Super 16: Trade possibilities aplenty for teams in power rankings

It's never too early to discuss the trade deadline.

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is 3 p.m. ET on March 6, which means as of Thursday there are still 244 games to be played between now and then. Plenty of time, or so it seems.

There's actually what you can call a soft deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 4. That's when the NHL's Olympic roster freeze goes into effect; it carries until 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 22.

So teams could try to get ahead of the roster freeze, or they could wait and do their work in the 12 days between the end of the freeze and the trade deadline.

No matter what happens, the lead-up to the trade deadline both before the Olympics and after will create storylines, rumors, analysis, all of the above.

But we here at Super 16 headquarters figured, why wait another day? So below you will find our rankings for this week, and some analysis of potential needs and wants each team could be targeting in advance of the actual March 6 deadline.

As always, to come up with the Super 16, the 15 voters this week first put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

And with that, we have our first 2026 trade deadline edition of the Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (33-4-8)

Total points: 238
Last week: No. 1

"The idea of the Avalanche getting even better at the trade deadline is a scary one. The Avalanche have been an absolute wagon this season and show no signs of slowing down. But they need to think about what it will take to win in the playoffs, so perhaps they look to add a depth defenseman or better yet, a scoring forward, especially with captain Gabriel Landeskog's health in question." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (29-13-3)

Total points: 225
Last week: No. 2

"The Lightning have won 11 games in a row without defenseman Victor Hedman and for the past nine games, defenseman Ryan McDonagh too. Forward Brayden Point is also injured, missing a 2-1 shootout win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. To do all that without major pieces suggests the obvious, that unless they collapse, the Lightning will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So anything they do between now and the trade deadline will be to bolster for a Stanley Cup run. To that end, another top-six forward and a right-handed defenseman to play with Hedman would be ideal, especially if they'll have McDonagh paired with Erik Cernak and Darren Raddysh with J.J. Moser. Can Tampa Bay get both the top-six forward and a defenseman? Hey, the Lightning have been creative in the past, so don't rule it out." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

3. Dallas Stars (27-11-9)

Total points: 207
Last week: No. 4

"With the Stars in win-now mode after three straight Western Conference Final appearances, the front office should be eyeing upgrades that add depth, versatility, and playoff grit without disrupting a largely balanced lineup. Dallas is deep on defense and in goal but could use some forward depth. Jamie Benn has seen a reduced role due to wear and tear, and the Stars could use a boost from a reliable third-line wing who brings physicality, penalty killing, and leadership. A player like Blake Coleman, a proven two-way performer with a strong playoff DNA and two Stanley Cup championships to his name, fits that profile and, as a bonus, is from Plano, Texas. The 34-year-old leads the Calgary Flames in goals (13) and has a plus-10 on a team that has a minus-21 goal differential." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

4. Minnesota Wild (26-12-9)

Total points: 195
Last week: No. 3

"The Wild already made the trade of the season, acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks last month. Unfortunately, it required many of the assets the Wild had to offer -- defenseman Zeev Buium, forwards Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi, and a 2026 first-round pick. General manager Bill Guerin will need to find a way to get a depth center, preferably one who can win face-offs, to best set his team up for a long playoff run." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

5. Carolina Hurricanes (28-15-4)

Total points: 176
Last week: No. 5

"It would behoove Hurricanes management to target a bottom-six forward and/or a reliable goal scorer to boost their inconsistent power play. Carolina ranks outside the top 15 in the League on the power play, which is unlike a Rod Brind'Amour-coached team. Additionally, with goalie Pyotr Kochetkov likely out for the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury, are the Hurricanes going to rely solely on Frederik Andersen and first-year goalie Brandon Bussi in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Since Jan. 1, Carolina ranks outside the top 15 in goals-against average." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

6. Detroit Red Wings (28-16-4)

Total points: 150
Last week: No. 6

"A month ago, I would have said the Red Wings need a second-line center, but Andrew Copp has seized the role between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. The 31-year-old has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in his past 21 games. Can he keep it up? Detroit could use another top-six wing to play with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, plus another top-four defenseman." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

7. Montreal Canadiens (26-14-7)

Total points: 148
Last week: No. 7

"Canadiens president Kent Hughes and general manager Jeff Gorton have already made a transaction with the pre-Christmas acquisition of forward Phillip Danault. Before the trade deadline, Montreal might be looking to add some more experience. Alexandre Texier is playing well lately with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, but a top-six wing could be a target. The Canadiens will receive help at some point from injured reserve with forwards Kirby Dach, Jake Evans and Alex Newhook expected to return in a few weeks." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com journalist principal

8. Vegas Golden Knights (21-11-12)

Total points: 142
Last week: No. 10

"If the Golden Knights have a need it's adding to their defense. Alex Pietrangelo, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and the Golden Knights in 2023, has been ruled out for the season with a hip injury. That's a massive loss to their blue line and it's something they'll try to address before the deadline. Pietrangelo was a huge part of this group, especially during their Cup run. Vegas has been playing better as of late (a four-game winning streak heading into Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Kings) but strengthening up at defense for the stretch run will benefit them." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

