5 NHL teams in the market for a top-six center this offseason ft. Vancouver Canucks

The NHL offseason is in full swing.

We saw a few decent-sized trades go down as the Stanley Cup Playoffs were still ongoing, but in the aftermath of the Florida Panthers repeating as champions, things have ramped up.

The rumor mill has been buzzing with plenty of big names potentially available to be had. Monday morning brought the surprising news of Trevor Zegras being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers, taking one top-six centerman off the market.

However, there's no need to panic, because several other intriguing options remain for teams looking for help down the middle of the ice, whether that's via trade, free agency, or even the draft.

So, let's dive into 5 NHL teams that should be targeting a top-six center in the coming days and weeks.

5 NHL Teams That Need to Target a Top-Six Center This Offseason

#1 Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are one of, if not the, most desperate teams in the NHL seeking an impact centerman this summer. With J.T. Miller no longer in the fold, the Canucks still have a big hole to fill down the middle. Elias Pettersson is supposed to be one of those answers, but he'll need to have a major bounce-back season. Behind Pettersson comes Filip Chytil, who would be penciled in at 2C, which, given his injury history, is an obvious risk. They are in need of an upgrade.

#2 Boston Bruins

Next up is the Boston Bruins. Gone are the days of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci forming one of the top 1-2 punches at center in the NHL. Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt, and Pavel Zacha are the best current options in Boston. Lindholm can certainly fill one spot, but they would be best served finding someone better to man the other position and move Zacha to the wing.

#3 Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have a bona fide number one centerman in Sebastian Aho. The problem is that whoever centered the second line behind has been out of place. Whether that's Jordan Staal, Jesperi Kotakniemi, or even Logan Stankoven, the Canes need a better second option. This will not only take some of the load off Aho but also put these other players in a position that better suits their skill set.

#4 Montreal Canadiens

Another team that wants to find its second-line center of the future is the Montreal Canadiens. Like Carolina, Montreal has a stud number one in Nick Suzuki, but the options of Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, or Christian Dvorak, who is a pending UFA, aren't going to cut it as a 2C. They have the necessary cap space and assets to make a splash.

#5 Minnesota Wild

This one didn't originally come to mind, but if Marco Rossi does in fact get traded, then the Minnesota Wild will be searching for a top-six center. Joel Eriksson Ek is a very nice starting point, but Bill Guerin will have to use his cap space through trade or free agency to improve down the middle of the ice outside of him.

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Edited by Jackson Weber