NHL trade, free agency buzz - What we're hearing ahead of the 2022 draft

MONTREAL — The NHL's general managers met on the eve of the 2022 NHL draft. What their meeting lacked in rules changes or policy news, it made up for with post-meeting news and buzz on trades, free agents and other league matters.

Here's a glimpse at what was said, and heard, in Montreal on Wednesday, including the latest buzz on pick trades, progress on deals for Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, and what comes next for Evander Kane:

The lead up to any draft includes some degree of trade talks.

This year, general managers sound braced for even more potential movement than usual. And that could start early in Thursday's first round.

«I do think there'll be quite a few trades this week,» Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said. «And [then] what that means with draft slots. We're open to moving [pick] No. 5 and yet No. 5 hasn't been moved once in 20 years. Teams typically don't move back or move out of a high pick. It happens infrequently, but I think everyone's exploring, and maybe by virtue of the fact that it is a flatter draft, the other teams are more willing to consider moving back.»

There were only three picks swapped in the opening round of last year's draft, but that was preceded by one blockbuster trade (Seth Jones going from Columbus to Chicago for Adam Boqvist — who's three-year, $7.8 million extension with the Blue Jackets was announced on Wednesday — and three picks) plus a couple other significant moves as well.

How might this year be different? For starters, it's the first draft since 2019 where general managers are congregating in the same building, with the opportunity to once again conduct business in person.

«The unpredictability of all of this certainly does get enhanced when we're in close quarters