Jets GM Cheveldayoff suggests the NHL trade market will be very active this offseason

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is the latest in a long line of NHL executives to openly predict a busy, trade-filled NHL offseason.

"For all the changes happening in the league, I think there's a strong appetite among teams to want to talk about making changes," Cheveldayoff told Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press. "We are certainly in that mix of talking, to find out if there's a way to trade, whether it's a big asset, a middle asset, whatever asset. You sit and talk to see if there's a chance that something can fit with something you're looking for."

Cheveldayoff also touched on the correlation of forces stimulating a more-than-ordinary level of trade chatter throughout the league, including a weak crop of free-agents. "I think with this year's crop of free agents," Cheveldayoff said, "You're really starting to see where the trend of locking up players for long term has lessened the number of players that would have otherwise entered free agency.

"And that's leading a lot of teams to think they might have to make a trade to do something, as opposed to simply relying on free agency."

In addition to the weak free-agent class, the Jets executive - who has yet to steer his club into the postseason - suggested that the plethora of new general managers across the league could additionally spur player movement:

I think any time you're in a situation like this, where there's lots of talk and there are new GMs in the league... and different organizations are in different cycles that need different things, it would not be factual to say I've got a deal in place, but I wouldn't be totally truthful if I told you I wasn't openly and actively in conversations in any regard.

You always are, but until you know what every other team is thinking, it's hard to say what the reality is of something happening or not.

That's an interesting nugget, and it certainly makes sense considering that seven teams will have first time general manager's running their draft table at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (counting interim Penguins general manager Jason Botterill).

A number of other NHL general managers have gone on record to discuss their willingness to trade draft picks or players at the NHL draft including: Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers, Garth Snow of the New York Islanders, Ken Holland of the Detroit Red Wings, and Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. When there's this much smoke, there's sure to be at least some fire.

As for the Jets, their relationship with star winger Evander Kane appears to have been damaged over the years and he could be one of the bigger ticket items on the trade market this summer. Additionally Jets coach Paul Maurice and top-of-the-lineup swingman Dustin Byfuglien seem to have different ideas about how Byfuglien fits in with the Jets going forward. Could Byfuglien serve as trade bait this summer?

[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]