Insider Reveals Key Timeline for NHL Trade Frenzy: Report

As with every year, the NHL Trade Deadline is one of the league's most exciting and anticipated times. Fans are glued to any form of media in order to get the latest breaking news to see if their team are buyers or sellers heading into the final stretch of the season.

Given how much talk has circulated regarding who is heading where, time is of the essence and the league has already seen some big trades with names like Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, and David Jiricek all finding new homes already.

So it's crucial then that teams have a gameplan, but the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament is throwing a wrench into those plans. According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the tournament has big implications for teams looking to make deals.

It's not just the potential trade deadline crunch that makes issues worse for the league's general managers, but there's always the case of players getting injured which could not only make or break a season, but completely alter trade plans and throw everything out the window.

Case in point the Toronto Maple Leafs. GM Brad Treliving has made it known that he wants to add some defensive depth to his forward corps, and he seems focused on bringing that into the team.

However, if Auston Matthews plays in the tournament and after dealing with several injuries, gets hurt again;; it's a nightmare for the team's playoff hopes and it leads one to wonder how Treliving will shift gears given he would be down such an impact player.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is a tournament that will showcase some of the best the NHL has to offer from Canada, Sweden, USA, and Finland. While it is going to be an exciting time for fans, it's equally as nerve-wracking for management.

The tournament runs from February 12-20, leaving very little time for teams to figure things out as the weeks pass and the daunting task of balancing everything out becomes more and more of a worrying concern.