Tuesday’s trade deadline is fast approaching, and, with few exceptions, it’s fairly clear what each team must do. In the Western Conference, eight points separate the eighth-place Calgary Flames from the ninth-place Colorado Avalanche, so only the playoff teams should be buyers at the deadline.

But for the Avalanche in particular, the decision to be a seller is a tremendously difficult one, largely because the’s teams most valuable trade chip is also the face of the franchise. Captain Joe Sakic has been with the Avalanche for his entire playing career, dating back to their days as the Quebec Nordiques, and it’d be a great story if he — like Steve Yzerman with the Red Wings — were to finish his career having played for only one team. But for the future of the Avalanche, it’s apparent that dealing Sakic would be the best long-term maneuver.

In the Eastern Conference, things are a bit trickier. The Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs (currently in ninth and 10th place, respectively) are only one point behind the eighthplace Hurricanes, and both teams have two games in hand on the defending Cup champions. It’s fair to say that the Eastern Conference’s top 10 teams all have good reason to reload for the stretch run.

What will the 11th-place Rangers do? Their veteran lineup is begging for some much-needed upgrades, but the Blueshirts have given no indication whatsoever that they’ve got what it takes for a run at the Stanley Cup. So instead of pursuing ill-fated trades for high-profile veterans like Sakic or the Blues’ Keith Tkachuk, GM Glen Sather would be better off trying to make some lateral moves with long-term potential.

It’s been rumored that the Florida Panthers are shopping young power forward Nathan Horton, and the Blueshirts would be wise to pursue him. Likewise, the Columbus Blue Jackets are dissatisfied with Nikolai Zherdev, and a change of scenery — perhaps on a line with Michael Nylander and Brendan Shanahan — could be just what the doctor ordered for the talented Russian winger.

So here’s how the teams line up this week. Statistically, teams are measured from left to right by games played, W–L–OTL, standings points, goals scored, goals allowed, power play success, and penalty-killing success. Please note that the data include games played on Tuesday night, and that our statistics for special teams effectiveness also take shorthanded goals into account. Each team’s ranking from last week appears in parentheses.

1 BUFFALO SABRES (1): Injuries have knocked five regulars out of the Sabres’ lineup, making skilled backup goaltender Martin Biron a luxury GM Darcy Regier can no longer afford to retain. Look for Biron to be dealt for some much-needed reinforcements.
60 40–15–5 85 223 171 15.4%83.8%

2 DETROIT RED WINGS (3): Though they’ve enjoyed a fine season thus far, these Red Wings have bet the house on 42-year-old Dominik Hasek; given the mercurial netminder’s checkered injury history, that’s a gamble very unlikely to pay off.
60 38–16–6 82 185 145 14.1% 86.3%

3 NASHVILLE PREDATORS (2): It will take some time for Peter Forsberg to develop chemistry with his new teammates, but once he does, his presence will make the Predators the deepest team in the Western Conference.
61 40–18–3 83 206 152 15.7%89.0%

4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS (4): The hardworking Devils have few visible weaknesses. Their biggest challenge down the stretch will be to get blueliner Richard Matvichuk (currently on long-term injured reserve) into game shape in time for the playoffs.
60 37–17–6 80 162 141 15.4%85.8%

5 ANAHEIM DUCKS (6): The Ducks have slipped badly in recent weeks, and it’s time for GM Brian Burke to make some changes. His top priority should be to import some scoring depth to ease the burden on veteran winger Teemu Selanne.
61 35–16–10 80 195 158 20.6%85.4%

6 SAN JOSE SHARKS (5): Sometimes the best moves come from within. The Sharks recently recalled young power forward Steve Bernier, and he’s expected to join Patrick Marleau and Milan Michalek on what should be a very dangerous second line.
59 36-22-1 73 178 150 21.9%86.3%

7 DALLAS STARS (7): It’s too early to say whether GM Doug Armstrong gave up too much to acquire Ladislav Nagy from Phoenix, but the Stars were surely expecting more than zero points and two shots from the talented Slovakian in his first three games in Dallas.
59 35–21–3 73 159 144 16.8%84.8%

8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (8): GM Ray Shero would be wise to exercise caution as the deadline approaches. Importing a veteran presence like the Panthers’ Gary Roberts would be of help, but there’s no need to sacrifice any of the team’s top-notch youth.
59 32–18–9 73 208 187 17.5% 83.3%

9 VANCOUVER CANUCKS (10): They lost the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes but could end up the big winners should the Avalanche trade Joe Sakic… and if the Burnaby, British Columbia, native wants to help his hometown team chase the Cup.
60 35–21–4 74 160 152 15.5%89.3%

10 OTTAWA SENATORS (11): Reports out of Ottawa indicate that the Sens are looking to trade disappointing free agent acquisition Joe Corvo. They’d need to get a rearguard back; sending him to the Kings for Brent Sopel could be a good option for GM John Muckler.
60 35–22–3 73 204 160 13.4% 87.5%

11 CALGARY FLAMES (9): The Flames are hoping that Brad Stuart’s disastrous tenure in Boston was an aberration. Though he’s been held scoreless through his first five games, the good news is that he’s a plus-1 (he was a minus-22 with the Bruins).
60 31–21–8 70 191 162 16.9%83.8%

12 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (14): Neither Marc Denis nor Johan Holmqvist is looking like a long-term answer in goal for the Lightning, and so rumors are once again surfacing that Sabres netminder Martin Biron is high on GM Jay Feaster’s wish list.
61 34–24–3 71 194 185 16.7% 81.2%

