NHL Trade Scenarios: One Trade Each NHL Team Could Make to Improve Before Camp

There’s still about a week until the NHL training camps open, which means that there is still plenty of time for teams to make some finals moves to improve their rosters for the beginning of the season.

Most teams have been very active this offseason, whether via trades or signing free agents.

However, for most teams, there’s still a thing or two that they could do to further improve their final roster before the beginning of the season.

Here’s one more trade that would improve each NHL team before they head to camp.    

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have some of the best young forwards in the league in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan.

However, teams need more than just an insane top line to win championships.

Where the Ducks are lacking is in secondary scoring, especially if Teemu Selanne decides not to return for another season (or more accurately, determines his knee can’t handle it).

After all, Selanne was one of the team’s best players last season, scoring 31 goals for 80 points.

If Selanne retires, the Ducks will need secondary scoring even more desperately.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup and, unlike the previous Stanley Cup winners, were able to retain almost all of that Cup-winning team.

They lost a couple players, but retained the most important ones and even added a couple this summer.

That means that there’s nothing Boston needs to do right now to improve this team before camp.

Right now, they still have one of the best rosters in the league and are easily the team to beat in the East.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres had a very busy offseason. New owner Terry Pegula proved his commitment to improving the Sabres this offseason by putting money into getting some top free agent names.

The Sabres added Christian Ehrhoff on defense, and forward Ville Leino, as well as trading for Robyn Regehr.

At this point, the Sabres don’t have a whole lot of room to make any more changes, but they do need to shed some salary to get under the cap.

They could do this either via trade or by sending a player down to the AHL.

Either way, they should be pretty content with their current roster and look to make changes at the trade deadline if something doesn’t work out.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have been in need of youth to add to their roster.

They were able to trade Robyn Regehr to Buffalo in exchange for Chris Butler and Paul Byron, who are 24 and 22 years old, respectively.

If Calgary can continue to make some moves like that, they should be set.

Some have suggested trading Alex Tanguay or Jarome Iginla as the only options to improve the team, but trading either of those two players would probably be detrimental to the make-up of the team.  

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have made some good improvements this offseason, and have a pretty well-stocked roster.

The one thing the team could still do is find more scoring, for insurance purposes.

After all, they lost Erik Cole to the Montreal Canadiens in free agency, and while they did add some forwards, no one really jumps out as a high producer.

Plus, they need to be prepared just in case Jeff Skinner suffers a sophomore slump—unlikely, but always a possibility.

If the Canes can add another top producing forward, they’ll be even more competitive in their division and conference again.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of highly talented players.

On offense, they have Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. On defense, they have Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

And of course, they have Corey Crawford in net.

This summer, the team added many new free agents, including forwards Andrew Brunette, Jamal Mayers and Daniel Carcillo.

While the team made some good additions this summer, if they’re still looking to improve, they could add more offensive depth, particularly another center.

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche’s biggest need this offseason was acquiring a consistent starting goaltender.

They addressed that need by acquiring Semyon Varlamov from the Washington Capitals, as well as Jean-Sebastien Giguere as a veteran backup.

Now, the Avalanche need to address scoring.

The team has Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny, but could use depth behind them or even a top scorer in front of them, if possible. After all, Duchene was last season’s leading scorer on the team, scoring 67 points.

Respectable, but they could use someone who could score even more than that.

The team drafted Gabriel Landeskog with the second overall pick in this year’s draft, but they could really use some more offensive support while he develops into the player he’s expected to become.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets had many needs going into this offseason, most of which they addressed.

First, they needed a top scorer to help relieve some of that burden on Rick Nash. They acquired that in Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Then, they needed serious help on defense, which they acquired in James Wisniewski from the Montreal Canadiens.

The only thing they could still do to improve at this point would be on goaltending. They really need a consistent goaltender to play alongside Steve Mason.

Other than that, it’s just a waiting game for the team, to see what their new additions can do with the team.

Dallas Stars

Everyone knows about the Dallas Stars' financial woes and how the team has been looking for a new owner for a long time now.

Their financial situation caused them to let Brad Richards walk this summer, which means that the team needs to find a top scorer to replace him.

Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson will have to step up in Richards absence, but they could use some help.

Obviously, their financial situation also prevented them from luring other top free agents to Dallas, so they’ll have to acquire what they need via trade.

