2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: Western Conference Objectives

Credit: © James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

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With less than two months remaining until the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline, we’re bringing you one deadline-focused story each day at Daily Faceoff.

Today we’re going to whip through individual team objectives in the Western Conference.

2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 58 Days

Let’s break down the Western Conference teams into categories:

The Buyers

Colorado Avalanche
Top Objective: 2nd Line Center & Health
Scoop: To say health would sound cliche, but it’s true. The defending Stanley Cup champs have been decimated by injury this season, losing Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin all for significant time, with key pieces Josh Manson and Bowen Byram also on the shelf. Getting those guys back should be enough to qualify for a playoff spot. Nonetheless, all the injuries have masked (or highlighted?) their need to adequately replace Nazem Kadri. They hoped Alex Newhook would be up to the task; J.T. Compher is punching above his weight class in that spot. Feels like Jonathan Toews would be the ideal second-line center to plug into that spot if they can coax him out of Chicago. He’d be a ready-made fit. They don’t have the cap space to go after someone like Bo Horvat, unless they’re ready to sacrifice a defenseman like Sam Girard to make room – a decision they could wait until summer to address.

Calgary Flames
Top Objective: Scoring Winger with Speed
Scoop: The Flames have put together a squarely mediocre season to this point. They score at an average rate, defend just well enough, and their goaltending hasn’t been great but has gotten better of late. There’s no question the Flames probably thought their team was going to be more dynamic, but they’ve shown signs in their game recently that it’s coming. Calgary still lacks punch up front and GM Brad Treliving has been on the prowl for a scoring winger since August. More specifically, they lack punch that can push the pace and back defenders off. Could Calgary be a landing spot for one of Andreas Athanasiou, teammate Max Domi, or even someone like Anthony Duclair from Florida? Missing the playoffs isn’t an option.

Dallas Stars
Top Objective: Top Six Forward
Scoop: On paper, the Stars appear to be a complete team, clipping along with the third-most goals in the NHL, and they’re in the top 10 in goals against. Their power play has been excellent. However, scratch under the surface and you’ll notice a substantial drop-off in 5-on-5 scoring from their top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski to their other three lines. Maybe that’s to be expected. They’re that good. Ty Dellandrea is holding down that second-line center spot with Tyler Seguin taking the bulk of the faceoffs; that line has scored 13 at 5-on-5 and given up 10. For as inconsistent as their back end can be outside of Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger papers over a lot of mistakes. So the emphasis is up front: You don’t want to be a one-line team heading into the playoffs. The Stars have prospects to deal (Thomas Harley, Mavrik Bourque) to make a splash, but they’re also contending with a lack of cap space after trading their 2023 first-round pick for Nils Lundkvist.

Edmonton Oilers
Top Objective: Left-Shooting Defenseman
Scoop: The Oilers enter the deadline period with a few holes to plug and a lack of cap space and assets to go around. They need a left-shooting defenseman, a third-line center who can add dimension, and a bottom-six forward with an edge and penalty killing ability. The top objective as it stands now, it seems, is to add a left-shooting defenseman who is well-rounded. The question being asked internally right now is whether that defenseman should stylistically be a puck-moving type or a defensive-minded defender. Edmonton feels like an ideal landing spot for someone like Vladislav Gavrikov, but maybe Mattias Ekholm is a nice blend of the two styles. Either way, this is a burn-the-boats season for Edmonton, after watching what Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl did to the postseason scoring list last spring. No excuses, no holds barred.

Los Angeles Kings
Top Objective: Goaltender
Scoop: In the end, the Kings may soft-peddle this deadline, while so many teams around them jockey to move future assets. Los Angeles is pretty comfortably in a playoff position mathematically as they’ve methodically rebuilt their roster. They could make another big splash up front, but their young forwards have played well, and they have a surplus on defense. Their clear and obvious hole is in net. Jonathan Quick (.884) has struggled, Cal Petersen (.868) has been sent to the minors to find his game, and they’re riding journeyman Pheonix Copley (.908) now. That isn’t a recipe for playoff success. Luckily for them, there aren’t many teams in the market for goaltending at this deadline, which might make for an inexpensive add to finish the season. Alex Stalock has put up good numbers when healthy in Chicago. Cam Talbot could be a fit if Ottawa decides to sell. Thomas Greiss and James Reimer are other potential solutions for an issue that must be adequately addressed in the summer.

