32 Thoughts: The Podcast The Trade Deadline Special
Mar 7, 2026
Rapid breakdown of major NHL trade deadline moves, including blockbuster player switches and team strategies. Inside stories from St. Louis discussions and frustrations over no-trade clauses. Reactions to how Toronto, Buffalo, Carolina, Edmonton and Vancouver handled the deadline. Quick takes on fits for Dallas, Vegas, Utah and others and a lighthearted segment about wardrobe and studio life.
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How The Kadri Trade Almost Fell Apart
- Elliotte Friedman recounts how the Nazem Kadri trade with Calgary nearly collapsed on Thursday before being completed Friday after intense reconvening.
- He says talks had gone deep with agreed retention (initially reported as 15%) but everyone was furious when it fell apart, then they fixed it and punched it in the end zone.
No-Trade Clauses Are Creating League Friction
- Friedman explains the widening frustration around players' no-trade clauses and how teams are discussing limiting them.
- He notes some GMs want changes after many deadline blocks and that clauses are often negotiated as pay tradeoffs, not pure leverage.
St Louis Deadline Drama Forced Rapid Asset Accumulation
- Friedman describes how internal St. Louis conversations over blocked trades were fierce and led to multiple trade blocks and rewrites of plans.
- He notes Doug Armstrong acted to do heavy lifting so his successor wouldn't inherit an unstable roster, leaving the Blues with many draft picks.