Super 16: Hurricanes closing in on Bruins for No. 1

The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching, just over three weeks away, and every team ranked in this week's Super 16 should be considering their options at this point.

That is the theme of the Super 16 this week, a look ahead to the deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 3, the need or needs of each team in the run-up to the big day.
A select member of the voting panel offered thoughts on each ranked team and what they should be shopping for in advance of the deadline.
As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 13 voters put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like. A point total assigned to each with the team selected first is given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on down the line.
Here is the Super 16:

1. Boston Bruins (39-7-5)

Total points: 205
Last week: No. 1
"This is the year to go for it, with the obvious caveat that general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins can't do anything to upset a balance that has been downright historic this season. But to me, their biggest need is some veteran help on defense. This is a team that has seen its Stanley Cup Playoff hopes go down in flames with defense injuries a couple of times over the recent past. Luke Schenn would be a great pickup from the Vancouver Canucks, and Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes would be a home run. They'll take a goal-scorer too, but defense is No. 1 to me." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

2. Carolina Hurricanes (34-9-8)

Total points: 198
Last week: No. 2
"The Hurricanes' biggest need is a scoring wing. Although Carolina has a deep and talented group of forwards, including Sebastian Aho (23 goals), Martin Necas (21) and Andrei Svechnikov (19), it could use another proven scorer to help it get over the hump in the playoffs. The Hurricanes looked like they filled that need when they acquired Max Pacioretty in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13, 2022. But Pacioretty tore his right Achilles tendon during his offseason training, returned to play five games and tore it again on Jan. 19 to end his season. Expect general manager Don Waddell to be aggressive to try to add this missing piece to a team that has the makings of a Stanley Cup winner if it can stay healthy."-- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

3. New Jersey Devils (33-13-4)

Total points: 176
Last week: No. 3
"It's been a while since the Devils were considered legitimate buyers at the trade deadline, but here we are. New Jersey is No. 4 in my Super 16 this week, 9-1-1 in its past 11 games. The big question is, does general manager Tom Fitzgerald really need to tinker with the roster at this point? If he feels a trade could provide a shot of adrenaline entering playoffs, it may come in the form of a power forward capable of doing some dirty work in the tough areas of the ice, or point-producing winger capable of assisting Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt at a time when scoring becomes even tougher. I don't believe New Jersey is looking for a rental, either; the Devils would likely want to re-sign whichever player they may target to an extension at some point. San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier has been rumored to be on the trading block and could be a player of interest." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

4. Toronto Maple Leafs (31-13-8)

Total points: 168
Last week: No. 4
"There's been a revolving door of candidates attempting to fill the Maple Leafs' final spot in their top-six forward group all season. Simply put, none have been able to grab that spot and run with it. Landing a quality offensive player to add to a group that already includes Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander and Michael Bunting certainly would make it that much harder to shut down Toronto's offense come playoff time. There have been no shortage of reports linking St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly, whose grinding style makes him tough to play against, with Toronto. As for the blue line, the Maple Leafs have numbers there but could always use quality over quantity, especially in the top-four. If they can only afford complimentary pieces because of their cap issues, defenseman Luke Schenn, the No. 5 pick by Toronto in 2009, would bring much-needed physicality to the back end." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (32-16-2)

Total points: 153
Last week: No. 5
"Do the Lightning need to make a move before the deadline? No. Will they? Probably. The Lightning have never been shy about making their team better for the playoffs. It has resulted in trips to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past three seasons, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. As usual, the play is likely for bottom-six forward depth, just as it was with additions of Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Brandon Hagel and
Nicholas Paul
in the past three seasons. If there is a fit to be had for limited money, it will be made. If not, perhaps a move for a depth defenseman. But if the Lightning stand pat, they will be in position to once again have a say in who will advance to the Final from the Eastern Conference." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

6. Dallas Stars (30-13-10)

Total points: 138
Last week: No. 6
"The Stars are a bit tricky on what they need at the deadline because there isn't a gaping issue with them. So, I'd have to say their biggest need at the moment is a depth forward. Perhaps someone with some experience, especially in the playoffs. The Stars have gotten good seasons thus far from forwards Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston, but neither is experienced. An experienced forward who could play on either the second or third line would help. Their top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski has been strong for nearly two seasons. Captain Jamie Benn has found his scoring touch again. The Stars scoring overall is top 10 in the League, so bulk up a bit at forward and go for it." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

7. New York Rangers (29-14-8)

Total points: 120
Last week: No. 8
"The Rangers had a hole at right wing in their top-six forward group all season, but they filled it Thursday by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues. Adding a productive top-six right wing improves the Rangers' depth throughout the lineup. Barclay Goodrow can move down to center their fourth line, which needs to be better. They can keep the 'Kid Line' of Filip Chytil,
Alexis Lafreniere
and Kaapo Kakko together instead of eventually pulling Kakko off of it to fill the hole in the top-six. They also added the depth defenseman they were looking for in the same trade, acquiring Niko Mikkola from St. Louis too. As an added bonus, Kakko now has a Finnish teammate, which should be good for him too." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

8. Winnipeg Jets (32-19-1)

Total points: 111
Last week: No. 9
"The Jets find themselves in a position many teams are envious of; they are doing well in the standings and have the cap room to upgrade. Since they could benefit from a top-six forward and/or a top-four defenseman, I could see them swing for the fences. Why not use the draft approach and go after the best player available? The Jets could take a stab at Meier from the Sharks. They have the space to re-sign him to a long-term contract. If the price seems too high, they can work their way down the list. Bottom line, there is no player on the trading block that Winnipeg could not afford, so they might as well shop for the best ones." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

