3 Teams Expected to Make Major Trades Early in the Season, Per Chris Johnston
Photo credit: Inside The Rink
There are at least 3 NHL teams that could start changing things up quickly if they get off to a bad start in the new season per NHL analyst Chris Johnston.
The new NHL season is right around the corner, but we already have rumours that trades could be on the horizon.
Among the teams that failed to make the postseason last year were the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins.
For the Islanders, it was their 1st time missing the playoffs since 2022, while the Bruins missed for the 1st time in a decade.
But Pittsburgh is now stuck in a 3 year playoff drought, the longest in the careers of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
Per NHL analyst Chris Johnston, all 3 of these teams could potentially think about making trades if they get off to bad starts this year.
Chris Johnston: What I've been hearing from...buyers is that they'll be looking to pounce on any opponents who get off to a slow start; the Penguins, Bruins and Islanders are among the possibilities that contenders will be monitoring closely - The Athletic (9/20)
The Bruins made multiple trades at the Deadline last year, including sending Brad Marchand to the divisional foe Florida Panthers along with Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Islanders have already traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, but the Penguins haven't made any significant trades (other than Alex Nedeljkovic to San Jose) this summer.
The Penguins are heavily involved in trade rumours
The Penguins were one of the most talked-about teams over the summer, as they were expected to move on from at least one of Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust.
But all 3 players remain with the Penguins, who finished training camp today.
If Pittsburgh gets off to another rough go of it this year, don't be surprised to see one or multiple of those names on the move.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 20|428 ANSWERS 3 Teams Expected to Make Major Trades Early in the Season, Per Chris Johnston Which team will be the 1st to make a trade? | ||
| Bruins | 93 | 21.7 % |
| Penguins | 274 | 64 % |
| Islanders | 61 | 14.3 % |
| List of polls | ||