With the Stanley Cup finally raised and firmly ensconced in South Florida, bringing to an end the loooongest of NHL seasons, the business (and busyness) part of the offseason is upon us, and quite suddenly.
Indeed, the NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 28 and 29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, followed in ultra-short order by the start of free agency on July 1. Kyle Dubas and his GM brethren have precious little time to swing deals with an eye toward clearing cap space and/or adding needed talent.
On lockdown for the better part of four months, the window to the trade market sprang open this past week, leading to several high-profile deals.
On June 19, the Devils finally got their goalie, acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Flames. The price? A first-round pick in the 2025 draft and physical defenseman Kevin Bahl.
In a swap of pricey underperformers, the Capitals sent former Cup-winning goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Kings that same day for prickly pear forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The trade market heated to a frothy boil a couple of days ago, with the Senators acquiring former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark from the Bruins for goalie Joonas Korpisalo, rugged forward Mark Kastelic and a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
