Overview
- On Sunday, Commissioner Gary Bettman said no‑trade and no‑movement clauses have “gotten past” their original intent, a public remark read by insiders as an effort to put the issue on the agenda for the next CBA.
- This summer several star players with full protections — including Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck — requested trades while naming very small lists of acceptable destinations, a pattern that drew league concern.
- Observers and insiders have floated practical fixes, most prominently a rule requiring players who request trades to supply a minimum number of acceptable destination teams.
- Immediate rule changes are unlikely because the current CBA runs through September 2030, so any formal limits would probably await multi‑party talks during CBA negotiations.
- If the practice continues, general managers may tighten when they grant trade protection and players could lose a common bargaining tool, which would change how deals are struck and affect players, front offices and fan relationships with teams.