CBC-Sports

Big trades could revive market

February 3, 2010 04:44 PM | Posted by   Kevin Weekes  

We know for a fact that it's not March 3 (NHL trade deadline day), but we'd have to go a long way to tell Darryl Sutter, Brian Burke and Glen Sather otherwise.

These three general managers shocked their 27 peers and served notice that regardless of how challenging and nearly impossible people think it is to make trades in a salary cap system, their "outside-of-the-box" thinking has proven otherwise.

Almost every GM says they feel restricted in their ability to consummate trades as a result of the cap – it ties their hands, and they're now exchanging money instead of players.

With the Calgary-Toronto and Anaheim-Toronto trades, regardless as to how they impact these respective teams, the key is the fact that these GMs found a solution through creativity and new-wave thinking, combined with the genesis of all transactions: a willing buyer and seller.

They didn't rest on the industry status quo – they found a way to make a deal in an effort to improve their teams and this may very well change the landscape and shock the virtually non-existent NHL trade market back to life.

I know everybody wants to know if and/or how these clubs will benefit from these moves, but only time and performance will answer that.

The fact that these moves were made and that others are likely to follow make the "dog days" of the hockey season much more enjoyable as a broadcaster, former goalie and lifelong fan.

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