CHL, Editorial, Opinion, WHL

Should the WHL allow for inner-division trades this season?

Written by Adam Kierszenblat on

Should teams be allowed to make trades within their divisions this season?

The WHLs trade deadline did pass on February 25th, but that was before teams had started playing. To make this happen, the league would need to work with Hockey Canada and the CHL, but that part should not cause major issues.

Today we will dive into whether the WHL should allow for trades within each division, and why it could be beneficial to the top teams in the league.

Potential injury relief:

The best argument on why the WHL should allow trades within the division is injuries.

What happens if you have a chance at winning the division, but your star player goes down with an injury? With trades allowed, you could pick up another star to replace them from a developing team. The developing team gets much-needed prospects or draft picks, and the contender can continue their hunt for a division championship.

To give an example, let’s use the Oil Kings. If they lose Jake Neighbours to injury, it could derail their season. If trading was allowed, they could call up, say, the Rebels and make a trade for Arshdeep Bains or Ben King. The Rebels in turn get some draft picks that would allow them to continue their rebuild. This scenario could be beneficial to both teams and allow for unforeseen circumstances that may occur throughout a season.

Push for the playoffs:

If the WHL allows playoffs, trades could be very beneficial. You could shore up your bottom six for one last run, or maybe give that 20-year-old one more shot at glory. A trade could turn an average team into a contender very quickly. Allowing teams to acquire that missing piece could be the difference between a first-round exit and a divisional championship.

Unknowns going into the season.

Setting the trade deadline before the season started makes it impossible for players in bad situations to relocate. Let’s say a player is having a hard time or does not see eye to eye with the coach. Trades open up the possibility for the situation to get better. By having the trade deadline before the season, it could prohibit the development of some players. You never know how a player is going to react or fit in with a team so allowing that escape opportunity could be beneficial for the team and the player.

Twitter poll:

When this question was posed on Twitter, yes won the poll with 55.6%.

What do you think the WHL should do? Let us know through social media or by commenting below.

Final thoughts:

I believe the WHL should allow for these trades to happen. It is beneficial to the teams and players. With a lot of uncertainty and news changing every day, it is understandable why the league made the deadline when they did, but there is still time to change it. The benefits outweigh the negatives and allow teams to fix unforeseen problems that may arise. Hopefully, we will see a change to this rule and allow teams to trade throughout the season.