Seamless fits for 5 playoff teams ahead of trade deadline

The March 7 trade deadline is less than two weeks away, so it's time to play matchmaker for some squads hoping to make a long postseason run in the spring.

Here, we look at five seamless fits that would fill a team's need while laying within the realm of possibility.

Let's get into it.

Dallas Stars 🤝 David Savard

Dallas' deadline cap space: $4.598 million
Savard's cap hit: $3.5 million (pending UFA)

Savard isn't the flashiest name available, but he's a solid fit for Dallas' needs even after the club acquired Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci. The Stars could still use another right-handed option on top of Matt Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Ceci. Their depth took a hit with Nils Lundkvist's season-ending injury, so Savard could help ease the blow.

Sure, Savard is 34 and has shown some warts with the Canadiens, but the Stars are a far better defensive team than Montreal, and their system should shield the veteran better. Savard isn't Chris Tanev - who Dallas has sorely missed this season - but he has a similar skill set and ranks just outside the top 10 in shot blocks (122) this campaign. Savard also has a strong leadership presence, which can help the Stars in the absence of Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen.

Dallas wouldn't need to take on money beyond this campaign by acquiring Savard. That isn't a bad thing given the number of key free agents on its roster. The same can't be said for fellow righties Rasmus Ristolainen (two more years, $5.1-million AAV) and Seth Jones (five more years, $9.5-million AAV). Savard also won't cost as much to acquire, which is good news for a team missing its 2025 first- and second-rounder.

Edmonton Oilers 🤝 Trent Frederic

Edmonton's deadline cap space: $948,000
Frederic's cap hit: $2.3 million (pending UFA)

Before we get into it, there are some caveats. The Oilers fortified their defense by adding John Klingberg, but it's too soon to say if he satisfies Edmonton's desire for a top-four rearguard. There also aren't a lot of difference-makers out there that work with the Oilers' limited cap space and asset pool. Up front, Evander Kane expects to play at some point this season, so Edmonton doesn't necessarily need to add a middle-six scoring option. Finally, GM Stan Bowman doesn't sound eager to make a change in net (sorry, John Gibson). That pushes us to pair the reigning Western Conference champs with a cheap yet effective option in Frederic.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 221 pounds, Frederic would add some much-needed physicality to Edmonton's bottom six, and he can line up at center or wing. He's racked up 147 hits this campaign, 29 more than Oilers leader Vasily Podkolzin. The 27-year-old can also score. Though Frederic is on pace for just 12 goals this campaign, he recorded 17 tallies in 2022-23 and 18 last season.

Picture this: A line that has Corey Perry and Frederic on it in the playoffs. Does that sound fun to play against? Absolutely not.

Los Angeles Kings 🤝 Rickard Rakell

Los Angeles' deadline cap space: $4.498 million
Rakell's cap hit: $5 million (2028 expiry)

The Kings need some scoring help, stat. They've been dead last in goals per game (2.18) since Jan. 1 with a sputtering power play that's converting on just 9.1% of its chances.

Luckily for L.A., it can get some aid in the form of Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rakell. If the Kings added him right now, he'd tie for the most goals on the team and lead the squad in points. The 31-year-old is also a right-handed shot, which is a plus. Only three Kings forwards are righties: Alex Laferriere (30 points), Trevor Lewis (seven points), and Akil Thomas (three points).

The Penguins may not be eager to trade Rakell as they pretend to be competitive for Sidney Crosby. However, the Kings could assemble a compelling package, seeing as they have their first-round pick in the next three drafts. GM Rob Blake shouldn't be stingy in dealing those picks after watching his team fall to the Oilers in the first round three times. Bringing in Rakell would go a long way in helping L.A. avoid another early exit.

Washington Capitals 🤝 Jake Evans

Washington's deadline cap space: $3.65 million
Evans' cap hit: $1.7 million (pending UFA)

The Capitals have been a joy to watch this season, but even they aren't perfect. They should be on the hunt for a third-line center, namely to bump the 35-year-old Lars Eller further down the lineup. More than one option would fit in D.C., but we'll start with Evans, seeing as Washington was linked to the Canadiens forward at last summer's draft.

The 28-year-old is on pace to establish new career highs with 16 goals and 39 points this campaign. Five of his tallies this season are game-winners, which would match Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas for the most on the Capitals. Evans is also tied for the league lead with six shorthanded points, so he'd give Washington another dangerous weapon on its fifth-ranked penalty kill (82.6%). Oh, and he's winning 52.8% of his faceoffs and 53.4% of his draws in the defensive zone this season.

Ryan Donato could be another option. The forward has 19 goals and 37 points in 53 games with the Chicago Blackhawks this campaign, but he isn't used on the penalty kill, nor is he as strong on faceoffs as Evans. Donato is a pending UFA and is just a tad pricier than Evans with a $2-million cap hit, but he wouldn't break the Capitals' bank if they also wanted to add a depth defenseman.

Winnipeg Jets 🤝 Brock Nelson

Winnipeg's deadline cap space: $12.506 million
Nelson's cap hit: $6 million (pending UFA)

The Jets are making a serious run for the Presidents' Trophy as the league's top regular-season team. However, there's a position they should bolster if they hope to translate that success into the playoffs.

Winnipeg could use a bona fide second-line center to give it a one-two punch down the middle behind star Mark Scheifele. Adam Lowry and Vladislav Namestnikov have filled that spot admirably this season, but there's no harm in adding more depth, especially when you can land a piece like Nelson. The 33-year-old has hit the 30-goal mark in his last three campaigns, and his 20 goals and 39 points in 52 playoff games since 2020 are the most on the New York Islanders over that span.

However, there's a hitch here. Nelson has a 16-team no-trade list, and Winnipeg isn't typically viewed as a top-tier destination. He's also a pending UFA. The Jets gave up plenty of picks to acquire Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan last year, only to lose both on the free-agent market. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff may not be in a rush to risk that again. Perhaps a center with term like Ryan O'Reilly or Scott Laughton would be more prudent. Still, Winnipeg has its 2025 first-rounder and tons of cap space to fit Nelson, assuming the Islanders want to move him. New York is in the fight for a wild-card spot, after all.

(Salary source: PuckPedia)