With the trade deadline fast approaching, each of the seven Canadian teams finds itself faced with a unique set of circumstances. Some clubs are looking to add, others are looking to sell, and some appear to be caught in between.
The Vancouver Canucks have arrived ahead of schedule, while the Montreal Canadiens look to recalibrate their plan following an injury-riddled campaign. The Calgary Flames need offense, the Toronto Maple Leafs need defense, and the Ottawa Senators look to accelerate their rebuild.
Each team will have some difficult decisions to make, regardless of its situation. Here's a look at one potential deadline move for every club north of the border.
Calgary Flames: Trade for Tyler Toffoli
Deadline cap space: $2.33 million
The Flames were elite offensively during the 2018-19 campaign, but their failure to match that level of production this season has the club in danger of missing the playoffs.
Only two right-shot forwards - Derek Ryan and Elias Lindholm - have played more than eight games this season, so the club should look to balance out its attack by acquiring a scoring winger on the right side. One possible target is Los Angeles Kings forward Toffoli.
It's difficult to determine what the Flames would be willing to concede given Toffoli is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Perhaps a young depth player off their roster, plus a third-round selection could get it done. The Kings could ask for an additional conditional pick should Toffoli re-sign in Calgary.
The 27-year-old Toffoli is on pace to reach the 20-goal mark for the fourth time and has posted positive advanced numbers at five-on-five through nearly every season of his career.
Edmonton Oilers: Acquire Chris Kreider
Deadline cap space: $3.53 million
It's no secret that the Oilers need to round out their forward group to support franchise talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and New York Rangers winger Kreider could be a perfect fit.
The 28-year-old's contract is expiring this summer, and with New York out of the playoff picture, it's hard to imagine the team passing up a strong offer that could help expedite its rebuild.
Kreider plays with incredible pace, and at 6-foot-3, offers the ideal combination of size and skill. The winger would pose a significant threat playing alongside either Draisaitl or McDavid and would improve an already top-ranked power play. Kreider's 77 career playoff games would rank second on the Oilers' roster behind James Neal.
Montreal Canadiens: Sell Ilya Kovalchuk
Deadline cap space: $17.42 million
It's unclear what the Canadiens plan to do with Kovalchuk now that they're back in the playoff hunt. Even if the Habs stumble over the next 12 days, they could opt to re-sign their regenerated goal-scorer rather than deal him.
But what if they could have it both ways? Should the 36-year-old want to continue playing in Montreal, the Canadiens could dish Kovalchuk for an asset and re-sign him next summer. General manager Marc Bergevin pulled this move when he recouped a pair of prospects and a second-round pick for Tomas Plekanec in 2017-18 before bringing the forward back for the following season.
Kovalchuk has shown the potential to be a valuable rental, and the Habs should look to move him in order to bolster their hefty stash of 11 picks at the 2020 draft.
Ottawa Senators: Add to substantial bag of draft picks
Deadline cap space: $26.60 million
Ottawa will likely look back on the summer of 2020 as a critical time in its rebuild. The Senators own five draft picks, including two firsts, in the first two rounds of the 2020 Draft, and they should be looking to add to that total.
General manager Pierre Dorion could move a few players on expiring contracts in an effort to continue stockpiling assets. Forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tyler Ennis, and Vladislav Namestnikov, who are all set to become unrestricted free agents after this season, should be dealt if possible.
The most intriguing of the trio is Pageau, who has a career-high 21 goals through 55 games. The list of impact centers on expiring deals that are likely to be available at the deadline is short, which increases the 27-year-old's value. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are two contending teams that could use a boost up the middle.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Take a stab at Damon Severson
Deadline cap space: $5.83 million
It's time for Toronto to finally tackle its defensive issues by acquiring a rearguard that will make a substantial difference. The Leafs have multiple young players on their current roster, in addition to several talented prospects, that could entice teams looking for scoring help.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Severson is one under-the-radar option. The 25-year-old is a steady, right-shooting rearguard with three years remaining on his current deal beyond this season at an annual cap hit of $4.16 million. With seven goals and 22 points on the campaign, the Saskatchewan native can also chip in offensively.
The Minnesota Wild are reportedly open to listening to offers for Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin, and either would serve as a significant upgrade in Toronto.
Vancouver Canucks: Add winger for Bo Horvat
Deadline cap space: $0.22 million
The Canucks already own the league's sixth-best offense, but they could become extremely dangerous in a playoff series if they added another top-six winger to play alongside Horvat.
Toffoli is one option, but Devils forward Blake Coleman might be a more practical target considering the club's tight cap situation. Coleman carries a cap hit of $1.8 million next season and has mustered back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. The 28-year-old plays a key roll on New Jersey's penalty kill and is an extremely reliable two-way talent.
The Devils are likely to be sellers at the deadline, and the Canucks should look to take full advantage.
Winnipeg Jets: Acquire a top-pair right defenseman
Deadline cap space: $21.80 million
The Jets won't return to Stanley Cup contention until they refortify the right side of their blue line. This doesn't necessarily have to be done by the deadline, but if they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot and want to optimize their current window, it would be a good idea for them to get aggressive.
It's no small task to acquire a quality player at such a premium position, but the Jets have a ton of talented forwards and young defensive prospects that would warrant a hefty return should they choose to take that route. There are a couple potential targets for the club that come to mind.
Buffalo Sabres rearguard Rasmus Ristolainen has expressed his discontent in the past and at 6-foot-4, 220 lbs, he could help replace some of the size and grit the club seemingly lost with Dustin Byfuglien's absence.
P.K. Subban is also an interesting player. The former Norris Trophy winner has had a disastrous campaign in New Jersey and could benefit from a fresh start. The Devils would likely need to retain a large chunk of Subban's $9-million cap in order to move him, and the Jets would accept the risk that the 30-year-old blue-liner may not return to elite form.
Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.