However, a high-profile trade may have to wait until they have a new owner.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings' summer began with Brian Rafalski announcing his retirement. Nicklas Lidstrom, though, decided to return for at least one more year.

The team brought in Mike Commodore to fill the shoes of Rafalski, so their defense should be set for another season.

Now, what the team needs is a top-six forward.

This likely won’t be accomplished by training camp, but if by chance the team can get a deal done, that could improve their roster.

Otherwise, as always, the Red Wings are well-prepared for the season.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers needed many things this summer, as they once again were the worst team in the league last season.

Two needs that they haven’t fully addressed are their defense and goaltending situations.

Defense seems to be the most pressing need, and if the team could make a trade for a quality defenseman, they would be much better prepared for the start of the 2011-12 season.

Goaltending is another thought that they need to address sooner rather than later.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers were one of the most active teams this offseason, adding many new players at every position, via trades and via free agency.

At this point, the team doesn’t need to make any more moves.

They need to let this team get to know each other and see what happens on the ice for the first few months of the season.

Then, they can better assess their needs to address by the trade deadline.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings greatly improved their roster this summer when they traded for Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers, and signed free agent Simon Gagne, who will add considerable depth to their roster.

The only things that the Kings could still use are another top winger or to begin thinking about a replacement for Drew Doughty, as negotiations aren’t going very well with him. 

The Kings could also try to acquire a top defensive prospect to try to call Doughty’s bluff and get him to re-sign, but there could be negative consequences of that decision as well.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild made a couple of big trades with the San Jose Sharks this offseason, sending Martin Havlat and Brent Burns to San Jose.

The team received Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley in return in those two trades.

Burns was one of the team’s best defenseman and the Wild didn’t really replace him this offseason. They could really use another defenseman before the season begins.  

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens could really use some size on their team. Their tallest player is Hal Gill, 6’7”, but the rest of the team averages about 6’0” or less.

They could really use another player who is 6’4” or taller, who can help make some big hits, so that the Canadiens aren’t the only ones absorbing huge hits.

One player they could also stand to trade would be Andrei Kostitsyn, who made waves this summer when talking about his relationship with his head coach.  

If Kostitsyn really isn’t happy with his situation on the team, his productivity isn’t going to improve, which doesn’t help either the player or the team.

Kostitsyn still has the potential to be a productive player and could do well with a change of scenery. Perhaps he could play alongside his brother, Sergei, in Nashville?

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators currently have a good team, but that could all change next summer.

Three of their top players are set to become either an RFA or UFA next season: goaltender Pekka Rinne, captain and star defenseman Shea Weber and defenseman Ryan Suter.

It seems unlikely that the team will be able to afford to hold on to all three.

Rinne absolutely must be kept, as he was among the top goaltenders in the league last season and will be a franchise goalie for years to come. Weber, it goes without saying, must be kept.

That makes Suter the odd man out.

The Predators should look to move him this season, so he doesn’t just walk next summer. They also need to get some kind of offensive replacement in return.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils were one of the worst teams in the league last season; however, they were without their best player, Zach Parise, for the majority of the season.

Parise will be back and they have a couple of new additions, including first round draft pick Adam Larsson, which should help the Devils be a very competitive team this season.

The one thing the team will need to address at some point is their goaltending situation.

They have two goaltenders, Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, who are 39 and 38, respectively. Obviously they’re at the tail ends of their careers.

They also have a 22-year-old goaltender, Keith Kincaid, and a 19-year-old goaltender, Maxime Clermont.

The team really needs a goaltender for the transition between the elder goalies’ retirements and the younger goaltenders developing into the franchise goaltenders.  

New York Islanders

Ideally, the New York Islanders would love to trade Rick DiPietro because he’s awfully expensive, making $4.5 million through the 2020-21 season.

That’s expensive for a player that’s often injured (he’s missed the majority of the past three seasons).

However, moving his contract is virtually impossible due to its size and length; plus, the team needs it to hit the salary cap minimum.

That means that Evgeni Nabokov is probably the odd goaltender out.

After all, Nabokov didn’t want to play for the team last year; why should he this year? If they could move him before camp, that would be great.

Otherwise, they’ll probably be able to move him during the season once a goaltender goes down and a team needs to replace them.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers did well this offseason, winning free agency by signing Brad Richards to a long-term deal.

