The NHL trade deadline is about five weeks away, and teams are in the midst of meetings to identify their needs and potential targets.
What will your favorite team be looking to add? A difference-maker? Just a bit of depth? Or some futures to replenish the prospect pool?
The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week what they think each team needs most. Here’s what they said.
Anaheim Ducks
More consistent No. 2 goalie
There are glaring holes in the Ducks’ forward group, but those will be filled when Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish return from injury and the lineup resets properly. They need to keep the better defensive mindset they’ve adopted. But the options aren’t great if their star, Lukáš Dostál, goes down. Ville Husso has been hit and miss, while Petr Mrázek has been mostly a miss. — Eric Stephens
Boston Bruins
Right-shot defenseman
The Bruins went after Rasmus Andersson as a long-term investment. Andersson would have been a good fit with Charlie McAvoy and Henri Jokiharju on the right side. Andrew Peeke is in the last year of his contract. — Fluto Shinzawa
Buffalo Sabres
Defensive depth
The injuries to Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins have tested Buffalo’s defensive depth. Both of them should be fully healthy after the Olympic break, but injuries have forced the Sabres’ top-four defensemen to play heavy minutes lately. Adding another depth defenseman capable of playing a physical style would help them in their push for the playoffs. — Matthew Fairburn
Calgary Flames
More picks, prospects and youngsters
In Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri, the Flames have two enticing trade targets who could help contending teams win a championship this season. GM Craig Conroy is better off staying the course and accumulating picks, prospects and young players who can contribute to his lineup sooner rather than later. — Julian McKenzie
Carolina Hurricanes
Forward upgrade
The Hurricanes are happy with their lineup — the team considers Logan Stankoven’s move to center a success, and the team has found a way to balance its lines and get scoring up and down the lineup. Still, there’s room for a boost up front. Whether that’s getting an established second-line center to supplant Stankoven, a star winger to further bolster an offense that’s top five in scoring or an addition to the fourth line, Carolina has the cap space and assets to improve. — Cory Lavalette
Chicago Blackhawks
Roster space
The Blackhawks have more prospects coming around the corner, and they need to free up current NHL roster space for those players. Anton Frondell, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, could be with them as early as March. Sacha Boisvert, a 2024 first-round pick, could leave college after his season and join the Blackhawks for some NHL games. The Blackhawks also have some prospects in the AHL, most notably Sam Rinzel and Nick Lardis, who could be worthy of some more NHL games down the stretch, too. — Scott Powers
Colorado Avalanche
Third-line center
Jack Drury has been steady, but with only 18 points in 52 games, the Avalanche could certainly upgrade at 3C. Ross Colton has been injured and hasn’t played nearly as well at center when he has been healthy, so that could be the position Colorado attacks most aggressively, similar to last deadline. I’ve mentioned Ryan O’Reilly before and still think he’s a perfect fit, assuming Nashville will trade him now that it’s climbed to within striking range of a wild-card spot. — Jesse Granger
Columbus Blue Jackets
Top-six winger
Mason Marchment, with eight goals in 11 games, has given the Blue Jackets a big boost since he was acquired from Seattle, but at no point this season have the Jackets’ top-two lines clicked concurrently. The second line is the soft spot right now, where 23-year-old Kent Johnson is having a rough year and veterans Boone Jenner and Sean Monahan have been inconsistent. This club creates chances, but struggles to finish. A top-six winger — hello, Artemi Panarin — could disrupt things in a good way. — Aaron Portzline
Dallas Stars
Top-six forward
Artemi Panarin sure would look good alongside Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. One more proven scorer could be the difference for a team that always seems to be a goal or two short in the Western Conference final. The question is, does Dallas have the assets to make such a move? Jim Nill has no first-rounder in 2026 and a thin prospect pool. A more reasonable add might be someone like Connor Murphy, as the Stars need a right-handed defenseman as much, if not more, than a potential Tyler Seguin replacement. — Mark Lazerus
Detroit Red Wings
Top-four defenseman
The Red Wings have pulled back on Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s minutes, especially when protecting late leads, which speaks to the need to bring in a more proven (and ideally heavier) second-pair defenseman for the playoff push. The bottom half of Detroit’s defense is largely lighter and relatively unproven against playoff pressure, and for a team looking to snap a nine-year playoff drought, a steady option who can take 18-20 minutes next to Ben Chiarot would add stability on the back end. — Max Bultman
Could the Maple Leafs’ Bobby McMann be a perfect fit for the Oilers? (Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers
Third-line forward with speed and size
