Buy, sit, or sell? A look at where the major players stand ahead of the 2022 trade deadline

The trade deadline is in just over a month, which means it's getting around that time when we figure out which teams actually have any chance whatsoever of competing for a Stanley Cup and which ones should pack it in. 

In the Eastern Conference, this is pretty straightforward: eight teams are good, eight teams are bad. In the Western Conference, some of the teams with the best possible trade assets happen to be the ones fighting for a wild card spot.

I'm hoping that the buyers and sellers are clearly established by the time March 21 rolls around. But in case there are any uncertain management groups trying to sort out their destiny (or in denial about their reality), here are some of the teams we can expect to be the biggest players in the trade market and some who should just stay out of the mix.