If you go back through the past five trade deadlines and peruse the moves made by Stanley Cup-winning sides, one thing stands out: the big-budget, headline-making, splashy moves are the exception, not the rule.
Last season, for instance, the St. Louis Blues made one acquisition at the deadline, landing rearguard Michael Del Zotto from the Anaheim Ducks for a sixth-round selection. He played in seven games for the Blues, all in the regular season, and didn’t see a second of playoff action. The year prior, the Washington Capitals’ big deadline transaction was picking up Michal Kempny from the Chicago Blackhawks.