Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Making A Deal

02/26/2017 at 9:44am EST

from Gare Joyce of Sportsnet,

Here, industry veterans—two GMs, a scout, an agent and an NHL lawyer—lay bare the principals that guide them through to the 3 p.m. deadline on March 1. In the interest of complete candour, their names have been withheld.

In the first half of the season, I don’t talk to my staff about a player we might need or a player we might be willing to trade. In January, we have our team meetings—amateur scouts, pro scouts, our AGM and myself [the general manager]. Until January, you don’t know if you’re a buyer or seller. Until January, you don’t have a clear read on your own team or, for the amateur scouts, how your players in the minors and juniors are doing—how much you like them. And until January, you don’t know who else is a buyer or seller. You have to know if you’re in the playoffs or out of the playoffs, or in a position to do damage in the playoffs if you add the right piece or two. At the all-star break, after we’ve talked amongst ourselves, I’ll start to make calls to other GMs.

• I’ve never made or even tried to make a deal face-to-face with another GM. The idea that it’s something that we’ve kicked around at GMs’ meetings or talked about at games—it just doesn’t happen. Everything is done by phone. It’s a cold call. It’s the toughest part of the whole deal. It’s always initiated by the buyer, and when you’re making the call, just by making it, you’re telling another GM, ‘I don’t think your team is going to make the playoffs.’

• Some calls are easier than others. If you’ve worked with another GM, if you have a relationship going back years, it’s a lot easier. You cut out a lot of the posturing and bullshit and get right down to business. It’s a poker game. With someone you don’t know there’s a lot of bluffing and you can waste a lot of time. With GMs you’ve worked with, you don’t bother with that. You’re just trying to find a deal that works for both sides.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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