The trade deadline in any sport is one of the most exciting days of the year, even if nothing major ends up happening.

It doesn’t matter if your team is a buyer or a seller; you tune in to find out who’s on the move and going to end the season in a different jersey and possibly put one team above the rest by the end of it all.  

Over the years we’ve seen some really good deals take place days before or at the deadline, but we’ve also seen our fair share of stinkers. Here are some of the most memorable trades that took place leading up to or at the deadline over the past 10 years.
 

JAMES NEAL

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James Neal scored 20 or more goals in his first three NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars, so it was a bit surprising that they moved him at the 2011 trade deadline. However, the Stars were having financial troubles while looking for a new owner, so Neal and Matt Niskanen were dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Alex Goligoski. Neal scored just one goal in the remaining 20 games of the season, but came back with 40 goals in his first full season with the Penguins and scored 184 points in 199 games with Pittsburgh.
 

JEFF CARTER

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The Philadelphia Flyers moved on from Jeff Carter and Mike Richards before the 2011-12 season, but it didn’t take very long for them to be reunited again. After playing just 39 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Carter was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jack Johnson and a 2013 first round pick. Carter scored six goals and 9 points in 16 regular season games, but came up big in the playoffs with 8 goals and 13 points in 20 games, including the Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 6. He was also a member of the 2014 Stanley Cup champion team, where he scored 10 goals and 25 points in 26 playoff games.
 

JAROME IGINLA

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Jarome Iginla spent the first 16 years of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, so it was a tough pill for Flames fans to swallow when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a couple of prospects and a first round pick. A lot of people thought this was going to be his best chance to win a Stanley Cup, but the Penguins were swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final. The following season Iginla joined the Bruins, but had no luck taking home the title.
 

MARIAN GABORIK

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Marian Gaborik was always someone who got hit with the injury bug, but when he was healthy he was one of the better players on the ice. After two seasons and just 34 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Gaborik was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings at the 2014 NHL trade deadline. Not only did the Kings go on to win the Stanley Cup that season, but Gaborik was a force in the playoffs, scoring 14 goals and 22 points in 26 games.
 

RYAN MILLER

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Ryan Miller never really had good teams in front of him, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at his career numbers. In 2014, the Miller era in Buffalo came to an end when the goalie was traded to the St. Louis Blues, along with Steve Ott, for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier and two draft picks. Miller was pretty impressive down the stretch in the regular season, but he went 2-4 with a 2.70 GAA and a .897 save percentage in the playoffs, as the Blues were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round. Miller was out later that summer as he joined the Vancouver Canucks on a three-year deal.
 

ROBERTO LUONGO

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With Miller joining the Canucks it meant it was the start of a new era in Vancouver. As a result, Roberto Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers, along with Steven Anthony, in exchange for Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias. The Panthers failed to make the playoffs that season and Markstrom is now on his way to getting a hefty payday from the Canucks or another NHL team.
 

MARTIN ST. LOUIS

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Martin St. Louis made a name for himself in Tampa Bay, but the forward asked to be traded to the New York Rangers ahead of the deadline with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The Lightning granted his wish and shipped him to the Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan. St. Louis only scored one goal in 19 regular season games, but he totaled 8 goals and 15 points in 25 playoff games. However, the Rangers came up short in the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the LA Kings in five games.
 

ERIC STAAL

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Eric Staal was the pride and joy of the Carolina Hurricanes for so long, but that era ended in 2006 when he was traded to the New York Rangers for two draft picks and Aleksi Saarela. Staal only scored six points in 20 games and was held without a point in the five playoff games he played. Staal joined the Minnesota Wild the following season and scored 28 goals and 65 points in 82 games.
 

BEN BISHOP

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When the Los Angeles Kings acquired Ben Bishop from the Tampa Bay Lightning a lot of people thought they were going to cruise to their third Stanley Cup title with the tandem of Bishop and Jonathan Quick. However, you need to make the playoffs first before cruising to the finals, and the Kings failed to do that. Los Angeles finished with 86 points and eight points out of a wild card spot. As for Bishop, he joined the Dallas Stars that offseason.
 

KEVIN SHATTENKIRK

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The Washington Capitals were the favourites for so many years, but every time they were hyped up they came up short in the playoffs. In 2017 they acquired Kevin Shattenkirk from the St. Louis Blues and many believed this would be the piece that puts them on top. However, after scoring two goals and 14 points in 19 regular seasons, Shattenkirk was held to just one goal and six points in 13 playoff games and the Capitals were eliminated in the second round. After the season, Shattenkirk joined the New York Rangers on a four-year deal, but the Capitals dodged a bullet by passing on his contract.  

There are still a few days before this year’s trade deadline so there’s still a chance we see some big names on the move. ​