Free agency doesn't officially open until noon on Friday, but at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the powder keg exploded big time with three major moves, including a trade for the ages, dropping at almost the same time.
First, the Edmonton Oilers announced a trade of forward Taylor Hall for New Jersey Devils defenseman Adam Larsson straight up. Hall scored 26 goals last season and finished the year with 65 points in 82 games. He has 132 goals and 328 points in six seasons. Larsson just completed his fifth season with the Devils, scoring three goals and finishing the season with 18 points in 82 games. He has just nine career goals and 69 career points in five seasons.
The move instantly lands the Devils an excellent scoring talent while the Oilers fill a need on the blue line, albeit at a lofty cost.
Moments later, the real bomb dropped with the Nashville Predators announcing that superstar defenseman and team captain Shea Weber had been traded to the Montreal Canadiens for superstar defenseman P.K. Subban. A move like this is almost unheard of in the NHL anymore and instantly rivals some of the biggest trades of all-time.
Weber has been a mainstay of the Predators blue line, playing all 11 seasons of his career in Nashville. He has scored 166 goals and had 443 points in 763 games, including 20 goals and 51 points last season. Weber has been an All-Star five times and finished second in Norris Trophy voting twice. Subban has played six seasons for the Canadiens, scoring 63 goals and registering 278 points in 434 games. Last season, in 68 games, Subban scored just six goals — his lowest total of his career — and finished with 51 points. He is a five-time All-Star and won the Norris Trophy in 2013.
Lastly, just moments after the huge blockbuster between Nashville and Montreal was complete, the prize of free agency came off the market two days before open season. Steven Stamkos will be remaining with the Tampa Bay Lightning on an eight-year deal. The agreement on terms was reported by TSN's Bob McKenzie with Stamkos himself confirming the length of the deal on Twitter. Stamkos has played his entire eight-year career with the Lightning, scoring 312 goals and registering 562 points in 569 games. Last season, Stamkos played in 77 games, scoring 36 goals and finishing with 64 points.
So that's just your not-so-average Wednesday before free agency. There's much more to come from around the league as the free-agent market opens on Friday.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
