Teams weren’t waiting until the day of the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline to start making moves, with a few big names already changing addresses in the past few days.
The Montreal Canadiens traded long-time centreman Tomas Plekanec to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday, exchanging their main rental player before the scramble that will occur on February 26. Derick Brassard and Rick Nash have also already been moved, as the Eastern Conference has gotten the jump on those in the west.
With the number of available players dropping and time running out, the prices on the market may be high, but selling teams will also have to commit to a transaction or face the prospect of losing a player for no future assets at season’s end. It should be an interesting day, with the balance of power shifting throughout the league as sellers work to get stronger in the future while stengthening buyers in the present.
Top players available (via TSN as of 7:30 PM EST on Sunday)
Erik Karlsson (OTT)
Ryan McDonagh (NYR)
Mike Green (DET)
Evander Kane (BUF)
Patrick Maroon (EDM)
Zack Smith (OTT)
Mats Zuccarello (NYR)
Mike Hoffman (OTT)
Jack Johnson (CBJ)
Thomas Vanek (VAN)
Ian Cole (OTT)
Max Domi (ARI)
Derek Ryan (CAR)
Max Pacioretty (MTL)
Jeff Skinner (CAR)
Alex Galchenyuk (MTL)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (OTT)
Ryan Spooner (NYR)
Luke Glendening (DET)
Ryan Hartman (CHI)
Boone Jenner (CBJ)
Andrew Shaw (MTL)
Tweets from https://twitter.com/HabsEOTP/lists/trade-breakers
