Being traded at the deadline is really a shock. Even though you can see it coming sometimes, you feel like the team you’ve been working with just kind of gave up on you. But on the other hand, you have to look at it in a positive way: The other team really wants me, they want to upgrade themselves and I’m part of it.
It also means you might get a chance to be part of a Stanley Cup contender, if you’re going from a team that’s out of the playoff race to a club that’s in a good position to win that ultimate prize. If that happens, it’s a great bonus.
However, when you finally meet your new team, the first day in the dressing room is very different. You feel like a rookie again and get butterflies in your stomach. It’s something novel and you’re all excited again. It’s like the start of a brand new season.
But despite all the excitement because of the new situation, there are a few hardships when you’re traded. One of them is acclimating to your new club. It could take a few weeks before you start to gel with your teammates and develop chemistry. They’ve been together for the whole year and you just try to fit in and find a way to interact with them. It’s something that takes some time.
And, depending on what stage of your life and career you’re in when you get traded, that might not be the hardest part. A lot of guys have families and kids, and obviously they can’t pull them out of school. They have to stay behind.
Even if you see it coming, being traded still is not comfortable. But it’s part of the game and it’s part of the business.
Jaroslav Modry's Blog: The trials and tribulations of being traded (THN) 
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