The NHL Trade Deadline pales in comparison to the NBA Trade Deadline. Various factors hinder general managers in the NHL from making blockbuster deals like the salary cap, large rosters and a lack of risk-taking.

It has become a long-running joke among the NHL media that the Trade Deadline is boring. On-air talent typically has to do random gags to fill time between minuscule trades on their shows. This year, the primary trade chip is Ben Chariot of the Montreal Canadiens. Chariot is a good player and would help many teams; however, his talent does not warrant mass speculation and coverage from national media.

excited to see where ben chiarot goes at the NHL trade deadline https://t.co/DCDW8BQeZB

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 10, 2022

The Calgary Flames acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens recently. The trade is a large one in the NHL landscape. Toffoli is a productive top-six winger who certainly enhances the Flames’ offense. This Toffoli trade is similar to the Kyle Palmieri trade made by the New York Islanders at the 2021 Trade Deadline. The Islanders got Palmieri and Travis Zajac for a 2021 first-round pick, A.J Greer, Mason Jobst and a conditional fourth-round pick. Despite the Islanders making the biggest splash last year and the Flames looking like they will have this year, these trades pale in comparison to the NBA and their recent Trade Deadline.

This NBA Trade Deadline resulted in multiple all-star players and A-level prospects being flung around across the league. The championship-contending Brooklyn Nets sent superstar James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for All-Star Ben Simmons, multiple first-round picks, plus Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. A trade like this is rare in the NHL.

The Harden-trade overshadowed another blockbuster made where the Sacramento Kings acquired Domantas Sabonis and depth pieces from the Indiana Pacers for A-level prospect and current starter Tyrese Haliburton, sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. Having multiple blockbuster trades in an NHL season is unexpected while in the NBA they can happen multiple times in a day.

The stark contrast is partially due to the differences in the salary cap structure between the two leagues. The NHL has a hard cap where teams cannot go over and are confined to a set amount of dollars. The NBA has a soft cap and a luxury tax, where teams can go over the salary cap but have to spend ample amounts of dollars to be allowed. This one difference makes it easier for superstar-caliber players to move around; however, the NBA and its smaller roster size make creativity a must for teams to succeed.

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The NHL expects fans to sit in anticipation at the Trade Deadline, waiting to see which depth player gets traded for late-round picks. Figuring out a way to let general managers have more cap and roster flexibility to make league-shattering trades would allow the NHL to market itself better while creating a more entertaining product for fans.

John Smark