<p>With less than two months remaining until the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline, we’re bringing you one deadline-focused story each day at <em>Daily Faceoff</em>.</p>



<p>Today we’re going to whip through individual team objectives in the Eastern Conference.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2023-trade-deadline-countdown-59-days">2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 59 Days</h2>



<p>Let’s break the Eastern Conference teams into categories:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-buyers">The Buyers</h2>



<p><strong>Boston Bruins</strong><br>Top Objective: Center<br>Scoop: With Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Pavel Zacha and Tomas Nosek all on expiring contracts this season, Boston could be the ideal landing spot for Bo Horvat. He would not only make Boston’s Top 9 forward group one of the most formidable heading into the playoffs, but his addition also might help entice David Pastrnak to extend seeing that the window to win won’t be completely shut whenever Bergeron decides to hang up his skates.</p>



<p><strong>Carolina Hurricanes</strong><br>Top Objective: Second Line Center<br>Scoop: The thought of Jesperi Kotkaniemi growing into a 2C role was a good one, but it hasn’t materialized yet. And that’s left Carolina, one of the league’s best five-on-five teams in terms of possession and shot generation, sitting 20th in goals scored. Max Pacioretty coming back will certainly help that goal total go up, and Jordan Staal in the 3C hole is deal, so how will Carolina find Vincent Trocheck’s replacement? Carolina has the assets to make a trade work, but they normally don’t swing big in a way that mortgages the future.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="222"></div>



<p><strong>Toronto Maple Leafs</strong><br>Top Objective: Defender<br>Scoop: There’s no question the Leafs have been impressive in both generating offense and shutting down opponents. Their goaltending gamble appears to have paid off. Adding to Toronto’s prolific forward group with a second line left winger would neglect a backend that has seen Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie and Jake Muzzin all go down for stretches with significant injuries. Those injuries left the bulk of the defending to Mark Giordano and two kids in Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren. They’ve performed better than expected, but not beefing up that position heading into the postseason doesn’t sound prudent in a win-or-go-home year for the organization.</p>



<p><strong>Tampa Bay Lightning</strong><br>Top Objective: Depth<br>Scoop: The Lightning are balanced as ever and rounding into form, but they could still use some depth up front to push Pat Maroon down into a fourth line role, and also on the back end, to take some heavy lifting minutes off Victor Hedman’s plate. That would help keep him fresh. The Bolts have shown a willingness to go all-in in the past, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take a swing again, but they’re lacking assets now in picks and prospects so that probably takes a bigger deal off the table. However, adding the right depth pieces as they did in 2020 would make Tampa Bay even more of a playoff threat.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="228"></div>



<p><strong>Washington Capitals</strong><br>Top Objective: Top 6 Forward<br>Scoop: GM Brian MacLellan has LTIR cap space, a slew of expiring contracts, and a nearly full complement of draft capital, so watch for the Caps to be one of the teams making calls on pieces like Bo Horvat and Timo Meier. The Caps have little in the way of prospects coming, outside of Connor McMichael, and need a boost of proven youth. Horvat and Meier could add some serious punch to their top six, along with Tom Wilson when he returns from injury. Washington has stated they will try to contend for as long as the Great Eight is chasing the Great One, so don’t expect them to sit on the sidelines as they’ve played their way back into playoff position.</p>



<p><strong>New York Rangers</strong><br>Top Objective: Top 6 Winger<br>Scoop: The Rangers are one of few potentially playoff-bound teams with cap space to burn at the deadline, projected to have just over $7 million in space according to <em>Cap Friendly</em>. But how active will GM Chris Drury be? Has this Rangers team demonstrated that they’re ready for a big splash? Not to this point. Many have circled Broadway for “Showtime” Patrick Kane’s next starring role, and it makes sense as their Top 6 winger addition to increase production up front. Could they pivot on the back end and provide Braden Schneider a more reliable and harder to play against partner? Knowing they have Igor the Equalizer, it might be time to reunite Kane and Artemi Panarin.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="250"></div>



<p><strong>Pittsburgh Penguins</strong><br>Top Objective: Cap Space<br>Scoop: Wants and needs are two different things. Pittsburgh undoubtedly <strong>wants</strong> to add a reliable, hard-nosed defender given the injuries they’ve suffered on the backend, which has amplified their need to lock it down and minimize chances against. However, the Pens <strong>need </strong>to generate cap space from somewhere in order to make something happen, and that might be a tall task given the contracts they’d like to move will surely be the hardest to move. Kasperi Kapanen will cost an asset to move; Jason Zucker is on an expiring contract; there’s been little interest in Marcus Pettersson. That might mean a quiet deadline for Ron Hextall unless he can get creative, which isn’t ideal for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang as their window keeps inching closed.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="132"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-only-god-and-lou-know">Only God and Lou Know</h2>



<p><strong>New York Islanders</strong><br>Top Objective: ?????<br>Scoop: See the headline for the Islanders, who are always in their own category with Lou Lamoriello at the helm. He operates in stealth and is coming off an offseason in which he did very little to improve the team. The thinking is the Islanders need a scoring winger who can play with Mathew Barzal and deposit the puck, preferably someone that brings a little speed to the lineup. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hold-the-line">Hold the Line</h2>



<p><strong>New Jersey Devils</strong><br>Top Objective: Patience<br>Scoop: If you told GM Tom Fitzgerald at the start of the season that his team would be in second in the Metro and comfortably in a playoff spot at the New Year, he probably would have smiled wide. Yes, the Devils have scuffled of late, but the process has been there. New Jersey plays with a combo of pace and skill, but their biggest surprise is how well they defend, ranking near the top of the league in goals against and shots allowed. They’re well ahead of Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit, and there’s not a huge need to look for reinforcements from the outside yet. Taking care of Jesper Bratt, Damon Severson and Yegor Sharangovich should be the deadline priority for a team poised to be in contention sooner rather than later.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="211"></div>



