Every year, once the calendar clicks over to June, the NHL trade game heats up approaching the annual entry draft, and usually, there’s a catalyst in the middle of all the talk. Last year, it was Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee acting as ringmaster of the circus — moving, wheedling, cajoling his way into moves to improve his team, and indirectly, keeping the hands tied of the rest of the league, as he negotiated back and forth with teams, cleverly navigating the waters.



Other years, the teams controlling the narrative are the ones flat-earthing their player landscape, dumping contracts and pressing the reset button.



Not every team arrives at the draft in a makeover frame of mind but as long as a handful do, it makes for great theatre and succeeds in shuffling the player deck enough to create new avenues of hope around the league.



All of which brings us to the leading candidate to be this year’s power broker and major influencer —...