When it comes to contract, trade talks it’s “eerily quiet”

Over the past week, we’ve heard a lot about the ongoing CBA negotiations, but there hasn’t been much chatter when it comes to free agent signings or trades.

“It’s eerily quiet,” said a league executive last week, according to an Ottawa Sun article by Bruce Garrioch.

To be fair, there have been some noteworthy re-signings recently, like Jordan Eberle‘s six-year/$36 million deal, but it’s possible that those are being agreed to because the next CBA might limit long-term contracts. When it comes to handling the final moves necessary to make their teams ready for 2012-13, GMs seem to be largely inactive.

“This is just like 2004: We got to July 15 and basically nothing was done,” a high-profile agent told the Ottawa Sun. “It has pretty much gone the same way this year. You haven’t really see anything, with the exception of some contract extensions.”

Part of the problem might be that GMs can’t really prepare their teams for the 2012-13 campaign if they don’t even know what the rules will be. Several teams might be under the floor or over the cap depending on what the next CBA looks like. With that in mind, players that teams might otherwise be interested in acquiring, like Roberto Luongo, are stuck in limbo.

When the players’ union and NHL finally agree to terms, GMs will know where they stand and they’ll likely move swiftly to make any necessary adjustments.