So… quick question.
Does anyone know what’s going on?
I’ve been a hockey fan for a while now, and I can’t recall there being a situation like those surrounding Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin or Nikita Kucherov to this degree.Â
During the offseason, the former Winnipeg Jets goalie Hellebuyck and former Detroit Red captain Larkin both requested trades from their longtime teams. Just last week, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov made his own trade request public, making him the third high-level player this season to request a trade.Â
Hellebuyck did not report to training camp and did not play in the beginning of the season, forfeiting more than $920,000 during his 24-day suspension. He was traded to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 23, nearly two months after announcing his trade request on Aug. 27.
Larkin, similarly, is currently suspended from his hometown team and has forfeited over $350,000 at the time of writing this article. Although Larkin attended training camp and has played in 10 games this season, the team stripped him of his captaincy on Sept. 11 and decided to suspend him on Oct. 29 after he told the team he would not play until he was traded. Larkin and the Red Wings seem to be at a standstill at the moment, as Larkin has only approved a list of 10 teams to be traded to. The list includes the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche.
The Red Wings, as it stands, have not received an offer that they feel suits a trade for the center and would like Larkin to expand his trade lists, TSN reported, but Larkin has refused so far.
The Red Wings are seemingly likely to also lose defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent. The defenseman attended training camp with the team but has yet to sign a new contract with the team, leaving the Dec. 1 deadline fast approaching before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Kucherov is in a bit of a different situation. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Oct. 30 the forward had requested a trade away from his team, yet just hours later, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois issued a statement saying the team had “unequivocally no intention of trading Nikita.” He added, “It’s his right to become a free agent, but he’s ours through June 30.”
So… what’s going on?
This calendar year has had many blockbuster trades. If we look back at the past 11 months, there’s a lot to look at. Kiefer Sherwood, Artemi Panarin, MacKenzie Weegar, John Carlson, Nick Foligno, Nazem Kadri, Joseph Woll, Michael Kesselring, Brady Tkachuk, William Eklund, Bowen Byram, Alex Tuch, Pavel Dorofeyev, JJ Peterka, Mason McTavish, Brandon Carlo, Radko Gudas, Jacob Markstrom, Jesper Boqvist and Matthew Knies were all traded, among many others whose names I’m sure I’ve missed. Ondrej Palat was literally traded mid-game on Jan. 27. Obviously, trades are very common in sports, but it felt like all of these trades had some ulterior motive. These players were stars, top-line players whose teams depended on them, and yet none of them play for their former teams.
Those names don’t even include players who became unrestricted free agents and signed with other teams, like Patrick Kane returning to the Chicago Blackhawks and Sergei Bobrovsky signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This season has been weird, to say the least. Drama-filled, to put it kindly. Exciting, if you’re a journalist.