A lot of the big names are off the table, but that doesn’t mean teams should stand pat on deadline day.
Adding the right piece at the cutoff point could make the ultimate difference in winning a Stanley Cup. The best historical examples include Marian Gaborik (Los Angeles), Bill Guerin (Pittsburgh), and Mark Recchi, who all proved to be critical veteran additions for Cup-winning teams.
With a heated battle for playoff position in the West and a wide-open Eastern Conference, here are five teams that need to make an impactful trade deadline move:
Anaheim Ducks: 
The Ducks did well to bring in forward Tomas Fleischmann, who played under coach Bruce Boudreau in Washington, over the weekend. But they still need to upgrade the blue line. Dion Phaneuf among a handful of veteran defenceman that are available on the trade market.
Boston Bruins: 
The Bruins are only two points ahead of the Florida Panthers for the final wild card spot in the East and have some roster questions. Centre David Krejci was placed on long-term injured reserve and the club could use another veteran up front. The Bruins were in on Antoine Vermette (they refused to give up a first-round pick) before he was traded to Chicago and have been linked to players such as Joffrey Lupul and Chris Stewart in trade rumours. With the future of GM Peter Chiarelli and coach Claude Julien in question, don’t expect them to sit tight.
Update: Early Monday morning the Bruins acquired Brett Connolly from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Calgary Flames: 
The Flames are playing with house money in a sense, so they may just ride out their current roster. It’s hard to question that approach, but it may need to be adjusted with defenceman Mark Giordano on the shelf. The Norris Trophy candidate suffered an injury last week and was placed on injured reserve Sunday. With his status still in question, Calgary needs to sniff around rental options on the blue line.
St. Louis Blues: 
Despite great performances in the regular season, the Blues haven’t been able to get out of the first round the last two years. The core of their roster is set, but Ken Hitchock’s club could use another veteran body heading into the stretch run. A defensive addition would be paramount — especially with Kevin Shattenkirk (abdomen injury) just beginning to skate on his own. Improved blue line depth would be critical.
Vancouver Canucks: 
The Canucks are in a playoff position and could use a player with a post-season track record. Like Calgary, Vancouver might be hesitant to move draft picks for rental players, but there are still areas that could use immediate improvement. Vancouver needs another right-handed shooting defenceman and could use an experienced centre.
