NHL Power Rankings: Each team's biggest deadline wish
This is the ninth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, with the trade deadline just under a month away, we look at each team's biggest wish for March 7.
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1. Winnipeg Jets (39-14-3)
Previous: 2
Center depth. The Jets are flying high and have a plethora of strengths, but they could use some reinforcement down the middle. Mark Scheifele and Vladislav Namestnikov are rock solid, but Adam Lowry remains out week-to-week with an injury. Even when he's back, Winnipeg would still be wise to add at the center position.
2. Washington Capitals (36-11-8)
Previous: 1
A quality 3rd-liner. The Capitals added Lars Eller early in the season but could still use a difference-maker in their bottom six. Solid wingers are always available at the deadline for reasonable prices, so this should be an easy add for general manager Chris Patrick to make.
3. Dallas Stars (35-18-2)
Previous: 5
A big fish. The Stars have two big absentees in their lineup in Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin. If both players are out until the playoffs, Dallas would have more room to make a huge splash beyond Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci. Why not take a page out of the Golden Knights' handbook? It helped them win the Cup.
4. Edmonton Oilers (34-17-4)
Previous: 3
A lefty on defense. The Oilers could always use more secondary scoring to aid Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but their most pressing need is on the back end. Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman acknowledged the team could use a southpaw on the blue line as depth under Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, and Brett Kulak on that side.
5. Florida Panthers (34-20-3)
Previous: 8
Help on the back end. The Panthers need a top-four defender to push the rest of their depth pieces into place. Dmitry Kulikov is playing almost 20 minutes a night. That's too much. One notable addition on defense would turn that unit into a strength again.
6. Carolina Hurricanes (33-19-4)
Previous: 4
Patience. Mikko Rantanen has had a slow start with the Hurricanes, and it's made worse when looking at Martin Necas' immediate fit in Colorado. But patience is key here for the Hurricanes. Rantanen was blindsided by the trade and is now dealing with an injury. He'll find his groove in Carolina soon enough.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (33-17-6)
Previous: 6
A goalie. The Golden Knights have played well this season despite mediocre netminding from Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov. While Vegas might publicly express confidence in starting Hill down the stretch and in the playoffs, the club could use an insurance policy.
8. Los Angeles Kings (29-17-7)
Previous: 7
More firepower up front. The Kings are aces at keeping the puck out of their net, but they could use some scoring help. Los Angeles sits dead last in the league in goals per game (2.18) since the calendar flipped to 2025, and its power play is operating at a measly 9.1% success rate over that span.
9. Minnesota Wild (33-19-4)
Previous: 10
An impactful bargain forward. The Wild have injury troubles, and cap constraints will make it difficult to address them. That means whoever Minnesota brings in must be capable of chipping in offensively at budget value.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (33-20-2)
Previous: 9
Ryan O'Reilly. The Leafs need a third-line center who can score and contribute in the playoffs. Why not get one they've had before? O'Reilly doesn't have any trade protection, though Nashville would apparently only move him to a place he'd agree to. The veteran didn't re-sign with Toronto in 2023, but maybe a reunion with head coach Craig Berube would be attractive.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (31-20-4)
Previous: 16
A top-six winger. The Lightning have tried multiple players on the second line but haven't found an ideal fit with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. One more quality option rounds Tampa Bay into a very formidable unit.
12. Colorado Avalanche (33-22-2)
Previous: 12
A Casey Mittelstadt trade. Mittelstadt has just two goals in his last 38 contests and is on a 10-game goalless drought. He most recently centered the Avalanche's fourth line. Dealing Mittelstadt would open even more cap space to take a big swing at the deadline.
13. New Jersey Devils (31-20-6)
Previous: 11
A better center than Justin Dowling and Curtis Lazar. Those are the Devils' centers on their third and fourth lines, respectively. New Jersey captain Nico Hischier (who plays the position) is week-to-week due to injury, but New Jersey needs an upgrade, regardless.
14. Detroit Red Wings (28-22-5)
Previous: 22
An elite penalty killer. The Red Wings are in a wild-card spot at the break and should buy before the deadline. Detroit has been the worst team in the NHL at preventing goals with the opponent on the man advantage, killing a mere 69.7% of penalties this season.
15. Ottawa Senators (29-23-4)
Previous: 14
A top-nine forward. The suddenly competitive Senators should look to patch up holes both up front and on the back end, but Ottawa's priority should be the former. Injured forward Josh Norris will be back shortly after the 4 Nations Face-Off concludes, but Nick Cousins is likely out until late March following knee surgery.
16. Vancouver Canucks (26-18-11)
Previous: 20
A reinvigorated Elias Pettersson. The Canucks picked their side in the Pettersson-J.T. Miller drama. They got another defenseman in Marcus Pettersson. Thatcher Demko's latest injury isn't believed to be serious. The biggest factor in determining Vancouver's playoff fate is EP40. With all distractions off the table, the star forward needs to step up.
