The main event of July 1st in the NHL is free agency, but the trade market is active as well. Teams move bodies out in order to create room for different signings. Or maybe a General Manager who saw his top target sign elsewhere looks at other team's rosters to find that fit.
Two notable trades occured on Monday. The Washington Capitals landed a top defenseman from the Ottawa Senators while the New York Rangers made their best stab at finding a right wing who could stabilize their top-six for the first time in three years, acquiring a former Stanley Cup winner from the Pittsburgh Penguins.