The trade deadline is still six weeks away, but you’d have no idea based on the activity this week. Rasmus Andersson was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Vegas Golden Knights, while Kiefer Sherwood went from the Vancouver Canucks to the San Jose Sharks, two trades that took up plenty of the conversation on Ice Time.
The initial thoughts are to declare winners and losers from the deals, which is always funny considering trades take a few years to properly grade, yet everyone needs a rapid reaction. Taking a step back, these moves are a reminder that the second wave of the trade deadline is here, and it should be exciting.
It’s easy to refer to this timeframe as the soft deadline. It sells the month short, considering the splash moves that are made now. The best trades are often made now because players are more valuable now than they are at the deadline, because, like a used car, the value only goes down over time.
The first wave was before the holiday break. That came from when the season began until the holiday roster freeze, where the big move was the Quinn Hughes blockbuster. The first roster freeze ushered in some moves, and from now until the Olympic break is the next wave. The Andersson and Sherwood trades are a reminder that big moves are coming.
What Trades Might Happen Now?
There are a few stars who come to mind now. For many of the players going to the Olympics, the ideal is to get moved before the games, knowing with clarity where they’ll stand after the break. The Andersson trade made sense with this in mind, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Elias Pettersson was traded now as well for the same reason.
This is also a better time to trade rentals because their value is higher. The other plus to acquiring the rental players now is that it gives teams more time to figure out whether the player fits in their system. Artemi Panarin, for example, is heading to free agency this summer, and adding him now gives a team more time to see how he looks on the wing and whether an extension can get done.
Last season, the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster, the first one that is, happened in this time period, with the Colorado Avalanche particularly wanting to get their work done before the Four Nations break. Then, the JT Miller trade happened a week later. It’s a time for teams to put together big moves, and Panarin, Pettersson, or Robert Thomas can get traded now with significant hauls going the other way.
Which Teams Will Make Moves Now
The Canucks have made it known that they will operate on their own schedule. When a deal is on the table, they’ll pounce on it, as they did with Hughes and Sherwood. So, if a team has the right package for Pettersson, Conor Garland, or even Thatcher Demko, expect the Canucks to make that move.
This is also when some of the clear-cut contender will get their big moves done. The Colorado Avalanche are poised to win the Presidents’ Trophy but need a star to make them Cup-caliber, so they’ll add a piece or two soon. The Detroit Red Wings are in a playoff spot but want to send the message that the contention window is open now, so they might make a splash.
It’s a time of year when trade articles like these can become antiquated because big moves can happen when they are published. It keeps fans and the hockey world on their heels.
