Post-Cup trade hype
NHL pundit talks busy trade period after the Stanley Cup final with new club set to go
Once the 2017 Stanley Cup Final is over, expect a considerable increase of activity in the NHL trade market.
For NHL general managers, the final two weeks of June tend to be a hectic time. Most of their off-season trades take place during that period, particularly around the NHL draft weekend, which this year is held in Chicago on June 23 and 24.
This year, however, the upcoming expansion draft to fill the roster of the Vegas Golden Knights could generate more trade activity than usual.
Under the expansion draft rules, the Golden Knights will select one player from each of the established 30 clubs at the NHL Awards in Las
Vegas on June 21.
Those teams can protect a goaltender and either seven forwards and three defencemen, or eight skaters (defensemen and forwards). They must submit their protection lists to the league by 5 p.m. ET on June 17.
A roster freeze period (3 p.m. ET on June 17 to 8 a.m. ET on June 22) will be in effect for all but the Golden Knights. During that period, Vegas GM George McPhee and his staff will determine the players they’ll select in the draft.
McPhee can also sign unrestricted free agents or restricted free agents left unprotected in the expansion draft. Signing a free agent will count as the Golden Knights’ selection from that player’s former team in the draft.
Several teams, including the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and Nashville Predators, risk exposing a good player in the expansion draft. Rather than possibly lose an asset to Vegas for nothing, some of those clubs could attempt to trade them before the roster freeze for a return they won’t lose in that draft.
McPhee could also use the salary cap to his advantage in the trade market. With only $4.5 million currently invested in his payroll for 2017-18, he has considerable cap room to acquire players via trades or free agency of a higher skill level than those potentially available in the expansion draft.
Several good players could be available via trade this month. Colorado Avalanche centre Matt Duchene, Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin are among the notables floating in the rumour mill.
McPhee could also approach teams with limited salary-cap space, such as the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, in hopes of prying away a good return.
If approached about taking one of their high-salaried veterans, the Vegas GM could ask for a good young player, a top prospect or a high draft pick to be included in the deal.
Those cap-strapped clubs could also be targeted by rebuilding teams carrying plenty of salary-cap space looking to bolster their depth.
The Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils could be among those suitors.