Size and speed on the third line are the primary issues. Goal-scoring ability would be a major asset, especially if the acquisition has had success scoring in a depth role. Bobby McMann of the Maple Leafs has been mentioned as a target recently. His max skating speed is 99th percentile, according to NHL Edge. He has 17 goals already and is on an expiring contract at $1.35 million. That’s a value contract for a fast player who has size and can score. It’s a perfect fit for Edmonton’s needs. — Allan Mitchell
Florida Panthers
Additional depth on defense
Seth Jones’ injury has highlighted how vulnerable the Panthers could be on the back end with one absence, and with the aging Jeff Petry and inexperienced Uvis Balinskis pressed into too many minutes for a contending club. A home-run swing for the Panthers feels like a move that gives them options on the blue line with some term (Justin Faulk?), something that could also help them get into the playoffs in a very difficult Atlantic Division. — James Mirtle
Los Angeles Kings
Another scoring forward
Some think the Kings need to plan for the future rather than aim for the short-term view of sneaking into the playoffs. But that’s unlikely to happen given their win-now focus and the importance of sending venerable star Anže Kopitar into retirement with postseason hockey. Multiple playoff spots in the West are within reach, and acquiring someone who can pump up their 28th-ranked offense through five-on-five play and on the power play without sacrificing their best prospects would help the cause. — Eric Stephens
Minnesota Wild
No. 1 center
For the 25th year in a row, the Wild are looking for a No. 1 center. However, this time feels different as Bill Guerin sizes up the market after his Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade put Minnesota in all-in mode, likely heading into a first-round matchup with Dallas. Even if Guerin can’t find that No. 1 center now, it will be his goal in the offseason. If he has to wait, look for him to at least go after Vincent Trocheck, Nazem Kadri, Ryan O’Reilly, Charlie Coyle or someone else who can help now. — Michael Russo
Montreal Canadiens
High-compete, penalty-killing forward
The Canadiens’ penalty kill has been bad for most of the season, and while they addressed it with the acquisition of Phillip Danault, it remains broken. It is one of the bigger weaknesses on the team. At five-on-five, the Canadiens could also use a bit more jam in their bottom six. They already have too many forwards and don’t have the cap space to add salary right now, so any trade they do make would likely be a hockey trade. — Arpon Basu
Nashville Predators
Center
The Preds are being carried by No. 1 center Ryan O’Reilly and have very little to offer after that. That doesn’t mean GM Barry Trotz is going to make such an addition. On the contrary, the big question around the franchise is whether he’s going to move O’Reilly for what would likely be a significant haul, or keep him and let this team fight to squeak into the playoffs. Any buy on Trotz’s part would be malpractice. — Joe Rexrode
New Jersey Devils
Forward with offensive ability
The Devils are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season, and they could use more offensive punch from their forwards. Tom Fitzgerald said he wants to add at forward, and the team now has some cap flexibility after dealing Ondřej Palát. This next stretch could determine how aggressive the team is. — Peter Baugh
New York Islanders
Non-rentals
The Islanders are in such an interesting position because they’ve exceeded expectations but are still retooling. So despite this season’s success, it really doesn’t make sense to go all in on rentals. Instead, the Islanders can take some swings on players with term such as Jordan Kyrou, or deal for a pending RFA who will stay under team control this summer. Those deals would help this team prep for a playoff run without veering too far off track from the overarching process. — Shayna Goldman
New York Rangers
Youth
As the Rangers embark on a self-proclaimed retool, team president Chris Drury has let it be known his focus is on “obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space.” New York is actively working on an Artemi Panarin trade and listening on pretty much everyone else, with the goal of offloading veterans for younger alternatives and restocking a bare prospect cupboard. Skilled forwards with speed are priority No. 1, but this will be a multi-faceted process that targets every non-goalie position. — Vincent Z. Mercogliano
Ottawa Senators
Right-shot defenseman
If the Senators can continue to string together positive results ahead of the roster freeze next week, the pressure will be on GM Steve Staios to buy ahead of the trade deadline. If he does, don’t be surprised if he leans toward a defenseman. Yes, Carter Yakemchuk waits in the wings. But the Senators need a surefire top-four defender who can be plugged into a second pairing (it would help if he could kill penalties, too). — Julian McKenzie
Philadelphia Flyers
Center
Even after signing Christian Dvorak to a five-year extension, the Flyers remain weak down the middle. Noah Cates hasn’t been as effective since linemate Tyson Foerster’s injury, Sean Couturier is in the midst of a dreadful goal-scoring drought, and journeyman Lane Pederson is currently the 4C. That said, it’s unlikely the Flyers are going to be able to swing a deal for a high-end pivot before this year’s deadline. That’s the sort of transaction that’s much more plausible in the offseason. — Kevin Kurz
