Every Team's Biggest Need at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
Whether your team is a Stanley Cup contender and entering the NHL trading season as a buyer or a rebuilding club looking to sell, everybody has some sort of need at the trade deadline.
It could be an immediate requirement for a specific position or a more general need that can be filled in any number of positions, but there will always be something.
So with the 2025-26 NHL trade deadline fast approaching, and some moves having already been made, let's take a look at every team's biggest need between now and March 6.
Anaheim Ducks: Defense
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Are the Ducks a Stanley Cup contender this season? Probably not.
Are the Ducks a playoff team this season? Quite possibly.
If they want to ensure a spot in the Western Conference field, and potentially have a chance to do something when they get there, some defensive upgrades would be a wise addition.
The Ducks are loaded with young offensive talent and have been a formidable offensive team, but their defensive play has left much to be desired. They are currently 28th in the NHL in goals against per game and 26th in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
They should not overpay for a short-term rental; ideally, they would find someone with term remaining on their contract beyond this season who also fits into their young forward core.
Boston Bruins: Right-Shot Defense
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The Bruins are very much in the Eastern Conference playoff race and have a very good chance of earning a spot. While they have some bigger-picture, longer-term needs (like a true No. 1 center and even more scoring depth), one of the more glaring short-term weaknesses on the roster is another right-shot defenseman.
Boston's defensive metrics in 5-on-5 play are among the worst in the NHL this season (29th and 28th, respectively, in expected goals against per 60 minutes and high-danger chances against per 60 minutes), and that is a big problem.
They made the right decision to trade Brandon Carlo at last year's deadline, and that trade has turned out to be a massive win, but there is still a big need on their blue line. They were reportedly interested in Rasmus Andersson but were unable to secure his services. They should not stop looking for help on the defense.
Buffalo Sabres: Defensive Depth
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The Buffalo Sabres are a playoff team. Or at least they should be based on what they have done so far this season.
That means for the first time in a decade and a half, they have reason to be buyers at the deadline.
Along with potentially keeping pending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch, the Sabres could also use some middle-six forward help.
Their biggest need, however, might simply be some additional defensive depth for their bottom-pairing. Their top four is very solid, but if you want to win in the playoffs, you are going to need at least seven or eight capable NHL defensemen to account for injuries and just have enough quality players that can get you through 60 minutes without being a liability.
There are several options potentially available from potential rentals (Connor Murphy, Logan Stanley) to veterans with term remaining.
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Calgary Flames: Draft Picks and Prospects
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The Flames are still rebuilding and have been stockpiling draft picks for a couple of years now.
They already have four first-round picks over the next two years, and with Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman to use as potential trade chips, it is not a stretch to think they could add at least one more if they made a move.
The thing about accumulating draft picks like that is that they don't necessarily have to be used to select prospects. They can also be used as trade chips for more immediate help in the NHL.
The bottom line for the Flames is they just need to keep focusing on adding long-term pieces.
Carolina Hurricanes: Another Scorer
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The Hurricanes are doing what they usually do: winning a lot of games and wearing opponents down with a relentless puck-possession attack that keeps them pinned in their own zone.
The question is whether or not they have enough finishers to turn all of that territorial dominance into goal-scoring dominance.
That seems to be the one thing that holds them back the deeper they get into the playoffs, and even though the team is extremely strong and deep, they could still use another top-shelf scorer. They have the salary cap space and draft pick capital to be major players in that regard this deadline. If a team could pry Jordan Kyrou or Robert Thomas out of St. Louis, the Hurricanes would have the salary cap space and draft picks to potentially do it.
Chicago Blackhawks: More Long-Term Impact Players
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The Blackhawks have Connor Bedard and a couple of intriguing young players starting to make a name for themselves in the NHL.
That is good. It is important.
But they still need more.
While they will certainly be in the market to sell some pending veteran free agents, they should also keep their eyes open to add players who could be long-term pieces and help complement Bedard.
They shouldn't be buyers in the way a playoff team would be, but if there is a player with multiple years of team control available and a match that makes sense, they need to start adding serious players around their young core.
