NHL Rumors: 2 Teams Deciding Trade Deadline Plans In Next 2 Weeks

There are a number of playoff bubble teams that may still be taking the next few weeks to determine if it would be worth it to add at the trade deadline, stand pat, or sell. In both the east and the west, the battle for wildcard spots are very close.

Elliotte Friedman said, "I think Isles will be using the next 5-7 games to determine what they do at the trade deadline. The same goes for Nashville." The Islanders are tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wildcard spot, but have played four more games. They are also one point back of the Washington Capitals with one more game played. As for the Predators, they sit four points out of the final wildcard spot with two games in hand. Both the Islanders and Predators are within striking distance of a spot if they continue to play well, but a lot can change in the next few weeks.

The Islanders already made a pre-deadline addition, but as they had hoped, Bo Horvat wasn't just acquired as a rental. Though it helped the team get much better offensively for this season and beyond, it's no guarantee they will be able to climb into a playoff spot. They must be wary of using more assets to acquire a rental this time if the team can't qualify for the playoffs.

The Predators have games in hand, but also arguably tougher competition to get through with more teams in the mix and ahead of them. They haven't made any additions yet, and like the Islanders, have struggled to produce offence regularly. There have been some rumours about a defenceman or two headed out of town to switch things up a bit. So the next number of games could really change the complexion of the Predators moving forward as they have been a middle of the pack team for a few years now.