The San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings are the West's top three teams out of a playoff spot. But while being trade deadline buyers could be tempting, only one of them should do so.
It's becoming clearer which NHL teams have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs ahead of the trade deadline.
On Monday, we examined three teams chasing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and why they should be buyers at this year's trade deadline. But for the three Western Conference teams that are closest to overtaking a squad in a wild-card spot, not all of them should be buyers.
The San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings are all four points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the second wild-card spot in the West ahead of Tuesday's games. The trade deadline approach for each of them should be different.
The Sharks Should Sell
San Jose has three games in hand on the Oilers, so they have a prime opportunity to climb into a playoff spot. But not only should the Sharks not be a buyer at this year's deadline, they should also be active sellers.
For years now, Sharks GM Mike Grier has painstakingly put his team on a full rebuild. This year, Grier assembled a team heavy on rental players – meaning players whose contracts expire this off-season.
Seven active Sharks are pending UFAs, such as defensemen John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, Timothy Liljegren and Vincent Desharnais, as well as forwards Ryan Reaves and Kiefer Sherwood and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
Players like Sherwood, Nedeljkovic, Ferraro and Liljegren all will have value to other teams. And if Grier can trade any or all of them for assets that will help the team in the long haul, the Sharks need to seize the moment.
If the team wants to keep any of them beyond this season, they should sign them to contract extensions now. Otherwise, they risk losing them for nothing.
The Predators Shouldn't Buy, Either
The Predators have a game in hand on the Oilers. But while the Sharks are in the finishing stages of a rebuild, the Predators haven't yet embarked on one, even though it could lead to a stronger, Cup-contending squad down the line.
That said, the Predators have many veterans who could be dealt for long-term help. That list includes star right winger Steven Stamkos, veteran left winger Jonathan Marchessault and center Ryan O'Reilly.
Unlike the Sharks' situation, the players the Preds should be trading are not rental players, with Stamkos, Marchessault, and O'Reilly all having at least one season remaining on their contracts after this one. Thus, moving one or more of those three players will give teams the cost-certainty most teams are looking for – and that means the Preds will be able to acquire more assets than the Sharks will get for their pending UFAs.
Also unlike the Sharks, the Predators have to navigate no-trade clauses. Only Klingberg has some form of no-trade protection in San Jose.
Stamkos has a full no-movement clause, and he told reporters there's zero chance he's going to waive it. Marchessault also has one, and although O'Reilly does not, the team is treating him as if he does.
So whatever the Predators do, if they can't be sellers, they shouldn't be buyers and end up cementing themselves in the mushy middle even more.
The Kings Should Buy, Buy, Buy
Los Angeles already made a massive splash on the trade front by acquiring star left winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers early last month. After Kevin Fiala suffered a season-ending injury at the Olympics, the Kings should make another splash.
Kings GM Ken Holland knows his team is in win-now mode. Otherwise, what was the point in parting with Rob Blake and hiring him?
Although the Kings are 11th in the West, they also have a game in hand on Edmonton and are only five points behind the Seattle Kraken for third place in the Pacific as well. So under no circumstances should the Kings be anything other than a big-time buyer this week.
The Kings have about $12.8 million in salary cap space, which will give Holland all the trade capital he needs to make a big splash on offense, either by acquiring a center or a winger to replace Fiala.
They also have all three of their first-round draft picks in the next three drafts, so they have assets to use as buyers. And despite firing coach Jim Hiller this week and replacing him on an interim basis with former Ottawa Senators bench boss D.J. Smith, the Kings want to compete while they still have captain Anze Kopitar, so there's an urgent need for them to acquire as much talent as they can at the deadline.
All things considered, the Predators, Sharks and Kings are in vastly different places in their competitive cycle, and that means each of them will be looking to do different things at the deadline. None of them are assured to make the post-season, but San Jose and Nashville have the long term to look ahead to, while Los Angeles needs to do something now.
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