And now the GMs take center stage.

With less than a month until the NHL Trade Deadline, the general managers of contending teams will scour the league for upgrades as they ready their squads for the stretch drive ahead of the 2022 postseason. From now until March 21, front offices will be active on their phones, looking to strike deals with the GMs on the other lines.

Will we see the Minnesota Wild find a way to give some support to Kirill Kaprizov? Can the Edmonton Oilers get some desperately needed reinforcements at defense and goalie? Our NHL staff got together for their weekly roundtable and look at the teams that should look to be buyers at the deadline.

 

Ken Holland, Edmonton Oilers

Not sure how things are going in Edmonton this season?

That's OK. Just wait a week or two, and it will change.

The Oilers had the league's best win percentage through 21 games (.762) before plummeting into an abyss that saw them out of a playoff position by the time the midway point arrived.

Things have started to return to positive territory lately—new coach Jay Woodcroft is 5-1 in six games since replacing Dave Tippett—but an ominous road trip awaits that will include visits to 2021-22 powerhouses Tampa Bay, Florida and Carolina.

And if you think it's not keeping up Ken Holland at night, you're probably wrong.

Given that he's got the world's consensus best player and arguably another of its top five on the roster, let's just say the architect of a dynasty in Detroit has some pressure on him to replicate that—or at least make tangible progress—while McDavid and Draisaitl are still able and willing.

What that means in this discussion is that he's got to make a move.

And aside from the league's past two MVPs and scoring leaders, there are plenty of places to start.

Holland decided to stand pat with an iffy goaltending tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen heading into this season, so some want him to use the trade deadline to bring in a proven No. 1 commodity capable of stealing a series or two come late springtime.

Marc-Andre Fleury or Alex Georgiev, anyone?