NHL Trade Rumors: Early trade deadline predictions for each team

The trade deadline comes around February 25, at 3pm Eastern Time. Each team has two and a half months to prepare their shopping lists. Here’s a look at what each team is looking for.

The NHL season is in high gear, and the standings as we know them are beginning to take shape. Expert predictions have been made, and needless to say, many people were wrong about many teams, in many different directions. Such is life in the NHL.

With these trends coming into play over the course of the season, teams begin to identify their strategy moving forward in terms of what’s best for their particular franchise as the season dictates their direction to be.

There exists a simple dichotomy of types of teams come deadline time: buyers and sellers. Buyers are typically looking for rental type players who will help the team win now, and give that team the best chance to win the Cup. Sellers have those players and are looking for future assets such as prospects or draft picks. A team can also obviously stand pat and not move anyone. There will be a few of those.

So, we will take a deep dive into each team, and we can try and determine the direction of that team come the trade deadline. We will identify players to look out for going forward, and try and make some sense out of what could happen months from now.

Things can definitely change, as this primer is very premature. There are months in between now and the deadline, so things can alter dramatically. These are just guesses as if to assume that the standings will remain relatively similar to where we are now.

All contract situations, cap space figures, and draft pick ownerships are being sourced from CapFriendly.com. In terms of draft picks, every pick mentioned is original to that team, unless otherwise noted.

Arizona Coyotes

Cap Space: $7,468,281
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (CHI), 4th, 6th, 6th* (CBJ), 6th (PIT)
Potential UFA’s: Richard Panik, Mario Kempe, Jordan Oesterle, Calvin Pickard, Dave Bolland

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Lawson Crouse

The Coyotes are in a very interesting situation in the standings. They are toward the bottom of the Pacific, but aren’t far out, and have games at hand on their competitors. They don’t score a lot, but their defense and goaltending have been very exceptional. So much so, that it wouldn’t surprise me to see them make a run at a playoff spot come spring time.

The Coyotes have a very young roster, with only three regulars older than 30. They also have a solid amount of cap space available to play with. On top of that, Dave Bolland’s contract expires this season, and he’s sitting on LTIR as dead money, which can be sent to another selling team as cap filler for a big sale contract.

They have plenty of young players and draft picks to send as compensation for landing a solid contributor, for example, Lawson Crouse can be dealt as part of a package to land a nice player on an expiring deal. It’s time for the Coyotes to turn it around and make a run because the division is ripe for the taking.

Boston Bruins

Cap Space: $2,502,294
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (NYR), 5th, 6th, 7th* (NYR)
Potential UFA’s: Noel Acciari, Steven Kampfer, Zdeno Chara

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson

Coming into the season, the Atlantic was slated as a two-team race to the top between Toronto and Tampa. Buffalo came out of nowhere to streak to the top as well, pushing Boston back into a seemingly comfortable fourth place, and a spot as a wild card in the East. Boston is currently as good a lock into that first spot as possible, with no real challengers in their division or in the Metropolitan.

The Bruins don’t have a ton of cap space and have a bunch of young players already in the lineup. The trouble they seem to have is keeping their blue line healthy. Each of Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Kevin Miller missed time due to injury, and the leading defenseman in games played is John Moore.

It’s very possible that Boston doesn’t need to make any moves, just to get healthy, but if they can’t, it wouldn’t be a shock to take a move for a defenseman rental. They have plenty of NHL ready young talent to dangle in front of teams that are rebuilding.

Buffalo Sabres

Cap Space: $108,836
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 1st* (SJ), 1st* (STL), 3rd*, 4th* (SJ), 6th, 6th (TOR), 7th
Potential UFA’s: Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville, Matt Tennyson, Matt Moulson

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Jeff Skinner

*conditional draft picks

Buffalo took a couple of weeks to get going, but they broke through with a ten game win streak and looked great in the process. The team hasn’t looked better in years, and all their offseason moves seem to have come into fruition much quicker than expected, and the team is asserting themselves as contenders for a difficult division to win.

