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    NHL trade deadline 2023: Identifying the biggest need for all 32 teams

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    What does your favorite NHL team need at the league’s March 3 trade deadline? A star? A bit of depth? To swap anything of present value for future assets?

    The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week what they think each team needs. Here’s what they said.

    Another first-round pick: Can Connor Bedard be acquired? What, no inter-league trading? Well, until the Ducks take their shot in the draft lottery, the next best thing at the deadline would be to add another selection in the first round. They have to continue building out their core, and it’s good to have multiple chances at getting players who could make an impact for the next five or 10 years. Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish were all top-10 selections. OHL star Pavel Mintyukov could become a key piece on the Ducks’ future blue line. But recent late first-rounders Jacob Perreault and Brayden Tracey haven’t progressed. Nathan Gaucher, a rangy physical two-way center who went 22nd last year, could change that streak. But getting that extra first won’t be easy. — Eric Stephens

    A young asset and/or draft-pick accumulation: The Coyotes’ blueprint going forward is clear: Ideally, they’ll have a competitive team in place by the time a new building is in place, which would then create the revenue streams to pay for a playoff contender. Until then, the goal is to move players in and out to keep costs low but gain assets for a more hopeful someday down the road. — Eric Duhatschek

    Depth scoring/defense: The best-in-show Bruins have no weaknesses. They also have no cap space. As such, they might not be able to afford a big-ticket acquisition such as Bo Horvat. More realistic adds would be a right wing to play some of the shifts the Bruins expected Craig Smith to take. They would also be stronger with a depth defenseman, preferably a right shot. — Fluto Shinzawa

    Help on defense: Buffalo’s defensive depth has been tested this season, and it’s become clear that beyond Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power, consistency is becoming an issue. A big part of that is the need for another experienced player on the blue line. If the Sabres don’t want to give up the assets required for someone like Jakob Chychrun or Matt Dumba, a veteran like Joel Edmundson could fit. — Matthew Fairburn

    A scoring winger: General manager Brad Treliving has sought out a scoring winger since the opening day of training camp. While there’s no shortage of available options ahead of the trade deadline, the salary cap could dictate whether Treliving can consummate a trade suitable to help his team. The Flames could probably use another third-pairing defenseman while they’re at it, but, again, their salary-cap problems make that hard to enact. — Julian McKenzie

    A goal scorer: Thursday’s injury to Max Pacioretty didn’t look good, and odds are the six-time 30-goal scorer’s tenure with the Hurricanes will end at five games played. That means Carolina will need to again address its goal-scoring — the reason Pacioretty was acquired in the offseason. Whether the team does it by upgrading at second-line center with a player like Bo Horvat or by going after a winger like Vladimir Tarasenko, the Hurricanes’ needs just became more urgent ahead of the deadline. — Cory Lavalette

    An answer from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews: Kane and Toews’ futures are still unknown. Some information is expected to come in the next few weeks. Once they state their preference to be traded or remain in Chicago through the season, general manager Kyle Davidson can begin to plan out the deadline and beyond. Kane and Toews are the big names, but Davidson may get interest in other players and could take on a bad contract or two. — Scott Powers

    A middle-six forward: In an ideal world for the Avalanche, they would get a second-line center. They’ve felt Nazem Kadri’s absence, especially with all the injuries they’ve dealt with. But second-line centers aren’t cheap to acquire, and Evan Rodrigues’ strong season means the team could consider putting him at 2C when fully healthy. That could allow the front office to trade for a slightly cheaper player than a standout 2C, such as a middle-six winger. — Peter Baugh

    Prime draft picks: They have billed this current down cycle as a “restart” rather than a full-on “rebuild,” but this dreadful season is at least a reminder that these climbs back to competitiveness don’t always occur at the desired pace. The Blue Jackets are hoping their own first-round pick this summer gives them a chance to land one of the special players at the top of the draft board. But why stop there? GM Jarmo Kekalainen could have three UFAs to trade at the deadline: defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, winger Gustav Nyquist and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Of those three, Gavrikov is most likely to wrest a first-round pick from a contender, but Kekalainen would be wise to load up on as many early picks as possible in what figures to be a strong draft. — Aaron Portzline

    A top-six forward or second-pairing defenseman: This is a tougher answer than some would think. The Stars’ biggest disappointment of the season has been the second-line right wing position so a top-six forward would be the logical answer. But the back end has been starved and doesn’t have a marquee talent yet, as Nils Lundkvist develops, outside of Miro Heiskanen. Dallas needs somebody to not just enhance the blue line but to ensure too much isn’t put on Heiskanen’s shoulders, to the point he isn’t able to be his best self. — Saad Yousuf

    Help for the (near) future: Like most sellers, the Red Wings’ trade deadline will be judged by how much they can do to help their future. Yes, that means draft picks — but not exclusively so. If the Red Wings can make a deal that helps them get better in the near future, such as for an advanced prospect or even NHL player, there’s value in that, especially with some key players already in their mid-20s. Last year’s acquisition of Jake Walman, who arrived via the Nick Leddy trade, is a good example of how this can be done while selling. A first-round pick would of course take precedence, but if Detroit is choosing between second- and third-round picks or prospects and players, there’s a good case for the latter. — Max Bultman

