The NHL's trade deadline season always features the highest volume of deals in the sport. But some of the trades with the biggest impact happen over the summer. Furthermore, a lot of those swaps occur leading into the NHL draft.
With the 2023 edition of the draft set for June 28 and 29, it's time to come up with some potential blockbuster trades that could take place between now and then, setting up each team for 2023-24 and beyond.
NHL reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski devised two trades apiece — of benefit to both teams, and keeping in mind the relative cap implications — that would certainly raise some eyebrows this summer.
Los Angeles Kings get: G Connor HellebuyckWinnipeg Jets get: C Blake Lizotte, D Tobias Bjornfot, 2023 second-round pick, 2024 first-round pick
Why it works: In 2022-23, the Kings were top five in fewest shots allowed per 60 minutes, and in the top 10 for lowest scoring chances allowed per 60 and lowest high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60. But they were 22nd in team save percentage. Connecting their defensive success with a Vezina Trophy winner in Hellebuyck would potentially strengthen their title aspirations. Figuring out a reasonable trade is where it gets challenging.
There is not a big sample of trades in which a team landed a Vezina winner. Marc-Andre Fleury was the most recent Vezina winner to be traded; at age 37 in 2021-22, he was dealt from the Blackhawks to the Wild for a second-round pick. Sergei Bobrovsky, 23 at the time, was traded from the Flyers to the Blue Jackets the year before he won the first of his two Vezinas for three draft picks — a second- and two fourth-rounders. Dominik Hasek had just won his sixth Vezina at age 36 when he was traded by
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