Every October NHL teams prepare for their season opener and there are inevitably the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Last year no one picked the St. Louis Blues and I can guarantee you that in January of 2019 not even Blues fans predicted Alex Pietrangelo would be skating with Lord Stanley a few short months later. We are now at the point of the season, the NHL trade deadline, that determines who is a real contender from a pretender.
This season the favorites consist of the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights. When you look at those specific rosters it’s hard to argue with any of those choices.
Obviously, there are certain variables to take into account when looking at how far your team can potentially go. There is however one x-factor that can never be predicted, however, injured players.
This year, especially as of late, we are seeing headlines of elite players heading to IR. The defensemen are really taking a beating. Mark Giordano, Morgan Rielly, Seth Jones, and Erik Karlsson are all watching their teams from the suites.
The playoff race is close this season and one injured player can make or break a team’s season. The favored Colorado Avalanche could potentially run into an issue with a handful of players on IR; one being Mikko Rantanen. That could potentially be a big blow to their top line and lead to a move before today’s trade deadline.
The NHL trade deadline is a stressful time for hockey families and fans. Even players with a no-trade clause can be asked to waive their clause if the organization feels it is necessary. This already happened when the New Jersey Devils moved Andy Greene to the New York Islanders. This was a rare win-win situation where Greene did not have to uproot his family and was able to be reunited with his old general manager and a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Below are my top teams that I hope make a splash before the deadline if they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Winnipeg Jets
As I write this, the Jets are in possession of the first Wild Card spot with Calgary and Arizona right on their tails. Besides the loss of Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg is currently very weak at the faceoff circle. Bryan Little, Mark Letestu, and Adam Lowry are all out of the lineup. The Jets recently traded for Cody Eakin to address some of their issues, but another move might be necessary.
Edmonton Oilers
Can Leon Draisaitl do it all by himself? Probably not. Connor McDavid, James Neal, Kris Russell, and Oscar Klefbom have all been watching their team play from the comfort of their home. The good news for Edmonton is that McDavid is projected to be back on the ice soon.
Neal still needs a few weeks as he is recovering from an ankle injury. There is no timetable for Russell’s return. Klefbom is at least two weeks away from a return, possibly more. If I were the Oilers general manager I would absolutely be looking to add a defenseman to the roster.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Most hockey fans knew John Tortorella would have his work cut out for him this season. To date, their injured players are as follows: Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ryan Murray, Alexandre Texier, Alexander Wennberg, Seth Jones, and Cam Atkinson. Similar to the Winnipeg Jets, Ohio’s team is currently in a Wild Card spot. It was reported that Jones will be out eight to ten weeks and the trade needs to happen if Columbus wants to play past April.
Colorado Avalanche
I truly feel Colorado needs to make a move. Goaltender, Philipp Grubauer is on injured reserve and I’m really hoping to see a trade between the Avalanche and Rangers bringing certain “royalty” to the Mile High City. Depending on when Mikko Rantanen can jump back on the ice, a trade for Kyle Palmieri of the New Jersey Devils would be a smart move as well.
