Prediction’s for this weeks trade action
Part 2 West and North
Because it is Easter I am not doing any trade rumors and news today but I will be going team by team to see what each team’s approach should be over the next week leading up to the trade deadline.
All standings and schedule as of Sunday night
I have also broken down their trade status into six categories
Buyer: a contender looking at a highly skilled top 9 foward, top 4 D-Men or a starting goalie or a 1A option whether it is a rental or a player with term.
Conservative Buyer: a team looking to improve most likely looking at a bottom six foward, a 2nd or 3rd defensive pair defensemen, or a backup Goalie who most likely is a rental player.
Standing pat: teams who are comfortable with their rosters and don’t want to do anything.
Undecided: a team who is to stuck between fighting for a playoff spot and not fighting for a playoff spot.
Conservative Seller: a team who doesn’t want to blow up their Roster and just sell low profile rentals.
Seller: a team who is in need of a lot of change and will most likely miss the playoff’s and sells rental’s and non rentals for future things.
Rental: a player who will become a Unrestricted Free Agent or UFA at the end of the year when his contract expires and the team acquiring him does not re-sign him.
And first the
North
Toronto
25-10-3 record, 1st in North, 53 points, 38 games played, 18 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline: CAL, MON,OTT
Deadline status: Buyers
Most likely to be traded: Travis Dermott
Most Pressing Need: Top 9 Forward
Explanation: Toronto has been the best team in Canada the whole season and it doesn’t look like they’re going to stop right now they have always wanted this season to add a top nine Forward and have been speculated to possibly be interested in either a rental or a player with term two names to watch out for are Mikael Granlund (Nashville) and Kyle Palmeri (New Jersey).
Edmonton
23-14-1 record, T2nd in North, 47 points, 38 games played, 12 points above the playoff line
Games before deadline: OTT, OTT, CAL
Deadline status: Conservative Buyers
Most likely to be traded: Kyle Turris
Most Pressing Need: Depth Forward
Explanation: Edmonton probably has two of the best five players in the world but have not been a consistent playoff team now it looks like they are way better team and are looking like they will make the playoffs they are looking for a third line centre who can take Defensive zone draws and a couple players they could look at would be Luke Glendening (Detroit) and Nick Foligno (Columbus)
Winnipeg
22-13-3 record, T2nd in North, 47 points, 38 games played, 12 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline OTT, MON, MON
Deadline status: Buyers
Most likely to be traded: Paul Stastny
Most Pressing Need: Top 4 D-Men
Explanation: Winnipeg has been a really dominant team this year and have benefitted from the Pierre Luc Dubois trade and could easily have one of the best forward groups in the north but there one flaw throughout the whole season has been top 4 defenceman as they could use another one to join Morrissey and Pionk. Possible trade candidates are Josh Manson (Anaheim) and David Savard (Columbus).
Montreal
16-9-9 record, 4th in North, 41 points, 34 games played, 6 points above the playoff line
Games before deadline: EDM, TOR, WIN, WIN
Deadline status: Conservative Buyers
Most likely to be traded: Victor Mete
Most Pressing Need: Depth Forward
Explanation: Now this one is simple because I think Montreal already made their move and that was acquiring Eric Staal from Buffalo I think that was their big addition and they won’t do anything more before the deadline.
Vancouver
16-18-3 record, 5th in North, 35 points, 37 games played, 6 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: None
Deadline status: Conservative Seller
Most likely to be traded: Tanner Pearson
Most Pressing Need: Picks and Prospects.
Explanation: this all hinges on Covid stuff because the Canucks are riddled with Covid players right now but if they can move players I would expect them to sell possibly players like Tanner Pearson, Jake Virtanen, and maybe Alex Edler.
Calgary
16-20-3 record, 6th in North, 35 points, 39 games played, 6 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: CAL, MON, OTT.
Deadline status: Seller
Most likely to be traded: Sam Bennett
Most Pressing Need: Scoring Forward
Explanation: Calgary has not done good lately and I could easily be moving a lot of big players as they’re looking less and less likely to make a playoff spot possible trade candidates are Sam Bennett David Rittich in a very long extent Johnny Gaudreau.
Ottawa
13-21-4 record, 7th in North, 30 points, 38 games played, 11 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: WIN, EDM, EDM, TOR
Deadline status: Seller
Most likely to be traded: Mike Reilly
Most Pressing Need: Picks and Prospects.
