NHL Trade Deadline: 7 Questions to Consider

It may only be January 4th but teams already are starting to assess their own rosters. Coaches and general managers are taking inventory of what they have, what they can afford to trade away and what they would like to acquire at or before the deadline.

Every trade that will occur at the deadline will not necessarily be a groundbreaking blockbuster move. Some teams may need to plug some holes while others may decide to make the move to go all in.

All it will take is one significant trade to get the rumors swirling about.

With that in mind, here are some questions to consider as the trade deadline slowly approaches.

Will the Tampa Bay Lighting Make a Trade for a Goaltender?

The Tampa Bay Lighting currently are 17-18-3 with only 37 points. At this point last season, the Lightning were 23-11-5 with 51 Points. Despite having league-leading goal scorer Steven Stamkos, the Lightning would not make the playoffs if the season ended today.

Part of the reason the Lightning are towards the bottom of the standings is because of their shaky goaltending. Starting goaltender Mathieu Garon has a record of 11-9-2 and a 2.73 goals against average. These numbers are only slightly better than backup Dwayne Roloson who has a record of 6-8-1 with a 3.72 goals against average.

If Tampa wants to climb up the ladder back into playoff picture, a trade needs to be made. But who should Tampa target? Could they set their sights on a young goaltender like Cory Schneider or Jonathan Bernier?

Tampa is 5-4-1 in their last 10 games played, so a change should be made as soon as possible.

Will the Washington Capitals Trade Alexander Semin?

Alexander Semin is set to become a free agent this offseason. 

This year he may test the free-agent waters, but could Semin be traded at the deadline? When on his game, Semin is a dynamic player with a lethal wrist shot. He is an offensive-minded player. While that may have worked under Bruce Boudreau, things may be different with Dale Hunter.

With a new head coach in Dale Hunter, the whole team dynamic could change. Alex Ovechkin has really started to play like the Alex of old as he is adjusting to Hunter's system. Ovechkin is not just scoring goals but is playing physical. Unlike Ovechkin, Semin is not a very physical player. 

There could be a lot of teams that will have some interest in Semin. If the team is going to change some personnel, Semin could be dangled to acquire some players that will fit Hunter's system.

What Will Pittsburgh Do If Crosby Misses the Rest of the Year?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a talented team that accomplished a lot last season without Sidney Crosby. However, with the surging play of both the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, the Penguins are slowly falling out of the division title picture.

Evgeni Malkin is a talented player in his own right but has a bad knack of getting injured. If Malkin were to succumb to injury, would James Neal be able to carry the team? It becomes an interesting question because Marc Andre Fleury is an amazing goaltender who has been very reliable for this franchise.

Would the Penguins be willing to take a low risk in acquiring a player like Ales Hemsky? Would they attempt to hit a home run with a player like Alex Semin?

What is clear is that Crosby's absence leaves a huge void now and in the foreseeable future.

Will Bobby Ryan Become a New York Ranger?

Everyone should be familiar with the rumors. Back in late November and early December, Ryan was heavily rumored to be a potential trade target of the New York Rangers. It is now January and a lot has changed.

The Ducks have a new head coach, the Rangers have the best record in the Eastern Conference and the Ducks record has not improved.

With that in mind, will Ryan finally come to Broadway? The Ducks made the decision to hold on to Ryan when they hired Bruce Boudreau and fired Randy Carlyle. This was determined to be the easier decision. 

The question now becomes two-sided in whether or not Ryan will be traded. With the Rangers' recent success will there be any need to attempt to shake things up, and will the Ducks be willing to part with one of their rising stars?

Will the Philadelphia Flyers Splurge for a Defenseman?

Chris Pronger is already sidelined for the rest of the season and possibly the rest of his career with concussion-like symptoms.

Pronger was arguably the Flyers' most important defender as he brought a lot to their lineup. The Flyers may have a crop of capable defenders but will they splurge to add a top-pairing minutes eater? Will they look to add a defenseman that enables them to balance out the defensive aspect of their game?

The Flyers are a team that scores a lot of goals but they also give up a lot of goals as well. Ryan Suter is a defenseman that comes to mind and could really fit in Philadelphia. Suter is capable of playing 25-plus minutes a night and can play on special teams.

The question at hand then becomes, will the Flyers splurge for Suter?

Could Floundering Teams Rebuild by Trading Sought After Players to Contenders?

At this point in the year, the playoff picture is becoming clearer and clearer. It is obvious that a lot of things could change between now and April but the law of averages can predict that there are certain teams that will not make the playoffs given their current place in the standings.

The Calgary Flames are a team that could look to rebuild if they continue to dip in the standings. Starting goaltender Miika Kipprusoff is getting older and Jarome Iginla still wants to win the Stanley Cup. If the Flames trade Iginla, it signals the end of an era and a rebuild of the franchise as fans know it.

Iginla is a player that could fetch a hefty ransom. He is a future Hall of Fame player who can still score 25-30 goals a season. As much as it would hurt to trade Iginla, he is a player that could get Calgary some players to help rebuild their franchise.

The Carolina Hurricanes are another team with a crop of free agents set to test the market this offseason.

Here is a report by SLAM! Sports that offers some insight on the situation.

"

The season is pretty much over in Carolina and the belief is GM Jim Rutherford is getting ready to clean house. League sources say Rutherford will hold a fire sale before the NHL trade deadline. Not only are the Hurricanes going to try and move potential UFAs Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Allen, Jaroslav Spacek and Tim Gleason, they would also like to get rid of contracts that have term. Don’t be surprised if you hear the D Joni Pitkanen’s in trade talk. He has two years left with a cap hit of $4.5 million.

"

Tuomo Ruutu, Tim Gleason and Bryan Allen are all players who could garner some interest. Gleason and Allen are capable defenseman that teams seeking depth could inquire about. Both can eat minutes and will provided a veteran presence. 

Tuomo Ruutu is a young power forward who, when disciplined, can have an impact. Teams looking to add grit and jam could inquire about him.

There are a lot of teams who could sell at the deadline but Carolina is probably one of teams that will make a lot of moves.

Are the New Jersey Devils Confident That They Can Re-Sign Zach Parise?

Zach Parise is currently set to become one of the most sought after free agents in recent memory. He is a young, talented goal scoring forward you can build a team around. He has bounced back from injury and appears to be at the top of his game. He has the potential to be "that final piece" for a playoff-contending team in order to put them over the top.

Right now the New Jersey Devils are contending for a playoff spot. As long as this is the case, it is unlikely that Lou Lamoriello moves Parise. The Devils architect will attempt to lock up Parise for the long haul if he can.

A trade involving Parise would likely involve a proven goaltender coming back to the Devils. Martin Brodeur is on his last legs and the Devils will need an established goaltender in order to be a playoff team. If this is indeed Brodeur's last season, the Devils will have a huge hole to fill.

If Parise is traded, chances are it won't be to a major Eastern rival of the Devils. Playing the devil's advocate, no pun intended, lets just say Zach Parise is not traded.

Can the Devils even afford to re-sign Parise?

This offseason, the Devils will have $25,170,834 of free cap space to sign 11 players. Here is just a list of players the Devils will need to retain or replace.

In addition to Parise, who would likely garner a raise, the Devils would have about $17,670,834 to re-sign or replace.

• Martin Brodeur
• Johan Hedberg
• Bryce Salvador
• Kurtis Foster
• Mark Fayne

In addition to that, the Devils will have eight additional players to re-sign the following year. While the Devils could probably find a way to make the deal work, adding another large contract would not be smart for a team on the verge of bankruptcy.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: