Buyers And Sellers Report: NHL Team’s Trade Status Tiers Approaching The 2024 Trade Deadline

Photo: James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports

With the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline approaching on March 8, each team is going into it with different agendas whether that may be loading up for a Stanley Cup run, just rolling with what they got and seeing what happens, or unloading players on expiring contracts. NoVa Caps takes a look at where each of the 32 NHL teams are currently when it comes to their trade deadline game plan:

“All-In”: teams that would most likely benefit from high-profile or numerous moves

• Boston Bruins – Boston once again leads the Eastern Conference despite having the holes vacated down the middle in their top-six forward group remain after Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci hung up the skates last summer. David Pastrnak has produced over 19% (30 of 156) of their offense and has at least 23 more points than any other Bruin. Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames, Sean Monahan of the Montreal Canadiens, and Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks could be among those who Boston takes a look at.

• Carolina Hurricanes – Carolina has charged up the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks and is in desperate need of a goaltender as they rank 31st with a .9011 five-on-five save percentage. They rank eighth in goals (3.43 per game) but have lacked a pure goal scorer in the postseason over the past couple of seasons. Lindholm, Buffalo Sabres left-wing Viktor Olofsson, Vancouver Canucks left-wing Andrei Kuzmenko, San Jose Sharks left-wing Anthony Duclair, Detroit Red Wings (and former Carolina) goaltender James Reimer, and Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom are among potential targets.
• Vegas Golden Knights – The defending Stanley Cup Champions have gone 16-14-4 since an 11-0-1 start and are fighting with the Edmonton Oilers for positioning in the Pacific Division. Their 3.13 goals-per-game is the NHL average. The team could benefit from adding Duclair, Anaheim Ducks right-wing Frank Vatrano, Olofsson, or Carolina left-wing Michael Bunting.

• Edmonton Oilers – While Stuart Skinner has been on a roll, he has just a .906 save percentage in 32 games. Could Edmonton go for an upgrade? Montreal’s Jake Allen, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Minnesota Wild, and Anaheim’s John Gibson could be fits.
• Philadelphia Flyers – Philadelphia has shocked the NHL this season and has the fifth-best points percentage (.596) in the East. However, they likely need to boost up across the board, especially on offense as their 2.94 goals-per-game average is 22nd and 13.3% power-play efficiency is the NHL’s second-worst. Duclair, Vatrano, Olofsson, and Kuzmenko could all be legitimate options for Philadelphia.

Conservative Buyers: buyers who are already in strong shape but could benefit from adding

• Winnipeg Jets – Winnipeg leads the NHL and has the best defense by far and the best starting goalie. Their 16.7% power-play efficiency is good for 23rd and 77% penalty killing rate ranks 25th, so they could improve their special teams. Duclair, Kuzmenko, Lindholm, Pittsburgh Penguins left-wing Jake Guentzel, Calgary defensemen Noah Hanifin and/or Chris Tanev, Montreal defenseman David Savard, and Philadelphia defensemen Nick Seeler and/or Sean Walker could work for Winnipeg.

• Colorado Avalanche – Colorado is allowing 3.17 goals-per-game (more than the NHL average), though ranks ninth with an 88.39 five-on-five expected goals-against. They likely will not trade for a goalie with Alexandar Georgiev leading the league in wins but could go for some insurance as Georgiev also leads the league with 39 games played and has just an .896 save percentage. All netminders listed under Edmonton could be on Colorado’s radar as well.
• Vancouver Canucks – Vancouver, who added defenseman Nikita Zadorov in November, is set for the most part but could look to boost penalty-killing unit, which is tied for 17th with a 79.9% efficiency. Monahan, Tanev, Seeler, Savard, Walker, Hanifin, Washington Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson and/or center Nic Dowd, Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Andrew Peeke, and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin may work for Vancouver.

• Dallas Stars – Dallas might need some insurance in goal as the team ranks 20th with a .9079 five-on-five save percentage and Jake Oettinger has had a disappointing season with a .904 save percentage in 25 games.

Somewhat Cautious Buyers: teams that could add but for minimal cost

• New York Rangers – This team is among the best in goals, goals-against, special teams, and goaltending, so there may not be a whole lot needed. Though, they could improve their top-six forward group if we wanted to knit-pick as left-wing Artemi Panarin has 18 more points (61) and six more goals (27) than any other Ranger. Left-wing Chris Kreider is the only other with more than 16 goals (21). Lindholm, Buffalo Sabres left-wing Viktor Olofsson, Ottawa left-wing Vladimir Tarasenko may be targets.

• Tampa Bay Lightning – A five-game winning-streak has vaulted Tampa back into the postseason race. They give up the 10th-most goals and the eighth-most expected goals, so look for them to add help on defense but not a significant amount. Edmundson, Lyubushkin, Jordan Oesterle of Calgary, and Zach Bogosian of the Minnesota Wild could be possibilities.
• New Jersey Devils – New Jersey has been a disappointment this season but is still right there in the East as they are two points out with a game in hand. Goaltending is their biggest area of need and they may need to bolster their penalty kill as well.

Likely Don’t Need Much, If Anything: teams that have everything they need already

• Florida Panthers – Florida has put up solid numbers across the board and has some of the best defensive stats in the game. Don’t look for Florida to be big players.
• Los Angeles Kings – Los Angeles has excellent defensive numbers and is looking pretty good on offense too. If anything, they need to make sure that they are good with having Cam Talbot as their starter in the postseason.

