There’s still plenty of time until the trade deadline. But that doesn’t mean trades won’t begin to happen soon. The New York Islanders acquired Bo Horvat on Jan. 30 of last season, nearly a full month before the trade deadline. With about half of the 2023-24 season completed, let’s look at who could be buyers and sellers at the March 8 trade deadline, plus teams on the fence.
Western Conference
Buyers
- Colorado Avalanche
- Vancouver Canucks
- Dallas Stars
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Los Angeles Kings
- Winnipeg Jets
The buyers in the Western Conference are pretty clear at this point, as there’s a significant gap between the top-six teams and everyone else who’s chasing them. The Cup contenders are the Avalanche, Golden Knights, Stars and Kings, with the Jets and Canucks not too far behind them.
Some teams have glaring issues that need addressing. For example, the Colorado Avalanche need a second-line center. They acquired Ryan Johansen in the offseason to fill that role, but he has not played well this season, with 11 goals and 15 points in 39 games.
If the Calgary Flames decide to sell and trade Elias Lindholm, he would be the perfect second-line center for the Avalanche. With a 25-11-3 record, it’s clear they’ll be buyers, so targeting Lindholm to address their need for a second-line center makes plenty of sense.
Another team with an obvious need is the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot has played better than they could’ve asked for this season, but Pheonix Copley has struggled as his backup, posting an .870 save percentage in just eight games. Plenty of teams need goaltending with limited supply available, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Kings do to bolster their depth in net.
The Jets have been one of the NHL’s surprise teams and are just one point behind the Avalanche for first place in the Central Division. Even when Kyle Connor returns from his injury, adding some more scoring pop up front would benefit the Jets come the playoffs.
Other teams like the Golden Knights and Stars, while for sure buyers, may need a bit more time to determine what their trade deadline needs could be. Adding defensive depth seems like a possible route for both teams, but that could easily change depending on injuries.
Sellers
- St. Louis Blues
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- San Jose Sharks
- Flames
Some sellers are more obvious than others, but there’s a relatively defined picture in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks, Sharks and Ducks will all be sellers, as the playoffs are pretty much unrealistic already.
That’s not a surprise, though. None of those teams had real aspirations for contention this season since they’re rebuilding. Each club will have some attractive pieces for contenders looking for help. Need a goaltender? The Sharks have Kaapo Kahkonen on an expiring contract, while the Blackhawks have Petr Mrázek. Both have fared well for their teams this season.
Related: NHL News & Rumors: Canadiens, Oilers, Flames, Penguins, Devils
Need some scoring depth? How about Anthony Duclair (Sharks) or Jason Dickinson (Blackhawks)? As mentioned, there’s Lindholm with the Flames, but Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev might be two of the most highly sought-after defensemen ahead of the deadline in the coming weeks. The Flames could make out quite well for themselves if they sell as they should.
On the Fence
- Nashville Predators
- Arizona Coyotes
- Edmonton Oilers
- Seattle Kraken
The Oilers are on the fence for now for a couple of reasons. One is because they’re in cap hell. They have just over $609,000 in cap space right now, though they will have $2,784,411 in deadline cap space.
The Oilers have been on a tear since their terrible start and now hold a 19-15-1 record. They’re trending toward being sure buyers, but another losing streak could put that on hold, a second reason they’re not sure buyers yet. Once they affirm their status, look for them to be on the prowl for help in net, too.
Other teams on the fence — the Predators, Coyotes, and Kraken — will likely be in the fight for wild-card spots in the West. The Predators are seventh in the West, while the Kraken are eighth. The Kraken have won six in a row to bring themselves back in the picture.
The good thing is the cutoff to make the playoffs in the West likely won’t exceed 91-92 points by much. That could make all three teams buyers if they continue to play the way they have lately, but it also won’t take much of a losing streak for them to trend toward being sellers. The next few weeks of the season should determine their statuses.
