NHL Trade Deadline 2018: These 5 teams need to be buyers

The Tampa Bay Lightning are in win-now mode. They have big contracts to pay out to players like Nikita Kucherov and there will be cap casualties to important players. Tampa Bay will be looking to add some help on defense at the deadline. They already have one of the best defensemen in the league with Victor Hedman and another rising star with Mikhal Sergachev. Adding another top talent to the group would be a huge boost. Every year in the playoffs the teams with the best depth do well. Adding a top defenseman and pushing players like Dan Girardi or Brayden Coburn down the lineup and into depth positions would be a major advantage.

With the need for a top-end defenseman and a few on the trading block, Tampa Bay will be open for business. Names like Ryan McDonagh and Mike Green are important to watch as the deadline gets closer. However, the league could see a major, blockbuster trade involving Tampa Bay. Enter the Ottawa Senators and Erik Karlsson.

One would think resigning Karlsson is a no-brainer, but owner Eugene Melnyk has been anything but committal when it comes to Karlsson. Karlsson has term left on his contract, meaning he will hit free agency after the 2018 – 2019 season. Karlsson would have the most trade value right now. If Ottawa cannot work out an extension this summer they would lose a lot of leverage in a trade. Tampa Bay would have to give up a major piece to make this trade work, it would be a player like Brayden Point, who is young and on a cheap contract. Pairing together Hedman and Karlsson would be the best defensive pairing in the league and dominant in the playoffs.