his expiring contract. In dealing Hall to the Yotes, and defenseman Andy Greene to the Islanders, GM Tom Fitzgerald sliced over $30 million off of the salary cap jettisoning half of Vatanens $4.875 million annual cap hit knocked it down even further.Much like the acquisition of Skjei, the Canes were in need of blueline insurance with and now Brett Pesce (shoulder) sidelined with injuries. The only i sue with Vatanen is that he himself is injured as well. In fact, hes mi sed over 50 games the last three seasons combined, with the latest injury coming from a blocked shot that forced New Jersey to place him on injured reserve. But dont let that trick you into thinking the 28-year-old Finn is some sort of two-way warrior Vatanens game centers on offenseand he probablywould have put up more points (23 in 47 games) had Malcolm Smith Jersey the Devils used him more than P.K. Subban or Will Butcher in favorable situations.MORE: The prospectIn Kuokkanen, the Devils acquire a fine se forward with a solid build who can play center or wing. Selected by Carolina in the second round of 2016, Kuokkanen has been one of the AHLs top under-21 scorersin Charlotte. His points-per-game averagesince entering the league in 2018 has risen every year:0.66 in 2018 to 0.79 in 2019, and topping out at 0.81 in 52 games this season. He can run the power play from the half wall as well as any AHL-trained prospect, and the biggest reason why he hasnt seen more than the 11 games of NHL experience is simply that the parent club isdeep at every position, at every level.Advantage: It's a wash. Lightning get: Barclay Goodrow (F) and2020 third-round pickSharks get: Anthony Greco (F) and 2020 first-round pickIts evident that GM Julien BriseBois thinks his Lightning you know, the team in the midst of a 23-4-1 run is not strong enough to win in the postseason. How else could one explain that in the last eight days, hes traded each of his next two first-round picks for two-way forwards like Coleman and Goodrow; the latter having only 26 goals in almost 300 NHL games. Yes, it was Goodrow who scored the to clinch a comeback win over Vegas in the first round of last years playoffs and Coleman is one of the most tenacious penalty killers out there; however, both moves reeked of desperation. The high price BriseBois paid would be next to impo sible to validate unle s the Bolts, at a minimum, win the Eastern Conference.The pickFor the Sharks and GM Doug Wilson, the trade for Erik Karl son made it a foregone conclusion that their miserable season would end without giving them the benefit of a lottery pick. Snatching a first-rounder from Tampa for a player who e sentially is a glorified checker, however, certainly softens the blow. As of today, San Jose is poised to have at least three picks within the first two rounds, a luxury they havent had since 2014.Advantage: Sharks Blackhawks get: Malcolm Subban (G), Slava Demin (LHD Adrian Colbert Jersey ) and 2020 second-round pickGolden Knights get: Robin Lehner (G) and Martins Dzierkals (RW)Maple Leafs get: 2020 fifth-round pick from VegasA pending unrestricted free agent goalie like Lehner was one of the most coveted targets on the market, but its unlikely many saw