The Jets and Canucks were shockingly named as the big winners of the trade deadline by Steve Werier, the former assistant GM of the Florida Panthers. Former Florida Panthers Assistant General Manager Steve Werier analyzes the winners and losers of the NHL trade deadline, with <a href='https://puckpedia.com/news/trade-deadline-analysis-through-lens-big-lebowski' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Winnipeg and Vancouver being picked as the big champions.</a> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/puckpedia/status/1898442587490639967'> </a></blockquote></div> The Jets are soaring high this year. Connor Hellebuyck is a Vezina winner waiting to happen. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are both on the hunt for 40+ goals. Even the Winnipeg climate has been good lately. The atmosphere? Immaculate. Tossing in Luke Schenn, a <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/trades/winnipeg-jets-acquire-1000-game-defenseman-from-the-pittsburgh-penguins' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>battle-hardened leader, locker-room force, and physical blueliner</a>, cannot hurt. Bringing back Brandon Tanev and Adam Lowry was a great call per Werier. <h3>Winnipeg could be a very rare #1 seed underdog</h3> The Jets played it conservatively and could they have done more. They tried to, though. And after Colorado and Dallas piled up, Winnipeg may be the first #1 seed to welcome underdog status in its own division. Vancouver, though, is completely different. It was a sellers' market, and the Canucks possessed attractive assets. Future contracts they didn't appear to require (such as Brock Boeser) were not moved, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/vancouver-canucks-gm-patrik-allvin-shares-his-frustration-after-not-being-able-to-trade-brock-boeser' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>so they got no return and no residuals.</a> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1898102068344193304'> </a></blockquote></div> Their explanation? Difficult to comprehend. Werier says they were operating a bubble team on deadline day. Strategies change, owners get involved, and competing GMs wait and watch for prices to drop. <h3>The Canucks didn't want to sell off too much and risk not winning in short-term</h3> Sure, it's aggravating and exhausting, but it's exactly what their paycheck is for. The Canucks wish to win in the immediate near future, no surprise with Quinn Hughes being a UFA within two years. Second-rounders don't get you a Cup, but they're assets that can be dealt. Vancouver left money on the table, whether they're willing to admit it or not, but they didn't have a full-blown fire sale to ruin their immediate chances at winning.