The rule is that the end of July is when the NHL insiders can retreat to their cottages because the news is done for the summer until Lou Lamoriello allows his moves to be announced during training camp.
But Matthew “Mouthpiece, or Pacifier?” Tkachuk’s unwillingness to sign long term in Calgary changed that, and the Flames’ arguably impressive maneuver out of that predicament brought a summer surprise: An actual star-for-star blockbuster trade, all too rare in the salary cap era.
Even before the cap era, most blockbuster trades had some kind of money impetus behind them: Ted Lindsay wanted to unionize the players, Peter Pocklington didn’t want to pay any Oiler, Pat LaFontaine was tired of playing for broken (and broke) promises, Michael Peca felt Buffalo owed him more, etc.