Maybe this is an answer for their cap issue:
Tavares on IR
Liljegren, Benn (?), Dahlstrom on LTIR
Bunting-Matthews-Marner
_______-Kerfoot-Nylander
Engvall-Jarnkrok-Malgin
AstonReese-Kampf-AubeKubel
Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Giordano-Sandin
Murray
Samsonov
They play one game short a man and then call up Robertson on emergency recall (I'm not positive of that rule due to Covid changes and I just don't know it that well) until Tavares can return.
That would fit under the cap without a major trade.
Mete, Simmonds, Anderson, Clifford, Gaudette & Hollowell would be waived.
Benn would have to be waived when he returns from the LTIR
Something else would have to give in terms of players on the roster when Liljegren's $1.4 mil returns from LTIR - unless someone else goes on LTIR.
So it is possible, they do not HAVE to do a significant trade ...
But they have no breathing space or extra for their road trips.