from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,

Winner: Buffalo Sabres. They ended up with Jack Eichel, who might be the best American prospect since the 1980s, plus a new starting goalie in Robin Lehner, veteran center Ryan O'Reilly and left wing Jamie McGinn. They gave up Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Zadorov and prospect J.T. Compher.

Loser: Boston Bruins. It's hard to find anyone around the hockey world that believes the Bruins received enough compensation for Dougie Hamilton. They also traded Milan Lucic. The team ended up with two extra first-round picks, but three first-round players are not going to help immediately. These trades won't make the Bruins better next season. It's worth noting how salary-cap stress played a role in the Bruins' decisions.

What didn't happen: The Chicago Blackhawks didn't start trading veterans to ease their salary-cap pressure. GM Stan Bowman said Friday was about concentrating on the draft. The Blackhawks are looking to trade Patrick Sharp, Bryan Bickell and Kris Versteeg. The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't trade anyone off their roster.

more