What Every NHL Team Would Do If the Trade Deadline Was Today
Now that we're about a quarter of the way through the NHL season, we're starting to get a real idea of what each team in the league is all about when it comes to their strengths and weaknesses.
While the trade deadline doesn't hit until March 8, that's enough of a reason for us to examine what each franchise would do if the deadline to make moves was right now and this was the last chance for teams to address their lineups.
Whether teams are buying to climb the ladder or selling to carve up the roster to prepare for a run at the best chances of winning the draft lottery, we'll figure it out with an idea for each franchise.
Atlantic Division
1 of 4
Boston Bruins: Get blue line assistance
When you're one of the best teams in the league, you're just looking to tweak, and something the Bruins could stand to get a little help with is defense. They have great players in Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm at the top, but it's their secondary defenders who haven't given them quite as much support.
The Bruins' shot attempts-for percentage at five-on-five is a surprisingly low 48.7, and while McAvoy and Lindholm have been superb at generating shots and possession, the rest of the group hasn't. We kicked around the idea of making a big splash for Noah Hanifin, but even a more budget-conscious addition to boost those numbers would help improve the back end.
Buffalo Sabres: Find scoring help
The Sabres have been riding the struggle bus this year thanks to inconsistent play and injuries to key players up front (Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn, Alex Tuch), and it's helped make one of the youngest teams in the league even younger by forcing prospect call-ups.
They missed out on signing Patrick Kane, but they should still be in search of a forward who can help fill the net at five-on-five and on the power play. Guys will recover from injury in the weeks to come, but the 10-13-2 Sabres are in danger of slipping too far back in the playoff race. Be it a rental player or someone who might be falling out of favor where they're at, GM Kevyn Adams' phone is probably getting a bit more of a workout while in search of said scorer.
Detroit Red Wings: Clean up on defense
The Red Wings are looking good this year and can score plenty of goals. They've also added Kane to their attack, but it's the defense that could use some straightening up. The Wings struggle at five-on-five puck possession.
They have four players with over 150 minutes at five-on-five who are over 50 percent, and they're all forwards. Defensemen Moritz Seider, Jake Walman and Shayne Gostisbehere have been solid, but the rest of their group of veterans are just kind of getting by.
Seeing them maybe go after Hanifin would be an intense move and make it even more abundantly apparent that GM Steve Yzerman is dead set on the playoffs and more now. But like Boston, finding a blue liner who could strengthen possession and allow them to free up their forwards even more to score would be a great move.
Florida Panthers: Acquire forward depth
The Panthers have shown once again how good they are, and that they were able to excel while they were without Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour on defense proved that. Florida is getting superb play from its top forwards, and Sam Reinhart is having a career year in a contract season.
But when you get beyond their top seven or eight forwards, there's a little room for improvement to be had. This isn't to say their bottom-six forwards are playing poorly, just that the Eastern Conference is a meat grinder and even a little more offensive punch would help them make life miserable for their growing list of rivals in the East.
Montréal Canadiens: Trade Jake Allen
The Canadiens have looked like a team that's got a lot of hope for the future with their bevy of younger players, but they're still finding their way there. One thing that's solved itself this year is goaltending. Samuel Montembeault has been excellent once again and his play earned him a three-year contract extension.
Now that he's locked in as one of their goalies for the coming years, that leaves the other spot up for grabs between the 24-year-old Cayden Primeau and veteran Jake Allen, 33, whose contract is up after this year.
Teams, especially playoff contenders, are always in need of goaltending help and moving Allen seems like fait accompli. Whether it's Edmonton, New Jersey or someone else in need of help between the pipes, Allen would help the Habs add draft picks in their rebuild.
Ottawa Senators: Bring in defensive help
The Senators are always fascinating. They've got a decent offense and their goaltending and defense has been below-average, but their key players who are locked in long-term are doing their best.