The team doesn’t have much cap space, plus, they should be happy right now with what they have, considering their stock for the future is sky high right now. However, Jeff Skinner is looking like a must keep for the Sabres, and resigning him will be very interesting, considering the amount of RFA’s they have to sign.

Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson are both coming off the books this summer, so they should have money from there, but if things crumble quickly, they shouldn’t hesitate to trade Skinner while his value is peaking. It probably won’t happen, but it’s best to set contingency plans in case the panic button needs to be hit.

Calgary Flames

Cap Space: $877,776
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 3rd, 4th (NYI), 5th, 7th (CAR)
Potential UFA’s: Garnet Hathaway, Dalton Prout, Mike Smith

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Mike Smith

The Flames made a huge splash over the summer by acquiring and signing Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin from Carolina for Dougie Hamilton and Michael Ferland. The main core of the Flames is now signed through at least the 2021-22 season. With first place in the Pacific division currently theirs, they are in great shape for now. However, the James Neal contract may come back to bite them unless he finds a way to turn things around.

The Flames don’t have a lot of wiggle room under the cap, nor do they have tons of draft picks, so buying will be a challenge for them. However, Mike Smith has become somewhat expendable with the emergence of David Rittich, and Smith’s contract expires after this season.

While Smith does have a modified no-trade clause, where he can choose eight teams to restrict a trade to, the Flames have a little bit of room to play with should they decide to officially cut ties with him. Other than that, there probably isn’t much the Flames can do right now to make the money work in adding on.

Carolina Hurricanes

Cap Space: $16,812,502
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd (BUF), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th (CAL), 7th (BOS)
Potential UFA’s: Justin Williams, Jordan Martinook, Michael Ferland, Petr Mrazek, Curtis McElhinney

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Justin Williams

Carolina was a big mover and shaker in the summer of 2018, changing owners, coaching staffs, players, and anything in between. They landed Dougie Hamilton and Michael Ferland from Calgary, along with prospect Adam Fox. At the moment, they’re in the middle of the Metropolitan mix, so in reality, it’ll become chaos come February.

This one can go either way because of that. The Canes can start winning, and they’d turn into buyers with tons of draft picks to move around. If they start losing and fall out of hope in the division, they have quite a few expiring contracts to shed and continue building toward a fully stocked farm system.

Considering the grouping the Metropolitan division currently has, it’s more likely Carolina is on the outside looking in, and selling would further build the team’s stockpile of draft picks they can move at the draft for big-time players.

Chicago Blackhawks

Cap Space: $3,243,618
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th (BOS), 5th (ARZ), 6th, 7th, 7th (ANA)
Potential UFA’s: Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen, Jan Rutta, Cam Ward, Brandon Davidson

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Marcus Kruger

The Central division is easily the most stacked division in hockey right now. 3 of the top contenders for the Cup are at the top of the division, a place the Blackhawks were in in the not too distant past. Now, though, the Hawks are battling with the Blues for the cellar of the Central, and considering the aging core and cap situation the Hawks are stuck in, things may take a while to turn around.

Chicago has over $33M locked up for the next 5 seasons between Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith, with no move clauses for each of them. That doesn’t leave a ton of money left to build the rest of the roster, especially with some of the supporting cast making big bucks also (such as Brandon Saad and Corey Crawford).

The best move for Chicago would be to try some wiggle room under the cap so they can sign some of their RFA’s like Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat to contracts they deserve. The rebuild needs to begin sooner than later for the Hawks.

Colorado Avalanche

Cap Space: $12,078,429
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 1st (OTT), 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (OTT), 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Colin Wilson, Gabriel Bourque, Patrik Nemeth, Semyon Varlamov

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Semyon Varlamov

The Avalanche are in an extremely enviable position right now. The team is built both to win now and to also build toward an extremely bright future. They are loaded at the top with talent, including the top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen, and they have a great core behind them, including Tyson Barrie, Sam Girard, Alex Kerfoot, and Tyson Jost among others.

