Darren Dreger suggests multiple major trades have been agreed to
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Olympic roster freeze is about to expire, and Darren Dreger says NHL front offices are already sitting on completed deals. Expect a flurry of activity the moment the clock hits midnight on February 22.
General managers have spent the break working the phones while stars like Sidney Crosby chased gold in Italy.
According to Dreger, several "handshake" agreements are currently parked, waiting for the official trade window to reopen.
The March 6 trade deadline is the finish line for these negotiations. Teams have a narrow 12-day sprint to finalize rosters for the stretch run.
Those who acted early are just waiting for the green light to file the paperwork with the league office.
Injuries during the Olympic tournament always complicate matters. Teams often wait until the final buzzer of the gold medal game to ensure their targets—or the pieces they are moving—are coming back in one piece.
Draft picks and high-end prospects are the primary currency in these dormant deals. With the deadline less than two weeks away, the pressure to balance the books and stay under the cap is reaching a boiling point.
Contending teams are hungry for blue line depth and bottom-six grit. Sellers, meanwhile, are looking to maximize returns on expiring assets before the market becomes oversaturated in early March.
The Deadline Pressure Cooker
The 3 p.m. ET cutoff on March 6 remains the ultimate judge of every front office. If a deal isn't triggered immediately following the Olympic break, the price tags will only climb as desperation sets in.
Expect the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames to be among the most active participants.
Both clubs have been linked to significant roster shifts that could alter the playoff landscape in both conferences.
Management groups aren't just looking for rental players this year. Many of the "agreed-upon" deals reportedly involve players with term, as GMs look to bypass the summer bidding wars by acting now.
It is a high-stakes game of poker. One injury in the final days of the Olympics could send a dozen "finalized" trades back to the drawing board.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 21|428 ANSWERS Darren Dreger suggests multiple major trades have been agreed to Should NHL teams be allowed to trade players during the Olympic break ? | ||
| Yes | 260 | 60.7 % |
| No | 168 | 39.3 % |
| List of polls | ||