One GM described the trade action this way: Immediately after the season, there was a ton of talk. Disappointment from a regular season that didn’t end in success motivated action.



Then it all went away. General managers went to the World Championships. They had organizational meetings. Some even went golfing.



Now, it’s picking back up and will only heat up as the draft gets closer.



“There’s certainly a lot of talk out there,” said one GM. “There are some high expectations.”



With those expectations come pressure to improve. Factor in a rising cap and general managers have flexibility they might not have had in the recent years. In theory, it should make things interesting.



“Activity, as far as communication and bouncing ideas off others, is (higher),” said an assistant GM. “Whether it manifests itself any more in getting deals done, I don’t know.”



There’s a lot at play here. Vegas’ success might make owners less patient. Parity is at an all-time high. The availability of big names from the free agent Class of 2019 is another dynamic. And then there’s the Hurricanes. Everyone is talking about Carolina.



Who is on the move?



Let’s start here:



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