Western Conference arms race is well underway well before the NHL trade deadline

The NHL trade deadline is still three weeks away, and yet three of the top teams in the Western Conference have already made an addition. The Vancouver Canucks acquired the top center on the market in Elias Lindholm from Calgary for picks and prospects. The Winnipeg Jets responded by getting Sean Monahan from Montreal for a first-round pick. Around the same time, the Colorado Avalanche signed veteran winger Zach Parise without having to give up anything. This is just the start of the movement in the West and around the NHL as trade talk picks up.