Are we looking at a trend or a one-off?

No one can say for sure, of course, but the unprecedented number of trades in the period leading up to Friday’s NHL trade deadline sure makes you wonder.

Is this how it’s going to be from now on?

It was rather unbelievable for the league, at least. Quality and quantity. Day after day after day for weeks. Banger after banger.

It rendered deadline day itself a bit of a dud because there was almost nobody left to trade. We did have Bruce Boudreau entertaining us at TSN, at least.

And of course, we had Bad for Bedard.

But in all seriousness, is this the way the NHL is going to conduct business in the weeks leading up to the deadline, going forward?

The first word on it goes to a general manager who has half a century of trade deadlines under his belt.