Red Wings GM Holland expects chatter to pick up at NHL scouting combine

While hockey fans are focused on the four remaining teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the attention of all 30 NHL teams will turn to Toronto this week for the NHL Scouting Combine. 

The combine provides teams with an opportunity to watch the top prospects for the 2014 NHL Entry draft complete a series of physical tests, and much more importantly, offers clubs a chance to chat with their potential draft picks and get a sense for who they are as people and professionals.

With nearly every general manager in hockey and most of the major player agents converging on Toronto this week, it's expected that trade chatter and contract talks will pick up significantly. 

"There's lots of GMs and agents there; I expect to have some communication," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told Ansar Khan of Mlive.com.

The NHL's salary cap system, in place since 2005-06, has resulted in teams locking up more of their young players to long-term deals. These days, fewer players make it to unrestricted free-agency. There's a widespread belief that the dearth of talent on the open market this summer could cause an offseason trading frenzy.

Complicating matters further is the belief that the top-end of the 2014 draft class isn't super-elite. It's clear that this draft class lacks a Nathan MacKinnon, or Steven Stamkos-type transformative talent, although there's thought to be a good deal of quality talent available through the first 50 picks or so.

"I would consider it an average draft," said the Toronto Maple Leafs' director of amateur scouting Dave Morrison per Michael Traikos of the National Post. "I wouldn’t say it’s as weak as everybody thought it was. It just doesn’t have that superstar at the top."

With few quality free-agent bound for market, and no consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2014 draft class, there will be enormous incentive and enormous pressure for teams to improve their lot on the trade market. It's worth noting that from the moment the Florida Panthers won the draft lottery, general manager Dale Tallon started talking openly about his willingness to shop the No. 1 overall pick, ideally in return for a defenseman. The New York Islanders are also reportedly open to moving the No. 5 overall pick.

"Is there a consensus guy that’s one, two or three? Probably not," Tallon admitted on Monday, "but it’s a draft where we’re going to get two really good players. And that’s all I care about."