Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The NHL is back in business, and the league has already seen its first deal post-Olympic break between the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.
The roster freeze is also lifted, which means that teams can get started on making deals and likely should considering that the trade deadline is only a couple of weeks away with a swath of games coming up that can make or break their plans.
Blues and Islanders make minor swap post-Olympic roster freeze
Two teams have decided to jump the gun early, and have already made the first deal albeit a minor swap.
The New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues made a deal that saw forward Julien Gauthier head from Long Island meanwhile the Islanders were getting back hulking winger Matt Luff in return:
Sure, this isn’t the big blockbuster that fans are expecting in the coming weeks, but it is a deal that could lead to something down the line especially when it comes to St. Louis, as names like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have been bandied about in trade rumours.
Meanwhile another deal was done between the Colorado Avalanche and the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Avs acquired defenceman Brett Kulak in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick.
Kulak will head back to the Western Conference where he is quite familiar, as he spent the majority of his career in Calgary and Edmonton.
Luff, Gauthier provide teams with power forward depth in minor swap
Gauthier, 28, has spent a little bit of time in the NHL though has bounced around teams through his career. In 181 NHL games he has 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) while adding a minus-25 and 338 hits.
He’s spent time with the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes.
Luff, 28, has appeared in five games this season for the Blues, registering one goal and a minus-two rating. In 111 NHL games for his career he has 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) and a minus-14. He’s spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, and the Blues.
Both men make the same amount of money at league minimum ($775,000) and both are pending free agents at season’s end.
While it isn’t a big deal, it is the first one and all it takes is the first domino to fall before we get the massive deal we’re all anticipating.
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Post-Olympic NHL trades: Islanders-Blues swap wingers as Avs and Pens complete second deal
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