Tampa Bay Lightning - New York Rangers, St. Louis - Callahan Trade: Who Was The Winner?

On March 5th, the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning swapped captains in a stunning trade that sent Martin St. Louis to the Rangers and Ryan Callahan to the Lightning. Martin St. Louis (MSL) had requested a trade from the Lightning earlier in the season and offered to waive his no trade clause if he could go to the Rangers, as they were the only team he would be dealt to. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman granted St. Louis' wish, remarking that it's the least the Lightning could do for him. St. Louis had spent almost his entire career with Tampa Bay and was the heart and soul of the franchise. Ryan Callahan also meant a great deal to the Rangers but talks indicated they wouldn't be able to reach an agreement on a contract extension with him. 

So, the teams swapped their captains in a move that changed both franchises. Final details of the trade: Tampa Bay gets Ryan Callahan, the Rangers first round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and a conditional second round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, which would turn into a first round pick if the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final, which they did. What did the Rangers get? Just MSL. 

This would indicate that MSL is a star power and that Tampa gave up quite the player by trading him. This is true, as St. Louis was a star player and has been for many years and seems to defy what typically happens to elder skaters. Usually as stars age, they become less productive. But this hasn't happened for St. Louis who is now 39. He continued to find a way to score and although he went through a bit of a drought after arriving, he began to produce and helped the Rangers at key moments in their Stanley Cup run. But the question is, can St. Louis continue to produce the way he has in recent times? Odds are, yes. But nobody's career lasts long after reaching the age of 39 in the NHL. The Rangers will likely only get two to three years out of St. Louis.

The Lightning on the other hand seem to have gotten the better end. It broke many people's hearts to see MSL leave, but Callahan fit in nicely upon his arrival to the Lightning. In 20 regular season games, he had six goals and 11 points and brought a certain level of physicality that the Bolts need to be a true Stanley Cup contender. The Bolts signed Callahan to a six year contract last Wednesday morning, reportedly worth $34.8 million. But this isn't the only reason the trade benefited Tampa. The Bolts also acquired a 2014 2nd round pick in this year's draft which would turn into a first round pick if the Rangers made the Eastern Conference Finals. They did and Tampa had their original selection, 19th overall, and the Rangers selection, 28th overall. And the deal doesn't end there, as the Lightning also recieved the Rangers 2015 first round pick, meaning that Tampa Bay then had 4 first round picks for the 2014 and 2015 drafts combined. 

So, while the star power of Martin St. Louis will last the Rangers for a few more years, Ryan Callahan and the two first round draft picks certainly benefit Tampa Bay much more. While these draft picks don't guarentee success, they are a good place to start for a team like the Lightning who have built their success from the draft.