With five weeks to go before the trade deadline, NHL general managers have a general idea of what areas need to be addressed on their respective clubs.
Trades have started to pick up in January after three months of relative inaction. Seth Jones was shipped to Columbus for Ryan Johansen, but more big names could be on the move if teams within range of the playoffs fall out of the race and shop their pending unrestricted free agents as rentals.
Here is a look at what the posture of each of the 30 NHL clubs will be looking to do prior to February 29th. This week we look at Trade Deadline Outlook – Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Status – Buyer
Projected EOS Cap Space – $634,704
Cap Space Today – $1.57 Million (per General Fanager)
Cap Space at Deadline – $2.95 Million
Need – Defense/Forward Depth
Analysis – A recent 12-game winning streak enabled the Stanley Cup Champions to overtake the Dallas Stars for top spot in the Central Division. Patrick Kane leads the league in scoring and is a candidate for the Hart Trophy and rookie Artemi Panarin is the leading contender for the Calder.
GM Stan Bowman has been active in tinkering with his roster in the midst of his club’s winning streak, trading Trevor Daley for Rob Scuderi, adding Richard Panik from Toronto and swapping Ryan Garbutt to Anaheim for Jiri Sekac.
In spite of limited cap space, the Hawks will try to add another defenseman or some experience up front before February 29.
After Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjarmalsson, the Hawks are thin on defense with sophomore Trevor van Riemsdyk, veterans Scuderi, Michal Rozsival and Swedish rookie Erik Gustafsson.
Chicago could open up more room by placing the injured Marcus Kruger on LTIR or trading Bryan Bickell. Bickell is taking up over $3 Million in cap space even after being demoted to the AHL and Bowman would likely have to trade a significant draft pick or prospect to get another team to take his contract with another year remaining.
Dallas Stars
Status – Buyer
Projected EOS Cap Space – $2.27 Million
Cap Space Today – $5.6 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $10.55 Million
Need – Defense
Analysis – The Stars have the most potent offense in the NHL with 160 goals, but Lindy Ruff’s crew will find the going much tougher when the checking gets closer in the playoffs.
Dallas added experience in Cup winners Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya over the summer, but are 21st overall in goals allowed. Upgrades to the blueline prior to the deadline are needed to give the Stars a better chance of getting past St. Louis or Chicago and to the Western Conference Final.
GM Jim Nill has a bright young star in defenseman John Klingburg, along with veterans Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Oduya, but does not have experienced depth options after that.
Goligoski and Demers are unrestricted free agents after this season and that might make Nill willing to add a defenseman with term remaining instead of opting for a short-term rental option.
St. Louis Blues
Status – Buyer/Potential Seller
Projected EOS Cap Space – $0 Million
Cap Space Today – $3.43 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $3.43 Million
Need – Scoring
Analysis – The Blues have been regular season stalwarts and playoff busts in recent years and will have to make some adjustments before the deadline to avoid that fate once again.
In spite of a talented and deep roster, St. Louis has struggled offensively with just four forwards (Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, David Backes and rookie Robby Fabbri) scoring more than 10 goals.
The emergence of rookie defenseman Colton Parayko has made Kevin Shattenkirk popular in trade speculation, since the 26-year-old is one year away for a big free-agent payday.
The Blues have been rumored to be one of the teams highly interested in Tampa Bay forward Jonathan Drouin and GM Doug Armstrong likely wants to add scoring depth, but limited cap space and Backes needing a new deal may limit the Blues options.
Colorado Avalanche
Status – Buyer
Projected EOS Cap Space – $7.7 Million
Cap Space Today – $19.1 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $35.8 Million
Need – Scoring/Defense
Analysis – The Avalanche have moved into a Western Conference wild card spot after a hot January, but the tight race may necessitate GM Joe Sakic to acquire some help in the next five weeks. The lion’s share of the reason why Colorado has rallied is goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who is 14-5-2 since the beginning of December.
Colorado has over $7.7 Million in available cap space, but they will not go on a spending spree with forward Nathan McKinnon and defenseman Tyson Barrie needing new contracts this summer.
The area where help is most needed is defense. Barrie, Erik Johnson, Nick Holden and veteran Francois Beauchemin play the bulk of the minutes, but the blueline depth is lacking.
The Avs are strong up the middle with MacKinnon and Carl Soderberg, but could use scoring depth on the wings behind leading scorer Matt Duchene and veteran Jarome Iginla.
Minnesota Wild
Status – Buyer
Projected EOS Cap Space – $813,274
Cap Space Today – $2.01 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $3.78 Million
Need – Scoring
Analysis – Minnesota holds the final wild card spot in the Western Conference primarily because they have allowed only 109 goals this season – 5th in the NHL. They will have to upgrade a pedestrian offense (120 goals) to keep their playoff position and advance in the post-season.
GM Chuck Fletcher does not have a great deal of flexibility, with just under $1 Million in available cap space. His highest paid players (Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Thomas Vanek, Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville) all have no movement clauses and goalie Niklas Backstrom ($3.4 Million salary) has been a healthy scratch all season.
Unless Fletcher is willing to move a young player like Jonas Brodin to add a significant scorer, the Wild will have to go bargain basement shopping for help on offense.
Nashville Predators
Status – Buyer
Projected EOS Cap Space – $9.25 Million
Cap Space Today – $22.94 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $43.02 Million
Need – Scoring
Analysis – The Predators are currently on the outside looking in. The trade of promising defenseman Seth Jones for center Ryan Johansen is a sign that GM David Poile is going all out to make the post-season and could be a major player at the deadline.
Johansen gives Nashville the first line center they have long craved for to go along with one of the NHL’s best defensive corps and top goaltender Pekka Rinne.
The Preds are likely to be looking for forwards who can provide secondary offense and take the heat off of Johansen, Filip Forsberg and James Neal. With Weber and Rinne in their 30’s, Poile will not be shy to move future assets if he can get someone who can make a difference.
Nashville traded their 2015 first rounder to Toronto for rentals Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli last February and might have to trade another high draft pick, prospect Kevin Fiala or Jimmy Vesey to add an impact player.
Winnipeg Jets
Status – Seller
Projected EOS Cap Space – $11.03 Million
Cap Space Today – $27.37 Million
Cap Space on Deadline Day – $51.32 Million
Need – Quality Assets
Analysis – After making the playoffs last season, the Winnipeg Jets have fallen behind the pack in the Western Conference and look to be focusing on what to do with pending free agents Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.
The Jets have to sign youngsters Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba to new deals and likely will not be willing to spend what it takes to sign both Ladd and Byfuglien.
The impression for most of the season has been that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff would be challenged to get “Big Buff” on a new deal and that an extension for the Jets team captain would be an easier task.
Talks with Ladd’s agent broke off last weekend and the Jets continue to negotiate with Byfuglien’s representative, but there is no guarantee that he will get signed.
The Jets organization has a sizable collection of top prospects in their pipeline and in deals for either Ladd or Byfuglien, would likely be looking for players already in the NHL controllable for a number of years.
Trade Deadline Outlooks for the Metropolitan Division | Pacific Division
Written by Michael Augello, who can be found on twitter @MikeInBuffalo