Explanation: Ottawa has put up fight in the ridiculously hard North Divisionand probably need to sell one more year before they are buyers or do not have to sell players. People like Ryan Dzingel and Mike Reilly will probably be moved before the deadline.
West
Colorado
25-8-4 record, 1st in West, 54 points, 37 games played, 16 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline: MIN, MIN, ANA, ANA
Deadline status: Buyers
Most likely to be traded: Tyson Jost
Most Pressing Need: Backup Goalie
Explanation: three avalanche have already acquired a goalie who they can use as a backup in Jonas Johansson but could look to add another experience back up goalie to give Grubauer some time off before the playoffs. Annti Rantta (Arizona) and Linus Ullmark (Buffalo) are a couple options they could look at.
Vegas
24-10-2 record, 2nd in West, 50 points, 36 games played, 12 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline: ST.L, ST.L, ARI, ARI
Deadline status: stand pat
Most likely to be traded: Nick Holden
Most Pressing Need: Center depth
ExplanationI think for now Vegas is doing a really good job with their team and have a good deep team that I think they should stand pat in this deadline if they do have a move I would suggest Nick holden is traded for cap reasons.
Minnesota
23-11-2 record, 3rd in West, 48 points, 36 games played, 10 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline: COL, COL, ST.L, ST.L
Deadline status: Conservative Buyer
Most likely to be traded: Brad Hunt
Most Pressing Need: Depth Forward
Explanation: A couple months ago I would’ve said that Minnesota might trade Matt Dumba, but now where they’re at right now I can only see them buying a rental or two. Bobby Ryan (Detroit) and Marcus Sorensen (San Jose) I think could be two trade targets for Minnesota.
Arizona
18-15-5 record, 4th in West, 41 points, 38 games played, 3 points above the playoff line.
Games before deadline: LA, LA, VGK, VGK
Deadline status: undecided
Most likely to be traded: Alex Goligoski
Most Pressing Need: Top 9 Forward
Explanation: A recent surge has put Arizona in a playoff spot but not far enough where they can call themselves buyers they have two options sell high players like Alex Goligoski and Annti Rannta and acquire awfully need draft picks or try and get a top 9 forward like Anthony Mantha (Detroit) or Nick Foligno (Columbus) for a playoff push.
San Jose
17-16-4 record, T5th in West, 38 points, 37 games played, 3 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: ANA, LA, LA
Deadline status: Undecided
Most likely to be traded: Deven Dubnyk
Most Pressing Need: top 9 Foward
Explanation: A lot like Arizona San Jose is just on the other side of the playoffs but can’t consider themselves sellers or buyers. Either they sell and give up rentals like Marcus Sorensen and Deven Dubnyk or they try to trade for a top nine forward like Mikael Granlund (Nashville) or Taylor Hall (Buffalo).
St.Louis
16-15-6 record, T5th in West, 38 points, 37 games played, 3 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: VGK, VGK, MIN, MIN
Deadline status: Undecided
Most likely to be traded: Vince Dunn
Most Pressing Need: Defensive Defensemen
Explanation: St.Louis could also go one of two ways either sell players like
Vince Dunn and Jayden Schwartz or try to trade for a player like Brandon Montour (Buffalo) or Sami Vatanen (New Jersey).
Los Angeles
14-16-6 record, 7th in West, 34 points, 36 games played, 7 points back of a playoff spot.
Games before deadline: ARI, ARI, SJ, SJ
Deadline status: Conservative Seller
Most likely to be traded: Dustin Brown
Most Pressing Need: Dynamic D-Men
Explanation: Los Angeles was in a playoff spot just a few weeks ago but a recent slip has them seven points out of a playoff spot and I think it would be good for them if they could sell players like Dustin Brown and Olli Maatta at the deadline.
Anaheim
11-21-7 record, 8th in West, 29 points, 39 games played, 12 points back of a playoff spot
Games before deadline: SJ, SJ, COL
Deadline status: Seller
Most likely to be traded: Josh Manson
Most Pressing Need: Scoring
Explanation: The ducks are awful at putting pucks in the net and could trade a lot of players but big names like Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell could bring in some goal scoring support
Comments
Post a Comment