Florida Panthers acquire defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago Blackhawks Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Longtime NHL player agent Matt Keator currently has 25 NHL player contracts amounting to $252,307,500 and a total cap hit of $54,062,024. Amongst those in his client stable are New York Rangers defenseman and 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, Rangers forward Chris Kreider, and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour. In addition to getting all those players signed, he has also helped navigate them throughout plenty of NHL trade deadlines.
With the 2025 NHL trade deadline this Friday at 3 p.m. ET, Keator gave RG a glimpse into what it’s like being an agent as the deadline approaches and also his take on the effects of the projected rising NHL salary cap.
What’s the NHL Trade Deadline like for agents now?
“You have the team side of things and then you have the agent side of things,” Keator told RG on Tuesday. “The team side of things is obviously all based on whether you are a buyer or a seller, but from the agent side of things you have to evaluate your client and what you know. Are they gonna get moved or are they gonna sign them?
“The deadline is more geared towards UFA’s unless you have a bigger deal like the Seth Jones trade we just saw. Mostly though, we’re seeing rentals and minor trades. Teams are hardly ever retaining more years in a bigger blockbuster type of deal and most of the action is based on guys going into their final years and a team that’s stellar will go for him.”
“As an agent, if your player likes where he is, you’re hoping to figure that out by now because if you haven’t, there’s a really good chance they’re getting moved. Like Ryan Donato, they’re either going to sign him or he’ll get traded,” he said of his longtime client.
Who has control at the deadline now? Agents/players or teams?
“You have to look at your client if you’re an agent, and you have to look at your player if you’re a GM and where they fit,” Keator pointed out. “But again, the agent doesn’t control where his client goes unless he has a full no-move clause. So, it’s a business and the team will ultimately trade your client where they think the best fit for the trade is. Older players might have a little more say because the teams want to respect those players but everyone is in a different category and different stage of their careers. In the end, the player wants to do what’s best for him; the agent wants to do what’s best for the player and the teams want the best for them. So, it’s all about maximizing a deal one way or another depending on who you work for.”
In light of what happened with Barclay Goodrow getting waived and claimed by the San Jose Sharks after vetoing a trade there, and the Rangers also finding a way around Jacob Trouba’s no-trade-clause, do no-movement and no-trade clauses have less clout now?
“I mean yeah, would I have thought that would have happened one or two years ago? No. But with the cap, every team is constantly looking for an edge and it may happen again,” Keator acknowledged. “Same could be said with the Edmonton-St. Louis offer sheets right? So that could be happening more now too.
That being said, it allows more player movement which is excellent. We need that because it’s good for clicks and more exposure for the game.
With the cap going up will we see more hockey trades?
“Well, yes, with the cap going up, you’re going to see more trades and player for player,” Keator said. “But I think even more retaining now will help there be more trades. There’s more flexibility and you get a free year you can use so retention trades are great.”
Could the salary cap rising have a negative effect too?
“Just because the cap is projected to continually go up, doesn’t mean every team is going to spend the cap,” Keator pointed out. “Look at the Canadian teams. You know Toronto will; you know Montreal will, but I’m not sure about the others really. I don’t see Winnipeg or Ottawa, and same in the States. You’ll have the big teams like the Rangers spending to the cap but I think teams like Anaheim, just like Ottawa and Winnipeg will have artificial caps.”
James Murphy
