from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

The message was simple yet still jaw-dropping. When asked to size up the trade market as a whole, this is how one NHL general manager framed it on Wednesday:

“The number of franchise-changing players available or being talked about each day is astonishing,” the GM said. “It’s just that no one has any room for them.”

Welcome to the 2020 version of the NHL’s off-season with a frozen $81.5 million salary cap.

There are now more than 50 names in play on the latest TSN Trade Bait board.

Each team has an incredible number of balls in the air between pushing to clear cap space, managing internal budgets, being unable to afford restricted free agents and juggling the free agent market, along with next week’s draft – oh, and all of that with one eye on the 2021 Expansion Draft.

continued with an updated trade bait board...