2 Teams With An Immediate Need For 2 Offensive D-Men On Trade Block

Trades have begun a little earlier than many seasons in the past and there are many more prime trade candidates on the trade block that should be moved before the deadline. Two of these players are offensive defensemen, Tony DeAngelo and Tyson Barrie.

The Carolina Hurricanes' third pairing has not been great, and that is partly due to DeAngelo not fitting back in the way the team had hoped. He's not only in a different role, he also has different players he's playing with. The Hurricanes can move forward without DeAngelo as they have Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield making up the third pairing.

As for Barrie, he has been a healthy scratch and the power-play specialist just hasn't fit in with the Nashville Predators since being acquired last season. The team has a jammed packed defensive group and Barrie isn't happy with his situation. He would like the chance to play and his cap hit is a bit of a problem to be moved immediately. These are two teams that should show interest in each of the defensemen.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have struggled this season, so much so that they fired their head coach already. Right after the coaching change, things got better for the team and they started winning, but have now lost a couple games in a row. This team that has made the playoffs in 10 of the last 11 seasons is under .500 and have a tough road back to the playoffs.

One big issue with the Wild has always been the offensive production from their back-end. While this team has always been more defensive, that hasn't been very effective this season. They need more scoring and one of these offensive d-men can provide that, also boosting the power play. With the cap situation, DeAngelo would be the better fit here.

Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes are in a different situation as they are actually holding a playoff spot for the first time in a long time. This can come off the play of their netminder Connor Ingram. When looking at their defense, there is very little offensive production. This is an area where the Coyotes need to improve if they are hoping to hold onto their playoff spot for the entire season.

The better fit for Arizona is Barrie, even though DeAngelo would also work. The Coyotes have more cap space to work with than most other playoff contenders. This is what the Predators are looking for, a team that can take the entire salary of Barrie. He is a UFA at the end of the season, the right side isn't exactly strong in Arizona, and it would show confidence in the team making an addition earlier than many.