Unlike the ultra-competitive and staggeringly dominant Metropolitan Division, the Atlantic is rife with parity, and that's made for a complicated lead-up to the trade deadline.

The Montreal Canadiens sit atop the Atlantic pack, but they can't be comfortable knowing the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and a host of other squads lurk not far below them.

Whether the bubble teams engage in a proactive arms race or take a longer wait-and-see approach before Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET, one thing's abundantly clear: There should be plenty of movement.

Here's what each Atlantic Division club should prioritize before the deadline passes:

Boston Bruins

Need: Backup goaltender

The Bruins' lack of depth in goal has been well-documented, and while general manager Don Sweeney has acknowledged the need to spell Tuukka Rask with a more reliable No. 2 netminder, he hasn't yet been able to address it.

Despite Anton Khudobin's impressive performance in a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, neither he nor Zane McIntyre nor Malcolm Subban has been consistently effective in the role over the balance of the season.

The Bruins have two more back-to-backs during a seven-day stretch next month. Considering the importance of every point in the wide-open Atlantic, their issue between the pipes needs to be fixed if they plan to be part of the postseason.

Buffalo Sabres

Need: Keep rebuilding

As much as fans or media members want to tout Buffalo as a playoff contender, it's just not realistic this season.

The Sabres would have to leapfrog four teams to get in, and they have more regulation-or-overtime wins (the first playoff tiebreaker at season's end) than only one of them, the Philadelphia Flyers.

While there is a logjam of hopeful squads in the muddled Eastern Conference, general manager Tim Murray should avoid the temptation and remember the bigger picture.

Barring a Godfather offer from another team for Evander Kane, the sensible path involves dealing Brian Gionta and one of either Dmitry Kulikov or Cody Franson. That would allow the Sabres to stay relatively competitive in the present while adding draft picks to further address the future.

Detroit Red Wings

Need: Sell! Sell! Sell!

It's been an incredible run, but, let's be honest, the Red Wings' streak of 25 straight playoff appearances is about to end.

While that may be a bitter pill for general manager Ken Holland and company to swallow, all good things must come to an end, and it's time for Detroit to retool.

Thomas Vanek has to be dealt, and if Holland can get anything for fellow pending unrestricted free agents Steve Ott and Brendan Smith, he has a responsibility to do it.

Florida Panthers

Need: Stand pat

The Panthers are a deep, dangerous squad with Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov back in the fold.

They'll surely be a top-three team in the division at season's end, and they have no major weaknesses. Florida is loaded with talented, young forwards; strong on the back end; and safe in goal.

If the Panthers look to add anything before the deadline, it would likely be a top-nine forward, but they don't need to pull off any blockbuster moves before Wednesday.

Montreal Canadiens

Need: Top-six forward

Whether it's a high-impact and high-priced center like Matt Duchene or the more affordable Martin Hanzal, the Canadiens could use a boost up the middle.

If they can't make that happen, or are unwilling to part with the assets necessary to consummate a major move, adding a winger would be an acceptable Plan B, and an offensively minded defenseman would be a worthwhile Plan C. Is P.K. Subban available? (Sigh.)

Montreal is particularly weak on the left side up front, where Paul Byron, rookie Artturi Lehkonen, and Brian Flynn represent a significant drop-off from top-liner and captain Max Pacioretty.

Ottawa Senators

Need: Forward(s)

Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman might not be out for long, but the Senators still require some reinforcement up front.

General manager Pierre Dorion said earlier this week that if he does anything before the deadline, it will be to address his forward group.

Bobby Ryan is out at least a month with a broken finger, so regardless of when the other two are able to return from their own injuries, Ottawa will and should look to offset Ryan's loss, perhaps with one of Patrick Eaves, Thomas Vanek, Radim Vrbata, or Patrick Sharp.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Need: Defense

The Lightning have plenty of forward depth, and barring a setback, they should get Steven Stamkos back before season's end.

They have two of the most reliable blue-liners in the league in Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, but could benefit from an upgrade over Jake Dotchin in the top four.

The Lightning reportedly made a bold but unsuccessful play for Kevin Shattenkirk, which suggests they're looking into addressing this need.

That's going to be hard to do with literally no cap space, but trading pending UFA Brian Boyle would help clear some room, as would dealing goaltender Ben Bishop if the right offer presents itself.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Need: Ditto

What a difference a year makes.

The Leafs were the biggest sellers before last season's deadline, but now they might actually be buyers. They're loaded with skill up front, and despite Frederik Andersen's inconsistency, there's no need to pursue a goaltender. But they could use a boost on the back end.

Given its wealth of forward prospects and future draft picks, Toronto can afford to give up some of them to land an elite defenseman like Shattenkirk, but that particular move is risky considering he could opt not to re-sign.

There's a significant drop-off after the St. Louis Blues rearguard among potential trade targets, so Lou Lamoriello, Brendan Shanahan, and the Leafs' brass would probably be best served waiting until at least the summer to upgrade on the blue line.

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