The plans whirred into motion four days apart last June, first by a Western Conference riser and then by an Eastern Conference contender, both in cities where players wear flip-flops to work. One unfolded entirely over the telephone, while the other involved two chartered flights, one highlight video, and a gift basket featuring, among other delicacies, several jars of local jams. In the end, two rising free agent puck-moving defensemen, both expecting lines of suitors on the open market, found themselves instead veering along uniquely parallel tracks: traded before July 1, pitched exclusively, and ultimately signed for 12 combined years and $71.
NHL’s interview period helped Goligoski, Yandle to find new homes
