The Vancouver Canucks didn't wait long to infuse some life into a team slogging through the early part of its schedule by taking a chance on the talented but pricey David Booth in a weekend trade with the Florida Panthers.
The move immediately benefits Ryan Kesler, who knows Booth well through USA Hockey. They're also both Michigan natives and expected to skate on a line together.
On Sunday, the Phoenix Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens announced a three-player deal that will impact the AHL more than the NHL, but it's clear -- general managers are active right now. More and more, teams can't overcome a slow start and it likely won't stop with this group of general managers.
Who's next? These franchises shouldn't wait long before making a move:
To read more about teams that should pull the trigger on early-season trades, along with other NHL notes, sign up for ESPN Insider.
- Senior NHL writer for ESPN The Magazine
- Wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Wrote for The Sporting News
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.
From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.
Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.
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