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A few points to remember on this, Trade Deadline Eve

Tonight is a lot like Christmas Eve for many hockey fans. Sleep does not come easily, you cannot help but dream about all the gifts your franchise will buy just for you and there are visions of silver chalices dancing in your head.

With this wonderful hockey holiday nearly upon us, here are a few things to remember for the armchair GMs out there.

All contracts are not created equal

If a team is going to take a risk by trading a quality player, chances are it’s going to have to be someone whose contract will expire after this season. If not, that player will often be wildly overpaid. Even if you get past those possibilities, the guy might have a no trade clause. Tomas Kaberle has been the subject of trade rumors for years and don’t forget how much of a headache Dany Heatley’s NTC turned out to be. After all that, the player has to fit under a team’s salary cap.

The standings matter


This is obvious to most, but if you’re hoping for your cellar dwelling team to land a superstar you’re probably wasting your time. Also, with increased parity comes a decrease in the number of sellers. Simply put, if a team thinks it has a shot at making a playoff run it will be less likely to trade pros for prospects.

Context matters


Let’s not forget the human factor, either. Before Jean-Sebastien Giguere was traded to Toronto, I cooked up a half-serious “Giguere for Marty Turco” trade idea. Stars fans and Ducks fans alike were quick to voice their disapproval. You don’t want to upset your fans, even if it helps your team. I’m also willing to say that the Leafs and Oilers probably won’t be calling each other tomorrow, even if Kevin Lowe is no longer the Oilers’ GM.

Feel free to dream up all kinds of wacky trade ideas tonight and tomorrow. Imagining what you would do if you were in charge is a one of the best things about being a fan. Just keep in mind that it’s a little more complicated than it might seem.