Flurry of trades continue with Avs, ’Canes making moves

After a furious rush to beat the clock in 2022, NHL general managers are acting early and often to jockey for the top players available or stockpile future assets in advance of the trade deadline this year.

Following nearly a dozen trades getting done Tuesday, a handful more with playoff implications were completed Wednesday, with defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado filling a void, division-leading Carolina making another low-risk move and Ottawa winning the sweepstakes for a player who has been on the block for more than a year.

“There’s been a lot of phone calls, not a lot of sleep and a lot of activity the last few days,” Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said Wednesday after trading defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to Los Angeles. “I expect that to continue until Friday at 3 p.m.”

Columbus got two high draft picks from the Kings, along with veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick, who could be on the move again. Kekalainen said he’s “going to try to do the right thing” for Quick, who has won the Cup twice.

The reigning champion Avalanche acquired center Lars Eller from Washington for a 2025 second-round pick. Eller scored two of the biggest goals on Washington’s 2018 title run, and can win faceoffs and kill penalties and fill a void down the middle.

After buying low on Jesse Puljujarvi, the Hurricanes made another underthe-radar pickup Wednesday by getting defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from Arizona for a 2026 third-round pick.

“Shayne is a smooth-skating, puckmoving defenseman,” Carolina GM Don Waddell said. “We think his offensive skill set and veteran presence will help bolster our blueline.”

He was not the only Coyotes defenseman on the move. They finally traded Jakob Chychrun, 24, with the Senators sending Arizona a conditional 2023 firstround pick, conditional 2024 secondrounder and a second-rounder in 2026.