Colorado Avalanche: Center Depth
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With Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson occupying the top-two center spots, the Avalanche have a dominant 1-2 punch down the middle.
There is, however, a pretty significant drop-off once you get beyond them. Sometimes, having a dominant third line can be the difference between a Stanley Cup roster and a team that loses earlier than it should.
Could you imagine this team with a Vincent Trocheck or a Nazem Kadri reunion on its third line? Nobody is matching up with that down the middle.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Top-Six Forward
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The Blue Jackets have played their way back into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference, and while they are not a lock to make the postseason, they have probably at least put themselves in a position where they may not be trading away veterans.
If they could find a top-six forward with term remaining beyond this season, it would be the ideal move. The Blue Jackets are only a middle-of-the-pack team offensively and could use a bit more scoring punch both now and in the future.
Them standing pat and letting this roster continue its push is also a reasonable approach.
Dallas Stars: Right-Shot Defenseman
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Tyler Seguin's injury could create a need for another top-nine forward, but the right side of the Stars' defense has been a trouble spot for more than a year now.
Their left side is sensational, but they do not really have a right-handed defenseman that you can trust to play meaningful top-four minutes throughout the playoffs. That would bring much-needed balance to their lineup and potentially give them the upper hand in the Western Conference playoffs.
They keep knocking on the door. Now they just need that one additional piece to really knock it down.
Detroit Red Wings: Top-Four Defenseman
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The Red Wings are in a very similar position as their division rivals from Buffalo. After an extensive rebuild and a lot of years of bad hockey, they are finally in a position to get back into the postseason.
The top of the Red Wings' lineup is pretty excellent with Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Alex DeBrincat, and Dylan Larkin doing a lot of the heavy lifting. There are some concerns, however, when you get beyond that core group. That is especially true on defense, where they could really use another top-four defenseman to help complement Seider and Simon Edvinsson.
They have the salary cap space, and general manager Steve Yzerman should stop sitting on his hands and make a move to help his team.
The question will be can he find the type of player he needs.
Justin Faulk is a potential option, while Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks would be an intriguing short-term rental option.
Edmonton Oilers: Forward Depth
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Here are the relevant numbers for the Edmonton Oilers this season: 32-60 and 46.6 percent.
That is how badly the Oilers have been outscored and how bad their expected goals share is when neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl is on the ice during 5-on-5 play.
Those are terrible, appalling, awful numbers. It is also not anywhere near good enough to win a Stanley Cup. The Oilers have had some bad depth around their two superstars over the years, but this is about as bad as it has ever been in terms of on-ice production.
Whether it is a third-line center, more middle-six wingers, or some combination of the two, the Oilers have to find a way to add something. Every year with McDavid and Draisaitl needs to be an all-in year. They need to find a way to get them more help.
Florida Panthers: Get Back Some Assets
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Given how good the Panthers have been over the past three seasons, this might be a tough sell, but they should accept this season as a temporary setback and not try to make it worse. They are pretty far down the standings, and it is going to be really difficult to make that up without Aleksander Barkov.
They don't need to aggressively sell or tear anything down, but if they can strategically sell and bring a few more assets back into the organization (additional draft pick capital or a younger prospect that can be flipped for help next season), they should look into it.
They have given up so many draft picks over the years that it has depleted their cupboard a little bit. Accept the temporary setback this year and better position yourself for next season when you have better injury luck.
Los Angeles Kings: Another Forward
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The Kings already made one big move to get Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, and that was a huge addition. But losing forward Kevin Fiala to a season-ending leg injury at the Olympics is a pretty classic one step forward, one step backwards situation.
The Kings' offense has not been good enough this season, and while it will be better with Panarin in the lineup over Fiala, it would have been even better with both. Now that Fiala is down, they need to find a way to replace him if they have any hopes of making the playoffs and actually winning a round.
Minnesota Wild: Center Help
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The Wild already made their big trade deadline move by getting superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. But that took away their No. 2 center in Marco Rossi and leaves them with a bit of a hole down the middle after Joel Eriksson Ek.
A second-line center should be very high on their priority list.
The problem is that they already depleted much of their trade resources and salary cap space to acquire Hughes. Getting somebody like Vincent Trocheck will require some creativity, both in salary cap management and in actual trade assets.
