The Montreal Canadiens hired a new general manager in January of 2022. It was clear the team needed a shakeup, even though they were in the Stanley Cup Final the previous season.
One of the first moves that Kent Hughes made after being hired was to trade Tyler Toffoli. Later in the season, he would trade players like Ben Chiarot and Brett Kulak whose contracts were about to be up. Dealing away pending free agents when the team is at the bottom of the standings is a no-brainer in the hockey world.
But trading players with term still on their contracts is a bit more risky.