Bona fide Stanley Cup contenders like the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers have already made it clear that they are all in on this season.
There are a number of teams, though, that could be dangerous in the playoffs if they fill some obvious voids in their lineups.
But they must upgrade in order to go toe-to-toe with some of the giants in the Eastern Conference.
On the more affordable end of the spectrum would be Calvin De Haan of the Chicago Blackhawks or Robert Hagg of the Buffalo Sabres.
The bottom six, on the other hand, could use some work because the teams at the top of the conference have four lines that can do damage.
Marc-Andre Fleury is available, but would he want to go to the Leafs? Perhaps a reunion with James Reimer, now with the San Jose Sharks, could be in the cards.
The Flyers’ Justin Braun could be a fit there, and Calvin De Haan would also be a nice pick-up.
The Blues have been bleeding scoring chances and expected goals against all season long, and their defensive corps hasn’t inspired a ton of confidence.
Both Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen have been subpar this season, and that means the Wild have to find a fix at that position in order to have a shot at the Stanley Cup.
A team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl shouldn’t be trying to scrape into the playoffs, but here we are.
When it comes to potential fits on the blue line, Carson Soucy of the Seattle Kraken and Calvin De Haan of the Chicago Blackhawks would be worth a phone call.
Jake DeBrusk of the Boston Bruins comes to mind along with Phil Kessel of the Arizona Coyotes and Andrew Copp of the Winnipeg Jets.
