(Some info from dailyfaceoff.com and capfriendly.com)
As the deadline is less than 16 hours away, let’s debate which teams should be most desperate. Whether it be a team that disappointed in last year’s “Bubble” Stanley Cup Playoffs or a seller who needs picks, we are debating who needs to make a move and how badly. However, we need to lay out some ground rules. I will give each team a temperature rating. The five categories will be, from least requiring a move to most desperate for a move: No Need at all/Ice Cold, Only for Heists/Colder, If the Price is Fair/Regular, Ok to Overpay or Sell Lower/Hotter, Must Make a Move/Chilli Hot. I will list two teams for each category. Now, let’s begin!
No Need at all/Ice Cold:
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks shouldn’t do anything. They can chase the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot, but their main event should come in the summer. They already sold Lucas Wallmark and impressively claimed Center Henrik Borgstrom, a former fourth overall pick. Their main pending UFAs are Carl Soderberg, Vinne Henistroza, and Mattias Janmark. They could hypothetically sell them, but keeping them for a playoff push could do wonders for their future. Now, they should develop young players with the exciting house money of chasing a playoff spot.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are also enjoying house money, and there’s no need to do anything. Surprisingly, Kirill Kaprizov has carried them to third place in their division. In their healthy lineup, Minnesota doesn’t have any glaring holes, other than a lack of superstars. Thus, they don’t need to buy, and they definitely should not sell. Sure, they have a few pending UFAs, but a few mediocre picks won’t do as much good as experiencing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They will probably lose to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, but that’s ok; their goal should be growing the next generation of Wild hockey, and now they’re playing with house money.
Only for Heists/Colder:
Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia is in some trouble. The Flyers’ goaltending curse is striking again. Though it sucks that the curse is back, they shouldn’t be too desperate. The offense is doing pretty well, and their top guns are producing. The only need is goaltending, so I have two targets in mind: Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings (providing LA will retain 50% of the salary) and Elvis Merzlikens of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both could push Carter Hart and take pressure off their super prospect. Now, they only need a competent goalie, which they might have internally, but both Brian Elliot and Hart have sub-900 save percentages right now.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pens should half-heartedly try to win in the Sidney Crosby era. Yes, I said they should try half-heartedly. They’ve been disappointing the past two playoffs, and a rebuild needs to occur eventually. Thus, they shouldn’t be trading first-rounders. The Penguins might even want to deal away key Defenseman Kris Letang or franchise-altering Center Evgeni Malkin in the offseason since both have one year remaining on their deals after this year to replenish their pipeline. However, they are sitting third in their division, so maybe adding a bottom-sixer like Right Winger Bobby Ryan from the tanking Detroit Red Wings could be a viable option. The Pens should probably look for a cheap bottom-six option for a fourth-rounder and start a rebuild in the summer.
If the Price is Fair/Regular:
San Jose Sharks
San Jose must rebuild, and it starts here. After a disastrous season that saw Forward Tomáš Heartl and Defenseman Erik Karlsson injured and a draft that saw the Ottawa Senators use San Joses’ pick to select stud Center Tim Stützle, the Sharks are at the bottom once again. They don’t have an ultra-important pending UFA after they dealt Devan Dubnyk to the Colorado Avalanche, but they should ship Heartl. If a contender acquired him, they would receive two playoff runs before he became a free agent. If he stays with the Sharks past the deadline, they only get one. Thus, his stock should be higher today or tomorrow than it will be in two days or later. Therefore, the Sharks should sell Heartl because they could realistically add a first-rounder and a blue-chip prospect at a fair price.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Biggest Small Town in America should certainly ponder selling. This season has been a horror for the Blue Jackets. First, Right Winger Patrik Laine and Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois both don’t mesh with Head Coach John Tortorella. Then, Forward Max Domi never produces. Now, they sit in seventh in the Central division. They have two goalies, though, Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikans, who could fetch a decent return, like a second-rounder and a b-grade prospect. They could certainly use those in a potential rebuild. Thus, they should consider selling Domi, Merzlikens, or Korpisalo.
Ok to Overpay or Sell Lower/Hotter:
Washington Capitals
The Nation’s Capital could certainly use a boost. Sitting in first place in the East division, the Caps are dominant once more. However, their fourth line isn’t the best, and they need an upgrade. The urgency increases when you realize they might lose one arguably the best goal scorer in NHL history, Alex Ovechkin, in free agency. The Caps’ core, in general, is pretty old, so they need a move now, even if it means overpaying.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are back and ready to contend! At third place in the North divison, the Oilers could use a move to spark an even better comeback. Goaltending might be their main area to improve. This year, Mike Smith is playing well, but they need a proven, long-term starter. Thus, Edmonton should prepare to overpay (maybe using prized prospect Evan Bouchard) to boost their goaltending in time for the playoffs.
Must Make a Move/Chilli Hot:
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is resurging! After two disappointing playoff exits, the Jets found their grove again! Even with a supplementary (at best) defense, the Jets are still second in the competitive North division. Though Ville Heionla is coming up, they should still tighten up their D. Right now, they are great, and they might never receive this chance for a while. They can bolster their odds of lifting their first Stanley Cup championship if they acquire a few top-four defensemen, but they must do it before time expires.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is in danger. After a cup win in 2019, the upstart Vancouver Canucks bounced them in round one. Now, in 2021, they are battling for a playoff spot with the Arizona Coyotes. Worse yet, they will likely lose middle-sixers Tyler Bozak and Jaden Schwarz along with top-six Winger Mike Hoffman in free agency. The problem lies in the goaltending and defense, their former stables. If St. Louis doesn’t make a move to add a defensive defenseman, their spirit might break with a first-round loss.
In summary, I picked 10 teams to analyze. The No Need at all/Ice Cold teams shouldn’t make any significant moves because they’re playing with house money. The Only for Heists/Colder squads should only make a supplementary move to fill a need unless they find an opportunity to fleece a team. The If the Price is Fair/Regular franchises should consider a shake-up if they can extract a reasonable return. Teams in the Ok to Overpay or Sell Lower/Hotter category should ponder overpaying to capitalize on a window. The Must Make a Move/Chilli Hot is for teams who should go all-out to win this year. I hope you enjoyed this analysis debate!
2 thoughts on “Debate: Which Teams Should be Most Desperate”