Unlike many other contenders, the Avs also have draft picks and cap space to play with. After the Matt Duchene trade was finalized, Colorado owns Ottawa’s first round pick, speculated to be a lottery pick. They can certainly use that to land any additional pieces toward the deadline, such as rentals.

Next summer, Mikko Rantanen figures to be in for a massive raise, so cap space will be a factor this year more than others, so if the Avalanche are going to be players, this year will be the year to do it. I figure if they would part with a big piece, the expiring contract of Semyon Varlamov would be a player to look at, as his heir apparent, Philipp Grubauer, was brought in last summer.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Cap Space: $6,830,198
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Artemi Panarin

The Blue Jackets figure to be one of the most interesting teams to watch come trade deadline. Their roster has been constructed beautifully, where most of the talent is locked up at reasonable money for their prime years.

They are currently the best team in the Metropolitan Division and has the potential to run away with the division crown. However, their two best players, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, are pending free agents, and neither has really made any indication that they’re willing to sign extensions before at least the season’s end. They’re both going to get big raises, and the Jackets won’t have enough money to sign both of them, with a couple of big RFA’s to sign in Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski.

This can realistically go either way. The team doesn’t have a ton in the way of draft picks, but they are loaded with young talent at reasonable money. If they really want to go for it, they have resources available, as well as a little cap space, to squeeze in another addition to make this their big run for the Cup.

On the other hand, they don’t want to risk losing their two biggest pieces for nothing, no matter how much young talent the team has to make up for those two potential absences. Also, if they trade away only one of these guys for futures, it could mean more sustainability for the team in the near future, in an effort to build a strong team around the young foundation they have. My guess is that they’ll go for the jugular because that’s the mentality you have to be in when the Cup is within reach.

Dallas Stars

Cap Space: $317,549
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th (MIN), 5th, 6th
Potential UFA’s: Jason Spezza, Roman Polak, Taylor Fedun, Joel Hanley, Marc Methot

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Jason Spezza

After locking up Tyler Seguin for the long term, the Stars ran out of cap space, which makes this an interesting team to look at. The team is in a tough situation in the standings, because they are outside the big three of the Central division, so they likely will not be able to get much more than a wild-card spot, especially with Minnesota, and to a lesser extent Vegas, Edmonton, and Arizona, breathing down their necks.

I’m not saying the Stars will fall out of contention by the time the deadline comes around because they’ll be in it until the end like they were last year (until a big losing streak stopped their run dead). But considering the lack of cap flexibility they have, especially considering they have to save up some dough to pay RFA’s they have (Mattias Janmark, Brett Ritchie, Esa Lindell to name a few), it’s hard to see where they can fit any outside help.

If they want to clear up space for an addition, Jason Spezza seems like the easiest way to do that. The only issue with that is Spezza has a modified NTC, meaning he can select 10 teams not to get traded to. It’s more than likely the Stars stick to what they have now.

Detroit Red Wings

Cap Space: $0
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd (NYI), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th (BUF), 5th (CBJ), 6th, 7th, 7th* (ARZ)
Potential UFA’s: Gustav Nyquist, Thomas Vanek, Luke Witkowski, Wade Megan, Niklas Kronwall, Nick Jensen, Brian Lashoff, Jimmy Howard

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Jimmy Howard

The Red Wings are only now paying for the many years of success they entertained until a couple of years ago. The team has too many aging players on bad contracts, and no cap space for a couple of years to help re-structure their roster to perhaps start a new streak of playoff appearances and octopus tosses. The team is in no place to be contending for a playoff spot at the moment, so selling off parts seems like the way to go…

…that is, if they can work around an absolute minefield of no-trade clauses. Gus Nyquist, Thomas Vanek, and Nik Kronwall, all otherwise excellent candidates to trade for futures come February, all have at least a modified no-trade clause.

