Capitals' Trotz: 'There's no big, sexy difference-maker' on the trade market

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In Barry Trotz's mind, the proactive approach in the lead-up to Monday's trade deadline is circumstantial, not inventive. 

The Washington Capitals head coach ascribed the flurry of trades occurring well before the deadline to the absence of a major domino having to fall.

"There's been years where there's been an absolute ton of names. This year there's not that many," Trotz said, according to Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post. 

"People are getting excited for mid-range players. There's no star player …that's not downgrading any of the players who have been traded. There's not that big, sexy difference-maker guy out there. It's good players, just not difference-makers." 

Despite the superlative, Trotz is bang-on. Antoine Vermette is the only high-profile candidate on the block, but his 13-goal, 35-point season is hardly worthy of sticking up the market.