Making sense of quiet NHL trade deadline: Why Caps pulled trigger

Remember when Nashville’s David Poile was anointed General Manager of the Year for acquiring rental properties Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli from Toronto for a package including a first-rounder in advance of the 2015 trade deadline?

Well, now it is Tampa Bay’s Steve Yzerman receiving universal love as hockey’s most brilliant chief executive on the planet for clearing some 2017-18 cap space for next season by getting precious little in return for dumping Brian Boyle, Ben Bishop and Valtteri Filppula off one of the NHL’s most disappointing teams in years.

As instant analyses go pertaining to the deadline, it is clear this was the year general managers refused to pay premium prices for items…