Pittsburgh Penguins
Blue-line depth
I doubt the Penguins make a huge splash at the deadline. In the summer? Yeah, I could see that. For now, they are technically rebuilding, but Kyle Dubas won’t hesitate to add a piece to ensure the feel-good season concludes with a playoff berth. Their biggest need is a depth defenseman. They would appear to be pretty well set at forward and between the pipes at the moment. — Josh Yohe
San Jose Sharks
Right-handed defenseman
The Sharks don’t have anything close to a true No. 1 on their blue line, and that is hard to get at any point in the year. But the defense has been capable by committee, improving as the season has gone on. They could still use another righty as an upgrade, ideally one that is a longer-term option. However, this is a feel-good season in San Jose, and unless they can pull off another targeted buy up front, as they did with Kiefer Sherwood, riding a quiet deadline to an unexpected playoff berth wouldn’t be the worst thing. — Eric Stephens
Seattle Kraken
Goal-scoring punch
The Kraken play a tough, disciplined defensive game, have reliably received solid-to-stellar goaltending this season and run relatively deep with solid two-way players, both up front and on the back end. The Kraken are a top-10 defensive team, but they rank 23rd in the NHL in goals for per game. That reflects, more than anything, a deficit of elite-level game-breaking talent that has dogged this franchise since its inception. — Thomas Drance
St. Louis Blues
Unload players
With the Blues sitting near the bottom of the standings, they won’t look to fill any needs heading into the deadline. In his final season as GM, Doug Armstrong will be looking to unload players. The Blues have five on The Athletic’s trade board 5.0: No. 5 Robert Thomas, No. 21 Jordan Kyrou, No. 23 Justin Faulk, No. 31 Jordan Binnington and No. 35 Brayden Schenn. Some potential trades might take until summer to transpire, but a few of them before the deadline would not be surprising. — Jeremy Rutherford
Tampa Bay Lightning
Scoring winger
Between J.J. Moser’s growth this year and Darren Raddysh’s breakout, the Lightning’s blue line is going to be a lot deeper when Victor Hedman returns from injury. So instead, management’s focus should be up front. Tampa Bay could take a more low-key approach and look for a middle-six winger to bolster its scoring depth. Or, the Lightning could take a big swing for a right-handed shot who could help kick the power play up a notch, since the team’s PP1 could use a better one-timer option from the left circle. — Shayna Goldman
Toronto Maple Leafs
An upgrade on defense
While the Maple Leafs still need an upgrade or two in their top six, the more pressing need is on defense. The Leafs are unlikely to have Chris Tanev back this season and are relying heavily on 34-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson in his absence. Jake McCabe has struggled increasingly without Tanev by his side, and it’s been a bumpy defensive year for Morgan Rielly. Even a minor upgrade would help. The question now is whether the front office should still attempt to buy. — Jonas Siegel
Utah Mammoth
Top-nine forward with term
The Mammoth are in a strong position to make the playoffs, but buying aggressively probably doesn’t make much sense because the Central is loaded with three bona fide Cup contenders. The prudent move is likely a quiet deadline or maybe a cheap depth upgrade. If they do go big-game hunting, it should only be for a forward (ideally a center) whose age and contract fit with this core long-term. — Harman Dayal
Vancouver Canucks
Additional draft capital
The NHL’s 32nd-place team needs more draft picks, should probably be aggressively attempting to shed long-term salary-cap liabilities attached to veteran players in their late 20s and must use this deadline to begin to shape a credible plan to turn the franchise around. — Thomas Drance
Vegas Golden Knights
Middle-six forward
The Golden Knights already addressed the blue line by trading first- and second-round picks to Calgary for Rasmus Andersson, so any further additions would likely be up front. Vegas doesn’t have a first-round pick until 2028, so it may be looking at a lower tier of depth forward, but if adding a center can allow Mitch Marner to return to the wing, it could be worth it. — Jesse Granger
Blues’ Jordan Kyrou is an ideal fit for the Capitals. (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
Washington Capitals
Scoring winger
That was an easy question to answer thanks to GM Chris Patrick, who laid his cards on the table this month. The Caps will be connected to Artemi Panarin, as they should be, but Jordan Kyrou is probably the ideal fit due to his age (27) and his contract (signed through 2031). They don’t shy from high-talent, mini-reclamation projects, either — Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jakob Chychrun come to mind. — Sean Gentille
Winnipeg Jets
Draft picks
This isn’t the Jets’ season, which means it’s time to sell off a couple of pieces to recoup draft picks after years of moving them out to acquire win-now help. Logan Stanley should be the most obvious trade chip, but Winnipeg should see if there’s a market for its other pending UFAs (i.e., Luke Schenn, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson) as well. — Harman Dayal