The deadline is a revealing moment in the NHL season. It prescribes an honest self-examination by all 30 clubs. General Managers, scouts, and team personnel maneuver through a cascade of e-mails, faxes, phone calls, and conversations about who is available and how much they will cost. The worst teams must answer a very direct question: is it time to part ways with a top player — who will probably walk come July 1st — for prospects whose earning potential won’t bust their salary cap? Look at recently successful squads like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and, to an admittedly lesser degree, Washington, and there’s a clear trend to assemble a roster internally.

Teams on the postseason bubble, conversely, operate amid more dire circumstances — choices routinely cost coaches and GMs their jobs. In the case of Atlanta, would Thrashers GM/coach Don Waddell dump winger Marian Hossa for a potentially comparable player, or retain him in slim hopes of making the playoffs? If Hossa remained, and Atlanta failed to advance, the Thrashers would have lost a remarkable player and received nothing. Obviously, the nuances of altering a dynamic are more severely pronounced when the fate of the team in question is unknown.

Last year’s deadline was borderline lackluster, the loudest move made when the Nashville Predators swapped forward Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent, and a first and third round pick for Peter Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers. But yesterday was filled with big-name movement, all in preparation for the final playoff stretch. Here we (subjectively) review some of the wisest deadline transactions.

(For those interested in the technicalities of trades, NHL.com kindly provides this short tutorial.)

Dallas Stars

Dallas ended Tuesday with a substantially deeper lineup than it started with by adding center Brad Richards and goalie Johan Holmqvist. In return, the 29th-ranked Tampa Bay Lightning received forwards Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and goalie Mike Smith. Richards is an adaptable player who performs at even strength and on special teams, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game. Dallas got a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winning forward whose durability is surpassed only by his skills. Richards allows coach Dave Tippett to spread Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro, Brendan Morrow, and Jere Lehtinen across multiple lines. They’re now an immediate threat to Detroit whose defensive corps has (to put it lightly) taken a beating.

Meanwhile, Tampa has a chance to develop Smith as a number one goaltender. Holmqvist struggled since October, and GM Jay Feaster stressed that signing a goalie was his primary concern. But Holmqvist’s experience will be vital should Dallas starter Marty Turco go down or need a break. Holmqvist may have tanked thus far, but he also wasn’t playing in Dallas.

Colorado Avalanche

Is it 2008 or 2001? Not only did Colorado Avalanche GM Francois Giguere do the presumably unthinkable by signing Peter Forsberg days after announcing he would not return to the NHL this year, but he relinquished a mere draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for veteran defensemen Adam Foote. A grinder with a proclivity for cheap shots, Foote was a staple of Colorado’s last Cup winning team. Not the fleetest afoot, he brings a physical element to the blue line that will keep traffic away from Jose Theodore’s face.

Giguere smoothly avoided jeopardizing Colorado’s young talent. Foote’s and Forsberg’s experience will ground the Avalanche lineup. Combine the return of Joe Sakic and sniper Paul Stastny with the grittiness of Ryan Smythe and consistency of Milan Hejduk, and suddenly the Aves seem poised to scrap for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Philadelphia Flyers

What a year for the Fly guys. After an abysmal 2006-2007 season in which they finished dead last, they currently own the eighth playoff position in the Eastern Conference. But the past month has been unkind to the turn-around-team of the year. The Flyers dropped 10 in a row until a shootout victory over Buffalo on Monday (any Sabres fans still fuming at Briere’s game winner?); they’ve been weakened by injuries (notably Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, and Joffrey Lupol), defensive lapses, and shoddy goaltending.

In response, GM Paul Holmgren traded Alex Picard — a 22-year-old defensemen who’s played only 72 NHL games — and a conditional draft pick to Tampa for Vaclav “Vinnie” Prospal. (Philly drafted Prospal 71st overall in 1993.) Despite posting respectable numbers throughout his career, he’s struggled to be consistent — a hindrance that may expose itself without Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Nonetheless, Prospal has a ring and more than a decade of experience. Although he doesn’t embody offensive stability, Prospal can still play. And considering the injury ridden Flyers roster, a forward like Prospal that can play both center and wing will only strengthen his team’s limp into the playoffs.

