There is Potential For One or Two More Trades Before the Four Nations Break
There have already been a handful of big deals prior to the soft deadline of the Four Nations Faceoff. There is an expectation there could be one or two more deals before the tournament begins. Some believe there could be action during the tournament despite the NHL not wanting activity to take away from the tournament itself.
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Martin Biron and was asked about the potential for more trade activity heading into the Four Nations Faceoff.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
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Steve Kouleas: “So we’ve talked before about the modern era and what happens up to and including the seventh. We’ve already had trades that maybe in other years would have come in March, but have happened earlier.
Do you anticipate almost not daily, but as we talked about (Mikko) Rantanen and the trade the Flames made with Philadelphia, we’ve almost been surprised once a week, it seems. Does that seem more realistic that things will come in slowly and during the Four Nations, as opposed to really late on March 5th, 6th, and 7th? You get the sense that things have changed in that regard, compared to the, I guess, for sure the pre-cap era.”
Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, well, I mean, like a couple of years ago, when we all kind of got out of the from a league perspective. The COVID finances that were affecting the game, teams started to free up things, and with how the schedule was being rejigged back to normal. There was a lot of activity leading up to the deadline. Like every few days, there was something. Some big, some moderate, but there was something last season that was more towards the deadline.
I think we’re going to see a trickle effect here, and with those big deals that have already happened the last couple of weekends, I wouldn’t be surprised to see something else happen here of significance ahead of Four Nations between now and end of day Sunday, and then even trickling throughout the Four Nations. I know the League would prefer that anything of some significance would not happen during the tournament.
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And maybe that first week, maybe things become a little quiet. So next week I wouldn’t be shocked if we see a little bit of, or, don’t hear too much noise, because it’s the first week of Four Nations. You’ve got games Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but then after that, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more activity happen once players come back from their vacations, and especially midweek after that point in Boston, when you get towards the final, there are only two teams left.
So it’s kind of aligning it for teams to make their moves and not necessarily have to be overly concerned with the hope from the league that they don’t steal the spotlight away from the tournament itself. I think we’re going to see some interesting activity. Boys and I again, wouldn’t be shocked if we see another one, two pretty significant ones happen here before Four Nations gets going.”
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