By: Chris Nosek

Let’s continue our look around the league to see what action teams are currently leaning toward for the trade deadline.

Carolina Hurricanes

Coming into the season, there were questions in goal for the Canes. Brandon Bussi was claimed off waivers and has been a steady presence for them. Both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov have suffered from injuries. Kochetkov has seen his season end after undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury. They’ve made it known they’re willing to move Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Additionally, reports indicate that Andrei Svechnikov is willing to move. Eric Tulsky has proven he’s not afraid to make a big move, regardless of what it takes.

Direction: Buyer

New York Islanders

After winning the first overall pick in last year’s draft, the Islanders have turned things around quicker than most expected. Like so many others, they too have had to deal with significant injuries. Several young players have stepped up. The arrival of Matthew Schaefer has just been the start. They’re also getting great play from Calum Ritchie, Emil Heineman, and Simon Holmstrom. They’ve also gotten a consistent level of play from David Rittich backing up Ilya Sorokin, as Semyon Varlamov remains injured. I don’t think Mathieu Darche is going to rush what he is building. That being said, if there is a chance to make the Islanders better, he will take it.

Direction: Buyer

Philadelphia Flyers

Daniel Briere has quietly been rebuilding the Flyers and putting them back in contention. He has plenty of draft capital and cap space to work with and isn’t afraid to move players. The team could certainly use improvements across the board. Brierre will continue to look for strategic improvements across the roster. His limitations will be based on who hits the trade market. He will definitely look to make a big move that improves the club. However, he will remain patient to ensure he doesn’t overpay or bring in the wrong player.

Direction: Patient buyer

Washington Capitals

Chris Patrick will look at every opportunity that would help the Caps. He will do everything possible to push this team over the edge as long as he still has Alex Ovechkin. Ovi is 40 years old, and his contract is over at the end of the season. It is unknown whether he will retire at the end of the season. Patrick has made a series of great moves based on their scouting. If there is another opportunity to add, he will certainly take it. There would have to be a significant fall-off for anything to change.

Direction: Buyer

Pittsburgh Penguins

Despite a weak outlook coming into the season, the Penguins have managed to put themselves in playoff contention. Like every other team, the Penguins have had injuries to critical players. Justin Brazeau, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell, and Kevin Hayes have all missed at least 10 games. Kyle Dubas has already flipped over the crease since taking over as General Manager. He’s also acquired Yegor Chinakhov from the Blue Jackets and added 13 prospects to the system in just one draft. Having the Crosby, Malkin, and Letang trio will allow the team to remain competitive. Dubas has proven he can make deals that bring in young talent that helps the team right away. He will certainly look at making more of those moves.

Direction: Buyer

New Jersey Devils

When internal business gets out in the media, nothing good ever happens. It is now known that more than one player has been asked to waive their no-trade/movement clause. Those players all declined, and the team couldn’t make room for Quinn Hughes. Whether it was a direct cause of not getting Quinn Hughes or not, the room has become fractured. Tom Fitzgerald is going to have to make some moves. A statement from agent JP Barry confirms the team is interested in moving on from defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Moving on from a player like Hamilton would normally be a selling move. Fitzgerald will need to find a balance. He needs to add talent while moving any player who doesn’t want to be in Jersey anymore. He may only get one chance to make a move. This means he will need to remain patient until the right deal comes.

Direction: Continued patience

New York Rangers

June 18, 2024, is the date the downward spiral of the New York Rangers began. That’s the date Chris Drury put Barclay Goodrow on waivers, which resulted in him landing in San Jose. This was after Goodrow utilized the no-trade clause in his contract to block a trade to those same Sharks. Since then, more key players have left the organization. Such players include Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Chris Kreider, and K’Andre Miller. They have also failed to extend Artemi Panarin. The inconsistent play has started to settle, unfortunately, not in the right way. Igor Shesterkin went down with an injury on January 5th, and they have gone 0-4-1 since. During those 5 games, they have allowed 26 goals. Even the most optimistic person knows that the direction of this organization isn’t great this season. Selling at the trade deadline will give Drury some assets. These assets will allow him to buy significantly over the summer. That is, if he still has his job.

Direction: Seller

Columbus Blue Jackets

Last season was an emotional roller coaster for the Blue Jackets. They had to navigate the season after the tragic loss of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. They fell one point short of the playoffs, which gave them similar expectations for this year. Unfortunately, they’re falling quite short as they find themselves at the bottom of the conference. They have eight pending unrestricted free agents and five pending restricted free agents. Last year, it looked like some of their young players were taking a step forward. This year, they seem to have regressed. They’ve fired Dead Evason, and replaced him on the bench with Rick Bowness. They’re only seven points out of a playoff position, so they should continue to remain patient, for now. If they’re unable to gain ground in the standings, as the trade deadline approaches, they’ll need to shift toward selling. This will allow them to continue adding to their pool of young players.

Direction: Patience seller