With a stacked 2019 free-agent class and several teams well out of the playoff hunt, it appears to be a buyers' market leading up to the NHL's trade deadline. It's possible Artemi Panarin, Wayne Simmonds, Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and other big names could be moved before Feb. 25, setting up one of the most anticipated deadlines in recent years.
Here are three teams that should be in pursuit of an impact player over the next few weeks:
Nashville Predators
The Predators are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders due to stellar goaltending and arguably the league's best defensive core. However, the Preds rank outside the top 10 in the league in goals per game and own the NHL's 30th-ranked power play. To put themselves over the top, they need some extra offensive punch.
Outside of Filip Forsberg, Nashville doesn't have a game-breaking talent up front. Adding an impact forward such as Duchene, Stone, or Panarin - who the club has reportedly inquired about - would change that.
The Predators dealt a second-round pick to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday for Brian Boyle, but Nashville still has its first-rounder to dangle in trade talks.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins' trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak form arguably the league's best line, but the rest of Boston's roster doesn't pose as much of an offensive threat. David Krejci is having a nice year, but the Bruins severely lack scoring depth in their bottom-nine forward group.
Inserting one of the available wingers, such as Panarin, Stone, or Simmonds - who Boston has reportedly shown interest in - would give the Bruins two formidable lines, making them a nightmare for opponents to match up against in the postseason.
Atlantic Division rivals like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have an embarrassment of riches up front, meaning the Bruins should be in heavy pursuit of an impact player if they have Stanley Cup aspirations.
New York Islanders
Preseason pundits predicted the Islanders would be sellers at the 2019 trade deadline. However, despite losing franchise player John Tavares in the offseason, the Isles find themselves atop the Metropolitan Division.
New York has both the cap room and enough draft picks and young prospects to be serious players ahead of the deadline. Moreover, with several contracts coming off the books after this season, the team could acquire one of the aforementioned pending unrestricted free agents and sign them to a long-term extension before they hit the open market.
The Isles have been the stingiest defensive team in the league this season, but adding a dynamic forward up front could make the club a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.
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