Five NHL Trade Deadline pickups thriving in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

When teams make splashes ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, it’s typically to get the missing pieces needed to perform in the playoffs.

And here we are, nearly two months later, and we’ve seen some players acquired at the 2025 Deadline already rise to the occasion. Mikko Rantanen was the most notable player moved ahead of the deadline – and actually traded twice this year – but he’s had some mixed results with Dallas in the playoffs. He did have a three-point game against Colorado on Monday, but just one point in four other outings before that. That’s why we’re keeping him off this list – his expectations are much higher.

For today’s exercise, we’re including players traded from December on. That’s because even though Cam Fowler was traded on Dec. 14, ignoring him given the way he’s playing would just feel wrong.

So, here’s a look at five players putting up big performances in different ways during the Stanley Cup playoffs:

Jack Drury, C (Colorado Avalanche)

Drury might have seemed like a throw-in in the Mikko Rantanen-to-Carolina deal earlier in the year. But Drury has actually been exactly what the Avalanche has needed on the fourth line. He has just two points in the playoffs, which is nothing special. But he has a career faceoff percentage of 56.5, and 58.3 percent run in the playoffs this year. Mix in a 66.57 expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 and all the penalty killing he’s been doing and the Avalanche have to love what the 25-year-old brings to the table.

Drury was a valuable contributor to Harvard University and had a 52-point AHL rookie season with the Chicago Wolves in 2022. By all accounts, he looked like someone with a positive offensive future. But it became clear quickly that if he was going to make the most of an NHL career, he’d have to adjust his game to be better suited as a fourth-line center. His transformation has been critical in his success, so it made perfect sense for the Avs to target him this year. They needed to redesign their bottom six, and Drury has been a true difference-maker ever since.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW (Los Angeles Kings)

Kuzmenko has played for four teams over the past two seasons, including three this year. The skill was always there, but the consistency wasn’t. That was extremely clear after watching him get 74 points in 2022-23 before getting just 46 last year. Kuzemko struggled in Calgary this year and was traded to Philadelphia, where he put up five points in seven games. That tenure was short-lived and he was flipped to Los Angeles in exchange for a 2027 third-rounder – a move, at the time, that just looked like a pure contract dump.

But Kuzmenko found himself at home in California, putting up 17 points in 22 games. He suddenly became an important contributor, with many considering this is his last-ditch effort to prove himself in the NHL before he becomes a UFA this summer. He had five points in the first two games of the series against Edmonton but quieted down in Games 3 and 4. Still, he’s been a positive presence on this team as they look to finally slay the dragon after years of falling flat to the Oilers – and it cost the Kings next to nothing.

Cam Fowler, D (St. Louis Blues)

Fowler is playing some of the best hockey of his career – just like everyone expected, right? Prior to this month, Fowler hadn’t played any meaningful hockey since 2017 – and he was damn good with the Anaheim Ducks at the time. Given Anaheim’s lack of success, he has flown under the radar the past few years. But after the trade to St. Louis, he put up some excellent numbers with 36 points in 51 games with the Blues. That includes scoring a goal outdoors at the Winter Classic in his 1,000th NHL game.

Fowler has eight points in four playoff games against the Winnipeg Jets, which is two off his previous best of 10 set in 16 games back in 2015. The 33-year-old is a two-way defender known for his high-end skating and his ability to get pucks into scoring areas. A five-point effort highly aids his production in Game 3, but he has at least one point each contest despite watching his ice time dip by a minute every single game. Fowler has been a perfect fit beside the more defensively minded Colton Parayko, giving the Blues one heck of a dangerous top pair.

Anthony Beauvillier, LW (Washington Capitals)

Beauvillier spent the first six and a half seasons of his NHL career with the New York Islanders. But over the past two years, he has played for five teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, who swapped him out for a second-round pick in 2025. The Capitals weren’t aggressive on the trade front because they didn’t want to mess with any chemistry. But Beauvillier – a smart, hard-working winger – gave the team some extra depth for the stretch run. He had just five points in 18 games to close out the season but went pointless over the final nine outings.

The playoffs have been a different story, though. Since moving to the top line with Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin, Beauvillier has managed to register five points in four games to put him second in team scoring in the playoffs. He was good during the Islanders’ extended playoff runs in 2020 and 2021, so it seems like he’s built for this time of year. Beauvillier’s NHL career had completely stunted during 2023-24, so it’s good to see him taking this opportunity and running with it as the Capitals chase their second Stanley Cup.

Brandon Tanev, LW (Winnipeg Jets)

Tanev was a fan favorite when he previously played for the Jets, so he was a popular pickup at the deadline this year. The 33-year-old hasn’t registered a point in the playoffs this year, but his impact has been solid. He’s still looking to hit everyone in sight and isn’t afraid to lay his body on the line to block a shot. Tanev has a whopping 70.39 expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5, putting him 10th among all players with at least four games played. He’s only averaging around 10 minutes a night, but he’s making the Jets harder to play against deeper in their lineup.

Tanev never tries to do more than he’s capable of. He’s not a goal-scorer, and never will be. But he’s the most effective fourth-liner on a trio with David Gustafsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, and he’s built for the playoffs. He had a great run in 2018, and while he was more offensively involved back then, he’s having a positive impact again in a slightly different way.

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