The only big player the Red Wings can sell off without contractual permission is Jimmy Howard, who’s already being shopped around. The team is close to getting out from under lots of money, but it’ll be some time before they’re ready to be making moves again.

Edmonton Oilers

Cap Space: $51,371
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (NYI), 4th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Alex Chiasson, Chris Wideman, Kevin Gravel, Jason Garrison, Cam Talbot, Mikko Koskinen

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Jesse Puljujarvi

The Oilers are in an interesting spot. They are not far out of the playoffs, and are riding on the coattails of one of the greatest talents hockey has ever seen in Connor McDavid. Most of the team’s big time players are locked up for at least three seasons, and the team doesn’t have a ton in the way of cap space. If either of their goalies, both pending free agents, really get hot, this team has a real shot at getting back into the playoffs, most likely as a wild card.

That being said, the team doesn’t have much in the way of cap space to move around. If they can work the money around, its’ possible the Oilers chase after one of the big goalies on the market, such as Howard or Bobrovsky. A piece they can dangle in front of teams may be Jesse Puljujarvi, a former 4th overall pick with buckets of potential, despite not quite living up to it just yet. He’s a pending RFA, and just 20 years old, so there’s no reason the team can’t use him in a trade to land some help in keeping the puck out of the net. They just have to make the money work, somehow.

Florida Panthers

Cap Space: $2,143,612
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Troy Brouwer, Michael Haley, Alex Petrovic, Bodgan Kiselevich, Jamie McGinn, Derek MacKenzie

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Mike Hoffman

It seems like every year, the Panthers are ready to make a run for it, and the team stumbles out of the gate. The team is in no way out of playoff contention, due to the whole wild card being a thing, no matter how hopelessly out of reach the top three spots in the Atlantic division are at the moment. Last year, they made a last-ditch sprint for the playoffs, only to miss it by a single point. This year, the same thing may just happen again.

As things stand, the Panthers are not in a great position to really decide to go for it, and they have a few little ploys to make to possibly make moves for next year, and one of those is Mike Hoffman.

Hoffman has been playing extremely well and only has this and next season under contract. With the whole Ottawa scandal seemingly behind him, his value has never been higher. The Panthers have a good chance to leverage him in a trade to try and build toward a brighter future, if they can work around his 10 team NTC, that is. It’s unlikely they move him, but the thought is there.

Los Angeles Kings

Cap Space: $60,764
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Nate Thompson, Oscar Fantenberg, Carl Hagelin

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Tyler Toffoli

One of the side effects of winning the Stanley Cup twice in three years, and contending for years before and after, is that you’ll eventually have to retool. The Kings are starting to see that now. The team is now losing games left and right, and the old core is starting to show their age. They are stuck under several big contracts, and don’t have roster or cap space for a lot of the young talent, such as Alex Iafallo, to grow with the team. Some of the big contracts are going to have to go, sooner than later.

The first of the contracts that are deemed trade-able is Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli only has two years left on his contract at a reasonable price, and is still just 26 years old. Most other veterans on this team are either much older than Toffoli, are under contract for longer, or have no move clauses. It may take a compliance buyout or a long term injury for the Kings to get any other kinds of cap relief in the near future.

Minnesota Wild

Cap Space: $2,425,500
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 5th (WAS), 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Eric Staal, Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, Nate Prosser, Alex Stalock

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Eric Staal

The Wild are in a very similar spot to the Dallas Stars. They aren’t completely out of contention, but there are so many teams they are chasing and being chased by, that it wouldn’t be totally out of the question for the team to pull the plug on things and sell off a couple of pieces for futures. This isn’t to say that the team is desperate in either direction, but leaning toward getting value out of players like Eric Staal may be a safer move.

Because of some of the big contracts the Wild have, such as Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, they won’t be able to make big splashes without selling off key parts of the team. Considering they are within arm’s reach of the playoffs, that seems highly unlikely. This means they can’t go on a shopping spree, nor will they sell off big parts. The Wild are likely going to be on the quieter side for now come deadline time.

