Arizona Coyotes: Add another puck-mover on defense
The Coyotes have been fun to watch this season, and they've got enough forwards who help them score in waves. Rookie Logan Cooley has been exciting, and Clayton Keller has led the way for them admirably.
What's more, defenseman Sean Durzi has been a great addition to the blue line and gives them a scoring threat from there they haven't had since Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but they could stand to give Durzi a little backup.
Adding another capable puck-mover to the blue line would take some of the pressure off Durzi to be their one most able defender to carry the puck and start rushes. If they were able to swoop in and acquire Noah Hanifin it would be an ideal addition and show everyone Coyotes management is ready to stop being the butt of everyone's jokes.
Chicago Blackhawks: Be the best trade facilitators
Chicago was not meant to be good this season and, sure enough, it is not. Connor Bedard has come as advertised and been great, but with Taylor Hall done for the season with an injury and Corey Perry cut loose, the growing pains of a young team are very apparent.
They're not going to add players to improve their situation this year, but they're well below the cap and continuing to compile draft picks. Using that $14.6 million in cap space to help teams move their big-ticket players in need of new addresses is the absolute best thing they can do and probably the most likely outcome.
Colorado Avalanche: Improve the defensive depth
Let's be real: The Avalanche aren't in need of a lot of help. They score a ton of goals, they don't give up a lot of them and their advanced stats are among the best in the league. Life is good in Denver, but if there's an area in need of just a little insurance, it's on defense.
Cale Makar is a little banged up right now, and they'll be without Samuel Girard while he's in the player assistance program. Fortunately, the Avs have Jack Johnson and Caleb Jones to soften the blow, but if they have to dig deeper than that, things could get dicey. Competing against Dallas, Los Angeles, Vegas and Vancouver in the West won't cut them any breaks.
Dallas Stars: Get insurance
The Stars are in a similar position to the Avalanche in that they're doing everything really well. Their scoring depth is strong, their defense doesn't score a ton of points but is solid, and Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood have been great in goal again. Dallas has even had incredibly good fortune with injuries.
The Stars are good, they're in a great battle with Colorado and Winnipeg once again, and about all they need to do is make sure they're prepared for when players miss time with various ailments. Based on how their guys are playing in the AHL, that doesn't seem to be a problem either. It's kind of a happy boring time for Dallas, but GM Jim Nill is never one to be asleep at the wheel if things get tough.
Minnesota Wild: Stay cool, man
The biggest move the Wild needed to make was a coaching change, and they did that when they fired Dean Evason and brought in John Hynes. The lineup is pretty good, so long as it's playing up to its potential. Until recently, only a handful of guys had been doing that, but the 3-0 record under Hynes has shown there's more there.
If there's an area for the Wild to address right now, it's their depth up front and on defense. But in reality they've got to play it cool and see if their play can rebound enough to get into the thick of the playoff race. If it's not, it would be time to take a look at the players on expiring deals to see if they can find a new home elsewhere.
Nashville Predators: Find a scorer
The Predators started to remake their roster last season when they traded Mattias Ekholm to Edmonton. But now that they've fixed things up more in the image of GM Barry Trotz, they're hovering around the playoff race, and one desperate need they have is scoring.
Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly have been great, as has Gustav Nyquist, but while their younger forwards go through the ups and downs of growing in the NHL, another veteran to put the puck in the net would give the Preds another layer to their attack.
They've weathered goalie Juuse Saros' slow start, but he's beginning to warm up, and giving him a few more goals in support could make Nashville a real pain to deal with later on.
St. Louis Blues: Deal the UFAs
The Blues are in a spot where they haven't been great, but they also haven't been bad enough to want to rip it all apart. What they do have are six potential unrestricted free agents who, although many have been steadily in the lineup, aren't doing a lot to help the cause.
Among the guys St. Louis has to possibly deal (Jakub Vrana, Kasperi Kapanen, Samuel Blais, Oskar Sundqvist, Robert Bortuzzo, Marco Scandella), each would make an ideal depth player for a playoff contender.
Although the return in deals involving them might not make headlines, they could help add picks or mix in new players. If the Blues are going to sell, they're going to help some other teams fill some holes and improve their future in the process.
Winnipeg Jets: Add depth all around
Seeing the Jets in the mix with the Avalanche and Stars atop the Central is a pleasant surprise considering all the offseason question marks that were later solved when they signed Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to long-term extensions and traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to L.A.
The Jets are solid and fun and score and stymie opponents well. If there's a need, it's more of an organizational one to add more quality depth at all positions, particularly on defense.
What Winnipeg can roll out with its regular lineup is really solid throughout, and while injuries are difficult to navigate no matter what, the Jets are lacking in guys on the blue line who can help soften the blow. They have some guys scoring in the AHL at forward, but defense is where they could stand to get a lift.
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What Every NHL Team Would Do If the Trade Deadline Was Today - Bleacher Report
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