Despite the NHL Trade Deadline having come and passed, the Ottawa Senators have made a trade.
AHL forward Jayce Hawryluk was traded from the Ottawa Senators organization to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Future Considerations. This will spark some questions amongst fans given the NHL trade deadline was on March 3rd, yet we are the 10th today.
Roster update: The #Sens have traded forward Jayce Hawryluk to @NJDevils in exchange for future considerations.
— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) March 10, 2023
First let’s talk about the trade itself.
Jayce Hawryluk was traded to the New Jersey Devils for future considerations. He’s been playing for the Belleville Senators of the AHL, and in 19 games this season has scored 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points. He is simply a depth AHL forward that has come in here and there. He’s bounced around the NHL and AHL quite a bit in his career and is making his way to yet another new team.
But what about the NHL’s trade deadline?
The NHL trade deadline passed on March 3rd. Many fans (myself included up until I did a bit of research on this a couple years ago) are under the impression that after the deadline, no trades can be made until the offseason begins after the Stanley Cup is awarded. This however is not the case. The rules are not the most clear, but it essentially comes down to you can trade after the deadline, but the player cannot suit up for his new team until the end of the season. What this means is that Hawryluk will have to sit for the remainder of the season. I’m unsure if he can suit up in the AHL as the AHL’s trade deadline has not passed. The AHL trade deadline is today according to the AHL’s website.
Closing Thoughts
Essentially, the New Jersey Devils will not be able to use Hawryluk until the end of the season, so they basically traded for his UFA rights. This trade seems puzzling but it could have happened if Hawlryuk was unhappy with his deployment in Belleville and asked to be moved.
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