If there's a spot that's always seemingly in need of improvement, it's defense, but at least they're not in search of an elusive No. 1 or No. 2 guy. Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun and Jake Sanderson have all done well and Artem Zub has been solid, but the third pair of Erik Brannström and Travis Hamonic could use some improvement.
Some help on the blue line could go a long way to making things easier for the rest of the defense corps as well as goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Boost the blue line
The Lightning are another really interesting team. They're getting an incredible season from Nikita Kucherov and guys like Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Brandon Hagel have helped fill it up as well.
Now that Andrei Vasilevskiy is back in goal after back surgery, that area is not an issue. But when you get past Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev on defense, things get a little dicey. Erik Cernak is solid and mean, and Nick Perbix has been a good partner for Hedman, but they're counting on their top four defensemen to do a lot of heavy lifting.
Darren Raddysh has been solid, and Calvin de Haan is an admirable veteran, but additional help would do a lot more for the Bolts in the battle for the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs: It's the defense again
Even in years when the Leafs address the blue line, it seems like they're always in need of more. They've had injuries to Timothy Liljegren, John Klingberg and Mark Giordano, and while Toronto can score with ease, stuffing opponents before they get to rookie Joseph Woll in goal would save everyone a lot of headaches.
Their veteran depth signings like Simon Benoit, William Lagesson and Conor Timmins are helping them get by for now, but they'll need more reliable help for the playoffs and their never-ending quest to advance beyond the opening rounds. They have the ultimate card to play in trades should they be unable to work out something long-term with impending free-agent forward William Nylander, but that would also create a new problem for them up front if they did trade him.
Metropolitan Division
2 of 4
Carolina Hurricanes: Sort out the defense's future
Carolina is such an odd team. It's the same group that's been there for a few years, the Hurricanes' advanced stats are all outstanding, they've got incredible scoring depth, and even though goaltending is kind of going through it with injuries and hot and cold play, they're not going to really mess with it.
But they've got four defensemen due to be unrestricted free agents in the summer: Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Jalen Chatfield and Tony DeAngelo. Pesce has been in trade rumors for about a year now, but Skjei has become an outstanding performer on the blue line for them as well. Chatfield is steady and provides snarl, while DeAngelo is virtually solely offensively minded.
The 'Canes could make a major splash moving Pesce or Skjei to address any needs they may have anywhere in the lineup. They're a wild card for trades because they could make a big one or stand pat.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Figure out the franchise's direction
It's been tough to see the Blue Jackets hit hard times early on this season. A nine-game winless streak is a clear low point, and sorting through that while benching Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau late in a contest and ultimately scratching Laine from a game just made it seem all the worse.
They're oozing with young talent learning their way in the NHL, but they need to figure out how they best want to surround them with veteran players. If that means moving Laine or someone else, so be it, but they don't need to make the growing pains harder on themselves.
New Jersey Devils: Get a goalie, my goodness
The Devils entered the year as a favorite to make the Stanley Cup Final out of the East, and they feature so many exciting players who are having great seasons (Jack and Luke Hughes in particular).
But for as fun as the offense is and for how good the defense can be (although they'll be drastically tested going without Dougie Hamilton because of injury), it's their goaltending that's really taken the air out of them. Vitek Vanecek has struggled, and rookie backup Akira Schmid hasn't been able to recapture the great play he showed in the playoffs last year as yet. It's easier said than done to get a goalie, but if the Devils are going to live up to expectations, it's an area they must address.
New York Islanders: Find scoring depth
If anyone knows what to make of the Islanders this season, let everyone across the league know because, sheesh, man. They struggle to score (2.78 goals per game is sixth-lowest in the league), and they're giving up 3.13 goals per game, which puts them firmly in the middle of the pack.
They have six players in double figures in points and could use another move to show the fans they're actually mindful about gunning for the playoffs. Trading for Bo Horvat was a great splash move last year, and while they could stand to do something like that again, it would serve them better to address the dearth of scoring depth.