Washington Capitals

Did anyone see this coming? The Caps acquired Cristobal Huet, the Montreal Canadians’ starting net minder for most of this season, for a paltry second round draft choice. Then they snagged Sergei Fedorov from Columbus for 2007 draftee Theo Ruth, a defenseman so unknown, not even Yahoo! Sports recognizes him.

(Here is where other writers would likely excoriate Montreal for getting so little in return for a number one goalie. Such lunacy speaks for itself. More importantly: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Viktor Kozlov, and now Fedorov. Is Washington the new Detroit?)

The Caps also traded Matt Pettinger to Vancouver for Matt Cooke. Cooke, a low-line winger with practically no points for the Canucks, will give Washington toughness and speed up front. As a result, the Caps lose an insignificant forward. Washington completed other minor deals, all helpful enhancements as the Caps challenge for the top spot in the Southeast Division.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are barely holding fifth in the West with 74 points. Eighth seeded Nashville is only two points behind; the West is that close. So, GM Doug Wilson scored the most coveted defensemen on the block: Brian Campbell. The Sharks gave Buffalo a first-round pick and mediocre forward Steve Bernier. Bernier has rotated among the bottom two lines for most of this season, not offering much productivity (13g, 10a).

Campbell, on the other hand, plays roughly 25 minutes per game, has a microscopic 12 penalty minutes, and went to his second All-Star Game last month. A fast, yet physical blue-liner, Campbell’s ability to skate and quickly move the puck increased his value. The Sharks recognized their need for a reliable defenseman that could make swift breakout passes and anchor the point on the power play. Campbell’s 43 points is second among Sharks scorers. And with 38 assists, he noticeably reduces Joe Thornton’s playmaking burden.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are second in the East with Sidney Crosby on the shelf. Evgeni Malkin, averaging almost two points per game in Sid’s absence, is all but unstoppable. Ty Conklin has been solid in net, while Marc Andre Fluery was recalled from injury. Now they have Marian Hossa — the pervasive desire for whom was league-wide — and speedster Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta, plus Hal Gill from Toronto. In an immensely beneficial trade for the Pens, Atlanta received promising, albeit average forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen (replaceable role players). Christenson has been superb in the shootouts — success he’s failed to employ during regulation. Armstrong, who was Crosby’s roommate on the road and close friend, is a muckraker who will just as easily give a beating as take one. Sadly, their collective point totals hardly match Hossa’s.

Hossa was highly discussed and his final whereabouts speculated for weeks. That the news came with under five minutes remaining until the deadline is curious, especially since Don Waddell publicized weeks ago that Hossa was going to be dealt. Pittsburgh is a growing complication for the East; and they just scared the shit out of the entire Atlantic Division.

See You Next Year

February was busy, indeed — 25 trades involving 45 players on the final day alone, big names and small, draft picks, and the hope of future success. Many teams modified their rosters for various reasons: to dump salaries, for draft picks, to make playoff runs. The Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders each made a couple subtle changes. Those mentioned above were by no means the only ones, nor the most important. They were simply the transactions deemed the best for their organizations.

As fun as it is to tout theories and predictions of who will go where, the truth is that the push begins now. Both conferences have a tight race for its final postseason openings. Barely 20 games remain on each schedule. The trades that were hailed could quickly be scorned; those questioned eventually praised. There was enough inaction by teams that needed improvement to warrant a separate column. Regardless, the hype is over; all that’s left to do is watch. And that’s the best part about the trade deadline.

The Lightning have officially asked Richards to waive his no-trade clause, and he has obliged.

Along with Richards, the Lightning will send goaltender Johan Holmqvist to Dallas. In return, the Lightning get goalie Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, and Jeff Halpern.

Updates to follow.