The Capital

‘Unknown’ a real sticking point

In unique season, hard to plan moves ahead of trade deadline

- By Stephen Whyno

Acquiring Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow at the 2020 NHL trade deadline helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup. No such moves will be possible in their attempt to repeat.

“We have zero dollars of cap space to acquire a player between now and the trade deadline,” GM Julien BriseBois said. “Literally zero dollars. That’s the obstacle.”

That obstacle isn’t unique to the defending champions going into a trade deadline like none other in league history. Eighteen of 31 teams have $1 million or less of salary cap space and the cap ceiling won’t go up a penny next season, so things are tighter than ever.

Prominent players like the Sabres’ Taylor Hall and goaltender­s Jonathan Bernier and Devan Dubnyk seem likely to move, but even hockey’s most seasoned executives aren’t sure what to expect before the clock strikes 3 p.m. Eastern on April 12.

“There’s so much unknown because of the cap,” Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said. “The cap is going to be flat next year. So any contract that you take on that is more than one year is going to disrupt whatever you’re doing next year and will put you in worse shape. So that complicate­s the matter ... but it’s the same for everyone.”

The seven Canadian teams are in a “tougher spot,” Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas acknowledg­ed, because of a weeklong mandatory quarantine for any player acquired from the U.S. That’s half the quarantine imposed earlier this season but still makes it more difficult to swallow paying a hefty price for a player who might be available for only 10 regular-season games before the playoffs begin.

And that’s if teams can agree to a trade with so little cap room. The Lightning, Capitals, Golden Knights and Canadiens don’t have the space to add even a player making the league minimum, according to PuckPedia calculatio­ns, and several others would need to clear room to add anyone with even a modest salary.

“A lot of teams are in the same situation we’re in where they literally have no cap space or very, very little — not enough to add a player without subtractin­g,” BriseBois said. “The teams that are kind of on the bubble, I don’t know how what’s ultimately going to guide their decisions. Are they going to try to add? Are they going to sell? Will there be more teams just standing pat? I don’t know, but it’s going to be interestin­g to find out.”

The Flyers and Blue Jackets are among those on the playoff bubble with tradeable assets. The flailing Flyers have lost three of five since GM Chuck Fletcher said they’re “not looking at selling right now.” That can obviously change.

The buyers are easier to identify: Lamoriello’s Islanders lost captain Anders Lee to a season-ending right knee injury, Dubas’ Leafs look like the class of the North Division with perhaps a hole or two to fill and the Oilers might be a top-four defenseman away from challengin­g the Leafs.

“If you’re talking about trying to go out and get a legit top-four defenseman, No. 1 there’s not a lot of them that are going to be available,” Oilers GM Ken Holland said. “And those that are going to be available, the price is going to be high.”

A couple of top defensemen could also stay put if the Predators remain in playoff contention and keeps Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. Right-shooting Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard is a pending free agent and arguably the most sought-after player on the market.

Hall and the Devils’ Kyle Palmieri fit the Isles’ need without Lee, though they aren’t the only team looking for that kind of player.

“We’re always trying to find a scoring winger,” Lamoriello said. “Everybody is. That’s not something that’s easy to do.”

It’s also not easy to find a reliable goaltender, which the Avalanche and Caps would love to add as playoff insurance in win-now mode. Maybe that’s Bernier or the Hurricanes’ James Reimer, who are currently injured, or a bigger swing at someone like Jonathan Quick of the Kings.

Players like Quick or Ducks forward Rickard Rakell would normally be important additions because they’re signed beyond this season. That was the Lightning’s thinking getting Coleman and Goodrow for at least two playoff runs, but the salary cap remaining flat at $81.5 million changes the equation.

“Usually you’d put a premium on getting a player with future years,” Dubas said. “It’s a little bit more complex this year . ... It’s a rare time where probably a rental is a better fit.”

Even acquiring a pending free agent isn’t simple for the league’s top contenders. The Caps’ Brian MacLellan would have to trade from his roster to get a veteran goalie or upgrade elsewhere, and colleagues who are in sellers can make the Caps or another team pay for unloading salary.

“There’s teams who have cap space that are willing to take on space, so if you want to buy space, that’s available,” Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin said. “But there’s a price to pay, and depending on the amount you’re trying to buy, the price becomes steeper.”

All of that adds up to an uncertain trade deadline where no one’s quite sure how much movement there will be.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” BriseBois said.

 ?? JEFFREY T. BARNES/AP ?? The Sabres’ Taylor Hall looks like one of the most prominent players to be on the move before next week’s trade deadline.
JEFFREY T. BARNES/AP The Sabres’ Taylor Hall looks like one of the most prominent players to be on the move before next week’s trade deadline.

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