Monday featured one of the least busy afternoons in NHL trade deadline history. Well, at least it seemed like it.
NHL general managers explain why these big names didn’t get traded
All the answers you want from a slow NHL trade deadline day.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
In reality, there were 18 trades involving 35 players, just five less transactions than the thrilling 2015 trade deadline. If it seemed slow this year, it’s because many of the biggest names rumored to be on the trade market simply stayed put.
We’ve compiled all of them for you and gathered those explanations you demand from the general managers themselves.
The situation with Eriksson (an unrestricted free agent this summer) and the Bruins was fluid all weekend, as the two sat down for contract negotiations on Saturday. As talks stalled, the thought was the Wild, Blues and Ducks were all pressing hard for him on deadline Monday. But the Bruins ended up keeping him and trading for Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles.
DS: "If deal wasnt gonna be right [for Loui] then we'd maintain our position. No team in playoff position traded player of Loui's magnitude"
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) February 29, 2016
For better or worse, they’re going for the playoffs.
Over the weekend it seemed like the Lightning were close to dealing their disgruntled young forward. But then teams started backing away from the table on Monday. Steve Yzerman explained why:
Drouin's lack of playing time was a concern for some of the the teams Yzerman said he was speaking with
— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssonTBO) February 29, 2016
Yzerman reiterates he's looking for a similar type forward to Drouin in return in any deal, seeking help for future, not now
— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssonTBO) February 29, 2016
Those two factors probably played into it more than anything. Besides, the Lightning are happy with their team. Yzerman did reiterate that Drouin is welcome to come back this season. Passive aggressive sports people are just great.
Dan Hamhuis, D, & Radim Vrbata, F, Vancouver Canucks
This was the most puzzling inaction of the day. They had suitors for Hamhuis, and even though Hamhuis' no-trade clause kept a plethora of teams out of the running, they still had the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks in a sort of Central Division bidding war as the deadline neared. And then . . . nothing. The deadline came and went. Two of Vancouver's unrestricted free agents are somehow still on the team. A colossal failure for GM Jim Benning, who reportedly had a deal in place with Dallas but overplayed his hand:
Per Dreger Benning upped price, Dallas matched. Benning went for more at deadline, was rejected. Wow.
— cosmetic liturgery (@doomocrat) February 29, 2016
But he was sort of restricted by the player.
Hamhuis confirms he was cool with #Hawks or #stars but would not waive for East. #Canucks
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) February 29, 2016
Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, Fs, Edmonton Oilers
Ah, the “$6 million players”. Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said he had a few trades in the works that nearly came down, but none of the “core” players were involved.
Steven Stamkos, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
There were some conflicting reports that the Predators had traded for (or were close to, anyway) Hartnell. Nothing came of it, and after the deadline Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he never came close to any deal.
He's a pending unrestricted free agent and one of the best power forwards in the NHL. Naturally, his name kept popping up in rumors. But TSN's Bob McKenzie had reported on Feb. 10 that Okposo (and defenseman Travis Hamonic, for that matter) wasn't being moved this season. We didn't listen, so we had to wait until it was confirmed again with four hours left until the deadline that the Islanders hadn't changed their minds. In the end, there was never anything to see here.
Bryan Bickell, F, Chicago Blackhawks
The Andrew Ladd trade (and subsequent moves for Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann) over the weekend left the Blackhawks crunched for cap space. Naturally, the candidate to be moved was Bickell. Reports came down on Monday that the Blackhawks were working hard to make a trade happen, but nothing came of it.
It sounds like nobody was willing to take on his $4 million cap hit.
Bickell's agent: "We were trying to get things done, but it's a tough environment financially."#Blackhawks
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) February 29, 2016
It seemed like Wiercioch was on his way out of Ottawa a few days ago, but there was no movement on that front on Monday. Senators GM Bryan Murray wouldn’t comment on his future. So we don’t know what happened.
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