Eastern Conference
Buyers
- New York Rangers
- Boston Bruins
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Florida Panthers
Like the West, there’s a clear picture of buyers in the Eastern Conference. After a hot start to the season, the New York Rangers are already a near lock to make the playoffs. They aren’t a team with a glaring need, but scoring goals at five-on-five has been a bit of a struggle for them. So, finding someone who can add more five-on-five scoring may help.
This seemed like it could be the season where the Boston Bruins took a significant step back, but their defense and goaltending have kept them near the top of the Eastern Conference. Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie have done well at center filling in for the retired Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but center depth seems like a priority for GM Don Sweeney.
Like the Oilers, finding a goaltender may be a focus for the Hurricanes. However, Pyotr Kochetkov has picked it up lately, with a .930 SV% across his last ten starts. Frederik Andersen could also return soon after dealing with medical issues related to blood clots, so they might be able to fix their goaltending from within.
The Maple Leafs are one of the top offensive teams, but finding defense and goaltending will be priorities, especially with Ilya Samsonov’s struggles. Along with the Panthers, they round out clear buyers in the East, as these five teams are near locks for the playoffs at the halfway point.
Sellers
- Ottawa Senators
- Buffalo Sabres
- Montreal Canadiens
- Columbus Blue Jackets
There are some disappointing teams in the sellers’ portion of the East. The Sabres and Senators were expected to take jumps forward and compete in the Atlantic Division, but that hasn’t been the case. With records below NHL .500, they will be sellers — along with the Canadiens and Blue Jackets — at the deadline.
The Canadiens are in an envious position with their surplus of goaltending, and they seem to know it. With so many teams needing help in net, they may be able to get a GM to overpay for Jake Allen, who could be highly sought after by a team like the Oilers or Hurricanes ahead of the deadline.
The Senators don’t have a goalie they can cash in on ahead of the deadline, but Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik are on expiring deals. They should each fetch the Senators some assets they can use to try and help improve a disappointing roster from this season.
Though Elvis Merzlikins’ contract may be problematic, he could fetch the Blue Jackets a decent return if they’re willing to retain some of his $5.4 million cap hit over the next three and a half seasons. It appears he may be available based on reporting from Elliotte Friedman, too.
But regardless of which players may be available from these teams, they’re all but certain to be sellers in the Eastern Conference, as their playoff odds are below 20 percent or in the single digits (per Money Puck).
On the Fence
- New York Islanders
- New Jersey Devils
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Washington Capitals
- Detroit Red Wings
Plenty of teams are on the fence in the East because the race is so tight at the halfway mark. But some are trending in different directions than others. After hot starts, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers have hit a bit of a rut.
The Flyers have lost six out of their last seven games, while the Capitals have lost five of six, and their underlying numbers are trending downward. The Capitals have an expected goals percentage (xG%) of 43.29 percent over their previous ten games, while the Flyers are at 45.33 percent. If those downward trends continue, they will start sliding in the standings.
The same is true of the Red Wings and Islanders. The Islanders have only maintained their playoff spot because they have ten overtime losses. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in the top three of the Metropolitan Division. GM Lou Lamoriello rarely sells, so it’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do at the deadline.
The two teams that will likely end up being buyers, unless they fall off a cliff, are the Devils and Penguins. The Devils need help in net on defense and will probably look to find long-term fits for their needs rather than rentals. Meanwhile, it’s unlikely first-year GM and President of Hockey Ops Kyle Dubas will sell with the Penguins.
Both the Devils and Penguins have been playing better hockey lately, too. The Devils are 10-5-1 in their last 16 games, while the Penguins are 8-2-1 in their previous 11. If those trends continue, they should overtake teams like the Capitals, Flyers and possibly the Islanders, making them buyers ahead of the deadline (their underlying numbers suggest that should continue, too).
Next Month-Plus Will Determine Everyone’s Status
There’s a long way to go until the trade deadline, but there’s already a clear picture in each conference of buyers and sellers. And while there are plenty of teams on the fence, the next month or so of play should determine what routes they take at the trade deadline.
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