How do players on Stanley Cup contenders handle big trades?

With Friday’s trade news that saw the Edmonton Oilers acquire Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a draft pick, some are wondering if the deal will finally get the Oilers over the hill.

One aspect that doesn’t get discussed is how players and teams themselves react to these deals. Who do they first talk to? Is it intimidating going into a new room? How do they get comfortable?

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton are joined by two-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL veteran Tyler Johnson to discuss what happens in a locker room when a team makes a seismic trade like the one we saw Friday.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Let’s start with the news of the day! You were apart of two Stanley Cup-winning teams that made big trades during the season. What’s it like being in the locker room when a big swap like this happens?

Tyler Johnson: It’s really tough. I don’t think the outside knows how close a team is. You’re family, you’re together, so when you see one of your brothers leave, it’s tough. You expect the guy coming in will be a good guy, but sometimes it doesn’t always work that way. You try to find that right fit, that right mold, and you have to trust your GM and coach to make those decisions.

Carter Hutton: I say this a lot, but it didn’t happen overnight. You play in junior and in the pros and you get used to the business side of it. But what are you doing inside that room when a new guy comes in and you try to amalgamate him into your team? I know when a guy got traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning while you were there, it can be intimidating with guys like Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and yourself.

How has a veteran do you help guys join a team?

Tyler Johnson: I think it’s just going right up to them, shaking their hands and asking them how their day is going. A lot of the time, the trade happens early in the morning, so you’re trying to help them as much as possible. If you’re on the road, it’s easier because you can take them to dinner, be around the group of guys. When you’re able to do that, it’s a lot easier getting them involved.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Is there one trade you look back on and think, “Holy s–t, I can’t believe we did that”?

Tyler Johnson: I think the biggest one in my career was when Martin St. Louis was traded to the New York Rangers. He was a big part of the Lightning organization for a long time, and that was a big move. He was captain, he was a guy that led the charge for our team and organziation for so long, then you see him get traded for Ryan Callahan. I felt like that was a pretty crazy move, but Cally came in and, I give him all the credit in the room, he changed the way our organization worked. I was very thankful he was on our team.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…