The team is well-set for the season on offense, defense and goaltending.

One thing the team could stand to do is move Sean Avery; although no one would probably be at all interested in him.

The Rangers’ roster should be set for the 2011-12 season.

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are in dire need of scoring on their team.

Their highest scorer last season was Jason Spezza, who scored 57 points. Their next highest was Erik Karlsson, who scored 45.

Spezza was also their highest goal scorer, with 21 goals.

If the team hopes to be successful, they really need players who can score more. They won’t be able to attract top free agents at this point, so trading for what they need is their best option.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers have made a lot of big moves this summer, trading for the rights and signing Ilya Bryzgalov, trading Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and signing Jaromir Jagr.

They’re probably pretty set for now, but if they do anything, they should address the goaltending situation.

With Bryzgalov’s massive deal, he’ll be expected to start most games. This means that both Sergei Bobrovsky and Michael Leighton aren’t necessary.

They could try to move one now or wait until sometime during the season when another team really needs a goaltender.

Phoenix Coyotes

During the 2010-11 regular season playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mike Smith had a save percentage of .899 and GAA of 2.9.

While he had moments where he looked like he could be a top goaltender (in three playoff games, he had a save percentage of .958 and a GAA of 1), virtually no one believes he is the solution to the Coyotes goaltending situation.

Phoenix could use another goaltending option, should they need to bench him.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins had to finish last season without their top offensive weapons: captain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin will return at the beginning of this season, but Crosby’s status is still up in the air.

If the team wants to make sure they can be a contender and face that possibility without Crosby, they need to invest in more secondary scoring.

Obviously their cap room is really tight, but Ray Shero is adept at picking up quality secondary scoring for dirt cheap.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks needed to acquire defense this offseason and they accomplished that, acquiring Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild.

They also traded Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley away, replacing that lost production with Martin Havlat.

However, they could still use more scoring to replace Heatley because Havlat’s production is not enough to fully replace both Setoguchi and Heatley.

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues added a couple of veteran forwards this offseason, signing free agents Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner.

Those two players will be very beneficial for the development of the Blues' young players.

However, the Blues could still use a high-producing offensive star to really improve their team and help make them a contender.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have an excellent team. They surprised many last season when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The team kept almost everyone from last year's team, except for Simon Gagne and Sean Bergenheim. They could add some depth to replace those two players, but other than that, they don't need to do anything.

Many have mentioned that the team needs goaltending, but Dwayne Roloson was a beast last season. Many have said “how much can an almost 42-year-old goaltender do?”

Well, he did a lot at 41, so why wouldn’t he be able to do the same this season?

Once the season starts, goaltending may need to be addressed if Roloson doesn't seem to be as on his game as last season. 

For right now though, they’re going into the 2011-12 season expecting big things from Roloson, which isn’t off-base considering his postseason last year.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs' biggest need has been their biggest need for a long time now: acquiring a number one center.

This summer, the team signed Tim Connolly. While Connolly is a quality center, he's not the top center the team needs.

It's unlikely that the Leafs will acquire their center before camp, but one never knows with Brian Burke.

Burke definitely has something cooking, whether it happens before camp or before the trade deadline remains to be seen.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are pretty much set for the 2011-12 season as well.

They kept the most important players from last season; losing a few to free agency. The most notable and toughest loss was that of Christian Ehrhoff.

One trade that the team could make sooner rather than later is moving a goaltender. Most likely: Cory Schneider.

Both of their goaltenders are worthy of being starters. They could get a lot in return for either goaltender, so it makes sense to move whichever one that is.

However, it might be more beneficial to the team to wait until another team loses a goaltender to injury and is desperate for a high-quality replacement.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are almost $900,000 over the cap and need to do something to get under the cap.

A trade is one option, but not necessarily the team's only option.

There has been a lot of talk about trading Alexander Semin, due to his salary requirements, as well as his inconsistencies.

While the team still might trade Semin before camp, it seems that they won't trade him until closer to the trade deadline, if they even trade him this season.

Winnipeg Jets

The Atlanta Thrashers have relocated and become the Winnipeg Jets. As a Canadian franchise now, they'll be under more pressure to perform.

The team has a solid cast of characters, but somehow, they always fall apart at some point.

What the Jets could really use is a big name, high-profile offensive star.

They have a lot of good players, but could use someone to really lead their offense and drive the team's scoring.