The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning went into the NHL trade deadline without much money to make a move. As the league's best teams often do, the cash-strapped Lightning found a way to improve their chances of winning with a shrewd deal.
The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, had one of the most coveted players on the market and a chance to boost their rebuilding project with a trade.
As one of the franchises in the league that can't seem to get it right, the Sabres failed to get a great return for 2018 NHL MVP Taylor Hall.
Here's a look at some teams that appeared to win, and lose, in the days and minutes leading up to the trade deadline Monday afternoon: TAMPA BAY The Lightning bolstered their blue line and chances to repeat