NHL second-half snapshots for all 30 teams
By Randy Sportak, The Sports Xchange
Now that the NHL All-Star Game is complete and John Scott made his kids proud, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has completed his transformation into a wookie and Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban retains his status as one of the biggest personalities in the league, the next season marker is Feb. 29.
The annual trade deadline frenzy comes on Leap Day, meaning weeks of speculation, consternation and jostling for positions leading up to one of the most exciting and intriguing days on the NHL calendar.
As the league readies to resume from the fun and festivities of the talent showcase this weekend in Nashville, here is a team-by-team look at where the 30 clubs stand as the race to the Stanley Cup playoffs begins in earnest.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have top-end talent in key spots -- center Patrice Bergeron, defenseman Zdeno Chara and goaltender Tuukka Rask -- but a concerning lack of depth.
The most pressing need is a scoring right winger, such as the New York Islanders' Kyle Okposo or the Vancouver Canucks' Radim Vrbata, which would also help strengthen a weak third line. The Bruins have an extra first-round draft choice for shopping purposes, but should they become sellers, they have pending unrestricted free-agent (UFA) winger Loui Eriksson to dangle.
Buffalo Sabres
Don't expect anything like last season's blockbuster deal that brought power forward Evander Kane into the fold.
Forwards such as David Legwand and Jamie McGinn don't create the kind of trade-deadline buzz, and it will be tough to find a taker for Matt Moulson's contract.
The Sabres will continue their steady rebuild centering on rookie sensation Jack Eichel and ready for another top pick.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings appear poised to make the playoffs for the 25th consecutive season, a heady feat while retooling on the fly. It helps when a rookie forward like Dylan Larkin has such impact at age 19.
Detroit is bumped tightly to the salary cap but could gain breathing room by unloading goalie Jimmy Howard, who appears to have lost the starting job to Petr Mrazek.
Florida Panthers
The surprising division leaders have oodles of salary-cap space to add the needed forward depth for an actual playoff push.
At question is how much of the future general manager Dale Tallon is willing to mortgage. A run would be worth so much to a club with just one playoff berth in 14 seasons.
Montreal Canadiens
The freefall that has taken the Habs from the hottest team to start the season to outside of a wild-card spot won't likely stop until goalie Carey Price returns from injury.
When that happens is the mystery.
Still, the Canadiens could dearly use another second-line scorer to help them climb, if it is not too late.
Ottawa Senators
Last season's Eastern Conference surprise squad is languishing in no-man's land, not likely good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to bank on a top pick.
There isn't a big UFA watch around Ottawa -- agitating winger Chris Neil is about it -- but talk that 22-year-old Cody Ceci could help land Tampa Bay's forward-prospect-turned-malcontent Jonathan Drouin is worth following.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The defending conference champs emerged from their early malaise, but it won't be quiet days.
Lightning GM Steve Yzerman must find a solution to the Drouin mess (the 2013 third overall pick has gone home until he is traded) but also must figure out what to do with captain Steven Stamkos, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
Do the Lightning trade Stamkos or risk losing him for nothing? Tough call.
Toronto Maple Leafs
For-sale signs are everywhere. The rebuilding Maple Leafs have eight pending UFAs on their 23-man roster, including forwards P.A. Parenteau and Michael Grabner, defenseman Roman Polak and goalie James Reimer.
After the Leafs manage to extract as many picks and prospects as possible, watch them to try landing Stamkos as a free agent.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Carolina Hurricanes
With both center Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward pending UFAs, the Hurricanes may be poised to sever all ties to their glory seasons of the distant past.
Carolina somehow pulled itself into the playoff picture, but this remains a team a long ways off from another run, so don't be surprised to see a selloff of those main pieces and smaller parts.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Other Eastern bottom-feeders are not surprises, but the Blue Jackets may be the league's biggest disappointment.
The saving grace is adding another top draft choice, but until then, watch for more moves. It would shock nobody if Columbus traded more core parts, such as forwards Scott Hartnell or Cam Atkinson, before another disappointing campaign concludes.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils are a surprise, hitting the break sitting just outside a playoff spot.
They are loaded with 30-something forwards who are pending UFAs in the likes of Tuomo Ruutu, Lee Stempniak, Stephen Gionta, Jordin Tootoo and even Patrik Elias, but the market for any of those players may be thin.
Should they look to add, the biggest need is scoring, but this team really can't afford to surrender much youth or picks.
New York Islanders
The time has come for the Islanders to make a statement. A playoff meeting with the rival New York Rangers is shaping up, so what better opportunity for the boys from Brooklyn. Therefore, watch for GM Garth Snow to look to make a splash.
That said, Snow has a couple of players to manage in pending UFA Okposo and defenseman Travis Hamonic, who asked for a trade for personal reasons earlier in the season.
New York Rangers
This is a club looking like an aging boxer who knows the young up-and-comer may knock him out, but the Rangers are still capable of another long playoff journey.
It would help if they turned their road record around.
While the Blueshirts could look to move defenseman Keith Yandle, they could also move a young talent -- big winger Kevin Hayes has been in the coach's doghouse -- for a much needed scoring piece.
Philadelphia Flyers
Want a long-shot team to make a run to a playoff spot? The Flyers could be it.
They went into the break on a 6-3-1 stretch, and any team with star forwards Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek shouldn't be written off.
The Flyers would love to unload Sam Gagner, and they may move fellow forward Michael Raffl, but they could pull themselves into the mix and be a buyer.
Pittsburgh Penguins
For all the troubles in the Steel City -- the offensive woes of center Sidney Crosby, which have recently turned, and winger Phil Kessel -- the Penguins currently hold a playoff position.