9. New York Islanders (25-16-5)

Total points: 115
Last week: No. 8

"What the Islanders have accomplished these past two months can't go unnoticed, but I maintain my belief they've been in the market for another defenseman since the season-ending injury to Alexander Romanov on Nov. 18. The play of New York's top four (Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Tony DeAngelo) has been admirable and the Olympic break will provide them time to rest, but another defenseman for the stretch run and potentially the playoffs would help immensely." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

10. Edmonton Oilers (23-16-8)

Total points: 81
Last week: No. 14

"The Oilers made a change in goal, moving on from Stuart Skinner with the acquisition of Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and hope he can make a difference in their quest to win the Stanley Cup. What Edmonton could use heading toward the deadline is defensive depth and secondary scoring. The top two lines are doing the bulk of Edmonton's scoring with centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each having outstanding seasons and leading the way offensively. The goals tend to dry up, however, when the third and fourth lines have been deployed. A strong bottom-six forward with offensive ability would be a key addition and could help Edmonton go on another extended run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

11. Buffalo Sabres (24-16-4)

Total points: 74
Last week: No. 12

"The Sabres are looking to end the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 14 years, and a recent 10-game winning streak was a big help toward achieving that goal. One thing that really matters in the postseason is special teams; Buffalo was in the bottom third of the League with the man-advantage entering Wednesday. Forward Jason Zucker leads them with six power-play goals. Center Tage Thompson only has three; he has 36 over the three seasons prior, including 20 in 2022-23. Adding some more firepower there would certainly be a big boost." -- David Satriano, staff writer

12. Toronto Maple Leafs (23-16-7)

Total points: 72
Last week: Not ranked

"How the Maple Leafs tackle the trade deadline will be fascinating. There's no shortage of needs here. A top-six forward to add to a group led by Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies would be ideal. So, too, would be a top-four defenseman, especially given how much time the heavily-relied upon Chris Tanev has missed due to injury. Toronto's biggest problem is a lack of draft capital to use in any potential trade. The Maple Leafs do not have a pick in either the first or second round of the 2026 NHL Draft, and don't have a first rounder in 2027 either. Over to you, (GM) Brad Treliving." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

13. Washington Capitals (24-17-6)

Total points: 53
Last week: No. 11

"The Capitals' biggest need heading into the deadline, and since before the season started, is a forward to play on one of their top two lines. That is why they tried to sign Nikolaj Ehlers during the offseason. Back then, they wanted a wing, and that's probably still the case. Losing Pierre-Luc Dubois (abdominal and adductor surgery) also created a hole at center, but they hope he'll be back after the Olympic break. Regardless, a forward with speed and skill that can play on the first or second line could boost their offense and change the look of their team." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

14. Philadelphia Flyers (22-14-8)

Total points: 50
Last week: No. 9

"The Flyers haven't had a game-breaking No. 1 center since Claude Giroux was traded to the Florida Panthers ahead of the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Finding that type of player is easier said than done. At the very least, they could be looking for a center to help unlock Matvei Michkov, who had one goal in 19 games entering their game against the Sabres on Wednesday. Philadelphia also needs to find a spark for a power play that entered play Wednesday 31st in the NHL at 15.3 percent. A defenseman with a shoot-first mentality and the ability to get the puck on net from the blue line could be something that's needed." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

15. Boston Bruins (26-19-2)

Total points: 31
Last week: Not ranked

"The Bruins have needs. But I don't think they're going to be making moves of any significance at the deadline, at least not moves to acquire talent. The point of last season's sell-off was to position Boston for the future, which general manager Don Sweeney did, adding players who have already paid off in forwards Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, in addition to picks and prospects. They're not there yet, not good enough that adding minor pieces would move the needle. So there are two options for the Bruins: 1) Sell more (forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha and/or defenseman Andrew Peeke) or, 2) Go big, making a move for a player who could be a long-term piece of the puzzle, as they did with defenseman Hampus Lindholm in 2022, with their greatest need being top-six scoring talent." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

16. Florida Panthers (24-18-3)

Total points: 27
Last week: No. 15

"Before even considering what the Panthers might need before the deadline, look at their list of players who are out of the lineup with injuries. Up front, Florida is missing Brad Marchand (undisclosed), Aleksander Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body) and Cole Schwindt (arm). On the blue line, Seth Jones (upper body) and Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder) have been out. Let's assume for now that everybody but Barkov will return before or shortly after the Olympic break. With that, the Panthers won't need to make any additions; those players will be their deadline acquisitions. So though there's no doubt in my mind Florida is going to take the Olympic break to do a full analysis of its roster, determining right now what its needs are is impossible." -- Rosen

Dropped out from last week: Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 13), Seattle Kraken (No. 16)

Others receiving points: Kraken 26, Penguins 22, San Jose Sharks 4, Utah Mammoth 3, New Jersey Devils 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Buffalo Sabres; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Boston Bruins

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Buffalo Sabres; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. San Jose Sharks

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Florida Panthers

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Edmonton Oilers

TOM GULITTI

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Detroit Red Wings; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Florida Panthers

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Detroit Red Wings; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Buffalo Sabres; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Philadelphia Flyers

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Buffalo Sabres

TRACEY MYERS

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Boston Bruins

BILL PRICE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. San Jose Sharks

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Buffalo Sabres; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. New Jersey Devils

DAN ROSEN

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Utah Mammoth

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Washington Capitals

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Florida Panthers

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs