Seven Stanley Cup Contenders That Must Make a Big NHL Trade Deadline Move

The 2025 NHL trade deadline inches closer, and teams hoping to contend for a Stanley Cup could very well find themselves in an arms race. The deadline is set for 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7, and blockbuster, last-minute deals could certainly be in the works between now and the deadline.

For contending teams, this could very well be their best chance to add a key difference-maker to the roster or to shore up an area of need ahead of the stretch run of the regular season. The difference between an early postseason exit and potentially hoisting Lord's Stanley Cup could depend upon what teams do in the coming week.

Of course, standing pat is a viable option for some teams, but others should certainly look for an upgrade at the deadline in order to give themselves the best chance at making a deep postseason run.

With that in mind, we'll explore a few contending teams that absolutely need to lean all the way in and make a big splash at the trade deadline.

Stanley Cup Contenders That Must Make a Big Trade Deadline Move

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers already splashed out on a deal to acquire Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks. They then went and placed Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR. If he's not activated before the playoffs, they'll have as much as $8.7 million in cap space to work with.

The Panthers are a pretty complete team, having ironed out their most glaring weakness by acquiring Jones, who helps cover for the loss of Brandon Montour after he signed with the Seattle Kraken in the offseason. Still, with money to work with, Florida could look to add some more talent at the deadline, perhaps a bottom six forward or even another defenseman for some more depth--or both.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto desperately needs to make a deep playoff run. The team has advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once since 2004, and haven't reached a Stanley Cup finals since 1967. They are a strong team as currently constructed, but of course, there's always room for improvement.

Adding a bottom-six center and another capable defensive-minded defenseman would be prudent moves for the Maple Leafs to make at the deadline. They don't have an abundance of cap space at their disposal, but they have enough to get something done to help fortify the roster ahead of the postseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are one of the best offensive teams in hockey, as their 211 goals scored are third in the league. But beyond their top six, things get a bit more dicey. Leaning so heavily on their stars may not be the best recipe for success come the postseason, and adding an experienced veteran to join their bottom-six forward group could help keep things balanced and alleviate some of the pressure from their stars.

Edmonton Oilers

Offensively, Edmonton is equipped to make a deep run, with Leon Draisaitl enjoying the best year of his career and Connor McDavid being his usual brilliant self. But, since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Oilers have surrendered four or more goals in four of their last five games, as defense continues to be a concern.

The Oilers need to fortify their defense if they want to make a run for a Cup. With about $5 million to work with, they have the means of landing a quality defenseman to shore up their roster.

Los Angeles Kings

One of the best defensive teams in hockey, the Kings are also one of the worst offensive groups. They rank fifth in terms of goals against per game (2.62) but are 19th in goals per game (2.84).

In particular, they need to address their power play, which ranks 30th of 32 teams with just 20 power play goals on the year. Converting on just 14.6% of power plays is a recipe for disaster in the postseason, so acquiring a capable playmaker or goalscorer would be a huge get for the Kings.

Detroit Red Wings

With Andrew Copp's season brought to premature end, the Red Wings could stand to make a move to land a center at the deadline. Detroit has arguably the league's best power play, scoring 52 goals and converting on 29.5% of its opportunities, but they struggle a bit to generate offense in five-on-five scenarios. They're in the middle of the pack with 2.88 goals per game, below teams like the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers. Adding a playmaker to the mix to fill in the second or third line could be a big get for Detroit.

Colorado Avalanche

Martin Necas has been excellent since coming over in the Mikko Rantanen trade, and Nathan MacKinnon is enjoying a sensational season that could see him win the Hart Trophy. With Valeri Nichushkin back in the mix, the Avs got a nice boost to their forwards group, but are still severely lacking depth behind their top six. Moving to acquire a depth forward could be a pivotal move for Colorado as they aim to contend for their second Cup in three years.