NHL Trade Deadline: Five Likely Buyers in the Eastern Conference

Adam Proteau shares five Eastern Conference NHL teams that will likely trade for upgrades by Friday, including the Hurricanes, Red Wings and Maple Leafs.

The NHL’s trade deadline is on Friday, and it’s now clearer which teams are going to be buyers at the deadline and which teams will be sellers. 

In this file – the first of four of its kind – we’re going to be identifying the NHL's Eastern Conference teams that will be buyers. After that, we’ll pinpoint the Eastern teams that will be sellers, and we’ll then do the same regarding Western Conference buyer and seller teams. 

In alphabetical order:

The Hurricanes currently have about $5.4 million in salary cap space. We know from past seasons that the Canes are a highly motivated squad that swings for the fences in many trade deals, so we can see Carolina shelling out assets for veteran help up front.

Would Hurricanes GM Don Waddell take another crack at experienced winger Max Pacioretty? Or would a veteran forward like Anaheim’s Adam Henrique or Jake Guentzel do the trick for Waddell?

Also, in a more long-shot transaction, would the Hurricanes add a veteran goaltender, such as Montreal’s Jake Allen or Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom, to provide a capable backup for youngster Pyotr Kochetkov? There’s a slew of options for Waddell, and we expect him to use all of his cap space to address some of the aforementioned needs for his team.

With more than $12.8 million in cap space, the Red Wings can not only take on a great deal of salary but also facilitate trades involving other teams tightly pressed to the cap ceiling. 

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman likely is seeking a top-nine forward or a depth defenseman to solidify his current roster, but he’s also planning for the future. He would likely welcome some high-end draft picks in return for facilitating a trade or two.

In any case, it would be surprising if the Wings weren’t prominent on or before deadline day. They’re at a point in their competitive cycle where they need to address some issues, and being a buyer will help determine their current and long-term future.

The Panthers have more than $5.3 million in cap space, and as one of the NHL’s top teams this season, they don’t necessarily need to make big moves. However, Florida GM Bill Zito knows his team is at an all-in stage of its development, and the opportunity to add a second-line left winger or a bottom-six forward will probably be too tempting to resist.

The question is, can Zito add to his roster without trading away any asset that’s currently an NHL player? Yes, but it will take creativity on Florida’s behalf, given that they have only two second-round picks and one first-rounder in the next three drafts. 

Adding someone like Henrique or Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich would be just what the doctor ordered to give the Panthers their best shot at winning a Cup, so it’s fair to expect Zito to sacrifice more of their future to get the job done on the trade front.

We’ve heard a lot of speculation about the Devils seeking an elite goalie. Considering their cap situation is excellent – they’ve currently got about $8.3 million in cap space – it would be shocking if New Jersey stood pat at the deadline.

A deal for an experienced netminder, such as Montreal’s Jake Allen, Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom or San Jose’s Kaapo Kahkonen could be in the cards for the Devils, but New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald also could bring in a bottom-six forward or top-four defenseman in a trade. 

Fitzgerald has all three of his first-round picks in the next three drafts, as well as two second-rounders in that span. Given that New Jersey has many long-term components in place, surrendering a first-rounder to put them over the top is very possible. 

Missing the playoffs altogether would be disastrous for the Devils, which is why we expect them to be one of the most active teams at the deadline. There’s a ton of pressure on New Jersey to do some serious damage, and Devils brass will almost assuredly make big moves to ensure that happens.

The Maple Leafs are essentially capped out, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be quiet on deadline day. 

Toronto GM Brad Treliving has already made one move by acquiring defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. He figured out a way to bring Lyubushkin in without (a) taking away a current Leaf player and (b) without paying even the NHL minimum salary in return. That’s the kind of move we expect the Buds to make by the deadline – a player who improves Toronto’s depth, either in their bottom six forwards or in their defense corps.

A player such as Philaelphia’s Scott Laughton or Arizona’s Matt Dumba makes a lot of sense for the Leafs, which have little draft capital left to entice a potential trade partner. Instead, we see the Buds moving out a young player, such as winger Nick Robertson or AHL forward Nick Abruzzese to add experience and grit to their roster. 

A goalie like Markstrom is a long-shot trade target, but in any case, Toronto is likely to be an active mover-and-shaker by deadline day. They desperately need playoff series wins, and they’ll take all the help they can get on the trade front.