Bruce Garrioch highlights the top five players available in the Eastern Conference and gives a team-by-team look at what each club might do at the April 3 trade deadline...

BOSTON BRUINS

GM Peter Chiarelli likes to get ahead of the pack, but that has proven difficult this year. The Bruins have cap room and Chiarelli wants to bring in an impact forward to help the power play. He’ll go after either Dallas winger Brenden Morrow or Calgary captain Jarome Iginla. It will be costly, though.

BUFFALO SABRES

If GM Darcy Regier is going to be given the chance to rebuild this team, he’s got a lot of work to do. If he wants to deal captain Jason Pominville — and the word is the Sabres do — then there will be a strong market. Right winger Drew Stafford and goaltender Ryan Miller are names you will hear mentioned a lot.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

They have started to fall without goalie Cam Ward and there’s a lot of talk they may make a pitch for Ottawa’s Ben Bishop. Before Ward was hurt, the Canes were looking for a veteran defenceman. Carolina needs some sort of boost. Defencemen Joe Corvo and Jamie McBain are available.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

GM Dale Tallon was ready to sell off assets, but the Panthers are so banged up he doesn’t have a lot left. The Panthers would move left winger Tomas Fleischmann if there was any interest. A team looking for goalie depth in the playoffs can have goaltender Jose Theodore. They could be quiet.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

The Habs have risen to the top of the standings, but they’d like to add a veteran blueliner before the deadline and, perhaps, San Jose winger Ryane Clowe. He hasn’t been any good during the regular season, but he plays hard in the playoffs and Montreal still needs a little more grit.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

GM Lou Lamoriello works quietly, but he has been calling around the NHL looking for a top-six forward. If that’s the case, he can join the club. The Devils don’t have a lot to give up and with the entry draft in New Jersey this spring, it doesn’t make sense for them to give up No. 1 pick.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

GM Garth Snow has three pieces that teams want — defenceman Mark Streit, defenceman Lubomir Visnovksy and goalie Evgeni Nabokov — if they can get them. The Isles are determined to sign all three to extensions. If that happens, it could make the market slim. Of that group, Streit is coveted by several teams.

NEW YORK RANGERS

They’ve been desperate to do something for weeks. It doesn’t really matter what: They’ll take a forward or a defenceman. They have dangled right winger Marian Gaborik to see what kind of return they can get. If they don’t make the playoffs, then coach John Tortorella is going to be in trouble.

OTTAWA SENATORS

This club has surprised everybody by staying in the playoff race. GM Bryan Murray may try to add a top-six forward to get a bit more scoring. Minny’s Matt Cullen would be a candidate. Names to watch that could get moved: Centre Peter Regin, winger Colin Greening and goaltender Ben Bishop.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

The Flyers just haven’t been able to get their act together. They need help on the blue line and have held talks with the Flames about defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. Many wonder if they might try to dangle centre Sean Couturier because he could fetch someone to replace injured defenceman Chris Pronger.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

What Sidney Crosby wants, Sidney Crosby will get. The Penguins would like to add one more scorer before the post-season to help out. Yes, he’s had great chemistry with Chris Kunitz, but Iginla or Morrow could be fits here too. A shut-down defenceman would also do nicely.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Bolts will deal anyone but centre Steven Stamkos and defenceman Victor Hedman for the right price. No, Steve Yzerman isn’t trying to unload, but it may be time for a quick re-tooling. If a team (read Boston) wants to get winger Martin St. Louis for a run in the playoffs, that’s a possibility.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

You have to wonder if GM David Nonis is finally going to get a goaltender. James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have arrived back on earth. The Leafs have been linked to goalie Jonathan Bernier of the Kings and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo. Either would be better than what they’ve got.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

This could be George McPhee’s last act after 14 years of no Cups. Not only is Ribeiro available, the Caps have tried to unload the contracts of forwards Troy Brouwer, Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. The hockey world is mystified why goaltender Braden Holtby got an extension.

WINNIPEG JETS

This is one of those teams that has to decide if they’re going to be in the playoffs. They were trying to deal defenceman Ron Hainsey, but he’s been valuable and playing huge minutes. Centre Alex Burmistrov has been in the doghouse. They’d like to add, not subtract. Interesting to watch.