Minnesota Wild
Top Objective: 1st Line Center
Scoop: The Wild have been on fire (13-5-0) since trading for Ryan Reaves just before U.S. Thanksgiving in November. Could another acquisition vault them into contender status? They’d be knocking on the door if they could find a bonafide No. 1 center to make magic with Kirill the Thrill Kaprizov. They have the cap space to make it happen, too, with a projected $7 million cushion at deadline time. Bo Horvat (or Dylan Larkin or Ryan O’Reilly) would be great fits. Yes, Minnesota has to contend with two more seasons of $14 million in dead cap space as a result of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, and it would be tight. They need all their picks and high-end prospects to be contributing over these next couple years on inexpensive entry-level contracts to make it all work. But they have a decent trade chip in Matt Dumba if they decide to use it, and his contract is coming off the books in the summer, which with a cap increase could squeeze in a top flight center.

Vegas Golden Knights
Top Objective: Left-Shooting Defenseman
Scoop: The best team in the West is also one of the most expensive. Every nickel is accounted for in Vegas and when Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden get healthy, the Golden Knights are going to have roster decisions to make for cap compliance. Yet, we know Vegas lives by the go-big or go-home motto that engulfs the town they play in, and they have a need for a steady, left-shot presence on their back end that can eat minutes. They also have picks to offer (and use to retain salary) on a defenseman like Vladislav Gavrikov. He wouldn’t be a jackpot-like trade we’re used to seeing the Golden Knights make, but could be the type of under the radar move that eventually gets them the Champagne-soaked bath they’ve been chasing since their first taste of the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.

Winnipeg Jets
Top Objective: Health
Scoop: The Jets are banged up, plain and simple. Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler and Mason Appleton are out up front, and their back end depth is being tested with both Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley sidelined. That said, their ability to consistently ring up points in the standings has been impressive as they sit in third in the conference in points percentage. They can thank Connor Hellebuyck for a lot of that. They do have some concerns to address. They need to improve their 5-on-5 scoring, as they’ve been heavily reliant on their power play. The best way to do that is to add depth behind their top guys. The Jets need to find bottom-six scoring help, because their top six is as good on paper as the top teams in the league. An ideal fit would be someone like Pittsburgh’s Teddy Blueger, if he becomes available because of the Pens’ cap crunch and own interest in adding, because building out a better third line starts with the center position.

Hold the Line

Seattle Kraken
Top Objective: Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em
Scoop: This isn’t a difficult objective for GM Ron Francis, who is a methodical builder and has preached patience right from jump street in Seattle. The Kraken find themselves in a playoff spot early in 2023 in large part because of a savvy summer that saw them sign Andre Burakovsky, trade for Oliver Bjorkstrand, and help develop Matty Beniers. There is no doubt Beniers has been a huge catalyst for the Kraken with 27 points in 36 games and he will be in the conversation for the Calder. The Kraken have scuffled a bit of late and now there are interesting questions facing the group. How does Francis strike the balance between pushing for the playoffs and keeping the next five years in focus? Specifically, what to do with someone like Carson Soucy, who is an expiring contract and would help the playoff push, but will also garner real trade interest? Maybe there is a way to buoy both expectations, in trading someone like Soucy if the price is right, while also finding a way to improve the goaltending? It’s all about building the foundation, but it’d be a big boon for the market to experience the playoffs for the first time.

The Sellers

Nashville Predators
Top Objective: Chart a new Course
Scoop: The Predators have regressed in a big way from last season, and they’ve struggled mightily to generate offense. They ranked fourth-worst in goals scored and fifth-worst in power play percentage. They’ve got major term and dollars committed all over the lineup, they’re unlikely to be a playoff team this season, and more than that, if they did get in few would consider them a true contender. There are uncomfortable questions to be asked about Nashville’s core. It doesn’t seem like a quick reorganization will get the Preds to where they want to go. We’ve seen GM David Poile make bold moves in the past, especially from their back end, and as reported on Tuesday defenseman Mattias Ekholm is available. To take it a step further: is it possible that trading Juuse Saros should be on the table? Poile needs to think big and bold to re-envision this Predators roster to avoid being stuck in the NHL’s murky middle – far away from the playoffs, and far away from the Draft Lottery.