Montreal Canadiens

Cap Space: $8,878,503
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd (CBJ), 3rd, 4th, 4th (CAL), 5th (CHI), 5th (EDM), 6th, 7th (WPG)
Potential UFA’s: Kenny Agostino, Jordie Benn, Antti Niemi

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: David Schlemko

Montreal seems to have surprised many experts by not being hopelessly out of contention come December. Much of that has to do with the emergence of Max Domi, and other parts of it has to be credited to Carey Price for staying healthy. Jesperi Kotkaniemi looks good for an 18 year old, also. The team isn’t far out behind Boston for that first wild card spot, and is probably more contending with the Metropolitan bunch for that second spot.

The Habs have lots of draft picks and cap space to play with should they decide to make a move toward potential playoff contention. They also may decide to stick with what they have, which wouldn’t be the worst idea. Either way, the Habs are in much better position than most expected so far, and with the playoffs not out of the question, the team may actually choose to go for it with their glut of draft picks, as opposed to try and stock the cupboards with prospects.

Nashville Predators

Cap Space: $6,234,943
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd (FLA), 4th, 4th (COL), 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Zac Rinaldo, Anthony Bitetto

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Ryan Hartman

Nashville is currently within their window of contending for the Cup. The team is loaded with talent and built from the net out, which is how you win playoff hockey. David Poile has done a masterful job of building the Predators into a powerhouse and turned Nashville into a true hockey city.

That said, it’s hard to find something Nashville really needs to improve on besides staying healthy. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap space now, and will need to resign RFA’s Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala this summer. If they really want to make a move to improve their forward group, or to patch up a hole left by injury, it might take one of those players to do so, as it opens up the cap space after this season to be able to spend it on the guy they kept. That said, the Preds don’t have to do much to chase for the Cup.

New Jersey Devils

Cap Space: $14,205,345
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd (ANA), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Marcus Johansson, Brian Boyle, Drew Stafford, Ben Lovejoy, Egor Yakovlev, Keith Kinkaid

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Marcus Johansson

After making a playoff run last season, the Devils seem to have taken a step back. Analytics will say that it’s just bad bounces, but the puck has more often found the back of the net than the team would like, and it’s tough to win hockey games like that in today’s NHL. The Devils aren’t totally out of reach from the playoffs yet, and have games at hand on most teams, so if they can get their act together, the playoffs aren’t out of the question.

The thing about that, is that with so many teams to jump over, as well as the lack of depth the Devils seem to have, it becomes difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel this year, and that may mean time to sell parts in February. The Devils have one of the best salary cap situations in the league right now, and can use that as leverage in deals involving some of their expiring contracts as well, such as Marcus Johansson.

It’s clear the Devils’ top priority will be giving Taylor Hall a humongous raise, but that won’t muck up their cap space too much to make more moves later on. But if the Devils find themselves out of luck later on in the year, they’ll have a few players with playoff experience to sell for futures.

New York Islanders

Cap Space: $10,416,318
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd (CAL), 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Jordan Eberle, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Valterri Filppula, Tom Kuhnhackl, Luca Sbisa, Robin Lehner

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Jordan Eberle

The Metropolitan division is a complete mess right now, especially between the third through eighth place teams. The Islanders started off strong, even leading the division at a couple of points throughout the young season, but have since dropped down to be part of the runner up group. Considering the trend the Islanders seem to be in, plus the teams they are being challenged by, it’s far from a sure thing the Islanders will be in the race in two months.

It’s been a while since we’ve mentioned John Tavares leaving the Islanders, but the hole he’s left behind is massive and the Islanders need to recover from that, which could take years. Consider this: They have a good farm system, the star player on the team, Mat Barzal, is just 21 years old, and there are quite a few expiring contracts with no NTC’s of any kind, all of which can provide value to contenders, and are worth quite a bit in futures. If they would be able to get something out of at least two of Eberle, Nelson, and Lee, I would imagine the return would be well worth it for the future of the Islanders.

