Written by Rob Vollman at NHL.com
Late-season trades, at or near the NHL Trade Deadline, generally translate into only a few points for the buying team, but often that can be the difference in whether a team makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is especially true this season with the playoff picture muddy at best.
There are six teams separated by five points in the race for the second and final wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, and the top three teams in the Atlantic Division are within three points of one another. In the Western Conference, the likely playoff qualifiers are a bit clearer, but most teams are trying to improve their seeding.
The 2016 NHL Trade Deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
Statistics — some simple, some advanced — often help in assessing needs and players who can best address them.
Here are six teams on the bubble — hoping to maintain a playoff position or looking to leapfrog others — and what the numbers suggest could be the type of player to deliver those valuable standings points that could be the difference between a place in the field or an earlier-than-desired break.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Bruins — Last season, the Bruins were eighth in the NHL at 2.45 goals-against per game. This season, Boston is 20th, allowing 2.77 per game, the highest among East teams holding a playoff position. It’s not the goaltending that should be blamed for this, because the Bruins have fallen from 13th in shot attempts allowed per game in 2014-15 to tied for 19th this season.
To hold off the charge of the Detroit Red Wings, who are one point behind Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division, and a handful of other teams that are within six points in the playoff race, the Bruins need to upgrade their defense. Unfortunately for them, there are not a lot of defensemen rumored to be available, especially those who can take on tough minutes against top opponents.
Potential matches: Mark Fayne, Edmonton Oilers; Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks
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