Trade deadline approaches

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching with less than two weeks to go, and aspiring contenders are starting to look for players to fill holes in their lineups. With that in mind, this week Inside the NHL will look at some of the top teams in the league, and what they will be looking for in terms of trades to get them ready for the playoffs.

It is a buyer's market in the NHL these days, with teams out of the playoff hunt trying to get rid of all their high end talent while they can, and the top teams in the league feeling pretty comfortable with what they have.



Eastern Conference

Ottawa Senators, first, 88 points

Too bad Ottawa can't trade for a new owner. Rob Bryden's bid to buy back ownership of the team has failed, leaving the Senators playing without an owner. Other buyers have stepped forward, but for the moment it looks like the team is going to be ownerless for the rest of the regular season.

This means that it is nearly impossible for the Senators to make any trades before the playoffs, since the organization is already financially strapped and any additional salaries will make it less viable for purchase. No trades would suit the Senators just fine though, with the way they've been playing, but they still don't have the championship ability of the Dallas Stars.



Philadelphia Flyers, third, 81 points

Philadelphia's name has come up in trade rumors of almost every major player in the league. The latest one was for Calgary Flames forward Jarome Ignilia, who has been underperforming this season despite signing a fat new contract during the season. Calgary could trade Ignila, but it would be virtually kill fan support for the team, where Ignila is really the last hope.

Also, the Flyers continue to have one of the worst power plays in the league and could be looking at LA Kings' Mathieu Schneider, Chicago Blackhawks' Phil Housley or Carolina Hurricanes' Glen Wesley.



Western Conference

Dallas Stars, first, 89 points

Dallas lost right wing Bill Guerin for the season and maybe the playoffs, which did serious damage to the team's chances. The Stars have a lot of depth, but no matter what kind of depth you have, it is hard for any team to make up for Guerin's scoring and playmaking ability. He has 25 goals and 50 points so far this season, on top of a solid 113 penalty minutes.

Look for Dallas to attempt making a move with draft picks and prospects for another strong two-way player with scoring ability. Those are hardly easy to find, and even more difficult to get without giving something significant in return. That makes it more than likely that the Stars will stick with what they have, and pray that Guerin gets better in time for the playoffs.



Vancouver Canucks, second, 86 points

The Vancouver Canucks are working with a tight budget, but owner John McCaw signaled this season that he is willing to open up the budget a little to get an upgrade before the playoffs. Vancouver General Manager Brian Burke has said that he is keeping his eyes open, but feels he is under no obligation to make a move before or at the trade deadline, especially with the chance it could upset the core of the team that has been playing so well this season.

It is unlikely that Vancouver will make any big trades before the deadline, simply because Burke is not interested in trading away too much right now. Vancouver is having one of its best seasons on record, and any trade it makes will probably be for another tough forward who can fore-check well within coach Marc Crawford's aggressive system.

What Vancouver could really use is another top-four defenseman, its weakness on the blueline was exposed when Mattias Ohlund went down with a knee injury this week. But do not expect Burke to give up the players necessary to get that kind of player.



Detroit Red Wings, third, 82 points

Detroit has rarely made any big moves at the trade deadline, but then Detroit has rarely been without Captain Steve Yzerman either. Yzerman is back, but is still a little shaky, and the team is still only playing him every other game as he is still recovering from a knee injury that he suffered in last year's playoffs.

Curtis Joseph is playing well in net, and the Wings' blueline is almost identical to the one they had when they won the Cup last year. But if Yzerman is not able to come back, and with Sergei Federov playing horribly this year, it is possible Detroit will look to bolster its scoring, but not very likely. There are rampant rumors that Phoenix Coyote defenseman Teppo Numminen could be making his way to Detroit, but nothing has come of it yet.