New York Rangers

Cap Space: $1,046,818
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd* (TB), 3rd, 5th, 6th
Potential UFA’s: Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, Dustin Tokarski, Adam McQuaid, Cody Mcleod

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Mats Zuccarello

Much like their cross-city rivals, the Rangers started off stronger than most expected, but have since slowed down to a pace more recognize as familiar to a rebuild. The team wrote a letter to their fans alerting them of the team selling off anything that’s not bolted down, and there’s no reason why that wouldn’t continue this year if they continue to fall in the standings. The Rangers are building around some very high end prospects, like Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson, and they’ll have more young talent on the way very soon.

Once the trade deadline comes around, the Rangers will more than likely be shopping Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello, both on expiring deals and can bring lots of value to a contending team. The Rangers don’t have a ton of cap space, nor are they loaded with draft picks, but to continue the rebuild as they are, they will likely make trades to open themselves up in both regards. The real relief may be a couple of years down the road, when Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, and Henrik Lundqvist’s contract come off the books, but that’s not until 2021.

Ottawa Senators

Cap Space: $7,604,038
2019 Draft Picks: 2nd, 2nd* (SJ), 3rd (PIT), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th (CAL)
Potential UFA’s: Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Tom Pyatt, Magnus Paajarvi, Max McCormick, Justin Falk, Mike McKenna

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Mark Stone

If any team would benefit from some revisionist history, it would be Ottawa. The Matt Duchene trade can be considered a disaster as of now, as they are without their first round pick this year, which is sure to be in the lottery of a projected deep draft class. However, they got quite a few picks in the coming three drafts from the Sharks for Erik Karlsson, so they’ll be able to fill the cupboards with prospects and prepare to rebuild over the next few years.

It should then go without saying that selling off their expiring contracts is a must come February. Mark Stone’s value has never been higher, and Matt Duchene is worth a pretty penny too. Ryan Dzingel is a solid player to look at as well, and if the Sens can get fair value from all three of these players, the farm should be fully revamped following a couple of potentially fruitful drafts. There is hope yet for Ottawa to come out ahead here, despite all the negativity surrounding the team.

Philadelphia Flyers

Cap Space: $8,559,713
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (NJ), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th (MTL)
Potential UFA’s: Jori Lehtera, Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, Jordan Weal, Christian Folin, Michal Neuvirth, Brian Elliot, Corban Knight

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Wayne Simmonds

The Flyers had a very underwhelming start to the year, despite the solid summer they seem to have had. They brought back James van Riemsdyk in hopes of catching their current core in their prime to make another run at the playoffs. But alas, as is the case most years for Philadelphia, goaltending has let them down, and the team in general just doesn’t seem to be performing like they should. There’s a reason former GM Ron Hextall was fired, after all.

The Flyers have a bright future ahead, led by their young talent both now and in the future, and they hope to finally have a franchise goalie in Carter Hart coming up soon. As is the case, these young players need to get paid, and their top blueliner, Ivan Provorov, is due for a huge raise this summer. To make room for him and some others, veterans will need to be let go. Jori Lehtera and Wayne Simmonds seem like sure fire departures come either February or July, and it may be beneficial for the Flyers to try and get some futures out of either one, should things continue to spiral downward this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Cap Space: $116,525
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th (BUF), 5th, 7th, 7th (VGK)
Potential UFA’s: Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Derek Grant, Garrett Wilson, Chad Ruhwedel, Casey DeSmith, Matt Cullen

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Zach Aston-Reese

Don’t look now, but the Penguins are starting to heat up again. So for all those who thought maybe this is the year the mighty Penguins begin to sag into irrelevancy, not this time (not yet, anyway). Let’s be honest, as long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are doing their thing, the Penguins will be in the mix of things one way or another.