<p><strong>Buffalo Sabres</strong><br>Top Objective: Keep Building<br>Scoop: GM Kevyn Adams has done an exceptional job building out the pieces for one of the most exciting teams to watch in the league. Their mantra last offseason, while teams like Ottawa were focused on winning the summer, was to not add any player that would get in the way of developing their young talent. It’s paid off. Staying the course and letting the kids play meaningful games is what he will continue to do. Once they’ve officially arrived, the Sabres won’t be going anywhere for a while. The only bit of housekeeping is to re-sign Dylan Dozens, but other than that, the Sabres are on the right track.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trending-seller">Trending Seller</h2>



<p><strong>Detroit Red Wings</strong><br>Top Objective: Second Phase of Building<br>Scoop: Talk to coach Derek Lalonde in the preseason and he said Detroit’s goal was to play meaningful games in March. In that sense, the Red Wings are hanging tough, but their game has shown signs of cracks. For that reason, the smart bet is for the Red Wings to delay until closer to deadline day before deciding to sell pieces. The big question staring down Detroit: What happens with Dylan Larkin? In Tampa Bay, Steve Yzerman used a combination of smart timing, tax-free Florida, and solid long-term vision to pay less than market value for his superstar core. Can he use the same model to get Larkin at a number that won’t hamper second contracts for Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond? And also be able to take care of Filip Hronek in a few years? If it doesn’t sound like he can, then look for Yzerman to pivot and move Larkin, and for the Michigan-born captain to be one of the most sought after trade targets if it gets to that point. It’s going to be fascinating to watch.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="301"></div>



<p><strong>Florida Panthers</strong><br>Top Objective: Set the table for summer<br>Scoop: The Cats are scratching and clawing for relevance again. The Panthers are on track to be the first Presidents’ Trophy winner to miss the playoffs the following season since the Boston Bruins in 2015. They looked like an unstoppable machine moving along last year, a 122-point team that was then unceremoniously swept by their in-state rivals. They changed coaches and Bill Zito orchestrated the biggest blockbuster deal in two decades. But the Panthers have taken a step backwards, some of which Zito expected. The bottom line is the Panthers sit in 13th place in the East, near some rebuilding teams, and they don’t have a first-round pick until 2026. They have $14.5 million tied up in goaltending next season. Yes, the Panthers have nearly $12 million coming off the books in dead cap money and Patric Hornqvist’s expiring deal. Perhaps the priority is setting the table for the summer, where they hope to rebound, maybe by offloading a talented forward like Sam Reinhart or Sam Bennett for futures, to then try and add a top defenseman.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="6" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="184"></div>



<p><strong>Ottawa Senators</strong><br>Top Objective: A gameplan for Alex DeBrincat<br>Scoop: After their summer spending spree, this is exactly where the Senators didn’t want to be. They have an unquestionably exciting group of young players growing together, like the Sabres, Red Wings and Devils. On the other hand, it seems like they’re falling behind those teams in producing tangible results. The big question facing GM Pierre Dorion at the deadline is to determine the future of forward Alex DeBrincat. The Sens paid a big price to acquire the two-time, 40-goal scorer in a first, second and third-round picks (including No. 7 overall last June). DeBrincat is on track for 28 goals but his point production has exceeded expectations. He is due a $9 million qualifying offer. Even if the Sens can sign him to a longer-term deal below that figure, how many $8 million players can they afford on the books? It’s a question worth asking. If DeBrincat is on the move again, this time it would likely be for less than the heavy price paid at the Draft – and that would hurt.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="7" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="181"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sellers">The Sellers</h2>



<p><strong>Columbus Blue Jackets</strong><br>Top Objective: Turn the Page<br>Scoop: This has been a confounding season for the CBJ, who added Johnny Gaudreau and Erik Gudbranson in the offseason. Part of their struggles can be blamed on the injuries they’ve suffered, from Zach Werenski’s season-ending shoulder injury, to Jakub Voracek’s concussion, to Boone Jenner and Yegor Chinakov going down for a period of time. Alexandre Texier also left the team. The Blue Jackets need to bolster their depth down the middle and on the back end, resulting in a familiar deadline position for GM Jarmo Kekalainen as a seller. He’s used this position to extract maximum results for Nick Foligno and David Savard. Expect him to do the same this time around with Vladislav Gavrikov and Gustav Nyquist so he can continue to add to an exciting crop of young players like Kent Johnson, David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="8" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="146"></div>



<p><strong>Montreal Canadiens</strong><br>Top Objective: Brick by Brick<br>Scoop: This deadline represents a significant opportunity for GM Kent Hughes to harvest more future assets as they rebuild the Canadiens brick by brick. He can leverage current roster players like Sean Monahan, Evgeni Dadonov, Mike Hoffman and potentially Joel Edmundson to keep adding future picks and prospects. Will a team come calling with an offer Hughes can’t refuse for Josh Anderson? Hughes has resisted the temptation to this point for the big power forward.</p>



<p><strong>Philadelphia Flyers</strong><br>Top Objective: Everything on the Table<br>Scoop: The Flyers are a mess. They finished the 2022 calendar year with the worst record in the NHL. Moving forward, it stands to reason that every single potential trade scenario is on the table in terms of the future of the franchise. John Tortorella has continued to overtly hint at a lack of talent. The Flyers need futures, futures and more futures. After chasing patch jobs and trying to be competitive for decades, they are on the precipice of a very long rebuild road.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="9" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="171"></div>
