"From my perspective, now's the time you have to start thinking about what kind of moves you can make going into the deadline," said Jay Feaster, who spent more than six years as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"You've already established what your needs are to be a serious contender in the playoffs or a team that gets into the playoffs. Now is a time you start to lay the groundwork for possible deals that happen at the deadline. That's the most important part of right now. Before you even look at the playoffs, I think you need to know what you're going to be able to do to help your team."