As great as Mathew Barzal has been and the way in which defenseman Noah Dobson is emerging, finding guys beyond Horvat, Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri would do them wonders. Trying to grind out wins every night will only wear everyone out.
New York Rangers: Don't do anything drastic
The Rangers look absolutely beastly this season, thanks in large part to the play of Artemi Panarin who's having an MVP-like start. Their entire lineup is dangerous offensively, and their blue line play has been very strong. Mix in a stunning start from Jonathan Quick to go along with Igor Shesterkin's overall greatness, and it's a Rangers team that doesn't really need to mess with a good thing.
They're in a great spot to stockpile depth at the NHL and AHL levels to provide insurance in case of injury disaster, and you could argue their NHL depth is already pretty well set. It ain't broke, so there's no need to fix a thing.
Philadelphia Flyers: Find scoring punch
Seeing the Flyers adopt John Tortorella's style of hockey and have success with it after how tumultuous last season went is oddly heartwarming. They play hard every game and will wear out opponents by not letting up on the pressure.
Thing is, they're doing well by keeping opponents off the scoreboard. They're getting good scoring production from multiple lines, but they don't have the one guy who opponents are circling in their game plans to look out for. Maybe that's the way they like it, but having a big point-producer who can play the kind of hockey Torts would like to see would be a great fit.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Get a scoring winger
The Penguins are getting incredible seasons from Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson. They're all producing big points, and it's helping steady them from game to game.
Problem is, they haven't gotten a lot of consistent scoring elsewhere. Reilly Smith was great in the first month, but his scoring has quieted down and the Pens' bottom six just hasn't produced a lot of goals. Adding another finisher on the wing to skate with Malkin would help make them more dangerous and give more teams nightmares about how the "old guys" just keep roasting them night after night.
Washington Capitals: Trade Evgeny Kuznetsov
We're on year two of believing it's time for the Capitals and Evgeny Kuznetsov to part ways, and recent happenings have only made it even more apparent. The Capitals made Kuznetsov a healthy scratch against Arizona on Monday night, only to see the Coyotes shut them out 6-0.
His play hasn't been great recently, and he's got nine points in 19 games this season and comes with a $7.8 million cap hit this year and next. It's not an easy trade to make and it's one they've been trying to make for some time now, but after this latest development, it's time to pull the bandage off and figure out a way to end the relationship.
Central Division
3 of 4
Arizona Coyotes: Add another puck-mover on defense
The Coyotes have been fun to watch this season, and they've got enough forwards who help them score in waves. Rookie Logan Cooley has been exciting, and Clayton Keller has led the way for them admirably.
What's more, defenseman Sean Durzi has been a great addition to the blue line and gives them a scoring threat from there they haven't had since Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but they could stand to give Durzi a little backup.
Adding another capable puck-mover to the blue line would take some of the pressure off Durzi to be their one most able defender to carry the puck and start rushes. If they were able to swoop in and acquire Noah Hanifin it would be an ideal addition and show everyone Coyotes management is ready to stop being the butt of everyone's jokes.
Chicago Blackhawks: Be the best trade facilitators
Chicago was not meant to be good this season and, sure enough, it is not. Connor Bedard has come as advertised and been great, but with Taylor Hall done for the season with an injury and Corey Perry cut loose, the growing pains of a young team are very apparent.
They're not going to add players to improve their situation this year, but they're well below the cap and continuing to compile draft picks. Using that $14.6 million in cap space to help teams move their big-ticket players in need of new addresses is the absolute best thing they can do and probably the most likely outcome.
Colorado Avalanche: Improve the defensive depth
Let's be real: The Avalanche aren't in need of a lot of help. They score a ton of goals, they don't give up a lot of them and their advanced stats are among the best in the league. Life is good in Denver, but if there's an area in need of just a little insurance, it's on defense.
