NHL GMs See 4 Nations as ‘Soft’ Trade Deadline

Teams across the league may have another trade deadline to watch with the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman welcomes fans to the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Teams across the NHL have started preparing for the trade deadline which is set for March 7. While there are sure to be plenty of moves in the days leading up to the deadline, teams are looking at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off as its own benchmark.

According to Darren Dreger on TSN’s Insider Trading, NHL general managers are viewing the 4 Nations break as a “soft” trade deadline.

“I have spoken to a number of them [NHL GMs],” Dreger said. “More than a few have suggested that they’re looking at the 4 Nations really as a soft deadline.”

While the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden are battling in the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off, the rest of the NHL will be paused. Trades and roster moves can still happen during the tournament, but teams would like to have the time completely off.

“Some GMs are looking at the start of the 4 Nations,” Dreger said. “And saying, ‘Hey, I’d like to get my business done before that tournament gets underway.’”

Quite a few players across the league have been spoken about on their respective team’s trade blocks, and with the tournament under a month away, there could be a flurry of moves well before the actual hard trade deadline.

Not every general manager is taking the same viewpoint as others, and will likely work through the tournament, but others could try and get their work in early before two weeks off.

“Depends on the GM that you talk to,” Dreger said. “Some look at the 4 Nations as a bit of a bump. Let’s get going, let’s get some trade activity before the 4 Nations gets underway.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off is set to start on February 12th with the championship game scheduled for the 20th. NHL games will be paused between the 9th and 22nd, giving all those not involved with the tournament two whole weeks off.

Considering front offices are looking to have their trades wrapped up by that point, it’s safe to say GMs are looking forward to some vacation time.

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