1. Any trade that was made recently for a similar player can be used as a "yard stick".




2. If there's no clear winner, it's likely a fair deal.




3. A player that clears waivers has no trade value because he's not wanted on another NHL team.




4. The team that is the most fortunate is the team that wins the trade
(i.e. whichever team got the best players with the best contracts, more cap space, higher draft picks, etc)




5. Any set of circumstances surrounding a team's decision to make a trade are completely irrelevant if they have no bearing on the other team.




6. Quality is just as important as quantity, if not more so.




7. A condition on a draft pick must be carefully read and understood while taking into account the likelihood of each possible scenario.




8. The signing rights to a UFA have some trade value because it gives a team a head start on signing that UFA.




9. The winners and losers of a 3-way trade is based on what a team gained and lost individually versus the other two teams.




10. Making a trade should be treated as a zero-sum game by every team in every sport.