2025 Eastern Conference team-by-team Trade Deadline objectives

Credit: Steve Yzerman

With less than two months remaining until the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline, we’ve got you covered one with deadline-focused story each day at Daily Faceoff.

Today we’re going to key in on each team’s top objectives in the Eastern Conference.

2025 NHL Trade Deadline Countdown: 53 days

Let’s break the East down into categories by their expected deadline posture:

The Buyers

Boston Bruins
Top Objective: No. 1 center
Scoop: Don Sweeney or Don Quixote? For Sweeney, it’s turned into a Quixotic-like quest for a bonafide center to anchor the Bruins. Boston thought they might have solved the problem by throwing $54 million at Elias Lindholm last summer, but he’s lost a step and he isn’t the guy. Charlie Coyle is on the wing now. Pavel Zacha can’t be a No. 1 center on a Cup contending team, but can they really solve for that problem in-season?

Carolina Hurricanes
Top Objective: Skilled forward
Scoop: Carolina likely only has one deadline move in them. For most of this season, the thought process has been that the Hurricanes would use those resources on a goaltender. They perused the market, but prices were high for even backup options. Now, Freddie Andersen is nearing a return and Dustin Tokarski has been fine. So the Canes may well pivot and move toward a skilled forward to add to the mix.

Florida Panthers
Top Objective: Boost the back end
Scoop: In all reality, it’s amazing how the Panthers have mined serviceable blueliners in spite of their lack of assets and cap space. Few teams can survive losing Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and remain in the mix. That’s why we’d hesitate to call it a ‘top-four’ addition that they’d need to make, but the Panthers have allowed the most goals of any of the teams in the top six in either conference so far this year.

New Jersey Devils
Top Objective: Depth scoring
Scoop: Few teams have had a more dramatic makeover year-over-year than the Devils, who are in fine position now. They could still use a depth scoring upgrade, but they’ve got options on how they want to attack it. Third line center to upgrade over Erik Haula? Second line left wing to push Ondrej Palat down the lineup? They haven’t really replaced Tyler Toffoli’s 35-goal pace from last year. Now is the time.

Ottawa Senators
Top Objective: Improve the third pair
Scoop: Recent injuries on the back end helped highlight the need in the nation’s capital for a little more support. Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker have been banged up, but the need might have been in the back of everyone’s mind before that point. The tough part is the defense market isn’t teeming with third-pair guys at manageable acquisition costs.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Top Objective: Bottom six depth
Scoop: Think back to the two-time Cup winners and their roster. One of the hallmarks was the depth Tampa Bay boasted in their bottom six, which has eroded now. Players graduate and earn more elsewhere, different roster decisions are made (Tanner Jeannot?) and all of a sudden, it’s a need again. That’s where the Lightning are now.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Top Objective: Reinvent third line
Scoop: The gap between Auston Matthews as the Leafs’ fourth-highest scorer at 31 points and Bobby McMann seventh at 17 points is quite a lot, considering Matthews has missed 15 games so far this season. GM Brad Treliving can start with acquiring a true No. 3 center, then see what he has left over in both cap space and assets to attack the wing in trying to make the Maple Leafs a less top heavy team.

Washington Capitals
Top Objective: Third line center
Scoop: Rookie GM Chris Patrick already addressed this need earlier in the season by bringing back Lars Eller from Pittsburgh, but Eller is probably better suited for a fourth line role at this point in his career. The center market is incredibly thin this year, adding to the challenge. But this is a Capitals team that could go on a deep run. Also keeping an eye on goaltending with Charlie Lindgren’s recent concussion and Logan Thompson being asked to play a lot.

Tire Kicking

Detroit Red Wings
Top Objective: Penalty killing help
Scoop: Detroit has a flawed roster, so it’s difficult to put them squarely in the ‘buyers’ category, but they are 7-1-0 since Todd McLellan was hired and right in the thick of it. What is a small change that could pay big dividends? Find a skilled penalty killer. The Wings have given up the second-most power play goals. Cutting that number in half would be worth two to three more wins in just the first half – which is a playoff spot right now.

On an Island

Buffalo Sabres
Top Objective: Determine the real core
Scoop: If you were to look at the Sabres’ cap table, that question might look like it’s already been answered. Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson all have long-term deals. Buffalo is still at the bottom of the East. GM Kevyn Adams’ phone has been ringing off the hook for two months now, but it’s fair to wonder whether one or more of those pieces thought to be for the long haul might not be someone Buffalo is building around. The dance will be in choosing carefully.

It’s Complicated

Columbus Blue Jackets
Top Objective: Stay the course
Scoop: This has been a mostly magical season in Columbus, a run that next to no one saw coming. These Blue Jackets deserve the reward of sticking in the race, while also keeping the long-term in view. GM Don Waddell has said he’ll look to improve if possible, but they may not be upper-case ‘big’ buyers. In the meantime, he can control a bit of the market by extending players like Ivan Provorov and Mathieu Olivier.

Montréal Canadiens
Top Objective: Test the water
Scoop: This deadline is going to be tempting for the Canadiens’ front office, but not in the way you think. They’ve inched closer to a playoff position but they know deep down they’re probably not there yet. Teams will be calling to try and acquire pieces like Mike Matheson, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. If the price is right, they’ll have to say yes, even if it’s not something they really have visions on doing.

New York Rangers
Top Objective: Solidify the blueline
Scoop: With Igor Shesterkin signed for the foreseeable future, there’s never been a more important time for GM Chris Drury to address the concerns with the Rangers’ play in their own end. This has been a question mark for years – a team bailed out by a great goalie. Now, at an inflection point and with Jacob Trouba gone, there is an opportunity to reinvent four out of the six spots on the roster – which is why four of them are on our Trade Targets board.

Philadelphia Flyers
Top Objective: Find out who wants to be a Flyer
Scoop: Part of what made Saturday’s clash with Cutter Gauthier must-watch was the pride the Flyers’ roster showed for the organization, clearly taking it personally. That’s the next step at this deadline for GM Danny Briere. Who wants to be part of it moving forward? It’s fair to ask some serious questions about the group, including Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Bobby Brink and others.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Top Objective: Enjoy the ride
Scoop: If not by points percentage, the Pens are squarely in the mix. One or two hot weeks and they’re in the playoffs – that’s the story of the Eastern Conference. They have already devoted significant future assets to this core, and spending more would be throwing good money after bad. They could sell, but they don’t have many pieces of value that will move the needle, aside from Marcus Pettersson. So, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

For the Love of God

New York Islanders
Top Objective: Make meaningful change
Scoop: The Islanders have been stuck in neutral. Full stop. Lou Lamoriello has doubled, tripled and quadrupled down on this core that has proven over multiple seasons now that it cannot compete. Things need to change, from the roster to seemingly the front office, and not just because the fanbase is tired, but also because it’s time.

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