NHL trade market is officially open!

The trade market is officially open for teams who cannot make a run at the Stanley Cup anymore… 

The eight teams eliminated from the play-in round have now joined the seven teams not included in the NHL’s Return to Play in being free to make deals.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic got the confirmation from the NHL that 15 teams are now permitted to make trades, should they choose to do so.

LeBrun went on to explain that some teams may continue to hold off making moves until all 31 teams are free to pick up the phone, but believes it could be possible to see some of the club making calls in the limited market nonetheless. 

As you all know, the ratification of the NHL’s Return to Play protocol, along with an extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement was also quite a tough blow on some teams as the salary cap will remain flat for at least the next two seasons. Before the COVID-19 pandemic put an abrupt end to the 2019-20 season, teams were hoping to get their hands on an estimated the cap would fall between $84 million and $88.2 million for the 2021-22 campaign. 

None of the seven teams that didn’t clinch a spot in the play-in round made a trade during the first window, which opened back in May, but we could see more now that eight more clubs are in the mix!