3 playoff bubble teams that could regret trade deadline inactivity

Don't look now, but just four weeks remain in the NHL's regular season.

With the trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, teams are now jockeying for playoff position ahead of the final stretch.

However, several clubs on the postseason bubble are playing their worst hockey of the campaign as we speak. And to make matters worse, some of their deficiencies could have been eradicated - or at the very least improved - had management addressed them at the deadline.

Instead, these three teams could be kicking themselves for their lack of trade activity come season's end:

New York Islanders

As it's been all season, the Islanders' goaltending and defense is a tire fire.

New York is giving up 3.57 goals per game - the worst mark in the league - but is also scoring the eighth most.

The Islanders were just two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot heading into the deadline, and now sit four back.

So, with the team so close and with John Tavares - to whom New York wants to prove its commitment to win - set to hit free agency, it seemed likely that general manager Garth Snow would address one of the major issues.

Instead, the Islanders made just one move at the deadline, flipping fourth-line forward Jason Chimera to the Anaheim Ducks for fourth-line forward Chris Wagner - not exactly a deal that moved the needle.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired goalie Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings for two conditional draft picks - a small price to pay for a critical part of any team's success. New York should have done the same.

Calgary Flames

The Flames have also dealt with goaltending issues of late, but for a different reason.

The club had been set between the pipes with Mike Smith - who'd been Calgary's MVP by posting a .921 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against average in 47 games - but he went down with a groin injury in mid-February.

The club has lost eight of 11 since Smith last played while giving up the second-most goals in the league.

Related: Flames' leaky goaltending continues with 4th straight loss

And it's gotten even worse since the deadline, as the Flames have lost four straight, but they should have seen this coming, as they gave up more than 3.7 goals per game between Smith's injury and the last day to make deals.

Like the Islanders, the Flames had a chance to add a goalie at the deadline - with the likes of Buffalo's Robin Lehner thought to be available - but elected to stay the course.

They now sit 11th in the West, three points back of the final wild-card spot, and struggling to keep pucks out of their net.

Smith was expected to miss the next two games of Calgary's current three-game road trip, but after taking the ice in Buffalo on Tuesday, perhaps good fortune is on its way. The Flames could really use it.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are in a slightly different position than the two clubs above.

Unlike the Islanders and Flames, Dallas currently occupies a playoff spot, as it's holding down the first wild-card position in the West. However, the Stars have struggled a bit of late, dropping six of their last 10 games.

The biggest issue has been a lack of secondary scoring. The Stars have been spoiled by the play of Alexander Radulov, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin, who've combined for 82 goals, or just over 42 percent of Dallas' goals throughout this season.

Alarmingly, only three other Stars have reached double-digit goals to date (Mattias Janmark, Tyler Pitlick, and Radek Faksa).

Overall, the club ranks 15th in goals per game (2.89) this season, while only four other teams in playoff spots have scored fewer.

The Stars' last 10 games have been especially poor, as the team has scored just 20 goals, the second fewest of any club during that time.

General manager Jim Nill chose to stand pat at the deadline, suggesting he trusts the quality of his team, but if the offense doesn't get back on track, it's hard to imagine the Stars will go far after choosing to rely solely on their top three scorers.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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