So, as with any year, the Penguins may unload some prospects or picks to land a rental so that they could make a charge yet again for the Cup. As it seems to be with every year, the cap space is tight, but they always find a way to make things work by some cap trickery pulled by GM Jim Rutherford. This year, if they are to buy, I would suspect Zach Aston-Reese, a pending RFA who’s due for a decent pay day, would be the one who’d be shopped around. There were whispers of unloading Phil Kessel’s contract so that the team can pay Jake Guentzel among others, but that shouldn’t be expected until at least the summer.

San Jose Sharks

Cap Space: $1,038,158
2019 Draft Picks: 2nd* (FLA), 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi, Lukas Radil, Marcus Sorensen, Erik Karlsson, Tim Heed

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Erik Karlsson

If any team is in win now mode, it has to be the Sharks. They went all out this past summer, selling the farm for at least one year of Erik Karlsson, in hopes that they can extend their previously closing window of contention just a little more. The Sharks are heavily invested in their core right now, with five different players locked up for at least $5.75M every year until 2024. If/when they resign Karlsson, that’d add up to be approximately $45-50M on the cap every year for the next five seasons, invested in just six players.

It may take some finagling, considering young players like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc are due raises, so it may take a trade out of a big contract to clear up the money for the Sharks to do anything. Joe Thornton and Pavelski may need to take pay cuts if they want to stay a part of this team during it’s peak contention years as well. But a lot hinges around what they anticipate will happen with Karlsson. Until then, the Sharks just have to hope they can win this year at least.

St. Louis Blues

Cap Space: $49,612
2019 Draft Picks: 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Patrick Maroon, Jay Bouwmeester, Robert Bortuzzo, Chris Butler, Chad Johnson, Carl Gunnarsson

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Patrick Maroon

Despite having a great summer, things have seemingly turned south for the Blues much quicker than any anticipated. The team plummeted to the bottom of the Central division, and with that division being as deep as it is, the Blues might just be stuck there for the rest of the year. The Blues may have their first round pick this year, due to the conditions regarding the Ryan O’Reilly trade with Buffalo, so not all is terrible, though if they keep it this year, next year’s first rounder is certainly gone.

In terms of what they can do by the deadline, the answer frankly is not much. In terms of their expiring contracts, both Pat Maroon and Jay Bouwmeester have no trade clauses, and a lot of their other big contracts belong to players who would be difficult to unload due to money, term, and age. Additionally, the Blues have little to no cap space, cementing this season in the column of lost.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Cap Space: $1,467,968
2019 Draft Picks: 1st*, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Braydon Coburn, Dan Girardi, Edward Pasquale, Anton Stralman

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Ryan Callahan

The Lightning have become an absolute buzzsaw this season, scoring seemingly at will, and doing well enough to keep the puck out of their own net. They are one of the best teams in the league right now, and would be running away with the Eastern Conference if not for division rival Toronto. It seems destined that the Bolts will meet the Leafs in an epic showdown in the second round of the playoffs.

In terms of moves they can make, there isn’t a whole lot. Young star Brayden Point is due for the mother of all raises the way he’s playing, and there isn’t much cap space to give him all that money, so big contracts are going to have to be moved around. But that’s a summer issue. Tampa likely isn’t going to be moving much, because as the old adage says, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Figure if anyone does move, Ryan Callahan would be first out the door.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Cap Space: $5,830,851
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th (STL), 5th, 7th, 7th* (DAL)
Potential UFA’s: Par Lindholm, Tyler Ennis, Jake Gardiner, Ron Hainsey, Martin Marincin

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Jake Gardiner

A busy offseason for GM Kyle Dubas is paying off in droves, as the Leafs are now one of the most exciting teams in the league, and one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. After taking their time to sign William Nylander, the team is now set and ready to make their first big run at the Cup. If any year is going to be the year, right now may be their best opportunity.

This isn’t to say that they won’t be contenders in the coming years, because that’s far from the truth. However, two of their best players, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, are both RFA’s, and deserve to be paid all the money. This means the team will have close to $35-40 million locked up between Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander. Another summer issue, though. If the team decides to make any moves, and it’s possible considering the Leafs’ system is bursting at the seams with young talent and there is space under the cap, it won’t be a huge deal to shake things up. Summer will be fun, though.

