Ranking the 5 biggest deadline deals

With the NHL trade deadline in the rearview mirror, it's time to reflect on the biggest moves made over the past 48 hours in the lead up to Monday's 3 p.m. ET cutoff.

Five trades in particular stand above the rest, and below, NHL editors Josh Wegman and Flip Livingstone rank the deals from the buyer's perspective from least to most valuable based on the following criteria:

• Quality of player(s) received
• Player's contract situation
• Quality of return given up
• Team's chances of winning, therefore justifying such move

5. Tomas Tatar to Golden Knights

Three picks from any rounds of the draft seems like a ton to give up for a player who has never lived up to expectations, let alone picks in the first three rounds. But Tatar's potential as a pure goal scorer and Vegas' glut of 2018 picks make this deal much more attractive from the Knight's perspective.

Obviously, Tatar has fallen short in recent years of replicating his 56-point output from 2014-15, but the fact remains he still has a lot of pop left in his stick at 27 years old.

Three more years of contractual control cements Tatar's addition as one of the best, and perhaps underrated, moves from trade deadline day, despite the high price tag. - Livingstone

4. Rick Nash to Bruins

Notes: Rangers retain 50 percent of Nash's salary; Bruins retain 50 percent of Beleskey's salary.

His best days might be behind him, but on a Bruins squad already deep with offensive talent, Nash could be the game-changing piece who puts Boston over the top.

At first glance, the haul received for Nash seems like a lot for a guy who has only 18 goals this season. But Spooner is a bottom-six player, Beleskey has been toiling in the minors for most of the season, and Lindgren is a prospect who's ceiling might be capped as a sixth or extra defenseman.

With that, and the Bruins' insanely hot run over the past few months in mind, Nash's addition - at the very least - bolsters a Boston forward group that already boasts the likes of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak.

Now that Nash is in tow, the Bruins become an even deeper team that will be extremely hard to deal with down the stretch. - Livingstone

3. Paul Stastny to Jets

Notes: Blues to reportedly retain 50 percent of Stastny's salary.

The Jets were already one of the most complete teams in the NHL, but what they lacked was a quality third center to go up against the Predators - an inevitable playoff combatant on the road to the Stanley Cup. With Stastny, they now have arguably the best forward group in the NHL. Here's a look at the team's possible forward lines when healthy:

Not only is Stastny a proven playmaker offensively, but his years spent playing under Ken Hitchcock groomed him into a complete, two-way forward. For the cost of what will be a late first rounder, a fourth rounder, and a decent prospect in Foley, the Jets got dramatically better without losing much. - Wegman

2. Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller to Lightning

Notes: Conditional pick remains a 1st if Tampa Bay wins the Stanley Cup this year or next, otherwise becomes a 2nd-round pick.

The Rangers' fire sale continued with the blockbuster that sent Miller and McDonagh to the already-stacked Tampa Bay Lightning, a team bursting at the seams with talent and Cup aspirations.

However, it must be noted New York got some intriguing pieces in return - and that's not even counting the first-round pick and conditional first-rounder.

Hajek is a promising young rearguard who had a solid World Junior Championship for the Czech Republic last month, Howden is a 27th overall pick with a ton of upside, and Namestnikov is just starting to scratch the surface of the potential that saw him selected in the first round of the 2011 draft.

There is no denying Tampa was a big winner on Monday, as McDonagh and Miller will slot nicely into a lineup already loaded with All-Stars. But the price wasn't exactly a bargain, so the deal narrowly misses out on the top spot on our list. - Livingstone

1. Evander Kane to Sharks

Notes: 1st-round pick in 2019 becomes a 2nd-round pick if Kane hits free agency; 4th-round pick can be pushed to 2020 and will then become a 3rd.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson really outdid himself. A couple months ago, Kane, 26, was easily considered the best rental available on the open market, and Wilson managed to get him for a fraction of the cost.

If Kane plays well, fits in with the veteran group, and winds up re-signing, all it will have costed Wilson is a first-round pick, a mid-round pick, and a 24-year-old prospect who has left a lot to be desired. If Kane doesn't prove to be a fit, and signs elsewhere in the offseason, the first rounder becomes a second, making this a low-risk, high-reward move.

Kane is a north-south, speedy, physical winger with a natural scoring touch. Remind you of someone? Sounds familiar to the void Patrick Marleau left in the Sharks' lineup when he signed with the Maple Leafs in the offseason. It wouldn't be at all surprising if Kane instantly jelled with Joe Thornton once the towering center returns from a knee injury. - Wegman

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)