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5 NHL teams that need to make a trade to save their season

By Derek Grochowski

ST. PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 15: Alex Stalock #32 of the Minnesota Wild skates by Devan Dubnyk #40 of the Minnesota Wild as he tends to his creese before a game with the New Jersey Devils at Xcel Energy Center on February 15, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 15: Alex Stalock #32 of the Minnesota Wild skates by Devan Dubnyk #40 of the Minnesota Wild as he tends to his creese before a game with the New Jersey Devils at Xcel Energy Center on February 15, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The NHL playoff picture is starting to become clearer. Some teams are rising while others begin to fall. For those falling, a trade may be their last chance

As the NHL season gets closer and closer the NHL trade deadline the buyers and sellers of the league start to become more clear. As the playoff picture starts to take shape some teams see their playoff odds fading. A late season trade can be enough to pull themselves back into the picture. Whether it is due to injury, or just a team need, these five teams are in need of a trade to fix their lineups to keep pace with the rest of the league.

5. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have needed offensive help all season. Now with the loss of their top line center Mikko Koivu, the need is even greater. The Wild are clinging onto the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. To say the race is tight is an understatement.

Their current lineup at the center position of Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal are not good enough centers to carry this team into the playoffs. The loss of Matthew Dumba earlier in the season has created a need at defense as well but the primary focus needs to be at center as the trade deadline nears.

A few targets for the Wild this month should be Derick Brassard of the Florida Panthers and Kevin Hayes from the New York Rangers. Both players have been rumored to be on the trade block for most of the season and fill a need for Minnesota.

The better fit right now for the Wild would be Brassard. He struggled early in the season before being moved to Florida, only picking up 15 points in 40 games. Since joining the Panthers he has seen his production jump up to three points in a five game sample size. The addition of Brassard doesn’t give the Wild a true number one center like they really need to make a deep run but it patches the hole well enough to get them to the playoffs.

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