Cale Makar is a little banged up right now, and they'll be without Samuel Girard while he's in the player assistance program. Fortunately, the Avs have Jack Johnson and Caleb Jones to soften the blow, but if they have to dig deeper than that, things could get dicey. Competing against Dallas, Los Angeles, Vegas and Vancouver in the West won't cut them any breaks.
Dallas Stars: Get insurance
The Stars are in a similar position to the Avalanche in that they're doing everything really well. Their scoring depth is strong, their defense doesn't score a ton of points but is solid, and Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood have been great in goal again. Dallas has even had incredibly good fortune with injuries.
The Stars are good, they're in a great battle with Colorado and Winnipeg once again, and about all they need to do is make sure they're prepared for when players miss time with various ailments. Based on how their guys are playing in the AHL, that doesn't seem to be a problem either. It's kind of a happy boring time for Dallas, but GM Jim Nill is never one to be asleep at the wheel if things get tough.
Minnesota Wild: Stay cool, man
The biggest move the Wild needed to make was a coaching change, and they did that when they fired Dean Evason and brought in John Hynes. The lineup is pretty good, so long as it's playing up to its potential. Until recently, only a handful of guys had been doing that, but the 3-0 record under Hynes has shown there's more there.
If there's an area for the Wild to address right now, it's their depth up front and on defense. But in reality they've got to play it cool and see if their play can rebound enough to get into the thick of the playoff race. If it's not, it would be time to take a look at the players on expiring deals to see if they can find a new home elsewhere.
Nashville Predators: Find a scorer
The Predators started to remake their roster last season when they traded Mattias Ekholm to Edmonton. But now that they've fixed things up more in the image of GM Barry Trotz, they're hovering around the playoff race, and one desperate need they have is scoring.
Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly have been great, as has Gustav Nyquist, but while their younger forwards go through the ups and downs of growing in the NHL, another veteran to put the puck in the net would give the Preds another layer to their attack.
They've weathered goalie Juuse Saros' slow start, but he's beginning to warm up, and giving him a few more goals in support could make Nashville a real pain to deal with later on.
St. Louis Blues: Deal the UFAs
The Blues are in a spot where they haven't been great, but they also haven't been bad enough to want to rip it all apart. What they do have are six potential unrestricted free agents who, although many have been steadily in the lineup, aren't doing a lot to help the cause.
Among the guys St. Louis has to possibly deal (Jakub Vrana, Kasperi Kapanen, Samuel Blais, Oskar Sundqvist, Robert Bortuzzo, Marco Scandella), each would make an ideal depth player for a playoff contender.
Although the return in deals involving them might not make headlines, they could help add picks or mix in new players. If the Blues are going to sell, they're going to help some other teams fill some holes and improve their future in the process.
Winnipeg Jets: Add depth all around
Seeing the Jets in the mix with the Avalanche and Stars atop the Central is a pleasant surprise considering all the offseason question marks that were later solved when they signed Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to long-term extensions and traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to L.A.
The Jets are solid and fun and score and stymie opponents well. If there's a need, it's more of an organizational one to add more quality depth at all positions, particularly on defense.
What Winnipeg can roll out with its regular lineup is really solid throughout, and while injuries are difficult to navigate no matter what, the Jets are lacking in guys on the blue line who can help soften the blow. They have some guys scoring in the AHL at forward, but defense is where they could stand to get a lift.
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Pacific Division
4 of 4
Anaheim Ducks: Get busy dealin'
The Ducks' play this year has been a lot of fun to watch thanks to the play of rookie Leo Carlsson, the staggering goal scoring of Frank Vatrano, and the smooth skating and playmaking from the blue line from rookie Pavel Mintyukov.
The Ducks are building and leaning on their young guys, which puts the spotlight on their veterans on expiring deals as potential trade chips. Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Ilya Lyubushkin are all big candidates to be moved and there's no reason for Anaheim to hang on to them unless they're planning to keep them around as mentors for their young players.
Calgary Flames: Figure it out already
We didn't think the Flames were going to get many of their possible UFAs figured out yet, but now that we're a quarter of the way in and Calgary is looming around the playoff picture, that the Flames haven't made much progress yet isn't surprising.
