The trade deadline was pretty much what everyone expected. Until it wasn't. With minutes to spare, a blockbuster, Mantha for Vrana dropped jaws.

So, let's take a look at the biggest names that were moved. Apparently, I am long winded this week so I was only able to cover four players.

Anthony Mantha, Washington Capitals, ($5.7M – 3 years remaining – Age 26)

For the rest of the season, I fear the results for Mantha will be a real hodge-podge. Let's start with the good news.

He suited up for his first game on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie. He could not have asked for a better line to begin his career in Washington. After struggling for all of 2020-21 in Detroit this is a clear breath of fresh air. His five-on-five production should jolt upwards.

Hopping into the heat of a playoff race on a legitimate cup contending team should rejuvenate any player. Getting to do this while riding shotgun to a future Hall of Famer, Backstrom and Mr. Consistency, Oshie can only further help. Mantha has high-end finishing ability, and his shot was on display in his first game when he buried his first as a Capital.  That's the good news.

The rest: he's no longer 'go-to' or 'top-dog' on the team. Mantha's ice time in his first game dropped three minutes, 14:59 from 18:10 and he saw very little time on the power play, :34 from 2:20. His power-play production likely won't see a drop. That is mainly due to how poor it was in Detroit (insert bad-joke music here).

The fresh start should propel him to maintain previous levels of production. Baring an injury to that top power-play unit don't expect him to bring the house down.

Under contract for three more years Mantha provides Washington with cost certainty in their top six. This clearly was important with Alex Ovechkin to re-sign. 

Unless Mantha can muscle his way onto Washington's top power-play unit in 2021-22 we may see a bit of a glass ceiling on his production in the 60-point range. Tom Wilson and TJ Oshie are the two most likely options for Mantha to replace on the power-play. However, the old montage of 'if it ain't broke' is going to create barriers on him breaking through.

'Monster' Mantha might have just had light shackles placed on that long desired next level breakout owners have so patiently waited for. Without more power play time, the best owners can expect is something similar to Victor Arvidsson who has been able to crack 60-points more than once while never breaking 10 power play points in a season.

Jakub Vrana, Detroit Red Wings (RFA – 3.35M – Age 25)

I know I just covered him last week, but a lot has changed. Literally everything changed for Vrana overnight. He went from the playoffs to the basement. He went from struggling to find his way in the Capitals middle six and shut out of meaningful power-play time to potentially limitless time on ice.

Where Mantha is likely rejuvenated by finally playing real meaningful hockey in April and May, Vrana should find himself rejuvenated by finally getting an opportunity to become a go-to person in Detroit.

If we're being fully transparent, Vrana has a lot of work to do and a lot to prove before he gets that kind of trust and ice time in Detroit. He likely gets a solid showcase over the last dozen games or so on Detroit's top line and power-play. The real test for Vrana takes place in 2021-22.

There were issues with Vrana's game in Washington that held him back from increasing his minutes. He didn't play the full 200-foot game Laviolette required of him. It got to the point that Laviolette made him a healthy scratch twice just days before the trade.  

He should slide into Mantha's former role, whether he stays there is going to be up to him. For him to stick on Detroit's top line and top power-play unit he will need to display the type of effort Washington couldn't get from him.

He comes with lumps. I am not sure I would define them as warts just yet, but I might just be splitting hairs in declaring a difference.  I think the change in scenery affects Vrana's next contract slightly. It should increase the odds he signs a longer deal and forgoes any kind of bridge contract. Something similar to what Mantha signed, perhaps slightly cheaper could be on the table.

For Vrana owners, the doors just opened on his potential. The Red Wings should begin their ascent up the standings (slowly) next season. It is time to buckle up.

Nick Foligno, Toronto Maple Leafs (UFA, $5.5M, Age 33)

Of all the trades this deadline I'm not sure any was a better real-life fit than Foligno with the Maple Leafs. He is everything the Leafs lacked and needed in their top nine.