St. Louis Blues
Top Objective: Set the Table for Summer
Scoop: Yep, we’ve seen St. Louis much further out of the playoff race than this in January, only to make a miraculous climb to Gloria to win the Stanley Cup in 2019. But the recent injuries to Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko won’t help that chase, most likely to further cement their spot in the standings outside the playoff picture. To go back in GM Doug Armstrong’s playbook, he hasn’t been afraid to pluck off pieces in recent years when things haven’t gone right, from Paul Stastny to Kevin Shattenkirk. He used the return from both trades to help him land other pieces those next summers (Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly) that got the Blues back on track. Expect the same this time around, because the Blues aren’t heading for a rebuild, not with talent like Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Torey Krug, Schenn and others around.

Vancouver Canucks
Top Objective: Cap Flexibility
Scoop: It seems abundantly obvious to their fanbase and neutral observers around the league as to where the Canucks are ultimately heading, which is a long and arduous rebuild. However, the Canucks’ front office has been adamant to this point in avoiding the ‘R’ word. So we’ll call it “cap flexibility” that the Canucks are after, which is what team president Jim Rutherford has talked about ever since taking over in Vancouver. They’ve yet to find any, marred by their decision to sign J.T. Miller to an eight-year extension that does not kick in until next season. As yet another Canucks season swirls down the drain, the big question is which pieces will they entertain to move between now and March 3? Bo Horvat (on a 62-goal pace) is the No. 1 player on our Trade Targets board. But who is next? Is it Brock Boeser? Or Andrei Kuzmenko, who needs a big bump in pay? Or can the Canucks find a way to move off of Tyler Myers’ contract? There is value in Luke Schenn, as well. Vancouver is burning through the bridge deal of Elias Pettersson, seemingly the only untouchable player of the group.

Tanks for Playing

It’s safe to say not many players are safe on these teams. It’s a seven-team race to the bottom between these four teams and Columbus, Montreal and Philadelphia in the East.

Anaheim Ducks
Top Objective: Connor Bedard
Scoop: The Ducks knew they were in for pain this season, but probably not to this extent. It’s been miserable in Anaheim. Everyone is focused intently on where John Klingberg will end up – as GM Pat Verbeek essentially signed him to a $7 million contract to pay for assets that should help push along the Ducks’ rebuild. Derek Grant will probably move. But what about defenseman Cam Fowler? He is 31, cost controlled and still a top-end player. The problem with moving Fowler is he is already one of only three bonafide NHL defensemen in their lineup, which could inflict more pain next season.

Arizona Coyotes
Top Objective: Connor Bedard
Scoop: This season has probably gone better than expected for the Coyotes, who play hard for Andre Tourigny despite a difficult schedule. They need to mix in a few “quality losses” down the stretch. They also need to find a landing spot for Jakob Chychrun, who has played as well as anyone could expect coming off a six-month layoff with two injuries. They can also offload vets such as Nick Ritchie and Nick Bjugstad for more draft capital.

Chicago Blackhawks
Top Objective: Connor Bedard
Scoop: Just about everything at this trade deadline runs through the Madhouse on Madison. The Blackhawks have two of the most prominent names on the market potentially available in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They have ancillary pieces to trade off in Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou and maybe someone like Sam Lafferty or Jake McCabe. They have ample cap space to broker third-party deals. And, oh yeah, they’re on pace for 45 points – the worst season in the salary cap-era – and in the driver’s seat for best odds on Bedard. They’re doing it right.

San Jose Sharks
Top Objective: Continue to Dismantle
Scoop: Yes, of course, the Sharks would love to land Bedard like any of these other teams. But if Erik Karlsson continues to pile up points as he seeks to become the NHL’s first 100-point defenseman in 31 years, well then their odds are going to be pretty small compared to others. Timo Meier will be a big name in play ahead of March 3 as he puts together a career season. They also have other veterans such as Nick Bonino, Matt Nieto and James Reimer who will generate interest, plus Ryan Merkley has asked for a trade. GM Mike Grier has a lot of demolition to do as he coordinates the Sharks’ teardown.

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