9. Seattle Kraken (29-16-5)

Total points: 89
Last week: No. 7
"The Kraken already have made a trade, acquiring Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks on Sunday
for a fourth-round pick
in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-6 defenseman adds size and depth. He also kills penalties. Still, the Kraken need to improve their special teams, and they could use a face-off specialist for key situations in the playoffs. Seattle ranks first in the NHL in even-strength goals (131) entering Wednesday, but 21st on the power play (20.1 percent), 31st on the penalty kill (72.5 percent) and 31st on face-offs (45.5 percent)." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

10. Edmonton Oilers (29-18-4)

Total points: 88
Last week: No. 11
"The Oilers have to decide if 21-year-old Philip Broberg can handle the rigors of a playoff race and, eventually, the actual playoffs. If they think he can, maybe they look to upgrade with a depth forward, but the better play would be to add a veteran defenseman. We already know they will rely heavily on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They won't be shut down in the playoffs either. They were the top two scorers in the playoffs last season, McDavid with 33 points and Draisaitl with 32, and Edmonton only played 16 games. If the Oilers want to play more this year they will need to defend better, and beefing up their back end while taking pressure off Broberg, who might not be ready, will be key to their success." -- Rosen

11. Colorado Avalanche (27-18-4)

Total points: 85
Last week: No. 10
"It's almost hard to believe the Avalanche are 20th in the NHL in goals per game (3.02), but one big reason is the season-long injury absence of
Gabriel Landeskog
, who had 30 goals in 51 games last season. The forward could be back before the playoffs, but Colorado needs some depth scoring before then. The Avalanche acquired Andrew Cogliano and Artturi Lehkonen before the deadline last season, and those two played key roles in hepling them win the Stanley Cup." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

12. Vegas Golden Knights (30-18-4)

Total points: 68
Last week: No. 12
"The Golden Knights suffered a huge blow when their captain, Mark Stone, had back surgery for the second time in the past year last month. Not only does it leave a huge void in the leadership department, but Stone is still Vegas' second-leading scorer with 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists) in 43 games. With Tarasenko traded to the Rangers, the Golden Knights will have to look elsewhere for help up front, and perhaps depth in goal and someone who has playoff experience (Thomas Greiss?)" -- Brian Compton, managing editor
Video: The guys on the status of Mark Stone's injury

13. Los Angeles Kings (28-18-7)

Total points: 59
Last week: No. 14
"Minus-13 in goals differential, the Kings could certainly add a good piece on defense, especially on the left side. They could also look for depth in net if they judge
Cal Petersen
can't come back from the American Hockey League to help. Veteran Jonathan Quick has had a tough season (3.41 goals-against average,.881 save percentage). Pheonix Copley is doing his best (15 wins, 2.92 GAA and .897 save percentage), but Los Angeles needs better goaltending to stay in the thick of a tight Pacific division race." -- Robert Laflamme, LNH.com senior writer

14. Pittsburgh Penguins (25-16-9)

Total points: 35
Last week: No. 15
"The Penguins need one of two things to happen before the deadline; either their third line starts making a consistent impact, or they add a player who will be a better fit so it can make a consistent impact. Jeff Carter, Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen have combined for 51 points (23 goals, 28 assists) this season, led by Carter's 19. It's not enough. The Penguins are set in their top-six with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin down the middle, and Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Jason Zucker on the wings. But production from your bottom-six depth typically makes a huge difference in the playoffs, and the Penguins aren't getting enough of it. They could also look at adding a defenseman, but a third-line forward is essential." -- Rosen

15. Minnesota Wild (27-19-4)

Total points: 32
Last week: No. 13
"The Wild barely cracked my rankings this week at No. 16. They have five players with double-digit goals and seven players with double-digit points, but could use some defensive scoring depth. Calen Addison and Jared Spurgeon are their only defensemen with at least 12 points, and Spurgeon is the only one with more than five goals. They have a solid top-six forward group, two capable goalies and acquired Ryan Reaves earlier this season for more grit. A scoring defenseman could help them down the stretch and in the playoffs." -- David Satriano, staff writer

16. New York Islanders (27-22-5)

Total points: 12
Last week: Unranked
"The Islanders already made their big addition, acquiring center Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks. They've won the first two games he has played and four in a row overall to play their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. They should not be done adding either; New York needs more speed on the wings (Tyler Motte from the Ottawa Senators?) and another defenseman to play on their third pair (Olli Maatta from the Detroit Red Wings?)." -- Rosen
Others receiving points: Buffalo Sabres 8, Calgary Flames 8, Florida Panthers 7, Washington Capitals 7, Nashville Predators 1
Dropped out: Sabres (No. 16)

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Buffalo Sabres
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Calgary Flames
TOM GULITTI
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Seattle Kraken; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Washington Capitals
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Washington Capitals
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Seattle Kraken
TRACEY MYERS
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Calgary Flames
BILL PRICE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Buffalo Sabres
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. New Jersey Devils; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Nashville Predators
DAN ROSEN
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Vegas Golden Knights
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Seattle Kraken; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Minnesota Wild
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Calgary Flames
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Seattle Kraken; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Minnesota Wild