Page 43 of The Trade Deadline

Abigail Cunningham, The Baltimore Sun

WITH THE TRADE DEADLINE about a week away, it’s time to time to review what that means for the league and, more importantly, what it means for the Blue Crabs.

What is the trade deadline?

The NHL imposes a deadline on when trades can take place. Before this date, any team can make any and as many trades as they like. After, no trades can happen again until free agency opens on July 1st. The trade deadline this year is 3 p.m. EST on March 5, and there will likely be a flurry of activity as teams scramble to perfect their rosters before the last push of the regular season and the start of playoffs.

Buyers and Sellers

Teams first have to decide if they think they stand a chance of making the playoffs and competing for the Stanley Cup this year. It’s a grueling task to fight for sixteen wins across four rounds over two months, and this far into the season, teams will know where their weak spots are.

Usually teams with little to no playoff hope are “sellers”—they’ll take advantage of other teams’ desperation to make the playoffs, and use that to gain draft picks and unload players who will become free agents. Free agents are players with expiring contracts, and the decision to either renew a contract or look for another team is a difficult one for both clubs and players. Trading these players during the season can remove some of this tension, especially if the team doesn’t plan to re-sign them.

The “buyers” are the playoff-bound teams. They’ll want to plug holes in their roster or replace injured players. They’re willing to pay a lot to better their chances of making and succeeding in the playoffs, and don’t mind picking up free agents to do so. If the postseason goes well, those players could see lucrative contracts with the team that picks them up.

Are the Crabs Buyers or Sellers?

Typically, the Crabs are outside of the playoff bubble. It’s been five years since they’ve seen the postseason, twelve since they’ve made it past the first round. They’ve been in the Sellers column for longer than I’ve covered them, or they’ve ignored the trade deadline altogether. Things might change this year.

They’re two points out of a wild card position and have been steadily winning games. At this pace, they might very well earn a playoff spot. That makes them potential Buyers. The question is: what are they looking for? Goaltending has been solid, but defensively they’ve struggled. The top two forward lines are scoring consistently, but the team seems to lack depth: the bottom six haven’t scored in the last ten games and in the same span have given up fifteen goals.

Who are the Free Agents on the Crabs?

Whether they’re traded in March or not, these players will be free agents come July. The Crabs will have to make a decision sooner rather than later about their future on the team.

Forwards: Johnny Carr, Ivan Petrovich, RJ Russell

Defense: Connor Carter

Both goaltenders are signed through the end of next season.

Granted, a team can trade anyone. As long as a player doesn’t have a no-trade clause, a team could elect to trade them and the other team takes up the rest of their contract. Teams will do what they can to either push for the Cup this year or attempt to put pieces in place for next year.

Fan Poll: Who do you think the Crabs are most likely to trade this season?

Johnny Carr: 32%

Ivan Petrovich: 13%

RJ Russell: 15%

Connor Carter: 17%

Someone else: 3%

No one: 20%