Not every NHL trade makes sense on paper. Some go down because two GMs have history. Some happen because an agent quietly pushed for it. Others? Just a favor being returned from three years ago. There’s a side of the league fans rarely see: trades are shaped by trust, backchannel conversations, and unspoken codes that never make it into official press releases.
This behind-the-scenes layer often explains the deals everyone else calls “random” or “lopsided.” But once you understand how the game really works off the ice, things start to click.
That’s something the guys at Betbrothers figured out long ago: when you follow NHL trades closely, whether for bets, fantasy, or just obsession, you start to notice patterns. Who talks to whom? Which GMs always deal with each other? Which players mysteriously never get moved? There’s a rhythm; you can’t unhear it once you hear it.
I Owe You One” – The Loyalty Trade
Within NHL management circles, informal relationships often influence formal transactions. General managers who have worked together or helped each other navigate cap issues or complex moves tend to maintain open lines of communication.
In some cases, this leads to trades where the return appears imbalanced. These are not necessarily strategic miscalculations, but calculated gestures, a response to a prior concession, intended to preserve trust and maintain future deal flow.
This type of trade is not based on immediate on-ice value. It reflects longer-term cooperation. While not officially acknowledged, these exchanges are understood and accepted within the front office ecosystem. From the outside, they may appear arbitrary. Internally, it’s business as usual.
The Worst Trade That Almost Happened: How the Avalanche Got Lucky
In 2020, the Colorado Avalanche were deep in talks to move one of their most promising young players, Bowen Byram, in exchange for a veteran defenseman who could bring “stability” for the playoffs. One of the names reportedly in the mix was Marc Staal. Experienced, yes. But clearly past his prime.
At the time, the idea didn’t sound completely ridiculous. Colorado was chasing a serious playoff run and needed depth on the blue line. Trading a prospect for a proven name felt like a fair gamble, at least on paper.
But the deal never materialized. Whether it fell apart over details, internal hesitation, or simple second thoughts, no one knows for sure. What’s certain is that Byram stayed. And that might’ve been one of the smartest “non-decisions” in franchise history.
Two years later, Byram played meaningful minutes in the Stanley Cup Final, holding his own on hockey’s biggest stage. Meanwhile, the player they nearly gave up everything for had faded into a quiet, forgettable role.
It’s easy to judge trades after the fact. What’s harder is realizing, in the middle of the chaos, that not making a move is the smartest thing you can do.
Agent Power Plays – How a Trade Can Start With a Whisper
In many NHL trades, the first spark doesn’t come from a general manager but from a player’s agent. When a client is unhappy with ice time, stuck in contract talks, or simply looking for a change, agents will often test the waters indirectly. They talk to media contacts, leak just enough to stir interest, and let the rumor cycle do the rest.
It’s not an official request, but it doesn’t have to be. A few well-placed hints can create movement, forcing the team to engage or prompting other clubs to pick up the phone. This kind of influence isn’t new, but it’s become more visible in the social media era, where a single tweet from a trusted insider can shift a team’s timeline in hours.
Agents don’t need to push hard to get results. A quiet word to the right reporter can do more than a public complaint. If the buzz starts early enough, teams start calling, and suddenly the player has more ways out than he did a week ago.
For front offices, it’s a constant balancing act: ignore the noise and risk tension in the room, or act too quickly and lose leverage. Either way, when an agent starts pushing behind the scenes, it rarely goes unnoticed.
The Circle of Trust- Why Some GMs Only Deal With a Few
In the NHL, it’s common to see the same teams making trades with each other year after year, regardless of standings or immediate needs. Some general managers stick to a small group of contacts when they want to get something done.
These relationships make negotiations quicker. There’s no posturing — both sides know how the other operates, what’s possible, and where the limits are. That doesn’t mean the trades are always friendly.
When one of those teams suddenly stops appearing in familiar trade pairings, something has shifted. A new GM, a communication breakdown, or a team changing direction. When teams that used to trade all the time suddenly stop doing business, it’s rarely a coincidence. Something shifted, a new GM, a grudge, or a different agenda.
In a league where much of the business is handled informally, these shifts rarely happen without a reason.
The Trade Block Bluff – Listing a Player Publicly to Drive Up a Different One’s Value
Not every name on the trade block is actually meant to be moved. Sometimes, a team will float one player’s name, usually someone with decent numbers or name recognition, to create noise around the position they want to move.
The logic is simple: if you put a stronger or more appealing player “on the market,” you draw in more calls. Teams who inquire might ask about someone else on the roster, the real target. And once interest heats up, the seller suddenly has leverage.
This tactic is prevalent before the deadline, when time pressure makes front offices more reactive. By controlling the spotlight, teams can steer conversations where they want, even if that means using one player as bait for another.
The Game Behind the Game
Every trade tells two stories, the one fans read on social media, and the one whispered between offices. The NHL might run on skill, numbers, and cap space, but just as much on relationships, timing, and unspoken understandings. What happens in public is only half the picture. The rest unfolds in calls that never make headlines, favors remembered, and instincts that only insiders trust. That’s why in hockey, as in life, the smartest moves are often the ones no one ever sees.
