The days leading up to Tuesday's NHL trade deadline have been a little strange. We've seen one team trade for a player who hasn't played an NHL game since May 1999. We've seen another team deal for a player who needed immediate arthroscopic surgery on his knee. And, we hear a bunch of teams are making offers for a player who has been sitting and watching since last April.

And, believe it or not, none ot these guys is Eric Lindros.

In these final days, before the final 3 p.m. ET deadline hits (you just know a couple of teams are going to try to sneak a late deal past the league office), here's the skinny on what some of the contenders need.

First, in the East ...

New Jersey: The defending Stanley Cup champs need another puck-carrying defenseman to balance their backline. Their acquisition of physical D Sean O'Donnell (from Minnesota) won't hurt, but it doesn't address the need. Right now, they have four maulers (Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Colin White and O'Donnell) and two skill guys (Scott Niedermayer and Brian Rafalski). If they face a team -- like Ottawa -- with good speed up front, the Devils might be stuck in their own end. Perhaps, crafty GM Lou Lamoriello is setting up another deal. He's said to be interested in Coyote soon-to-be castaway Keith Tkachuk. Is Lamoriello really interested in Tkachuk or is he just driving up the price for everyone else? In the end, he'd be better off adding another finesse D like Florida's Bret Hedican. Also, once the season ends for Boston College, Lamoriello could add 1998 draft pick, Brian Gionta, a small, but tenacious, right wing. P.S. -- Gionta is fun to watch.

Ottawa: The Senators get no respect. They get pushed around. In the playoffs, that's the way less-talented teams will try to beat the Sens. They will beat on them. LW Andre Roy tries, but coach Jacques Martin can only give him limited ice time. They came up second in the quest for O'Donnell, who would've been a nice fit. Expect them to make a play for the Rangers' Rich Pilon, who can help if he can stay healthy. They might also try to add Minny D Curtis Leschyshyn to give them a bit more depth.

Philadelphia: The Flyers could use some second line scoring help. That's why they'll be interested in Atlanta's Donald Audette, who can be a free agent this summer. Obviously, they'd get a big boost if John LeClair can comeback for the playoffs. GM Bob Clarke might also want to add a veteran D and/or G. If Roman Cechmanek stumbles in the playoffs, can the Flyers really turn to Brian Boucher?

Toronto: GM Pat Quinn missed the boat when he failed to acquire Rob Blake from the Kings -- rental or no rental. This team needs a top defenseman. They are terrible in their own end. Acquiring Eric Lindros or Keith Tkachuk will only help if they use Mats Sundin to deal for a big-time defenseman. Unfortunately for the franchise, a deal to acquire Lindros is not dead ... yet. It says here that Leafs' quest for their first Cup since 1967 will be set back 20 years if they deal for the Big E.

Buffalo: They have the goalie. They have a pretty solid defense. They have a good group of forwards. What do they need? More scoring. Actually, they need a pure scorer. Someone to take the pressure off Miroslav Satan. Those kind of guys are hard to get. But, with former captain Mike Peca to dangle, who knows what they might get in return? Maybe talented young power forward Jarome Iginla from Calgary.

Pittsburgh: On three. One ... two ... three: A GOALIE! Maybe they could get Mike Dunham out of Nashville. The Preds are strong in goal and need offense. The Pens have plenty of offense to spare. It could be a match. Don't ask me why, but GM Craig Patrick is reportedly in the Tkachuk sweepstakes. Sources say he's offering C Jan Hrdina and D Darius Kasparaitis. Hmmm. Does getting Tkachuk mean the Pens would deal Jagr? I mean, the owner can't afford to pay all these guys.

Washington: The Caps have an excellent goalie and play a strong defensive (center-lock) system. But, as they found out in last year's playoffs, they don't score enough goals. Some say they're interested in Columbus forward Steve Heinze. Hey, Heinze would be a nice addition, but they're gonna need more than that if they want to get out of the East. They could've used Teemu Selanne, who went from the Ducks to the Sharks (via the hospital). Maybe GM George McPhee should give the Coyotes a call.

Out West ...

Colorado: If the Avs stay healthy, they're going to be pretty tough to beat. If they could add one more element, it would be a gritty third or fourth line forward or a tough 5/6 defenseman. Remember, they did deal away a lot of grit (Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller) to get Blake.

Detroit: The Wings are lying in the weeds. Like most contenders, they've been mentioned in the Tkachuk trade talks. GM Kenny Holland hasn't been hesitant to make deadline deals in season's past. They could use some depth on their aging defense. Another solid winger wouldn't hurt, either. They'll probably land long-time Rangers LW Adam Graves. While many feel Graves is done, I feel he could help in the right situation. This would be the right situation.

Dallas: If C Joe Nieuwendyk comes back healthy, the Stars could piece together another Cup run. If not, they'll be overmatched up the middle. Like Philly, they need some second-line scoring. They may bid for Atlanta's Audette. But, they usually don't like smaller forwards. In this case, they may have to make an exception.

St. Louis: Fans in St. Louis are pressuring GM Larry Pleau to make a big deal. Last year, he missed on Ray Bourque. This year, he didn't get Blake or Selanne. Right now, he's in the hunt for Tkachuk. After the season, he'll pass on re-signing C Pierre Turgeon and keep Tkachuk. At least, that's the plan. The price (for Tkachuk), though, might be too high. The Coyotes will want Jochen Hecht, a very promising young player. If I were Pleau, I'd keep developing my young players and see what's available over the summer. Due to injuries, the Blues are another year away from a serious run. Any playoff success this spring should be considered a pleasant surprise.

San Jose: Gotta say this about GM Dean Lombardi, he's got guts. He deals for an injured player, then plans to go into the playoffs with a pair of rookie goalies. Hey, it could pan out. Many in the Shark tank feel that recently re-called G Miikka Kiprusoff is better than Rookie of the Year starter, Evgeni Nabokov. We'll see. If Selanne recovers and if the goalies don't bomb and if C Vinny Damphousse comes back healthy and if the new chemistry is right and if they get the right matchups, the Sharks can ... get to the third round. Boy, that's a lot of ifs.

E.J. Hradek writes puck for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail ej.hradek@espnmag.com.