    An impactful left-side defenseman: The evolution of Philip Broberg might change the thinking here, but right now the need is someone who can play behind Darnell Nurse. This has arguably been the biggest hole on the team since Oscar Klefbom’s last game in August 2020, with the exception of Duncan Keith last season. Jakob Chychrun checks so many boxes, but he didn’t appear to be the right fit for the Oilers. Vladislav Gavrikov and Joel Edmundson are of interest. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman

    Salary cap relief: There aren’t many general managers with a tougher cap situation than Bill Zito. In the offseason, plenty of money will free up. Now, though, the Panthers are at the limit with more than $8 million on long-term injured reserve and at least one player, in Anthony Duclair, nearing a return. Florida has shown signs of life recently and might be in the market for some reinforcements. If it’s Duclair, they’ll need to create $3 million in space. Adding anyone else would mean even more roster subtractions, though. Tough spot. — Sean Gentille

    A left-handed defenseman or goaltender: The Kings have seemingly needed to fortify the left side of their unbalanced defense forever, and they have consistently been among the teams that could land Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. They’ve gotten by nicely using the right-handed Sean Durzi on that side, but there are options other than Chychrun to look at as well. That said, addressing the situation in net could be as important or more so. As great of a rescue effort as Pheonix Copley has given L.A., the 30-year-old entered the year as the No. 3 and didn’t look too good in Thursday’s loss to Dallas, when he was pulled after four goals on 17 shots. With Jonathan Quick struggling and Cal Petersen in the minors, it’s an area general manager Rob Blake needs to figure out. — Eric Stephens

    Help for Matt Boldy: After scoring once in 15 games and no goals in the previous 11, Boldy finally scored a meaningless goal in a 5-2 loss to Carolina on Thursday. He has not played well for a while — not only struggling offensively but also defensively and coughing up pucks constantly. A lot of it is on him, but the Wild need to establish a better second line by getting Boldy help either at his opposite wing or at center. — Michael Russo

    A good draft pick: This used to be a first-round draft pick, but the Canadiens’ ability to acquire that now seems grim. Perhaps Joel Edmundson could provide it, but at worst, the Canadiens need additional draft capital no matter how they can get it. — Arpon Basu

    An impactful forward: The Preds need it because, basically across the board, they are getting less production than planned from their key forwards. Matt Duchene is way off last season’s pace, Filip Forsberg is closer after a recent hot streak, and Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen are not doing enough. That’s not to say the Preds should actually set out to trade for an impactful forward — at some point, this team needs to be a seller — but that’s the need. A promotion for Philip Tomasino from Milwaukee would be one way to address this without losing assets. — Joe Rexrode

    A scoring winger: Sure, the Devils could look for a bit more security in net, long-term. But at the 2023 deadline, their focus should be adding another scoring winger into the mix. New Jersey has assets to move, and there will be options on the market. The splashiest target obviously is Timo Meier, but management could look for another player with shooting talent below that tier. The idea should be to find a forward who can finish his chances to play in the top nine, top six or even opposite Jack Hughes on the top line. — Shayna Goldman

    New York Islanders

    A goal-scoring winger: What the Islanders need now is the same thing they’ve needed for more than a year now — a winger who can put the puck in the net. In a perfect world, he would also find chemistry with Mathew Barzal, who has been playing well in the offensive end but has typically been forced to skate with players that just aren’t good enough to create consistent offense. Kyle Palmieri’s extended absence and Oliver Wahlstrom’s long-term injury have only exacerbated this ongoing issue. — Kevin Kurz

    Depth: Recent short-term injuries to Chris Kreider and Julien Gauthier showed the Rangers forward group can’t really absorb any hits to the top 12, whether on the top line (Kreider) or the fourth line (Gauthier). Ben Harpur was an AHL tryout who’s been solid as the third-pair left defenseman but there isn’t much the Rangers can rely on behind him. — Arthur Staple

    A right-shot defenseman: The Senators are rolling into next season with only Artem Zub and Nikita Zaitsev locked into contracts on the right side of their blue line. And considering Zaitsev has already been waived this season, it doesn’t feel like he’s part of the solution moving forward. So Ottawa should be aggressively seeking a right-shot defenseman who can ideally come in and play significant minutes. Jacob Bernard-Docker appears NHL-ready, but the Senators may prefer to ease him into the mix next season. If that’s the route they choose, they should be seeking a stable veteran on the right side to slide into their group. But given Ottawa’s current placement in the standings, the Senators should be wary of giving up significant assets for a rental defenseman who does not have term beyond this season. — Ian Mendes