They made some needed moves bringing in defenseman Trevor Daley and speedy winger Carl Hagelin, but they still need to make more.
Pittsburgh's bottom two forward lines don't strike much fear in their opponents.
Washington Capitals
The conference-leading Caps have a nine-point lead on the second-place Panthers, plus games in hand.
Could this finally be the year for Alex Ovechkin and crew?
Washington certainly has the deepest roster in the conference, and maybe the whole league, but don't expect GM Brian MacLellan to stand pat.
If veteran center Mike Richards can't show he is still a legit NHLer, the Caps will be looking for more depth up front. More pressing is another defenseman, to be prepared for a lengthy playoff run.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago Blackhawks
The defending Cup champions have rocketed to the top spot in the Western Conference.
That said, there are holes for GM Stan Bowman to fill. The third and fourth lines could be improved, and the need for blue-line depth is obvious.
Would Bowman be willing to move prospects such as center Marko Dano or defenseman Ville Pokka to find another key piece or two?
Colorado Avalanche
A month ago, the Avalanche looked on pace to repeat their disappointing 2014-15 campaign. Now, they are holding a wild-card spot in the difficult Central Division.
With all their talent up front, it shouldn't be a surprise Colorado is in the hunt, but going forward, the need for another puck-moving defenseman must be addressed.
Dallas Stars
After a torrid first couple of months, the Stars fell back down between Christmas and the break.
They are still a dangerous team, and GM Jim Nill knows his squad can make some noise come playoff time, so he will be aggressive to add, with the need for a second-pair defenseman among his quests. He has a nice collection of young prospects to land it.
Minnesota Wild
It is a shame a team as good as the Wild could miss the playoffs simply by being in the league's best division. Despite a deep roster, Minnesota has a major flaw in its lack of offensive production.
As much as Minnesota's problems would be solved if Thomas Vanek would produce as in years past, the time may come for the Wild to move one of their very good defensemen, such as Matt Dumba, for scoring help.
Nashville Predators
The Predators made their big splash by acquiring top-line center Ryan Johansen from Columbus for rising star defenseman Seth Jones.
It took some time to see results, but Nashville went into the break on a four-game winning streak and holding a playoff spot.
Going forward, watch for only a couple of depth moves.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues are in a familiar spot, a strong regular-season team that must make playoff noise.
A lack of offense remains an issue, although the imminent return of Jaden Schwartz from the ankle injury that kept him out all season will help.
Still, don't be surprised if the Blues add another winger for second/third-line duty. It could make the difference for coach Ken Hitchcock, who likely can't afford another early playoff loss.
Winnipeg Jets
Unless they turn their fortunes in a big way, the Jets will be sellers, which would be a big disappointment for the team that made the playoffs last season.
Winnipeg has a couple of big-name pending UFAs in captain Andrew Ladd, a left winger, and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, and the team will be hard-pressed to keep both. Keeping one may be difficult, so watch for a possible bidding war.
PACIFIC DIVISION
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are looking more like the team that was one win from upending the Blackhawks in last year's conference final, pulling within striking distance of a playoff position after a dreadful start.
Defenseman Cam Fowler should soon return from a knee injury, but forward Shawn Horcoff has 19 more games on his suspension for a performance-enhancing-drug violation.
It is hard to believe coach Bruce Boudreau would keep his job if this team misses the playoffs, but there are signs of life.
Arizona Coyotes
The early-season success wasn't supposed to last, but the Coyotes are hanging in there, still holding a playoff spot.
It would make a great story if Arizona could punch a ticket to the second season, but with No. 1 goalie Mike Smith on the shelf at least a couple more weeks due to injury, it will be difficult.
Should the Coyotes be sellers, they have some desirable pending UFAs in forwards Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and Boyd Gordon and defenseman Nicklas Grossmann.
Calgary Flames
Last season's West Conference upstarts headed into the break floundering, with a 4-8-1 run since late December and eight points out of a playoff spot.
A torrid February may save their season, but the Flames are likely to sell off as many vets as possible, with forwards Jiri Hudler and David Jones, defenseman Kris Russell and goalies Karri Ramo and Jonas Hiller all UFAs.
Edmonton Oilers
All the high hopes in Edmonton after drafting Connor McDavid have been replaced with the all-too-familiar feeling of another season near the bottom of the standings.
The good news for the Oilers is McDavid is due back very soon from the broken collarbone he sustained three months ago.
And while the Oilers have some pending UFAs to trade, the big question is whether they deal away one of their talented young forwards, such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, for defense help.
Los Angeles Kings
The Cup champs of 2012 and 2014 -- see a pattern developing -- are running away with the Pacific Division and poised for another lengthy playoff run.
The Kings added center Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn, but don't think they are done.
History has shown their brain trust covets depth on defense in anticipation of a Cup chase. A depth forward would likely be in the sights, too.
San Jose Sharks
Did you know the Sharks are the NHL's hottest team over the past 10 games? They posted an 8-0-2 record before the break.
They also have buried a couple of depth forwards, Ben Smith and Raffi Torres, in the minors to save some money against the cap.
Bank on them using that space for a defenseman in the hopes they will be the team that comes out of California during the Stanley Cup tournament.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are just a couple of points outside a playoff spot, and they received a boost before the break when center Brandon Sutter returned from injury.
With a strong February, the temptation will be there to make a push for the playoffs, but a more likely route will be to fall off the pace and continue reloading by trading away Vrbata and defensemen Matt Bartkowski, Yannick Weber and the injured Dan Hamhuis.
