Every NHL season, the trade deadline is hyped-up to be a huge event that will contain lots of big transactions. The reality is it rarely does. Yes, there will be some movement but blockbuster trades are few and far between. Even worse, Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman states this year's trade deadline could be even duller than most recent ones.
In this latest 31 Thoughts article, Friedman writes the following:
Every year, Brian Burke tells me the trade deadline is going to be a dud, and every year I tell him something big will happen that we don't see coming. This is his best chance to be right. I don't sense much excitement with what we know is available on the rental market. There could be more interest in the price points of players who wouldn't jump to the top of most of our lists. One example is Dylan DeMelo. His future is as much in Ottawa's hands as his own, but DeMelo's solid 2019–20 has not gone unnoticed.
The biggest player expected to be available for the right price at the deadline is Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. Kreider is a very consistant player who can add great grit to a team looking to go deep in the playoffs, when grit is really needed. He is not, however, a superstar, and far from it. According to a recent article from TSN, other than Kreider, the top next top pieces of tradebait on the market include L.A. defenseman Alec Martinez, Montreal's Ilya Kovalchuk, Ottawa's Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Alexandar Georgiev, Kreider's goaltending teammate on the Rangers. All of these players are good players in their own right. They don't exactly create a lot of buzz heading into the deadline, nor will any of them fetch huge hauls for their teams should they be dealt. Kreider could land a first-rounder from a team desperate to add depth before the post-season begins, but it's likely we're talking about a very late first-rounder. After that, the list gets even less inspiring for an exciting deadline, with the 10th spot actually going to Carolina's upcoming first-round pick, which was acquired from Toronto in the Patrick Marleau trade and subsequent buy-out in the last offseason.
There's always the possibility that something unexpected happens at the deadline. As Friedman points out, long-time San Jose Shark Joe Thornton has told reporters he'd think about a trade at the deadline. It certainly would be the end of an era after 15 years in San Jose, but let's face it, Thornton is as likely to retire at the end of this season as he is to sign on for another year. We're not talking about the same Jumbo Joe that once put up 114 points in 2006-07. He'll be lucky to hit the 40 point mark this season. Long story short, trade deadlines are always fun to follow and speculate on before they hit. Just be sure to temper your expectations this year.
Source: 31 Thoughts
