Fans Should Expect a Relatively Uneventful Trade Deadline
The NHL's March 3rd Trade Deadline is fast approaching, and the landscape is eerily quiet all things considered. The rumor mill is churning but not to the degree to which fans are accustomed.
Many scouts, analysts, and front office staff are expecting a relatively quiet trade deadline, and there is really one reason why: the NHL's salary cap.
For reference, TSN's Eric Macramalla did some light research and found the following:
2) 17 teams have players on LTIR
3) 27 teams have less than $3M in cap space
4) Many teams want to make trades but can't because of cap
5) Player movement is great for the game; generates interest
We've already seen a logjam in the trade department this season and in years past. Other professional sports leagues have numerous blockbuster trades every year; the NHL has seen one true blockbuster trade (Matthew Tkachuk/Jonathan Huberdeau) in the last 5+ seasons.
The NHL's salary cap possesses serious benefits, there is no question about that. But the hard nature of the cap has severely limited teams' maneuverability in recent years, this year especially. The COVID-19 pandemic is partially responsible for that, but it's not like the NHL hasn't had opportunities to adjust it.
The trade deadline ought to be a wild, crazy, entertaining time for both teams and fans. It's a time when grown adults feel like kids on Christmas because our favorite teams made a huge deal. Instead, the general reaction this season is a collective meh.
It is my opinion that the NHL should implement a soft cap via some sort of luxury tax on the next collective bargaining agreement, regardless of whether or not the cap increases.
What say you?
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 17 | 190 ANSWERS Fans Should Expect a Relatively Uneventful Trade Deadline Should the NHL consider a soft cap/luxury tax, or is the current "hard" cap a good thing for the league? | ||
| Soft cap/luxury tax | 92 | 48.4 % |
| Stick with the hard cap | 76 | 40 % |
| See results | 22 | 11.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jason Robertson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Chandler Stephenson | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mikael Granlund | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Roope Hintz | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Montour | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Nylander | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jaden Schwartz | - | 2 | 2 | |
| John Tavares | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jamie Benn | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Evgeny Dadonov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Yanni Gourde | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pontus Holmberg | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Fraser Minten | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Poehling | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Roslovic | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Daniel Sprong | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||