But they have to.
They've already traded Nikita Zadorov after he forced the issue when he requested one. Dealing Noah Hanifin seems even more likely now; Chris Tanev would be high on any team's wish list for a defenseman; and what is going on with Elias Lindholm?
The Flames could clean up on the trade market...or they could hold all their cards and gun it for the playoffs and maybe not get anything in return at the end of it all. Flames GM Craig Conroy has an unenviable task ahead.
Edmonton Oilers: GET. A. GOALIE.
There's nothing wrong with the Oilers offense. They produce tons of chances, and they have two of the best offensive players in the NHL in the past...very long time with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Even the defense is doing fine with Evan Bouchard leading the way and having a brilliant season.
But my goodness, find someone, anyone, who can stop the puck in goal. Unfortunately, the entire league knows their weakness, and making a deal for a goalie means the Oilers are over a barrel because of it. But does Edmonton want to make it to a Stanley Cup Final? Does it want to win it while it has the best player in the league on its roster or not? Get a goalie already.
Los Angeles Kings: Steady as it goes
The Kings look like a machine. They score the most goals per game in the NHL, and they allow the fewest goals per game. Their scoring depth runs deep, and Cam Talbot is having a phenomenal season in goal.
Even more importantly, the Kings also have a lot of depth in the organization in the AHL as well when it comes to scorers and in goaltending. They've got the ability to weather some injuries and bring guys up if they need a change of pace or a different look at a position. The Kings look incredible, and there's not a lot for them to tinker with at all.
San Jose Sharks: Sell, sell, sell
The Sharks are bad. And though they're not as bad lately as they were to start the year, they're still the league's worst team. They're not in a position to add players unless it's in a trade that sends a key player out of town.
The Sharks have so many players with contracts ending after this season to sell off, including Anthony Duclair and goalie Kaapo Kähkönen, that a full teardown is on the horizon. They're going to make deals and figure out who they want to be part of their next wave. A rebuild was overdue in San Jose, but it'll be up to GM Mike Grier to maximize the trade returns to make sure it all goes smoother than not.
Seattle Kraken: Is it goaltending?
The Kraken are in a weird spot because they're in the third season of existence but were a 100-point team last year that went to the second round of the playoffs. In 2023-24, they've resembled the inaugural-season Kraken more often than last year's team in that goals have been harder to come by (2.65 per game, fourth lowest in the league) and their goaltending has been horrible (3.42 goals allowed per game; ninth-most).
Their advanced numbers are better than you'd expect given the circumstances (better than 51 percent in shot attempts for and expected goals for), which points to the goalies as a weak point.
Making a drastic trade for one doesn't make sense for such a young organization, but if the Kraken want to keep the momentum going, it would be the first thing to address.
Vancouver Canucks: Determine if Garland still wants out
Making the blue line a bit more stout was at the top of the Canucks' list, but they took the easy answer away from us by adding Nikita Zadorov from Calgary. Now that they've addressed that and continue to be one of the top teams in the West...what's next?
They're scoring like mad at the top of the lineup, but the offense has been spread out deeper in the lineup as well. Connor Garland got permission to look for a trade before the season, but does he still want to go or has the Canucks' success changed his mind? Is it worth it to upset what's going on to find out?
Vegas Golden Knights: Give scoring a boost
Things are going quite well for Vegas, and while a lot of that is thanks to the play in goal from Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, they're getting a lot of offense from Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Mark Stone.
If the Golden Knights want to help give their goalies a little more insurance through the offense, that wouldn't be the worst thing to do. They're averaging just over three goals per game (3.08), which is firmly in the middle ranks of the league. But if they wanted to find ways to move money around to add another scorer to the lineup, it might help make a big difference for them in the race for the division and into the playoffs.
Advanced statistics via Natural Stat Trick. Salary-cap info via CapFriendly.
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