The NHL Trade Deadline Is Coming Up On March 7th. Only a Few days Away And Fans Of Their Respective Teams Are Still Dreaming About A Cup
March 7th is coming very soon. For most people this is just another date on the calendar as we head toward Spring. Ah but not for hockey fans. March 7th is like Christmas. On that day, NHL fans wake up early and sit by the TV, radio, or social media, waiting for that big moment. The moment Santa Bettman announces their team has made a trade. Will it be a trade to help their team challenge for a Stanley Cup? Or will it be a trade to boost that team for the future? Only time will tell.
In most seasons, alot of trades, some bigger than others, are made well in advance of the deadline. This season their have been a few, such as JT Miller returning to the Rangers, or Miko Rantannen being dealt to the Hurricanes. Why is it however, that its mainly been very very quiet the past few weeks?
Have you looked at the standings lately? The league has gotten what it wants with a lot of parity among the teams. As we speak, the Eastern Conference still has about 6 to 7 teams in contention to make a wild card. Because of this, many teams still are not sure if they should be buyers or sellers at the deadline. They probably will make that call right before March 7th.
With that being said, today will be part one of a two part column as I look at the deadline by each conference. I predict that this season more big names will be traded than in many years due to a lot of different circumstances. So lets first look at the Eastern conference. I will break them down as far as buyers versus sellers. Then I will have a third category known as the mushy middle. Lets dive right into my predictions .
Everyone has been pleasantly surprised on how well the Caps have played this season. After last season’s first round exit in the playoffs, Washington did a casual rebuild by not adding any big names to its roster. The thought was it was all about Alex Ovechkin and his chase for the goal scoring record. But Washington has been at the top or near the top of the league standings for a while.
The roster is very well rounded. If the Caps do make a move, it will probably be for a depth defenseman. I don’t see them making any big splash as to not upset the apple cart
New Jersey Devils
This team is so hard to predict this season. At certain times they have looked like world beaters. In other moments they have looked like a bottom feeder. GM Tom Fitzgerald made some bold moves this off-season, including acquiring a top-notch goalie in Jacob Markstrom. With Markstrom still out with an injury, I see the Devils perhaps looking to make a big move for another proven goal scorer.
The name I would keep an eye on is Nashville’s Jonathan Marchessault. He is a proven scorer who is just not a fit with Nashville right now. If the Devils can fit him under their cap situation, I can see it happening.
Will this team ever win another cup? Will they even ever make another finals? The Leafs are huge in Canada, yet their fans have suffered for 57 years! It seems every year the team makes some deals at the deadline, but they never seem to work. I have said this for years, you can’t win a cup without a quality goaltender. The Leafs have had a few average goalies in the nets this season.
To be honest, none of them make me think Cup winner. If the Leafs wanna go big and bold, here is who I go after, Jordan Binnington. The Blues goalie just helped Canada win a gold medal at the Four Nations Face Off. I am not sure you can get him, but it’s worth a shot. A backup option would be the often injured but still quality net minder John Gibson of Anaheim.
Florida Panthers
The defending Stanley Cup champs will be in the mix in some way. The team lost a lot of players from last year’s team. However, this year they are still battling for top dog in the East. With the health of Matthew Tkachuk now a concern, the feeling is the Puddy Tats will look for an offensive spark at the deadline. Would they even dare to explore Steven Stamkos and have him return to a Florida-based team? We shall see.
Boston Bruins
It’s been a long time since we have seen the Bruins not make the playoffs. But this year, based on some serious injuries to some star players, Boston is in danger of falling short. The big name being tossed around is team captain Brad Marchand. Would the team consider dealing their leader for a nice return? The rumor I have heard is that Marchand would be open to a trade, and then resign with the team next season as a free agent. Another name being whispered about who a lot of teams would love is Trent Frederick.
Montreal Canadiens
The winner of the most Stanley Cups is league history is still under construction. The rebuild is not complete but the team is showing signs of life. With a young nucleus moving forward, The Canadiens may be willing to move Josh Andersen or Joel Armia for the right prize. The Canadiens will definitely be sellers at the NHL’s deadline.
New York Islanders
Is anyone going to tell GM Lou Lamoriello that it is time to blow up the team? For years fans have complained the team is too old, too slow and doesn’t score. Yet Lou has rolled out the same core group for years. With the team drifting out of NHL contention, it may finally be time to break up the gang. The team has a lot of moving parts that many teams would love to have for a cup run. Look for Kyle Palmeiri, Brock Nelson, Noah Dobson, and even team captain Anders Lee as potential trade chips.
Pittsburgh Penguins
I saved the best for last. The Penguins simply do not have enough in the tank to make it this season. What they do have are some pretty big name veterans who definitely could help other teams. There is no reason to believe GM Kyle Dubas would not listen to offers for Evgeny Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. There is one name I left off the list and that is Sidney Crosby. We have been told time and time again that Crosby has stated he wants to end his career in Pittsburgh.
I simply do not buy this. If Dubas came to Crosby and said he had a great deal on the table that could dramatically help the Pens rebuild while giving Sid one last shot at another Cup, I think he has to listen. I have been saying this for some time, and I won’t stop. Crosby to the Avalanche to play with his hometown buddy Nathan Mackinnon is a juicy situation. We shall see what happens.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes pulled off a major deal just a few weeks ago acquiring big time scorer Rantannen from Colorado. Sadly, however, the impending free agent to be has been a dud with the Canes. As of this writing Rantannen has only 3 points since joining his new team. For a player looking to cash in on free agency this off season, this certainly will not help his case.
He is simply not a fit in Carolina. The Canes are a plug and play kind of team. They seem to always have a lot of similar parts, but still don’t have that game breaker they need for the postseason. Will the Canes move Rantannen again for another proven scorer? How about a Rantannen for Stamkos move? Now that would be juicy. Or the Canes may just stand pat and do nothing.
Time to talk about the most disappointing team in the NHL this season. I can write a whole column on how poorly this team has performed when expectations were so high. The team was two wins shy of the Stanley Cup Finals and a President’s trophy winner a year ago. Now they are struggling just to make a wild card. I know I say you gotta just get in it to win it, the Rangers are showing no signs of being a team that could win it this year.
The team is loaded with high-priced veterans who are not performing as the team hoped. That being said, unless GM Chris Drury drinks the Koolaid, the smart thing to do is sell off some of the dead parts. No trade clauses aside, if you can find a taker for Miko Zibanejad or Chris Kreider, you have to do it. If you can find takers for impending free agents Ryan Lindgren and K’andre Miller, you have to do it.
Lastly, even though he was an overall number one pick just a few seasons ago, Alex Lafrenierre is still not showing the potential we all expect. Maybe a swap of Lafreniere for Ducks forward Trevor Zegras is something I would entertain. Or will the Rangers still believe they have one last gasp to win this year, and as usual go for the big move? We shall soon find out.
So these are some of the moves I think have the potential to happen by next week. In my next column we will look at the Western Conference as we head toward Christmas for NHL fans.
Read More Hockey News From Stadium Rant Here: Hockey News
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
