The buildup to the trade deadline is undeniably one of the most exciting periods on the NHL calendar. Weeks of speculation and fantastic trade ideas consume the minds of fans and media leading up to the big day.

While it's fun to look ahead, here we reflect on some of the biggest deals from 2021 and analyze how they look a year later.

Successful deals

Bruins acquire Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar from Sabres for Anders Bjork, 2nd-round pick

Hall was the biggest name on the forward market last season. Supporters of contending teams drew up endless hypothetical blockbuster trades only for Boston to swoop in and snatch the former MVP at pennies on the dollar.

For whatever reason, Hall couldn't get going with the Sabres last year, registering two goals in 37 games. But the speedy winger returned to familiar form immediately after joining the Bruins, posting 14 points in 16 regular-season contests. He parlayed that production into a team-friendly four-year, $24-million contract to stick with a Boston club that desperately needed to strengthen its top six.

Bjork has put up a mere 12 points in 66 appearances with the Sabres. It's safe to say this exchange was a steal for Boston.

Panthers acquire Sam Bennett, 2022 6th-round pick from Flames for Emil Heineman, 2022 2nd-round pick

Bennett is another player who benefited greatly from a change of scenery at last year's deadline. The 25-year-old seemed to be on the outs in Calgary, then was suddenly reborn after arriving in the Florida sun. Bennett went on an instant heater after joining the Panthers, collecting 15 points in 10 contests before producing a point-per-game showing in the playoffs. Like Hall, Bennett signed a new deal following his resurgence, and he now plays a versatile role on one of the league's best teams.

It's hard to blame the Flames for dealing Bennett when they did, even if they lost the trade in hindsight. He didn't live up to the expectations of a fourth overall pick in Calgary, and the club has done an excellent job retooling its forward corps to return to the playoff picture this season.

Penguins acquire Jeff Carter from Kings for 2022 conditional 3rd-round pick, 2023 conditional 4th-round pick

This trade came out of nowhere. The Penguins added a veteran sniper many viewed as over the hill, but Carter came into Pittsburgh and produced 13 goals between the regular season and playoffs. The Pens made out well in getting Los Angeles to retain 50% of Carter's $5.72-million cap hit and proceeded to ink the two-time Cup winner to a palatable extension featuring a $3.125-million average annual value for the next two campaigns.

In the long run, Pittsburgh may wish it held on to its picks to help replenish a barren prospect pool. However, while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are on the roster, all that matters is the present. Acquiring Carter was a creative piece of business for the Penguins' front office and helped prop their championship window open.

Undecided

Capitals acquire Anthony Mantha from Red Wings for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, 1st-round pick, 2022 2nd-round pick

Hockey fans were treated to a true shocker when the Red Wings and Capitals swapped promising young wingers in a doozy of a deal moments before the 3 p.m. deadline.

On paper, the trade seemed like a coup for Detroit. Unfortunately, Mantha and Vrana have both missed most of the 2021-22 campaign due to injuries, so we don't really have a verdict yet. How Steve Yzerman's picks from the deal turn out will also severely impact the outcome.

Mantha is a lethal shooter and was productive in his brief stint after the trade. On the other hand, Vrana has blazing speed and was one of the league's most efficient even-strength scorers in a sheltered role for the Capitals. While we don't know which side will benefit greater from the deal at this point, watching it unfold will be a highly entertaining storyline for years to come.

Mulligan worthy

Maple Leafs acquire Nick Foligno, Stefan Noesen from Blue Jackets for 1st-round pick, 2022 4th-round pick

The San Jose Sharks received a 4th-round pick from Toronto for retaining salary in the trade.

Here's where we get into the ugly side of last year's flurry of trades. The Maple Leafs made a big splash (for a hefty price) by bringing in the veteran Foligno. He's the type of hard-nosed player many fans and pundits believed the team needed to finally get over the hump in the playoffs.

It didn't work.

Foligno recorded four assists in seven regular-season contests, then only appeared in four of seven playoff games as he fought through a debilitating back injury. It wasn't Foligno's fault Toronto blew a 3-1 series lead to its biggest rival, but Leafs fans have nothing but bitter memories of the deal after another first-round exit.

General manager Kyle Dubas has stated numerous times that he prefers to steer clear of rentals at the deadline. It'll be interesting to see if the failed Foligno experiment carries any weight in Toronto's deadline strategy in a make-or-break 2022.

Islanders acquire Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac from Devils for A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, 1st-round pick, 2022 conditional 4th-round pick

Palmieri wasn't the most high-profile player available last year. However, he was commonly viewed as a low-risk, high-reward add for contenders needing an offensive jolt.

Lou Lamoriello sent a considerable package to his former club for the winger and the veteran pivot Zajac, hoping to shore up the Islanders' attack for the postseason. Zajac managed four points in 27 combined regular-season and playoff games, while Palmieri proved his worth with seven postseason tallies as New York just missed out on a Stanley Cup Final berth.

In September, the Islanders rewarded Palmieri with a four-year extension carrying a $5-million average annual value. He's managed only 15 points in 40 games this season. What appeared to be a savvy move quickly devolved into a potential long-term financial burden for an Islanders club that's fallen from contender to a lottery team.

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Lindy Ruff is moving on up.

The New Jersey Devils bench boss passed Paul Maurice for sixth place on the NHL's all-time coaching wins list Tuesday.

Ruff's Devils did it in style, too, scoring five unanswered goals against the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche after falling behind 3-0.

The 62-year-old is seven wins away from passing Hall of Famer Al Arbour for the fifth spot.

Ruff won 571 games with the Buffalo Sabres, 165 with the Dallas Stars, and now 40 with the Devils. He also ranks third all-time in regulation losses with 615, trailing only Maurice (681) and Trotz (659).

