The NHL trade deadline is just over a month away, and we’ve already seen several notable moves across the league. Among them, Mikko Rantanen and Martin Necas were swapped in a blockbuster deal, J.T. Miller was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers, and Marcus Pettersson was sent from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Canucks.
At this point in the season, it’s becoming clear which teams will be buyers and which will be sellers based on their position in the standings. With that in mind, here are four teams I believe should be buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
The Winnipeg Jets are once again in a position to be buyers at the trade deadline. Last season, they made notable moves by acquiring Sean Monahan and, about a month later, adding Tyler Toffoli. This year, they find themselves in an even stronger position, leading both the Central Division and the entire NHL with 77 points.
Unlike last year, when the Jets appeared to try to acquire a big fish on the trade market, they may not need to this time around. While they could explore options like Brock Boeser in Vancouver, right-wing isn’t a major area of need for them.
One player they should strongly consider targeting is Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks. The 29-year-old center has played in 50 games this season, tallying 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points. The Jets’ biggest need right now is solidifying their middle-six center position. While Mark Scheifele and Vladislav Namestnikov make for a strong duo at center, there’s a noticeable drop-off to the third-line center. Adding Donato to that role could provide crucial depth and stability, making the Jets a more well-rounded team heading into the playoffs.
Despite losing seven key players in the offseason through trades or free agency, the Vegas Golden Knights remain near the top of the Pacific Division with 68 points, tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first place. However, one major challenge for the Golden Knights is their cap situation, as they currently sit about $1.6 million over the cap ceiling. Any trade for a high-priced player would require some difficulty trying to work around the cap.
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That said, their depth—particularly on the wings—could use some reinforcement. While Victor Olofsson and Pavel Dorofeyev are having strong seasons, neither players seem to be a long-term solution on the second line. Even if Vegas can’t afford a bona fide second-line winger, they should at least look to upgrade their third line. Year after year, we’ve seen that teams with great depth tend to have a better shot at making a deep playoff run than teams that are too top-heavy.
After recently trading away Rantanen, it would be easy to assume the Colorado Avalanche were entering a retooling phase. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In return, they acquired Necas and Jack Drury, helping to address some of their depth concerns. Not long after the trade, reports surfaced suggesting Colorado wasn’t finished making moves. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet appeared on NHL Network to discuss the deal, stating, “I think for Colorado, they aren’t done yet. They have a little bit of room. They have a little bit of flexibility. And I think they will continue to look at especially forwards and centers that they can add to their roster.”
Avalanche general manager (GM) Chris MacFarland spoke to the media following the trade, saying, “It’s clear we’re not deep enough. You’ve got to be deep to go four rounds.” This speaks volumes about Colorado’s mindset. Even after last year’s deadline move, where they traded Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt in a one-for-one swap, the team still feels it’s lacking in center depth.
One potential trade target could be Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders if he becomes available. The Islanders would need to struggle between now and the deadline for that to happen, but with six straight wins and sitting just four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, they may hold onto their key players. If Nelson does hit the market, however, the Avalanche should aggressively pursue him.
The biggest surprise of the season? The Washington Capitals currently sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, holding a seven-point lead over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes. Heading into the season, many expected Washington to be a fringe wild-card team at best. Yet here we are, discussing them as a team that should be buyers at the deadline.
The Capitals have dealt with depth issues this season. While they haven’t been as severe as Colorado’s, it’s somewhat comparable to Winnipeg’s situation. They’ve managed to get by with their current roster, but there’s still room for improvement. One area they should address is their need for a third-line winger. While Taylor Raddysh is having a solid season, getting an upgrade to play left wing on the third line next to Lars Eller and Ethen Frank could help round out the lineup.
With so many teams either close to or already in a playoff spot, along with how many teams are close to the salary cap ceiling, it’s difficult to see many teams being true buyers at this year’s trade deadline. What do you think—does my list reflect the teams most likely to make moves, or is there a contender I may have overlooked?
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