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NHL Trade Deadline FAQ: Where to watch, what to know

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NHL Trade Deadline FAQ: Where to watch, what to know

Trade deadline season is upon is, and with it comes plenty of rumours, speculation, and big questions.

Here’s what you need to know to prepare for Monday’s deadline.

When is the trade deadline?

Monday, April 12, 2021. General managers have until 3 p.m. ET to make trades.

Who’s buying? Who’s selling?

The Buffalo Sabres are wide open for business, as are the New Jersey Devils, who have already shipped off two of their most trade-eligible forwards (Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac) to the New York Islanders. Detroit, Columbus, Ottawa, and Anaheim are also among this year’s most motivated sellers.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and aforementioned Islanders are among this year’s biggest buyers. Montreal was said to be done buying after they brought in Eric Staal from Buffalo, but an injury to Brendan Gallagher opened up some new-found cap space and we all know Marc Bergevin isn’t afraid to be bold. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin indicated earlier this week he’s not prepared to sacrifice the future to win now, but you’ve got to wonder if he rewards his players by bringing in a big asset for a playoff run.

And then there are the wild-card clubs: Teams like Nashville, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Arizona have been up and down the standings and have some big decisions to make in the coming days about how they navigate the playoff push. The Calgary Flames are one to watch, too — GM Brad Treliving’s not one to make big deadline deals, but with a roster shakeup looking like a summertime certainty, it’s possible he starts that process a little earlier than expected.

READ MORE | What to expect from every NHL team at the 2021 trade deadline

Who are some the top players that could be traded?

Taylor Hall was by far the biggest name available, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported late Sunday night that the Bruins had won those sweepstakes. Mike Hoffman (STL) and Rickard Rakell (ANA) are among others we’ll be closely watching.

On defence, it’s all about depth. Columbus’s David Savard was the big name here, and he’s now off to Tampa Bay. Brandon Montour was also dealt this weekend — he’s headed from Buffalo to Florida — while his old Ducks teammate Josh Manson (ANA) and perhaps Jamie Oleksiak (DAL) could also be moved by Monday.

The goalie market is pretty deep this year with Detroit’s Jonathan Bernier, and one of the Blue Jackets’ duo (Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo) among them. The first off the board is Devan Dubnyk, who’s now a member of the Avalanche, while the Maple Leafs shored up their depth in net by acquiring David Rittich from the Flames.

READ MORE | Top forward trade candidates | Top defence trade candidates | Top goalie trade candidates

What can we expect from Canadian teams?

Our insiders have all seven Canadian clubs’ deadline outlooks covered. Read those primers here:

Vancouver | Calgary | Edmonton | Winnipeg | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal

What’s the latest on the Canadian quarantine protocol?

Any player arriving in Canada from an American team will need to undergo a seven-day quarantine, during which they will undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

Last month, the federal government approved an amendment to the mandatory player protocol for NHLers entering Canada, reducing the quarantine period from 14 days (the standard quarantine time for anyone entering Canada) to seven. Forward Eric Staal, traded from Buffalo to Montreal on March 26, was the first player to subject to this new shortened quarantine period.

How much is this summer’s Seattle expansion draft affecting the deadline?

As Chris Johnston wrote earlier this week, we’ve already seen a shift in how teams do business thanks to the NHL’s 32nd team. While the flat salary cap saw GMs around the league hesitant to write big cheques in free agency, no-move clauses were particularly hard to come by as GMs tried to afford themselves as much flexibility as possible to navigate expansion.

For those same reasons, it’s possible we could see buyers invest more in the rental market than in players with term — it’s tough enough hanging on to your own assets without adding another.

For teams who are selling, this deadline is a final opportunity to get something in exchange for a player who could be snatched up by Seattle.

As Johnston wrote:

There’s still opportunity for Seattle to short the marketplace, especially in a flat-cap environment where teams will be tripping over themselves to try and unload contracts. Francis is in a strong position to charge a pandemic premium for any meaningful money he’s willing to assume, and he’s also permitted to talk trade with his colleagues already — although any deal consummated would only be sealed with a handshake subject to the league’s approval in the off-season.

As a refresher, Seattle will follow the same guidelines as the Vegas Golden Knights’ expansion draft back in 2017. They’ll select 30 players (one from each club, with the exception of Vegas who is exempt from the expansion draft), and their player harvest must include 14 forwards, nine defencemen and three netminders, with at least 20 of those players already under contract for 2021-22.

Teams can protect up to 11 players, using one of two protections schemes:

• Seven forwards, three defencemen, one goalie for a total of 11 players; or
• Eight skaters (regardless of position, between forward and defence) and one goalie for a total of nine players.

All players whose contracts include no movement clauses at the time of the expansion draft must be protected, unless the player chooses to waive that NMC.

READ MORE | How no-movement clauses are shaping Seattle’s expansion landscape

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