He is an elite-level shutdown forward who can play a top-six role. He thrives in rough, gritty games and seeks out contact. He was top three in ice time among Columbus forwards over the past three seasons. John Tortarella trusted him in every situation completely. That is a very rare feat.

His cap hit at $5.5M is hard for owners to swallow as his production has waned over time. Yet in multi-cat leagues he's been able to hold on to peripheral value.

He should see a small bump in point production just by being on the Leafs. Early reports are he'll get a long look with John Tavares and William Nylander to start. Come playoffs, it's likely he shuffles down to the third line and plays a shut-down role with Ilya Mikheyev & either Alex Kerfoot or Pierre Engvall as the centre.

The Leafs have been utilizing more of a 1A – 1B approach to their power-play all season. Foligno gives Toronto a strong net front presence on both units. Just with the increased talent he will be surrounded with he should see a small bump in power-play production.

Foligno left his family in Columbus, in large part due to the Covid-19 situation in Ontario. However, there are strong rumours afloat he will consider returning to the Blue Jackets this summer as an unrestricted free agent.

It is highly unlikely Foligno would be willing to take the pay cut required to re-sign in Toronto next year. The biggest winners in this deal are the Toronto goal-tenders. Few forwards limit high-danger scoring chances when they are on the ice like Foligno does.

There is that off-chance Foligno clicks over the last dozen games of the season and produces at a high level. Realistically though, Foligno was brought in for his gritty, shutdown ability. He might see a small uptick in production over the rest of the season but it will be short lived.

Next year, he falls into that borderline-waiver wire, bottom of your roster player with a declining cap-hit. In limited keeper or re-draft cap pools he could be a solid late-round grab.

Taylor Hall, Boston Bruins (UFA $8M, Age 29)

In pre-season polls I picked Taylor Hall to be the biggest disappointment of the year. Up to the trade deadline I'm on pace to get this one right.

Hall seems very motivated and excited to have been traded to Boston. So much so he was vocal about being willing to talk a contract extension with the Bruins almost immediately. He should be considering so much went wrong in Buffalo.

I am not a big Hall fan. In full-disclosure I'm not a Hall fan at all. He has been labelled one of the most selfish players in the NHL. I won't link third-hand stories into this article as I have no way of confirming any of the information myself but if you are curious just hit up google and type in 'Taylor Hall, selfish'. Happy reading. There are multiple articles and stories linked to Hall going back to Edmonton days (It doesn't paint a pretty picture).

And now he finds himself inside one of the strongest cultured locker rooms in the NHL. When you look at the injuries Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci have played through (we should include Zdeno Chara's broken jaw last season) it does not bode well if Hall cannot shed the dark shadow that seems to be following him around.

In the same breath, Hall has never been in a locker room with this type of team culture. Most players haven't. It is going to be a real eye opener for Hall. For the first time in his NHL career, he is going to get a real sense of team.  Don't' get me wrong, I dislike the Bruins as much as the next Maple Leafs fan, but you can't ignore the fact this team culture is what has allowed the Bruins to remain Stanley Cup contenders for a decade.

I don't see a lot of middle ground with this trade. Either Hall is going to fit into this locker room and get closer to what has been expected of him or it will be an unmitigated disaster and Boston will be a first round exit from the playoffs and Halls warts will bubble to surface this off-season as he searches for a new contract. If you're a Hall owner your hopes are clear.

I would love to see Hall turn this all around and return to his Hart Trophy form. This might be a player we see sign a short-term deal over the summer, ala Mike Hoffman for far less than he realistically could get in an effort to land in a favorable market and get his career back on track.

To end on a side note, while I'm not a big Hall fan – of the hockey player. I am a fan of perseverance and success stories. I am rooting for Hall the person to get his poop in a group. He is such a great talent. It would be great to see him reach and remain at his potential and do it in a positive way.

Thanks for reading (all stats from frozenpools.com; all contract information from capfriendly.com).

Follow me on twitter @doylelb4