As Christmas fast approaches, 30 National Hockey League clubs are looking at their roster and checking it twice, to see where they need to improve on the ice. Top contenders and teams just looking to sneak into the postseason may be looking to tweak or add depth in certain positions.
In honor of the giving that goes with the holiday season, Santa will spread joy throughout the league by giving them the perfect present to make their chances of winning much better.
Our first look into the Eastern Conference will be the Atlantic Division.
Boston Bruins
Dennis Wideman – Defense (Calgary) – The Bruins are someone with a short-term window with Zdeno Chara in decline and veterans David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron showing the effects of wear and tear of years of competition. Boston has Torey Krug and a promising rookie in Brandon Carlo, but if they hope to make one more charge, they need a veteran blueliner who could provide some offense.
Buffalo Sabres
Kevin Klein – Defenseman (NY Rangers) – The Sabres have been decimated by injuries this season, losing Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane for long stretches during the first two months. The injury bug has now struck the Buffalo defense, with Zach Bogosian, Dmitri Kulikov and Josh Gorges out of the lineup. Klein, who was part of the Rangers top four, but has seen his role reduced, could be a good fit.
Detroit Red Wings
Cam Fowler – Defenseman (Anaheim) – The bulk of the young talent that Wings GM Ken Holland has is up front (Dylan Larkin, Gustav Nyquist, prospects Anthony Mantha and Evgeni Svechnikov), but their defense is getting a bit long in the tooth with Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall over the age of 30. A 25-year-old Michigander under contract for another year could be the building block the Detroit blueline has been looking for.
Florida Panthers
Lee Stempniak – Winger (Carolina) – Florida has been unable to recapture the magic of last season, in part because a slew of roster changeover and injuries to key forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers have just 70 goals this season and need reinforcements up front. Stempniak scored 19 goals with New Jersey and Boston and good be an effective stop-gap add.
Montreal Canadiens
Martin Hanzal – Center (Arizona) – The speculation early in the season was that a defenseman was at the top of GM Mark Bergevin’s wish list, but injuries to Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais for up to two months have likely shifted the Habs focus towards reinforcements up the middle.
Ottawa Senators
Thomas Vanek – Winger (Detroit) – The Senators were one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL last season, but under new head coach Guy Boucher they are concentrating more on keeping the puck out of their own net. This has resulted in being one of the few teams in a playoff spot with a negative goal differential. After Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman and Kyle Turris, Ottawa is light on offense up front and are in need of scoring depth.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Mark Streit – Defenseman (Philadelphia) – The injury to Steven Stamkos gives Tampa GM Steve Yzerman some maneuvering room under the salary cap, as the superstar forward has been placed on long-term injured reserve and may not be back until the first round of the playoffs.
The Lightning proved they had enough scoring without Stamkos to get to within a game of the Stanley Cup Final, but they made need another veteran on defense, so they do not have to rely on youngster Slater Koekkoek or big Andrej Sustr to play major minutes.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Jonas Brodin – Defenseman (Minnesota) – The rebuilding Leafs are stocked with young forward prospects, but will only take the next step when their blueline has been upgraded dramatically. Morgan Rielly, rookie Nikita Zaitsev and Jake Gardiner are all more offensive minded, which makes the stable defensive Brodin (under contract for another four seasons) a good fit.
Michael (@MikeInBuffalo on Twitter) can also be found on HockeyBuzz.com
