After one month of NHL hockey it may already be time to look ahead to the 2014-15 season for a handful of teams. There is still parity top to bottom in the league and even the bad teams are playing at a competitive level. However, there is very little empathy for a culture of losing at the fan level and hopefully throughout the organization.

With the Olympic break interrupting play for two-plus weeks in February it could have a significant effect on the trading deadline. Teams could move players early while the player value is still high and to organize their accounting for the following season. It may not be what fans love to see but the silver lining is that your team at least cares enough to build something for the future.

These five teams may not have officially be throwing in the towel on the 2013-14 season, but you can definitely call them “sellers” this season all the way up to the trading deadline.

5. Edmonton Oilers

I wrote a full article about this the other day with the premise being that the Oilers have had enough time to “gel” and form “chemistry”. The roster is über-talented but continues to underperform. It has become obvious to everyone that the high-octane youngsters can produce at an individual level but fail to create a sum of their parts that can compete at the NHL level.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

No one will accept this until maybe late January, but the Flyers are dead in the water. Prospects Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Matt Read have proven to be fools gold and Claude Giroux’s ineptness has spread to Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek. With veteran Vincent Lecavalier as the only consistent offensive threat it is time for Paul Holmgren to blow this team up and build around Lecavalier and Giroux. They have plenty of talented pieces but it is clear that this isn’t working.

3. New York Rangers

Another club that will refuse to accept that they don’t have the right pieces are the Rangers. They have the right coach in place and can keep centerpieces like Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan, Rick Nash and Brad Richards, but it is time to move the “can’t miss” prospects like Chris Kreider and Marc Staal. The Rangers have a loaded roster, but one that may not be suited for their new coach. They can actually get some huge returns on players that have been struggling to start the season. Don’t think that Vancouver isn’t a decent trading partner either.

2. Florida Panthers

Of course we expect the Panthers to struggle. They are loaded with young players and will take a season or two to get them straightened out. However, the Panthers have a good bit of trade value with veterans like Kris Versteeg Brian Campbell and Tomas Fleischmann. Any contender will be happy to add a quality veteran and Florida would be wise to sell any of the above or even Tim Thomas to a team in need.

1. Buffalo Sabres

The most obvious of all teams would be the Sabres right now. They have already started their fire sale by sending another captain to a playoff team. Last year Jason Pominville was shipped to Minnesota for their playoff push and this year’s captain Thomas Vanek is now a New York Islander. Receiving Matt Moulson in return is great value, not for the Sabres, but for their next big trade. Ryan Miller has a ticking clock before he is moved and Moulson’s expiring contract means that he isn’t done changing jersey’s this season.