Why many NHL trade deadline winners have been losing

Wait a second, we still have 20 games left to play? The biggest marker, 40 days before the end of the regular season, is the trade deadline. As one new player walks into the locker room, another walks out — changing the dynamic of a close-knit group. There are few easy outs after the trade deadline, despite the roster imbalance. The best-laid plans of deadline wheelers and dealers always come with a qualifier: We still have 20 games left to play.