However the mood heading into this period seems more hesitant than usual. With a wide open East and an unsettled West, one would think teams would seize the moment and try to accumulate talent to "steal a cup." League veterans remember Florida winning the Cup several years ago from the 8th seed. Yet it seems the instinct is to hoard assets and be over protective of picks.

This continues a trend that has emerged in recent years: are teams too protective of first round picks? Is the allure of hope greater than the net return? 

In this GM's opinion, the answer is unequivocally, yes.

Aside from top 10 selections, the rest of the draft is a crap shoot. Yet teams are protective of the first round asset as though every pick is of equal value when in fact, adding a superstar level talent not only bolsters the stats of the rest of the roster, it contributes to playoff ticket sales - that combined is likely worth more to a contender than a 70/18. 

With a handful of teams having multiple trades lined up, hopefully the dam will break and teams with pursue playoff glory - but if not, the teams that are aggressive are certainly in a stronger position to steal a year more known for its parity than dominance.