What leading teams need to bolster roster as NHL trade deadline approaches

The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, and a lot of big moves have already happened.

The Colorado Avalanche moved Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes and acquired Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers.

The Rangers acquired J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, who used the first-round pick they received to land the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.

Last weekend, the defending champion Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks.

More big moves are surely on the horizon. Here are leading teams’ needs heading into the trade deadline:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Washington Capitals

With back-to-back blowout wins coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break, it looked like any move the Capitals made might mess with chemistry. But then they lost three in a row and had a sloppy shootout win. They likely could use a bottom-six center.

Carolina Hurricanes

They need Rantanen to re-sign, especially after last year’s deadline acquisition, Jake Guentzel, left during the summer. But if Rantanen doesn’t sign before Friday, it doesn’t mean he’ll be traded. The Hurricanes gave up Martin Necas to get him; would they be able to get someone of his caliber back if they trade Rantanen?

New Jersey Devils

They need secondary scoring and that was true even before Jack Hughes left Sunday’s game with an injury. Hughes and Jesper Bratt have 70 and 68 points, respectively, and captain Nico Hischier has 47. Then it drops off after that.

Toronto Maple Leafs

A third-line center would help, as would another player for their second power play unit.

Florida Panthers

The Jones trade addressed their biggest need: a right-shot defenseman to fill the gap after the offseason departure of Brandon Montour. With Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve, the Panthers could use another scoring winger in case he’s limited in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Their eight-game winning streak just ended. Their top six forwards are impressive, but their depth has been eroded by salary cap concerns since their Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021. They should make a move to shore that up.

Columbus Blue Jackets

They’re the story of the NHL, sitting in a playoff spot while honoring the memory of Johnny Gaudreau. GM Don Waddell should do what he can to guarantee a playoff spot, maybe adding someone with postseason experience.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg Jets

Like the Capitals, they’ve played very well, and not much is needed. They could use a depth defenseman who kills penalties. The Jets’ penalty killing ranks 15th.

Dallas Stars

The Stars already added forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. But with Nils Lundkvist out for the season and Miro Heiskanen rehabbing, Dallas could use another defenseman.

Minnesota Wild

They just added Gustav Nyquist, who had 75 points two seasons ago. At some point, they hope, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek will return.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have already improved their goaltending, and Necas has been a good pickup. It would be helpful if they could find an upgrade at No. 2 center. GM Chris McFarland wasn’t sounding optimistic about Gabriel Landeskog returning.

Vegas Golden Knights

They have a pretty solid lineup, but you can always count on them doing something big at the deadline.

Edmonton Oilers

GM Stan Bowman told the Daily Faceoff that he doesn’t need to upgrade his goaltending. They could use more depth at forward and defense.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings rank 22nd in the league in offense. They should pursue another scorer.