The Jury’s Still Out: teams that could be buyers but may turn into sellers

• Toronto Maple Leafs – Toronto, who ranks 24th with a 97.49 expected goals-against, could improve their blueline if they buy. They may also look to offload goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who cleared waivers at the beginning of the month, but would likely need to add a sweetener for a team to bite. Toronto may be in danger of missing the postseason with left-wing Tyler Bertuzzi, center Max Domi, and defensemen Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie all on expiring contracts.
• New York Islanders – New York has won just 19 of their 45 games but is still just three points out of a wild-card spot. Aside from in net, they need help across the board if they become buyers but they will need to see how their team responds to Patrick Roy behind the bench before choosing a path for the trade deadline. Left-wing Matt Martin and right-wing Cal Clutterbuck can become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
• Washington Capitals – Washington is right there for a wild-card spot in the East. Though they should probably sell, this team still wants to go for it with Alex Ovechkin still in town. Washington desperately needs help on offense as they rank 30th with 2.34 goals-per-game and 27th with a 14.2% power-play efficiency. Should they buy, Lindholm, Vatrano, Duclair, Kuzmenko, and Olofsson could appeal to them. Should they sell, Dowd, Edmundson, left-wing Max Pacioretty, left-wing Anthony Mantha, and left-wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel could be on the trade block. Washington has been also trying to find center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025, a new home for quite some time.

• Pittsburgh Penguins – Pittsburgh is in a very similar spot compared to Washington, though they are a little lower in the standings. They are aiming to squeeze as much as they can out of their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Their power play is even worse than Washington’s, converting at 13.6%, so they could be in competition for the same trade targets if they decide to add. Pittsburgh has a major decision looming with Guentzel, a pending unrestricted free agent, while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic could also garner some interest.
• Detroit Red Wings – Detroit’s recent 7-0-1 run has put them in the thick of the wild-card race. They are allowing 3.33 goals-per-game and could use some help on the backend.

Conservative Sellers: teams who could trade off a few expiring contracts but not a ton

• Nashville Predators – Nashville is clinging on to a wild-card spot in the Western Conference but let’s be honest, it is hard to believe that they could push the Winnipegs and Vancouvers of the Western Conference in the first round. They entered a rebuild late last season and will likely continue to do so. Left-wing Yakov Trenin, center Tommy Novak, and defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Tyson Barrie are all on expiring contracts while word is spreading that goaltender Juuse Saros, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, is also on the block.

• Arizona Coyotes – Arizona is pushing Nashville for a wild-card spot and has made good progress this season, but is still a ways away from Stanley Cup contention. Left-wing Jason Zucker, defensemen Matt Dumba and Travis Dermott, and goaltender Karel Vejmelka are among those likely available.
• Seattle Kraken – Seattle may be just four points out, but has faded since their seven-game winning-streak ended and has won just 19 of their 45 games this season. Right-wing Jordan Eberle, center Alexander Wennberg, left-wing Tomas Tatar, and defenseman Justin Schultz could all find themselves wearing different jerseys for the Spring. One has to wonder if Seattle would consider offloading Philipp Grubauer as well after seeing Joey Daccord take the reigns in net.
• Calgary Flames – Calgary went through a nice run lately to find themselves four points back of Nashville but is likely not ready to contend yet. Lindholm, Tanev, and Hanifin are obviously the big fish on the market but there are rumblings that Markstrom could be available as well.

Somewhat Cautious Sellers: teams that should be sellers but do not have much to offer

• Montreal Canadiens – Montreal has made progress this season but is still a game below .500 and six points out of a wild-card spot. Allen and Monahan’s names have been swirling in trade rumors all season long.
• St. Louis Blues – Defenseman Marco Scandella and right-wing Kasperi Kapanen are likely their juiciest assets.

“For Sale” Sign Here: teams that should pursue fresh starts

• Buffalo Sabres – Olofsson, center Zemgus Girgensons, and defenseman Erik Johnson are all on expiring deals.
• Columbus Blue Jackets – Columbus could look for new homes for center Jack Roslovic, center Sean Kuraly, and defenseman Ivan Provorov. They are looking to dump goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who has four years remaining at $5.4 million, on top of that but it will cost them to do so.
• Ottawa Senators – Tarasenko and left-wing Dominik Kubalik are likely both on their way out and defenseman Jacob Chychrun is reportedly also on the block. This team will likely consider anything.

• Minnesota Wild – Fleury, Bogosian, defenseman Alex Goligoski, right-wing Brandon Duchaime, and left-wing Pat Maroon can all hit the open market on July 1.
• Anaheim Ducks – Lyubushkin, center Adam Henrique, right-wing Jakob Silfverberg, center Sam Carrick, and defenseman Robert Hagg’s deals all expire after this season. Gibson and center Trevor Zegras have also been in trade rumors.

• Chicago Blackhawks – Center Colin Blackwell, left-wing Rem Pitlick, center Tyler Johnson, left-wing Anthony Beauvillier, left-wing Andreas Athanasiou, center Ryan Donato, left-wing Zach Sanford, defensemen Jarred Tinordi, Nikita Zaitsev, Jaycob Megna, goaltender Petr Mrazek, and more are likely available.
• San Jose Sharks – Duclair, left-wing Mike Hoffman, right-wing Kevin Labanc, right-wing Alexander Barabonov, center Nico Sturm, defenseman Jan Rutta, goaltenders Kaapo Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood, and just about everyone could go for the right price.

While a lot of teams need to add or subtract, a lot still do not know where they are going for sure and need to figure it out soon. Even if the trades do not start raining, the next few weeks will be pivotal to forecast what this season’s deadline will look like.

By Harrison Brown