Montreal Canadiens: Center Help
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The Canadiens have already established themselves as a playoff team with a good core. Now it is time for them to take the next step and win in the playoffs. Getting some additional center help would be helpful.
They tried to add some by bringing back Philip Danault, but that is not going to really move the needle for them against the top Eastern Conference teams.
Nick Suzuki is an outstanding No. 1 center.
Oliver Kapanen has been a nice development.
But they need another difference-maker down the middle.
Nashville Predators: Young Centers
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The Predators are not really in a position to buy or pursue a playoff spot, and they are an organization in transition as Barry Trotz begins the process of stepping away.
Whether they are looking for a shorter term or a longer term, every primary center they have used this season is over the age of 30. It is time to infuse some youth into the position and the NHL roster as a whole.
If they decide to move Steven Stamkos or Ryan O'Reilly, young talent down the middle should be the focus.
New Jersey Devils: Offense
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Pretty much everything has gone wrong for the Devils this season, including another random Jack Hughes injury that sidelined him for an extended time.
As has been the case in the past, New Jersey just did not have enough depth to make up for that.
The Devils are the second-lowest scoring team in the league this season and need an infusion of offensive talent. The playoffs are starting to become out of reach this season, but this is not a teardown situation, either.
Find some young talent and come back next season in a better position.
New York Islanders: Take a Big Swing
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The Islanders have more than exceeded expectations this season, and the arrival of top draft pick Matthew Schaefer is a big reason why. He has changed the franchise's short- and long-term outlook and might even help them make the playoffs this season.
The Islanders should not be in the market for anything short-term, but given the draft pick capital they have to work with, including four first-round picks over the next three years, they should not be afraid to go for somebody that can help them both now and in the future.
The St. Louis Blues have Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas sitting there as potential trade chips, and either one of them would be a huge addition for a young, improving Islanders team.
New York Rangers: Young Offensive Talent
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The Rangers are entering another retool, rebuild, or whatever they want to call it, and there is a huge need to add more youth and more offense to the system.
New York has too many big-money players on the wrong side of 30, and too little talent and creativity during 5-on-5 play. This roster and organizational mindset all need a rethink.
The question is whether general manager Chris Drury is the right person to orchestrate all of this, given how he's built the team over the past few years.
Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy are already gone.
Vincent Trocheck could be a great trade chip to bring back more young talent.
Ottawa Senators: Goaltending Help
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The Senators are significantly better than their record indicates, and they could still make the playoff race interesting if they could just get a save from a goalie. The question is whether they have the goalies on the roster to give them that.
They have used five different goalies this season with a collective .872 save percentage, while nobody has been over .884. That is simply not going to get the job done.
This is a good team.
They need somebody to make a save.
Philadelphia Flyers: Young Centers
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The Flyers are clearly still a work in progress and need more offensive help, especially down the middle.
Sean Couturier is 33 years old, Christian Dvorak will turn 30 next season, and they do not have much else behind them at the NHL level in terms of impact players at the position.
Neither Couturier nor Dvorak is going to be a No. 1 center on a playoff team at this stage of their career.
The trouble is going to be finding a player that fits their need.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Defensive Depth
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There might not be a bigger surprise team in the NHL this season than the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They started the year as a team that people expected to be in contention for a top spot in the 2026 draft lottery, and are now a team that is not only in contention for a playoff spot, but also has an excellent chance to get there. Perhaps even with home-ice advantage in the first round.
They have plenty of forward depth at both the NHL and AHL levels, but could definitely use more defensive depth.
The defense has overachieved this season and has improved rapidly as the season has progressed, but additional depth should be Kyle Dubas's focus over the next few weeks.
San Jose Sharks: Defensive Depth
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The main thing the Sharks need is patience.
They are still in the early stages of their climb, and even though they are in playoff contention, it does not need to happen this season. They already made one big move to get Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks, and that had to be a big boost to the locker room to see management add.
If they plan to keep adding, some defensive depth would be the ticket. The Sharks have some truly bad defensive metrics this season and need to be better at suppressing shots and scoring chances.
