Much of the buildup to the NHL trade deadline every single year focuses on one end of the spectrum. Naturally, the established player already in the league being shopped is the story because of their notoriety. However, the story at the other end of the potential within a return is never given its due.
The reason a team agrees to trade away a productive player for assets is one of a few reasons. Mostly, they coalesce around the team shopping the player being unable to afford a contract extension or having less incentive to do so. This can be a matter of a team not being in contention for several years and needing to recoup future assets.