Atlanta
Acquire center Erik Christensen, winger Colby Armstrong, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round draft pick in 2008 for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis.

Comment: The value of this deal is more for the future than the immediate, which for Thrashers' fans might not be easy to take. Atlanta gets younger, gets a top prospect in Esposito (who might get his act together soon), and a very valuable No. 1 pick in June. Waddell cleared cap space too, and could make the Thrashers a player in July. The problem is that even though Christensen and Armstrong can step in the lineup immediately, the defense is still the biggest problem with this team. As of yet, no deals have been made to shore up the blueline.

Carolina
Acquire Tuomo Ruutu from Chicago in exchange for Andrew Ladd.

Comment: Looks like a wash to me. Salaries are nearly the same, but I liked the way Ladd was performing lately. Ladd is a unrestricted free agent while Ruutu is restricted. Small advantage for Rutherford there.

Florida
1) Defenseman Wade Belak of Toronto is acquired by the Panthers for a 5th-round pick.

2) Defenseman Ruslan Salei is dealt to Colorado for Karlis Skrastins a third-round pick.

3) Acquire forward Chad Kilger from Toronto for a 2008 3rd-round pick.

Comment: Tough guy that the Cats needed. Could be used on the wing rather than on defense. Martin saves a little money and gets a shot-blocking defenseman in Skrastins who isn't pretty but very effective. Another big forward up front in Kilger. The key is that Martin didn't take on a lot of money, got bigger at forward and didn't give up much.

Nashville
1) Acquire forward Jan Hlavac from Tampa Bay for a 7th-round pick.

2) Acquire forward Brandon Bochenski from Anaheim for future considerations.

Tampa Bay
1) Lightning acquire 22-year-old AHL defenseman Alexandre Picard and a third-round pick (Calgary) from Philadelphia for winger Vaclav Prospal.

2) Lightning dump forward Brad Richards (salary) and goalie Johan Holmqvist to the Dallas Stars for center Jeff Halpern, winger Jussi Jokinen and future No. 1 netminder Mike Smith. 3) Lightning trade Jan Hlavac to the Nashville Predators for a 7th-round draft pick.

Comment: I think Feaster did a good job with this deal and re-signing Dan Boyle was huge, too. Prospal is an unrestricted free agent who could command $3 million or more July 1. The second deal is an absolute windfall for the Lightning. Three key performers in return for an overpriced Richards and an ordinary goalie. Immediate contributors who can step right in mean the Lightning aren't done yet. Richards will definitely help Dallas and Holmqvist goes to the back-up role behind Marty Turco. He is better suited for being a No. 2. Thumbs up to Feaster again!

Washington
1) Acquire goalie Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens for a 2009 second-round pick.

2) Acquire veteran forward Sergei Federov from Columbus in exchange for defensive prospect Ted Ruth, the Caps' second-round pick in the 2007 draft.

3) Acquire forward Matt Cooke from Vancouver in exchange for forward Matt Pettinger.

Comment: Great value for the Caps as they understand that Kolzig is nearly done. Giving up a second-round pick in exchange for a No. 1 goalie is a bargain. Now, McPhee has to re-sign Huet before July 1 and it's a great deal. Not sure what Gainey is thinking going with two young goalies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. Probably another deal in the works for Montreal. Another veteran Russian to solidify the Caps lineup. Federov joins Ovechkin, Semin and Kozlov in the Capitol. Finally, after all this time, Federov will have something to play for in D.C. Cooke is an unrestricted free agent and likely will be nothing more than a rental like Federov. Pettinger hasn't done much offensively in the past two seasons, but is a fairly competent defensive forward. No great loss.

New Jersey
Devils acquire defenseman Bryce Salvador from St. Louis for forward Cam Janssen, who returns to his hometown.

Comment: Lou Lamoriello proves he knows what to add to his solid team at the deadline. Salvador is a fine defender and although he is 32 and is an unrestricted free agent, he is a great rental player.

San Jose
The Sharks win the war for Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell. Buffalo gets Steve Bernier and a first-round pick from San Jose. Sharks also get a 7th-round pick.

Comment: Great deal for San Jose. More head scratching in budget-conscious Buffalo. The key is whether or not the Sharks can sign Campbell to a new contract before July 1. The thought here is definitely! Bernier is a young right wing with upside in his third year in the NHL. Sabres are focused on the future - not today. Campbell is a huge loss.

Colorado
Acquire defenseman Adam Foote in exchange for a conditional first-round pick.

Comment: Colorado hopes to latch onto one of the final Western playoff spots. The condition is that if the Avs don't make the playoffs then the first-round pick falls to 2009 rather than in 2008. Solid move for Pierre Lacroix again.

Ottawa
Acquires winger Martin Lapointe from Chicago in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2008.

Comment: Salary dump for Chicago. Team could be positioning itself for another bigger deal. Lapointe has playoff experience and provides depth up front for Ottawa.

Pittsburgh
Acquire defenseman Hal Gill from Toronto for a 2nd-round pick and a fifth-round pick.

Comment: Gill could be a factor down the stretch for the Penguins.

New York Rangers
1) Acquire defenseman Christian Backman from St. Louis for a 4th-round pick.

2) Acquire forward Fredrik Sjostrom, goalie David Leneveu and forward Josh Gratton from Phoenix in exchange for forward Marcel Hossa and goalie Al Montoya.

New York Islanders
Acquire Rob Davison from San Jose for a 7th-round pick.

Comment: YAWN!