NHL Teams Most Likely to Be Involved in a 2015 Draft-Day Trade

NHL teams are shuffling managers and coaches this spring in anticipation of an active summer of wheeling and dealing. Among the major issues impacting all 30 teams this season is the projected cap, which could mean some scrambling among those who spend to the ceiling.

On the draft floor, the currency is picks, and they have extreme value. Offloading veterans for picks and prospects will drive this summer's market, meaning several famous teams will have a new look in the fall. On the other hand, young teams looking to take that next step forward will be on the lookout to add quality, no matter the salary.

Here are the NHL teams who will make news at the draft and beyond in 2015.

Boston Bruins

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Their Situation: The Boston Bruins are going through a lot of changes this spring. Don Sweeney has replaced Peter Chiarelli as general manager, and Claude Julien's future looks uncertain, as this Boston Herald article by Stephen Harris discusses. 

What Will They Be Looking For? The Harris article suggests major changes, in terms of style and personnel. If the Bruins want a more uptempo club, we could see a lot of roster movement. At the very least, Boston fans can expect the club to shore up the defense.

What Assets May Be Available? A new general manager will want to put his stamp on the team, so there's a chance some veterans hit the road. It's unlikely we see Milan Lucic or Zdeno Chara leaving Boston, but if the team wants to change direction, a trade involving either player would certainly indicate a change in direction.

Buffalo Sabres

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Their Situation: The Buffalo Sabres have done a lot of good work already this spring, led by the hiring of Dan Bylsma as head coach. Buffalo boasts what may be the strongest prospect cluster in the NHL and will likely select franchise center Jack Eichel at No. 2 overall.

What Will They Be Looking For? Scott Cullen of TSN had a look at the Sabres and their shopping list for summer, and the major addition will be a No. 1 goalie—along with graduating prospects from their system.

What Assets May Be Available? Buffalo has myriad draft picks and prospects for trade. They also have tremendous cap room—about $27 million, according to General Fanager—so they should be able to accommodate every manner of creative trade proposals.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Their Situation: The Chicago Blackhawks are as close to a dynasty as anyone is likely to see in the cap era. The team is in the Stanley Cup Final, looking for their third victory in six seasons. If they win, hockey history will be most kind to the men who played for Chicago in this decade. 

What Will They Be Looking For? The summer will be a difficult time because the 'Hawks are a cap team with two monster deals—Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane—kicking in at $10.5 million each per season. The name of the game at the draft will be downsizing, and that means more prospects and picks headed to Chicago.

What Assets May Be Available? Chicago's available list will be of great interest to the other 29 teams. Among the veterans who could be available, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp and Corey Crawford would get the most attention. Bryan Bickell is the most likely player to be traded from Chicago on draft day.

Dallas Stars

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Their Situation: The Dallas Stars boast a formidable attack, ranking No. 2 in the entire NHL last season in goals. The defense gave it all back, as Dallas ranked No. 27 in goals against in 2014-15.

What Will They Be Looking For? It was a poor year for goalie Kari Lehtonen, so there's a chance the Stars add a goalie this summer. More than that, the team needs to add a quality defenseman, possibly two.

What Assets May Be Available? There's a chance Dallas would trade picks, and the club may also be willing to deal Lehtonen or a quality prospect like defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

Edmonton Oilers

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Their Situation: The Edmonton Oilers have enjoyed a stunning offseason so far, including winning the draft lottery, securing Peter Chiarelli as their GM and hiring Todd McLellan to coach. Things are looking up for the team for the first time in almost a decade.

What Will They Be Looking For? The Oilers have had goalie problems for two seasons and have been unable to fill the hole. As with most teams, they are badly in need of quality defensemen.

What Assets May Be Available? Edmonton has the No. 16 and No. 33 picks as well as impressive young players like Nail Yakupov, Leon Draisaitl and Justin Schultz. Chiarelli told Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED radio (via Today's Slapshot) he is open to trading draft picks in return for young players who can help immediately and be part of the future.

New Jersey Devils

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Their Situation: The New Jersey Devils are changing their look in a big way, and that should impact draft day and the team's roster. The new GM is Ray Shero, the new coach is John Hynes and changes are coming. 

What Will They Be Looking For? The Devils roster is a combination of extreme youth and age, with few players in their prime. It's likely New Jersey will look to add players who can plug and play with the NHL youth already on the roster.

What Assets May Be Available? Veterans like Travis Zajac, Ryane Clowe and Mike Cammalleri may be available at the draft, with the Devils looking for a combination of picks and youth in return. If they choose to go full rebuild, men like Cory Schneider, Andy Greene and Adam Henrique could return substantial value.

Ottawa Senators

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Their Situation: The Ottawa Senators enjoyed a strong push for the playoffs but were eliminated early by the Montreal Canadiens. This summer will see the club attempt to sign all of their restricted free agents in an effort to keep an emerging team together. 

What Will They Be Looking For? Ottawa is a team that uses a budget below the cap ceiling, so those RFA contracts will have to be fit inside an internal budget. The team will be looking for a scoring winger, but more than that, the result of any trade would need to help the Senators in terms of cap room.

What Assets May Be Available? The obvious asset is a goalie. The emergence of Andrew Hammond late in the regular season makes one of Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner expendable on draft day. The market for goalies isn't strong, but Anderson's track record is attractive, and he may be the goalie with a new address.

Philadelphia Flyers

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Their Situation: The Philadelphia Flyers hired Dave Hakstol as their new coach and will need to give him plenty of support this season. General Fanager shows the tight cap situation will make things difficult (nearly $400,000 over the cap currently), but Philadelphia should be active on draft day.

What Will They Be Looking For? The Flyers need a top-pairing defender in the worst way. Call it the Chris Pronger replacement, but without that player Philadelphia is an also-ran for the playoffs. They could also use a two-way winger, but that's a secondary consideration.

What Assets May Be Available? The Flyers own two first-round selections and could either trade up for an impact player or trade one of the picks for immediate help. Roster players they might shake loose include Matt Read and Andrew MacDonald.

St. Louis Blues

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Their Situation: The St. Louis Blues were once again disappointed with a quick playoff exit, to the point where there was talk about Ken Hitchcock not returning to the club. The fact that Hitchcock is back would seem to signal change. 

What Will They Be Looking For? It's hard to say what the Blues might be looking for specifically, but another scorer to help Vladimir Tarasenko must be close to the top of the list. An upgrade in goal is also possible if the opportunity presents itself.

What Assets May Be Available? St. Louis has some splendid talents, including T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Jay Bouwmeester. Among teams that should be active, no one has more impact assets who could cover a big trade than St. Louis.

Toronto Maple Leafs

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Their Situation: The Toronto Maple Leafs gave their fans something to cheer for this spring when they hired Mike Babcock as the club's new coach. Toronto grabbed the No. 1 coach on the market and can now settle in on improving the roster long-term.

What Will They Be Looking For? The Leafs can go two different ways: Rebuild through the draft or re-tool on the run and use Babcock's significant skills to turn the team around in a hurry. Either way, it'll be draft picks and young prospects on their shopping list.

What Assets May Be Available? Before hiring Babcock, all indications pointed to a rebuild as reflected in an April article by James Mirtle for the Toronto Globe and Mail. A full rebuild would likely mean that Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul would all be available on draft day. 

Note: All salary and cap references courtesy of General Fanager.