Vancouver Canucks

Cap Space: $7,787,236
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th (WAS), 7th
Potential UFA’s: Alex Edler, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson

Verdict: Seller
Player to watch: Michael Del Zotto

While they may not be very good in the standings, the Canucks are slowly becoming one of the more fun teams to watch in the league. Elias Petterson has been as advertised and then some, Brock Boeser is a joy to watch, and Bo Horvat rounds out a core that can be built around. Though, it’s not time yet to go for it. There is still much work to do to shape this team into a true contender.

There isn’t much in the way of expiring deals that can turn into major future assets for the Canucks, especially with Alex Edler’s NTC blocking any deals with him. Maybe they can sell high on Michael Del Zotto, if someone gets desperate for a defenseman. Considering this, the Canucks rebuild will have to continue until their full group of prospects makes it to the show within a couple of years. Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi will help possibly as soon as next year, and clearing space on the blue line for them to win jobs may require a trade.

Vegas Golden Knights

Cap Space: $3,914,510
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (NSH), 3rd (WPG), 4th, 5th, 5th (MTL), 6th
Potential UFA’s: Oscar Lindberg, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Carpenter, Derek Engelland, Brad Hunt

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Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: William Carrier

The magic of their first season seemingly faded out, and now the Golden Knights will have to earn their way back in to the dance the old fashioned way, to try and reignite that special spark they had last year. After no one expecting them to succeed last year, expectations grew tremendously, and now everyone is taking them seriously. Vegas is locked in a heated race for what may be a wild card spot with Minnesota and Dallas, as well as chasing down San Jose or Anaheim in the Pacific.

With the amount of draft picks the Knights accrued during the expansion process, they have a lot to play with to try and grab some outside help for their coming playoff push. It can never hurt to look for more goal scoring, as exemplified with the Max Pacioretty deal over the summer. If any regulars would be moved in a buy now trade, it may be William Carrier, who’s still young and has potential, and is on a reasonable contract for this and next season. Another run isn’t out of the question with Vegas.

Washington Capitals

Cap Space: $13,958
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th
Potential UFA’s: Brett Connolly, Devante Smith-Pelly, Nic Dowd, Pheonix Copley

Verdict: Stand Pat
Player to watch: Jonas Siegenthaler

The defending champs are back for more, proving that the hangover is just a morning after thing. Most of the roster is back for the sequel, so one may imagine that not much has to be done in terms of a trade. The Caps are probably hoping that Tom Wilson isn’t either hurt or suspended due to something he did on the ice, but that’s a separate issue.

Washington may be in a similar position as last year, where they aren’t blowing people away in the regular season, but find a new gear come playoffs and prove the haters wrong again. If that’s the case, then don’t expect much in the way of a trade from the Caps. They have little to no cap space, and not a ton in the way of prospects to deal from should they choose to buy again. It may make sense to let things remain as is, and try and contend with what worked last year (minus Jay Beagle).

Winnipeg Jets

Cap Space: $5,157,795
2019 Draft Picks: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th
Potential UFA’s: Brandon Tanev, Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot, Cameron Schilling

Verdict: Buyer
Player to watch: Mathieu Perrault

The Jets are one of the league’s elite teams right now, and are starting to catch the stride many thought they’d have out of the gate. It matters not now, as the young Jets are taking flight and flexing their muscles. They are one of the few contending teams with cap space and futures to make a deal happen come deadline, and may choose to do so in a year many feel is the best for them to make a charge.

Next summer, Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, and Jacob Trouba need new contracts and all will get nice raises, and Tyler Myers seems like a player they may want to keep around as well. In order to do so, Winnipeg will have to cut ties with some of their other players. That’s not a worry for now, though. Expect the Jets to be active in the February market, because this is their year.

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