from Damien Cox of Sportsnet,

According to NHL general managers, there are all kinds of factors behind this, most of which have to do with the lack of roster flexibility created by the salary cap system. Teams are either at the cap or living within their own budget restrictions, and more and more of them seem to have discovered the value of being a few million shy of their maximum number.

There’s extraordinary parity, with few teams really out of playoff contention, and no teams want to trade their young players, knowing they’ll be needed down the road as affordable contracts.

More and more, teams build their rosters in July and August, and have to live with that roster until the NHL trading deadline in late February or early March.

We do know right now that New York Islanders defenceman Travis Hamonic and Columbus Blue Jackets centre Ryan Johansen are available, but as one GM put it, that means “they might be traded in two weeks, or in two years.”

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