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The St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes are apparently among the latest teams considered serious contenders to acquire Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun ahead of the March 21 trade deadline.

"At this point, eight teams are seriously in the chase for Jakob Chychrun," TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's "Insider Trading."

"It's Florida, it's L.A., it's Boston, it's St. Louis, it's Carolina, it's Anaheim among the primary suitors."

The Panthers, Kings, Bruins, and Ducks were among six teams considered interested in Chychrun in a January report.

Chychrun finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting last campaign after leading all NHL defensemen with 18 goals. He's in the midst of a down season with 16 points in 44 games. However, his underlying numbers over a three-year sample size remain stellar:

The Coyotes are reportedly asking for a return similar to what the Buffalo Sabres received for Jack Eichel earlier this season. The Sabres traded Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick to the Vegas Golden Knights for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round selection, and a conditional 2023 second-round pick.

Chychrun, 23, is signed for three more seasons at a $4.6-million cap hit, per CapFriendly. Arizona selected him 16th overall at the 2016 NHL Draft.

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We have 11 games scheduled for Tuesday night's slate, which means there is no shortage of player props to comb through.

Let's take a closer look at three of my favorites.

Joel Eriksson Ek over 2.5 shots (-139)

Joel Eriksson Ek has been one of the league's more efficient shot generators on home soil. He's averaged 3.4 shots per game in Minnesota this season while going over the number (2.5) in 65% of his games, including nine of the last 12.

He should be able to stay hot Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. They give up a lot of shots, especially to the center position. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets have allowed more shots - or shots per game - to centers than the Rangers.

Look for Eriksson Ek to hit three shots for the 10th time in 13 games.

Mikko Rantanen over 3.5 shots (+105)

Mikko Rantanen is shooting the lights out. He has amassed 63 shot attempts over the last 10 games, which ties him with Kirill Kaprizov for 17th in the NHL over that span.

The uptick in shot attempts has started to lead to success with his totals: Rantanen picked up 15 shots over the last three games while registering at least four in each contest.

He now finds himself in an advantageous matchup against the New Jersey Devils. Only three teams have conceded more shots per game to right wingers this season while no team has allowed more points to the position.

With Rantanen sizzling hot, he should be able to continue his success.

Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-125)

Thomas Chabot is one of my favorite defenders to back for shots. He is such a willing shooter, and he has such a heavy workload that he's in play on a nightly basis regardless of opponent.

Chabot generated 35 shots on goal while attempting 58 over his last 10 games. He went over his shot total (2.5) eight times over the last nine contests.

I expect Chabot to make it nine in 10 in this sneaky-good spot against the St. Louis Blues. While they are a good defensive team, they give up a lot of volume to opposing defenders. Only four sides have allowed more shots to defensemen on a per-game basis.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana will make his season debut Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes, the team announced.

Vrana has missed the entire campaign to date after undergoing shoulder surgery in late September. He was given a four-month recovery timeline.

The Red Wings acquired Vrana from the Washington Capitals at last season's trade deadline. He made an immediate impact with 11 points in 11 games to close out the 2020-21 campaign.

Vrana inked a three-year, $15.75-million extension with Detroit in the offseason.

The 26-year-old was drafted 13th overall in 2014. He's notched 168 points in 295 career contests and won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

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The Seattle Kraken signed leading scorer Jared McCann to a five-year contract extension worth $5 million per season, the team announced Tuesday.

"I'm very excited to be here," McCann said. "I believe in this city and I believe in this organization."

McCann was scheduled to hit restricted free agency at season's end. Seattle chose him in the expansion draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins days prior.

The Vancouver Canucks drafted McCann 24th overall in 2014. He played one season there before he was traded to the Florida Panthers.

He appears to have found his best fit yet in Seattle, leading the league's 32nd franchise with 21 goals and remaining on pace for a career-high 49 points.

McCann will be Seattle's fourth-highest paid forward when his deal kicks in next season, trailing Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, and Yanni Gourde.

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We have a whopping 11-game slate to look forward to Tuesday night. Let's waste no time and dive into our best bets.

Avalanche (-205) @ Devils (+170)

The New Jersey Devils and goals go together like chicken wings and a football Sunday. At least six goals have been scored in eight of their last 10 games and 12 of their last 15.

Their offense has taken off lately, especially since Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt returned to health. Only six teams have scored more goals over the last 15 games.

Despite pretty good suppression numbers at the other end of the ice, the Devils can't keep the puck out of their net.

Goaltending is the reason for that. New Jersey has used six different netminders this season, and every single one has conceded more goals than expected. Put another way, nobody's performing at even an average level based on the difficulty of workload.

I have a hard time believing that will change against a lethal Colorado Avalanche team that ranks *checks notes* second in goals per game this season. Colorado is prone to getting into track meets - even against low-event opponents like the New York Islanders - so there's definitely potential for fireworks in this game.

With Bratt, Hamilton, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar sharing the ice, goals should come early and often.

Bet: Over 6 (-125)

Stars (+100) @ Predators (-120)

Less than two weeks ago, the Nashville Predators hosted the Dallas Stars. The Predators closed as -160 favorites and rewarded their backers with a win.

Fast-forward and the Predators - once again rested and at home - are only -120 favorites.

I realize the Stars have won four consecutive games. They've beaten some strong teams in that span, too.

But it's not like they dominated or added a high-end player to the mix to explain such a large swing in the odds.

Over the last four games, the Stars controlled just 44% of the shot attempts and 49% of the expected goals at five-on-five. They weren't exactly skating teams into the ground.

Not to mention, dark-horse Norris Trophy candidate Miro Heiskanen is banged up, and his status is up in the air for this game.

I see value on the Predators even if Heiskanen is healthy enough to play. If he isn't? This line would be out of whack.

Bet: Predators (-120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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