They should not overpay for a rental. But if they can find some cheaper depth, or perhaps somebody who has term remaining, they need to look on the defensive side of the ice.
Seattle Kraken: Offense
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The Kraken are in a playoff position, and not much about it makes sense beyond the fact that their goaltending has been great.
Sometimes that is all you need to get in.
If they are going to do anything in the postseason, though, they need to score more. The Kraken have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league for a couple of years now and have little scoring punch.
They need to fix that.
The other thing they need to do is avoid panicking and trading Shane Wright. Have some patience and see if he can develop for them, not for someone else.
St. Louis Blues: Restock Draft Pick Cupboard
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The Blues should not trade Jordan Kyrou or Robert Thomas just for the sake of trading them. They should listen, but they should need to be blown away with an offer to move one or both of them.
Everybody else on the roster, however, should be up for grabs. Brayden Schenn. Justin Faulk. Jordan Binnington, if you can find a taker. Aggressively shop them all and try to load back up on draft picks and young talent.
The Blues do not have a second-round pick until 2028 and need to add more draft capital and young talent to the organization. This season is not going anywhere, and they should be willing to hit a little bit of a reset.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Depth Forwards
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No matter what their salary cap situation looks like, no matter how many prospects they have traded over the years, the Lightning always find a way to add, and add significantly. Do not be surprised if and when they do it again.
They still have the high-end players at forward and in goal.
The defense has seen some surprising players emerge, with J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh.
Now they need to focus on building out more of their forward depth.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Draft Picks
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Will the Maple Leafs sell? If they were smart, they would. The playoffs are going to be a big ask at this point, and they do not have much to use as trade chips to make a deal. They have depleted their draft picks and prospect pools in recent years and need to restock them. Rapidly.
Simon Benoit, Scott Laughton, Calle Jarnkrok, and Bobby McMann should all be aggressively shopped to try to get picks and prospects back into the system. Even if they are just simply picks and prospects to be flipped in the offseason to add more immediate NHL help.
Utah Mammoth: Another Goal-Scorer
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Ever since relocating to Utah, the Mammoth organization has been aggressive in acquiring NHL talent.
It has helped put them in a position to make the playoffs this season. They have a lot of young talent, but are only a middle-of-the-pack offensive team. More goal-scoring help and another finisher for their top-six would be a strong move.
Vancouver Canucks: Prospects and Draft Picks
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The Canucks have already made it pretty clear they are selling this season after dealing defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Kiefer Sherwood, but they cannot stop there.
While they should be really hesitant to sell low on Elias Pettersson, players like Conor Garland, Evander Kane, and Jake DeBrusk should be heavily on the trade block in the hopes of bringing in more prospects and draft picks.
The Canucks have needed a meaningful rebuild for a while now. They should no longer avoid it.
Vegas Golden Knights: Scoring Depth
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The Vegas Golden Knights are the Western Conference version of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
No draft picks? No prospects? No salary-cap space? No problem. They always find a way.
Vegas already addressed its defensive depth with the Rasmus Andersson trade with Calgary, and now they should turn their attention to a middle-six winger. They do not need a star or an impact player. They already have those in Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone.
They just need some additional depth to help balance out the lineup.
Washington Capitals: Goal-Scoring Help
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The biggest problem for the Capitals in making the playoffs is that they have already played more games than every team they are competing against.
That changes the math for them and what they need to do to finish. Buying could be risky, but as long as Alex Ovechkin is still on the roster and you still have a chance, you have to imagine the Capitals will try to add.
They need more goal-scoring help. They need another forward. Ideally, they need another forward who can still help them in the future after Ovechkin retires.
Winnipeg Jets: More Draft Picks
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From the Presidents' Trophy a year ago to potentially missing the playoffs this season. The Winnipeg Jets have been a pretty flawed team for a few years now, only to have starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck mask those flaws. It has not worked out that way this season, and the issues are becoming obvious.
Winnipeg does not have a second- or fourth-round pick in each of the next two years, and they need to get some of that back.
The good news is the Jets have some potential rental players who can be flipped to help do that, including defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn and veteran forward Gustav Nyquist.
None of them should still be on the roster on March 7 unless there is zero market for them.
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