13 MINNESOTA WILD (12): The Wild have been superb at home (21–5–4); look for GM Doug Risebrough to add a midlevel forward and defenseman to the mix, which should make it easier for head coach Jacques Lemaire to match lines on the road.
61 33–23–5 71 173 157 14.8% 87.8%

14 ATLANTA THRASHERS (13): Atlanta has slumped a lot in recent weeks, and the team needs a spark. The Blue Jackets’ Bryan Berard and Nikolai Zherdev would both help immensely, even if the asking price is highly touted young defenseman Braydon Coburn.
62 31–22–9 71 188 195 13.2%79.9%

15 NEW YORK ISLANDERS (17): The addition of Marc-Andre Bergeron to the blue line makes the Isles’ power play more fearsome. Now GM Garth Snow should focus on adding a scoring winger, and Keith Tkachuk would be a costly but interesting choice.
60 29–23–8 66 177 170 13.6%82.2%

16 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (18): Andrew Raycroft might backstop the Leafs into the postseason, but they aren’t good enough to win a playoff round as currently configured. Look for GM John Ferguson to upgrade the forward corps before the deadline passes.
60 29–23–8 66 191 195 16.2% 80.1%

17 MONTREAL CANADIENS (15): Without Cristobal Huet for the duration of the regular season, the Habs are in serious trouble. And though it would make for a nice story if rookie call-up Jaroslav Halak takes over à la Patrick Roy, it’s a highly unlikely scenario.
62 31–25–6 68 178 184 20.6%88.3%

18 CAROLINA HURRICANES (16): Had they retained heralded prospect Jack Johnson, he would have entitled GM Jim Rutherford to a king’s ransom at the deadline. Instead, the depth-challenged ‘Canes must settle for minor tweaks.
62 30–25–7 67 186 195 14.2%85.4%

19 BOSTON BRUINS (22): GM Peter Chiarelli is reportedly hard at work trying to re-sign Marco Sturm to a multiyear deal, but it would seem far more prudent for the Bruins (7–2 in their last nine games) to first decide whether they’re buyers or sellers.
59 29–26–4 62 170 212 14.7%84.4%

20 NEW YORK RANGERS (19): Sean Avery is giving the Blueshirts some much-needed spunk, but the Rangers (4–5–1 in their last 10 games) are struggling to put together the string of wins needed to get them back into the thick of the playoff race.
60 29–26–5 63 176 172 18.5%85.5%

21 COLORADO AVALANCHE (21): Joe Sakic is a UFA-to-be, and the Avs would be wise to figure out whether he intends to re-sign with them; if not, what they’d receive in return for their captain would seriously kick-start their much-needed rebuilding effort.
60 29–27–4 62 194 190 18.1% 82.3%

22 EDMONTON OILERS (20): Though the Oilers are rumored to be shopping for additional blue line depth, they should instead be looking to deal the likes of Petr Sykora and Petr Nedved for some youngsters who can help in 2007-08 and beyond.
60 28–26–6 62 163 175 14.6% 87.7%

23 ST. LOUIS BLUES (25): With Tkachuk Bill Guerin and Eric Brewer among their UFAs-to-be, the Blues are in the driver’s seat as the trade deadline approaches, and the return they’ll get in a fire sale should fortify them for the next decade.
61 26–26–9 61 160 185 12.2%83.9%

24 FLORIDA PANTHERS (23): Inexplicably shopping young Nathan Horton, the Panthers should instead be trying to get the best they can for injured forward Todd Bertuzzi and grizzled veterans Gary Roberts, Martin Gelinas, and Ed Belfour.
61 23–26–12 58 172 198 17.2% 83.6%

25 WASHINGTON CAPITALS (24): Alexander Ovechkin’s diminished play (two points and a minusfour rating in his last eight games, a minus-13 since January 11) is as big a reason as any for the Caps to have slipped out of playoff contention.
60 23–28–9 55 180 211 13.9%83.6%

26 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (27): The ‘Hawks would love to unload the onerous contracts of Nikolai Khabibulin and Adrian Aucoin, but it’s highly unlikely that they’ll find any takers. Instead, center Bryan Smolinski is their most tradable asset.
59 22–28–9 53 147 179 9.7% 85.8%

27 PHOENIX COYOTES (26): Of the Coyotes’ remaining assets, Owen Nolan is the most likely to be dealt. He has enjoyed a nice comeback after two seasons off, and could be a good fit on a team in need of second- or third-line scoring depth.
60 25–32–3 53 160 207 10.3%79.9%

28 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (28): They haven’t yet officially emerged as sellers, but GM Doug MacLean owes it to his inevitable successor to parlay Fredrik Modin, Bryan Berard, and Anson Carter into some meaningful futures.
60 23–31–6 52 150 187 14.6%82.4%

29 LOS ANGELES KINGS (29): Already the most prospectladen franchise in the West, look for GM Dean Lombardi to further stock the cupboard when he trades Brent Sopel and Aaron Miller to teams in need of blue line depth.
61 20–31–10 50 170 211 15.8% 79.7%

30 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (30): The Forsberg trade yielded wonderful rewards — Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent are both front-line prospects — and interim GM Paul Holmgren has made a very strong case for why the “interim” tag should be removed from his title.
60 16–36–8 40 157 227 11.7% 88.0%

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.