    Future assets: While the Flyers’ recent run of eight wins in 11 games realistically has pulled the Flyers out of the hunt for Connor Bedard (at least for now), they’re still nowhere close to contending for a championship. This is a team that should be loading up on future assets in an attempt to rebuild its talent base, and the trade deadline is an opportunity for the Flyers to do just that. Selling off expiring contracts (James van Riemsdyk, Justin Braun) is a no-brainer, but the Flyers would be well served to be more creative than that, with the goal of stockpiling picks in the first two rounds of what appears to be one of the deepest drafts in years. — Charlie O’Connor

    A third-line center: Jeff Carter isn’t getting it done as the Penguins’ third center, to the point that coach Mike Sullivan has occasionally tried Carter as the right wing on that line in recent games. Carter might still be of some use in that role, but the Penguins are without a capable two-way center to suitably sustain a third line, leaving their forward depth with a hole and giving them no insurance in case of injury to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. — Rob Rossi

    A big return for Timo Meier: The Sharks don’t have to trade Meier before the deadline, but doing so would help ensure a top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and likely add at least two more young core pieces to build around. General manager Mike Grier recently said finding more young dynamic players is the organization’s biggest need. Moving Meier could lead to another first-round pick and a young NHL player or high-end prospect to grow with William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, Filip Bystedt and one of those gems at the top of the 2023 class. — Corey Masisak

    A star forward: The Kraken’s strength is their depth. They have scorers on all four lines and on defense. But to build on that strength, it would help to have a little star power. Matty Beniers will get there, but adding another high-end talent would really kick this team up a notch. If Seattle decides to add a big piece — and that’s a big if, because this team doesn’t have to spend right now — it shouldn’t be a rental but someone who can help for years to come. — Shayna Goldman

    A pair of first-round picks: If the Blues aren’t going to re-sign Ryan O’Reilly and/or Vladimir Tarasenko, they need to move them by the deadline, and ideally both players could fetch first-round picks. The market may not bear that for a pair of 31-year-olds who will be coming off injuries, but that should be the asking price for the pending unrestricted free agents. The picks may not improve the Blues’ roster in the immediate future, but assets will be a must if the team decides to go into a retool or rebuild. — Jeremy Rutherford

    Bottom six scoring: The Lightning don’t need a lot. They’ve got a star-studded core that knows how to win. The best goalie in the world. A top-tier defenseman. But what they’ve lost over the years due to the success and salary cap is depth up front. The deadline could provide some more punch offensively for the bottom six — the next Blake Coleman, Nick Paul, etc. Depth on defense is another option. — Joe Smith

    A top-nine forward (or, preferably, a top-six one): Calle Jarnkrok has been fine as the final piece in the top six. But there’s a clear limit on what he can deliver offensively. He has a big shot but lacks in the playmaking department. The Leafs could look to upgrade that spot specifically — or spring for a center like Ryan O’Reilly to boost the top nine as a whole. Also: An argument remains that this team could still use a defenseman in the Jake Muzzin mold for playoff time. — Jonas Siegel

    Blue-chip prospects in exchange for Bo Horvat: It’s looking far more likely than not that the Canucks won’t be able to re-sign their captain ahead of the trade deadline. If that’s the case, they need to nail whatever package they get in return. General manager Jim Rutherford has said that the club would prefer young players over draft picks, so the Canucks need to find defense or center prospects with high potential. — Harman Dayal

    A top-nine winger: The Golden Knights were a little thin on the wing even before Mark Stone went down with an upper-body injury. If he’s going to miss any significant time, they desperately need some help on the outside. The question is, how much cap space do they have to work with? If Stone returns, it leaves Vegas with very little, meaning a depth winger who can possibly pitch in some scoring would be likely. We don’t have a timeline for Stone’s return yet, but if he’s out longer, it could make the Golden Knights a serious player for some of the top deadline targets. — Jesse Granger

    A big, physical defenseman: The Caps are good in goal and flush with depth up front. If there is a weak spot, it’s the lack of a big, physical defenseman — a fact underscored by Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Minnesota. The Wild scored three goals on screened shots one night after the Islanders got one in similar fashion. Could a blueliner like Montreal’s Joel Edmundson be the answer? Maybe, but any discussion of adding at the deadline must come with the following caveat: If John Carlson returns, as hoped, they’ll need to ship out salary to add any. — Tarik El-Bashir

    A playoff-tested, middle-six forward or a high-end defenseman: Despite Winnipeg’s long-term needs at center, I think Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry have things well taken care of in the short term. Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s top six depends on a rookie, Cole Perfetti, and some smaller, skilled forwards like Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. I think Winnipeg would love to add a wing who can offer middle-six quality plus grit and battle-tested experience: think Tampa Bay adding Blake Coleman in 2020. Timo Meier is the blue-sky target, but he’ll be expensive, both in terms of assets and re-signing cost. An even bigger need would be a defenseman who can step in and offer top-pair quality, whether with Josh Morrissey or on the second pair. Those players are rare, and I’m sure the Jakob Chychrun market will be hot. — Murat Ates

    (Photos in top image: Joel Auerbach, Minas Panagiotakis and Katherine Gawlik / Getty Images)

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