from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

As the NHL’s free-agency period opens on Canada Day at noon, the group of impact players available is thin which is why in the hours before the shopping officially began many GMs were talking trade to see if they might be able to get a player in exchange for a contract or draft pick.

The issue isn’t that the players are bad, the problem is that they many of them aren’t going to be game-changers. Yes, there will still be big money spent because some teams have to get to the cap floor so they’re going to be spending to try to help make sure they can compete.

“It’s not very good that’s why there’s still a lot of people trying to make trades,” said a league executive. “There’s still a lot of potential trades going on.”

The names available will resemble many of those moved at the NHL trade deadline in March. Chicago Blackhawks centre Antoine Vermette, dealt there by the Arizona Coyotes, will be among the leaders along with Washington’s Mike Green, Anaheim’s Matt Beleskey and Chicago’s blueliner Johnny Oduya.

more plus some talk/rumors...