from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

One of the interesting narratives that I’m starting to pick up on, in conversations with front offices around the league seven weeks out from the trade deadline, is that there’s a growing feeling that the field is wide open and that the parity could affect buyers and sellers alike.

Every Cup contender has a flaw or two, and on the flip side, I think playoff bubble teams are looking at things right now and wondering if they could be this year’s Florida Panthers if they can just make it in.

The potential impact is two-fold: 1) Higher seeds may not feel they’re just one addition away from assuring a deep playoff run, so maybe they’re not going “all-in” with their trade deadline approaches and instead will keep their powder dry with the assets they normally trade away. And 2) You might get a bubble team with a pending unrestricted free agent saying, “Why don’t we keep him in case we get in because the field is pretty open.” The so-called own-rental.

For example, I give you the Penguins. If you’re them and you’re right on the playoff bubble come the first week of March, do you take the best trade offer for pending UFA Jake Guentzel or keep him onboard with the idea that if you get in, you might just win the East?

I mean, who had the Panthers upsetting the 135-point Bruins last spring?

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