On the NHL’s trade deadline, more than 50 players changed teams. That’s in addition to dozens of draft picks. It happened in 26 trades. On the PWHL’s Trade Deadline, only one trade involving two players occurred.
That deal saw Anna Kjellbin head to the Toronto Sceptres in exchange for Kaitlin Willoughby who moved to the Montreal Victoire.
In essence, it was a move swapping a 6-7 defender for a fourth line forward. Far from a blockbuster. There are reasons trades don’t happen often. When trades happen in the PWHL, they are limited in scope.
Here are three reasons why the PWHL saw another slow trade deadline, and why trades overall, are difficult to make in the PWHL.
No Draft Picks Can Be Trades
It’s the single largest limiting factor in the PWHL for trades. Draft picks cannot be traded. In the long run it will help keep parity, and ensure we don’t see immediate dynasties, nor immediate need to rebuild. But it not only stops teams from loading up, it also stops teams from moving players that aren’t a fit, need a new opportunity, or when a team is legitimately looking to upgrade a position or fill a void.
Right now, it’s player out for player in. The league could open this at some point. It could come with stipulations like forcing teams to keep their first three rounds of picks that are tied to salary tiers. Allowing teams to move depth picks would be a game changer. It would also help players who need to find a new home, and teams who want to make a change.
Salary In For Salary Out
The PWHL’s salary cap is not like the NHL’s. It’s based on an average salary of $56,650. That means a team can’t send a player making $40,000, no matter how well they’re playing, to a team for a player making $120,000, no matter how poorly they’re playing. Dollars in need to almost precisely match dollars out. Teams are allowed to vary in season by up to 10%, but that’s only a valid option when trading players on one-year deals. In some ways, this limitation protects players who signed as free agents in their chosen market. The number of drafted players, however, who want to move right now in the PWHL who can’t, because their team can’t make a deal that works financially, would surprise some.
There Is No Development League
Teams can’t send players down, call players up, or move most players to reserve. Players on multi-year contracts can’t be cut or moved to reserve. And there isn’t an abundance of PWHL prospects who can be called up to contribute. Reserve players are almost exclusively bottom six players, who might not have a ceiling above that. If the league allowed teams to affiliate younger players, or assign picks to European clubs for a season, we could see more trades right now for an uneven number of players. Right now, all rosters must be kept at 23 players. It stops teams from sending two players in exchange for one. If there were an affiliate system in place, teams could do uneven multi-player deals.
There’s no picks, it’s dollar for dollar, and it’s player for player. For those reasons, it was another slow PWHL trade deadline.
