Meet the new prospects

Scouting reports on the Knights’ seven NHL draft picks Saturday ▶

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The traditional team-by-team roll call to open the second day of the NHL draft on Saturday hadn’t yet begun when the league’s looming salary-cap crunch began overshadowing the final six rounds.

Norris Trophy-winning defenseman P.K. Subban is off to New Jersey. Forward Patrick Marleau, a 21-year veteran, is headed to Carolina. And center T.J. Miller, one year into a five-year $26.25 million contract, was traded to Vancouver.

The common denominator spurring each of the trades were teams seeking to shed salaries to address more pressing roster needs before the NHL’s free agency period opens July 1. And the urgency to make the trades became more real when the league and NHL Players’ Association announced next year’s salary cap was set at $81.5 million — $1.5 million lower than initially projected.

“We had to make a business decision,” Nashville Predators general manager David Poile said about trading Subban.

And then there was Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who only two days ago suggested there was “a strong chance” Marleau would be back for the final year of his contract.

“I think everyone here knows how we feel about Patrick Marleau and what he has done for our organization,” Dubas said, noting he kept Marleau informed of trade talks. “We didn’t want to do one of those trades where it was moving a salary or a cap hit that was going to take anybody off our roster.”

For Toronto, losing the 39-year-old Marleau — and his $6.2 million salary — provides more flexibility to resign 22-year-old Mitchell Marner, a restricted free agent after completing his three-year entry level contract.

Miller became expendable in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning are focused on re-signing center Brayden Point, also a restricted free agent. As a result, Vancouver added a versatile center while giving up journeyman minor-league goalie Marek Mazanec and two draft picks in the deal, including a conditional 2020 first-round selection

The trades started before Ottawa opened the second round by selecting American center Shane Pinto at No. 32 overall, and pushing the conclusion of the draft into the background.

The Devils came away the big winners.

A day after taking American center Jack Hughes at No. 1 overall, New Jersey acquired Subban in a trade with Nashville. The Predators picked up defensemen Steven Santini and Jeremy Davies, the 34th pick in this year’s draft and a second-rounder next year.

As for the draft, Pinto is from Franklin Square, New York, and his selection continued a trend in which 11 American players were chosen in the first round — one short of the record set in 2016.

At 6-foot-8 and 199 pounds, Denmark’s Mads Sogaard was the second goalie taken in the draft when the Senators took him in the second round, 37th overall.