Waddell’s Carolina Hurricanes are among the many contenders with limited salary cap space that could wait until much closer to the trade deadline Monday to stockpile before the stretch run to the playoffs.
“Between the cap, between the cost — all those things, the standings — it adds up,” Edmonton general manager Ken Holland said.
Others, like Nashville forward Filip Forsberg and Dallas defenseman John Klingberg and goalie Braden Holtby and are less likely to be on the move because the Predators and Stars are in the hunt in the West.
Minnesota is one of nine teams vying for six playoff spots in the West behind division leaders Colorado and Calgary.
“It makes it a little more difficult to plan,” said Holland, whose Oilers have won three in a row to move into the top eight in the West.
Sakic is working the phones with the Avalanche sitting on a 12-point cushion atop the West and are just ahead of Florida, which is loading up to try to knock off defending champion Tampa Bay.
Washington GM Brian MacLellan may have already altered his thinking since saying in early March the Capitals would not be “as aggressive as we normally are” at the deadline.
Fleury is the top pending free agent goalie potentially on the market, and that’s only if the respected veteran green lights a trade from Chicago.
“I don’t know if it’s the calm before the storm,” Guerin said.
