Pity the poor Canadian broadcasters who had to fill hours and hours of TV time Wednesday discussing deals made in the hours before the NHL’s noon Pacific time trading deadline. Most of the significant moves took place last week, robbing the final countdown of suspense.
“It’s turned into a rental market. It’s less of a pure hockey trade market,” Brian MacLellan, general manager of the league-leading Washington Capitals, said at a news conference. “I think your trades happen more at the draft.”
Blame MacLellan for part of the reason Wednesday was drab: he made his go-for-it trade on Monday, when he acquired defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from the St.