<a href='https://www.nhl.com/jets/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The Jets</a> and <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Canucks</a> were shockingly named as the big winners of the trade deadline by Steve Werier, the former assistant GM of the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/panthers/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Florida Panthers</a>. 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.