Teams that should buy, sell, and watch at the NHL Trade Deadline
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are a lot like the Bruins: the scoring at the top of the lineup is electric, but by the time you get to the tenth-leading scorer on the team, you’re looking at someone in the 9-10 point range. It doesn’t matter to me how good Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are, this team will not compete in the Playoffs unless it finds players that can compliment its superstars.
I must say, I am pleasantly surprised to see Edmonton sitting firmly in a postseason position. The issue I still have, though, is that since McDavid and Draisaitl arrived, this team has failed to take steps forward, and I’m not sure that anything has happened this year from a personnel standpoint that will change that.
Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie have had great seasons on the backend, and Mike Smith has had some strong moments between the pipes throughout the season, but the Oilers’ defense is statistically the worst of any North Division team that is slated to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Offensively, this squad has the top two scorers in the league (it’s not close), yet in a division driven by offense, the Toronto Maple Leafs score more goals than the Oilers, and the Winnipeg Jets are close behind. Edmonton needs to use the deadline to become a deeper hockey team.
Winnipeg Jets
Speaking of the Jets, this group has had a lethal offense for years, and it has continued to produce again in 2021. In a division where offense is king, Winnipeg has the firepower to keep pace with both Toronto and Edmonton. In addition, Connor Hellebuyck provides incredible stability in the crease. The issue, however, is the group of defensemen that the Jets put on the ice each night.
A couple of offseasons ago, Winnipeg watched its blue line evaporate, and replacements for the players that departed have yet to be acquired. The Jets need to change that at this Trade Deadline.
It seems to me that the play of Hellebuyck masks some shortcomings on the blueline, but even if we say that the defensive unit is not a weakness, isn’t it fair to say that it’s weaker than any other position of players? The forwards are productive and the goaltending is fantastic, so why not upgrade on defense and try to earn an advantage over the opposition?
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Flyers
This team has essentially wasted the last decade. After a trip to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2010, this team was able to maintain/build a great core group of players, but it failed to provide the support necessary in goal and throughout the lineup. As a result, the Flyers have been unable to return to the Eastern Conference Final, let alone the Stanley Cup Final.
I think Philadelphia needs to go all-in to try to really build a championship threat while this veteran core, led by Claude Giroux, is still playing at a high level. The reason, however, that I don’t necessarily see the Flyers as a buyer here, is because there are too many holes to fix at the Deadline. Defense and goaltending need to be revamped, as Philly has the worst defense in the East division. The Trade Deadline could be a start, but the best fix is probably an offseason revitalization project.