NHL teams have been working hard to stay in playoff contention since opening night, and now comes the moment where buyers and sellers part—and the sellers send away useful players for picks and prospects. There are some surprising teams—like Detroit Red Wings—on the selling side, and the Edmonton Oilers as buyers will take some getting used to for NHL fans.
It took a long time for many teams to decide they were sellers, and so the result is a very narrow time frame in which to get deals done. The vagueness of the standings has created what may end up being a shocking trade deadline.