You'd be surprised to find out how many agents actually work out the trades.
Recent most notable one: Vancouver Canucks didn't trade Luongo. His agent, Pat Brisson, worked out that trade with Florida and Vancouver accepted.
Not sure how widely known that is, someone else can google it if they want.
hope you know I love your participation here dom and I definitely believe you are at least 100 times more inside than 99% of the rabble here. love kirk too. I cant name all the guys here who ive enjoyed their 'inside info' because I know id forget at least 1 or 2. I definitely have felt my fandom of the team has been upgraded a lot from having people like you share what you know here.
I just get frustrated at the critism that gets directed against the team and how some members of this board are willing to use these rumors as fuel for their arguments.
but yeah, I personally wouldn't be too shocked to find out that agents are a huge source of rumors for many media people because ive seen it happening boldly right on talk radio at times and definitely read it in news paper articles how agents get named as sources.
I think an agent was the source of the krug talking to the khl rumor that popped up this past summer. I remember a couple years ago that a rumor came out that boston had given tim Thomas agent permission to find a trade for his client. I know when martin erat wasn't working out in Washington that it was his agent that went to the media and started requesting a trade.
some agents have more tact and probably leak their agenda more subtle but theres a lot of agents over the years that are a bull in a china shop.
to me though, all the examples I can find of agents being involved... just speak towards their own client wanting out. there might be a couple cases that an agent would say my client will only accept a trade to this 1/2 locations and actually try to force a gm's hand into trading the player exactly where the player wants. and in those cases, I don't think the agent has any say at all what the return is.
for example suppose tomas vanek wants to get traded from islanders and we all think he wants to end up in Minnesota. his agent might put it out there to a team like montreal that vanek wont resign if dealt there as a rental. he might tell the islanders vanek wont resign if they keep him. he might enforce vanek's no trade protection and limit the number of teams vanek will agree to move too... but ultimately the agent cant force islanders to deal vanek to Minnesota for a fourth round pick.
vanek can still end up surprising everyone when he moves to montreal and some prospect that no one realized was up for grabs like colberg could still end up being the return.
the fact that vanek is going to be moved... that's a legit rumor supplied by an agent and given to the media. but vanek moving specifically to montreal for a return of colberg and a second or whatever the deal was, is not rumored to us from the agent or the gm's involved.
most the rumors were that the islanders wanted a first and a prospect or young player in return for vanek, but its pretty easy for even a non-insider to guess that the islanders wanted a first. most teams want a first when they are dealing a good ufa. im sure Edmonton wanted a first for petry. I bet buffalo wanted a first for stewart. it just doesn't feel like it requires a lot of inside info for some media guy to say that phoenix wanted a first for vermette.
anyhow im late for work... but I really don't want this to come across as if im attacking our own insiders here. I mostly just want to open peoples eyes that inside rumors are fun and are to be enjoyed but aren't always supposed to be treated as gospel to use to attack the team
