Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said in the days following the trade deadline that, "adding or not adding does not guarantee you anything."

With the regular season in its final week, Cheveldayoff appears to be a trade deadline winner.

Of all players acquired within four days of the deadline, Jets centre Kevin Hayes sits second in goals (five) and points (12) and first among players on teams who remain in playoff contention since Feb. 25.

Hayes was acquired from the New York Rangers on deadline day for Brendan Lemieux, a first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick. He has a one point edge on Ryan Dzingel, acquired by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Ottawa Senators for Anthony Duclair and two second-round picks. Duclair, with seven goals and 13 points in 17 games, leads all players moved in that four-day window in goals and points since Feb. 25. His Senators teammate Brian Gibbons, traded from the Anaheim Ducks for Patrick Sieloff, is tied with Hayes for second in both categories.

Mark Stone, who was moved from the Senators to the Vegas Golden Knights for Erik Brannstrom, a second-round pick and Oscar Lindberg in the day's biggest move, sits fifth with four goals and 10 points in 17 games.

Matt Duchene, traded from the Senators to Columbus for prospects Vitaly Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, a first-round pick and a conditional first-rounder, has two goals and nine points since Feb. 25. He was acquired four days ahead of the deadline and has a total of three goals and 11 points in 20 games since the move.

Players traded Feb. 22 or Later - Stats since Deadline Day

 
Player New Team GP G A P
Anthony Duclair OTT 17 7 6 13
Brian Gibbons
 OTT 17 5 7 12
Kevin Hayes*
 WPG 17 5 7 12
Ryan Dzingel*
 CBJ 18 3 8 11
Mark Stone*
 VGK 17 4 6 10
Matt Duchene*
 CBJ 18 2 7 9
Oscar Lindberg OTT 17 5 3 8
Gustav Nyquist* SJS 16 4 4 8
Jordan Weal* MTL 13 3 5 8
Brandon Montour BUF 17 2 6 8
 

*New team in playoff contention

Some players moved at the deadline have been unable to make an impact with their new teams due to injury.

Dallas Stars forward Mats Zuccarello broke his arm in his first game after being traded from the New York Rangers for conditional second- and third-round picks, though he did manage a goal and an assist in his first 13:35 of ice time in a Stars uniform. Marcus Johansson, acquired by the Boston Bruins from the New Jersey Devils for second- and fourth-round picks, has appeared in just seven games with his new team due to a shoulder injury and has just one point.

In the Western Conference arms race, the Nashville Predators traded 2018 deadline addition Ryan Hartman and a conditional fourth-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Wayne Simmonds and sent Kevin Fiala to the Minnesota Wild for Mikael Granlund. Through 13 games, Granlund has managed just one goal and four points with a minus-6 rating, while Simmonds has two goals and three points in 14 games.

The Predators have gone just 8-7-1 since the trade deadline, but have managed to keep pace with the Jets who, despite Hayes' success, have just a 9-8 record since Feb. 25.

Of the teams to make a major deal at the trade deadline, the Golden Knights have had the most success since with an 11-4-2 record - fourth-best in the league. The Bruins, despite Johansson's struggles, have the fifth-best record since Feb. 25 and the Stars, without Zuccarello are eighth. 

The Blue Jackets, who traded away a total of six draft picks – plus a conditional first-round pick – in the days leading up to the trade deadline, have overcome a slump and now have a 10-7-1 record since the deadline - 11th best in the league - thanks to a five-game win streak.

But it's the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning - with no moves made in the month of February - who again have the best record since the trade deadline with a 13-4 mark.

The Washington Capitals, who traded Madison Bowey and a second-round pick for Nick Jensen and a fifth-round pick on Feb. 22, and Pittsburgh Penguins, who added defencemen Erik Gudbranson and Chris Wideman, are tied for second with 25 points since. 

The Calgary Flames moved a conditional fourth-round pick for Oscar Fantenberg at the trade deadline and have since clinched the Western Conference with an 11-7 record - sixth best in the league. The St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, stood pat at the deadline but have surged to second in the Central Division with a 10-5-2 since.

"Those teams certainly added some real good players, but you can't let that drive decisions," Flames general manager Brad Treliving said of his Western Conference rivals shortly after the deadline. "We went into (the deadline) saying if we could make our team better or help our team without taking anything off it — and doing it at a price that we were comfortable with — then sure we'd like to do it. But those opportunities weren't there.

"Just because the guy beside you buys a new big car, if you can't afford it, then you can't do the same. But certainly they added real good players and we're aware of it."

Through five weeks, Treliving's garage hasn't appeared to have needed an upgrade. The true test of the value of trade deadline additions, however, will come in the playoffs.