What happens in Las Vegas on June 20 ties into what might happen before the NHL’s trade deadline March 1. Make no mistake, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights could dramatically dictate how trades play out this month, and in Colorado, the cellar-dwelling Avalanche must be careful how it rebuilds before March 1 then again before June 20.
Before those dates, teams aren’t going to trade for what they want if they can’t protect that acquisition or one of their own players of similar value. Colorado’s Matt Duchene, for example, won’t be traded to Washington, the NHL’s best team, if it causes the Capitals to lose another elite forward they can’t protect in the expansion draft.