It wasn't the slowest trade deadline of all time, but it certainly wasn't the busiest.
Eighteen moves were made Wednesday, sending 33 players to new clubs before the clock struck 3 p.m. ET.
There was one fewer deal this time around than on the final day of trading last year, when 19 trades sent 37 players to new homes.
Here's a look at deadline-day activity over the last five seasons:
| Season | Trades | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 18 | 33 |
| 2015-16 | 19 | 37 |
| 2014-15 | 24 | 43 |
| 2013-14 | 20 | 38 |
| 2012-13 | 17 | 30 |
Only a couple of big names were moved Wednesday, with Thomas Vanek going from the Detroit Red Wings to the Florida Panthers and Jarome Iginla heading from the Colorado Avalanche to the Los Angeles Kings.
Most of the major 2017 trade activity came in the days leading up to the deadline: The Washington Capitals acquired Kevin Shattenkirk, the Tampa Bay Lightning shipped goaltender Ben Bishop to the Kings, and the Arizona Coyotes sent center Martin Hanzal to the Minnesota Wild earlier in the week.
Other factors contributing to a slow deadline included the faux league-wide parity created largely by the "loser point" and the looming expansion draft, which will force teams to make tough decisions about which players to protect from being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights.
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