17. Calgary Flames (26-21-8)
Previous: 13
Restraint from Craig Conroy. The Flames are hanging tough in the playoff race despite their current slump, so they shouldn't be big-time sellers, but they also shouldn't be big-time buyers. Conroy already added a pair of young forwards in Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, and his focus should continue to be on players who can grow alongside his youthful core.
18. New York Rangers (27-24-4)
Previous: 19
A left-shot defenseman. The Rangers shouldn't be done dealing after landing J.T. Miller and shipping out Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko. Much like the Oilers, the Blueshirts need help on the left side of the defense. However, New York's need is even greater considering Ryan Lindgren is a pending unrestricted free agent who might be sent packing.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-22-8)
Previous: 17
Immediate help with long-term upside. The Blue Jackets deserve to be rewarded for their performance, but GM Don Waddell must be careful not to get carried away. Identifying targets in their prime and with team control is a must for a Columbus club that has exceeded expectations.
20. New York Islanders (25-23-7)
Previous: 21
Future assets in return for Brock Nelson. The Islanders boast the biggest trade chip heading into the deadline. New York GM Lou Lamoriello must recognize Nelson's value on the market regardless of the Isles' playoff chances and acquire at least a first-round pick and promising prospect for the veteran scorer, who's spent his entire career with the franchise.
21. Boston Bruins (27-24-6)
Previous: 15
A good package for Trent Frederic. The Bruins aren't necessarily in teardown mode, but they should use this deadline to recoup some assets. Boston has picked in the first round just twice in the last four drafts. There's interest in Frederic, a pending UFA, so the Bruins should get what they can.
22. Montreal Canadiens (25-26-5)
Previous: 18
Don't lose sight of the plan. The Canadiens have done an admirable job of rebuilding, and they even crept into the playoff race recently before coming back down to Earth. Montreal can't be tempted to buy this spring. David Savard, Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak should all be dealt to continue the club's retooling phase.
23. Anaheim Ducks (24-24-6)
Previous: 29
Takers for John Gibson and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks are in the midst of their best stretch this season, but that shouldn't change their status as sellers. Trade rumors have surrounded Gibson and Zegras for what feels like forever, so it'd be nice if Anaheim finally got to turn the page.
24. Utah Hockey Club (24-23-9)
Previous: 24
A clean bill of health. Utah remains just outside the wild-card picture despite having dealt with numerous significant injuries. Sean Durzi remains sidelined, and Logan Cooley will be re-evaluated after the 4 Nations. A fully healthy Utah Hockey Club could make a fun run at the last wild-card spot.
25. Buffalo Sabres (22-27-5)
Previous: 30
Legit talent back in a Dylan Cozens trade. Several teams have reportedly shown interest in the 2019 seventh overall pick, who buried 31 goals in 2022-23. If the Sabres trade Cozens, they need to make a "hockey trade" rather than just settling for assets. A young center with upside must head to Buffalo if the Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers make the deal.
26. St. Louis Blues (25-26-5)
Previous: 25
A haul for Brayden Schenn. The Blues have reportedly gauged the market for their captain amid another mediocre campaign. Schenn's value will only deteriorate in the coming seasons. Making that move now, rather than a year or two down the road, maximizes the return and provides a much-needed shakeup to the roster.
27. Pittsburgh Penguins (23-25-9)
Previous: 28
More low-risk swings. Philip Tomasino has been a positive addition for Pittsburgh and has injected youth into the roster. The Penguins should continue to identify players with upside who can fill a role on an NHL roster right away.
28. Nashville Predators (19-28-7)
Previous: 23
Picks and prospects. Few thought the Predators would be in selling mode after they made several significant offseason splashes, but here we are. Nashville has some veteran forwards to dangle in trade talks, including Ryan O'Reilly and pending UFA Gustav Nyquist. Nashville needs to get what it can for them.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (24-26-7)
Previous: 26
A young, skilled, top-six center. This one's a gimme, as Flyers GM Daniel Briere said that's what he's looking for. He gained some cap flexibility by moving out Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, so let's see what he does with it. Maybe there's room to add a goalie, too, because Philly's netminders are struggling.
30. Seattle Kraken (24-29-4)
Previous: 27
Help for Joey Daccord. Please. The Kraken can really only win when he's in net, so they need to fetch their starter a functioning backup who can take some of the load off. Seattle might have been in the wild-card hunt right now if it had brought in another goalie earlier in the season.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (17-31-7)
Previous: 31
Another first-round pick. It's an ambitious wish given who the Blackhawks have left to sell, but a third first-round pick would set Chicago up for a superb draft class.
32. San Jose Sharks (15-35-7)
Previous: 32
One team's trash is another's treasure. The Sharks don't have much to offer after trading Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Stars. San Jose can hope other teams come calling about the leftovers, like pending UFAs Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Jan Rutta, or goalies Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev - both of whom are also on expiring contracts.