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Riddle me this, Batman.

Say you're the Washington Capitals, an outfit a Western Conference GM recently told me was the "one true powerhouse" in the NHL this year.

Or you're the Pittsburgh Penguins, who arguably are in a better position now to win a Stanley Cup than they were a year ago at this juncture, when they actually went on to win it.

And -- gulp -- you might just have to play each other in the first round of the playoffs.

If you're the GM of one of these two contenders -- two teams without any obvious weaknesses or holes in their lineup -- do you really need to add anything before the March 1 trade deadline?

"We've got good chemistry, which is important," Caps GM Brian MacLellan said Wednesday via phone. "It seems like our lines are all settled in here. Everyone is comfortable with their roles, the coaches are comfortable. So it has more the feel right now of something you don't want to mess with ... at all, in my mind, because it's running smooth right now. So I'd be more inclined to do nothing.

"But it doesn't mean that we're not going to go through the process of, 'Can we upgrade on guys?"'

The Penguins are aiming to become the first back-to-back champs since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and '98, and the first during the salary-cap era.

The fact is, while Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford had to make in-season moves last season to help kickstart his team -- dealing for defenceman Trevor Daley in December and winger Carl Hagelin in January -- his club doesn't need that kind of fix a year later.

"Yeah, it's in a better place than it was a year ago," Rutherford said Wednesday. "Certainly the experience and the confidence that the players have gained from being champions makes a difference. They've had a taste of it, they know what it takes."

But Rutherford being Rutherford, he's unafraid to make moves. He'll continue to monitor the trade market. If he adds anyone, it will be to bring in more speed. The Penguins are already a lightning-fast team, but he's always looking to make them even faster.

MacLellan may look to add depth -- although, as he pointed out, he really likes to find his depth pieces internally, such as from the Caps' AHL team in Hershey. So the question the Caps need to ask is whether there's anyone out there who's better than the players they have in their system already.

In many ways, Washington made a trade-deadline move last summer when it acquired centre Lars Eller from the Montreal Canadiens for two second-round draft picks. Many trade-deadline pickups involve paying out two second-round picks. MacLellan did it in June. Why? Because that would give Eller all season long to get adjusted to his new team, and not try to cram in chemistry building during the two months after the deadline.

Rutherford, meanwhile, has to keep an eye on some of the returning parts from his championship team and make sure they're still ready to deliver the same kind of performance.

"I think, for the most part, that when teams that have won the prior year keep most of their team together, it gives them a good chance," said Rutherford. "But on the other hand, sometimes there are players -- whether it's through injury or confidence issues or the situation they're in -- aren't playing the same as they were a year ago. So you always have to watch two or three guys to see where their game is and whether it will peak at the right time."

But the real priority for Rutherford is figuring out his goalie situation. On paper, it sounds like a great luxury to have two No. 1 netminders in Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury -- and to some extent, such as a potential injury or slump, it certainly is.

"It's a good situation to be in. It gives you more insurance than some other teams may have," said Rutherford. "But there are a few variables. The expansion draft is one variable. Also, are both goalies going to be comfortable in that situation all the way through to the end? And finally, does somebody come along with an offer that makes sense?"

The expansion draft in June, when Rutherford can only protect one goalie, is not that big a deal to him right now. He is focused on winning now and will worry about that later.

"But I do always have concerns as to whether there's a comfort level with the players' situation," said Rutherford. "And goalie, more than anything, is the position where it's hard to make two players happy. So that will be probably end up being the most important thing in our situation."

Fleury has a no-move clause, but I think it's clear he would welcome a trade to a good situation. The question is whether a market opens up before March 1. Will teams like the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets or Calgary Flames decide they need to trade for a goalie?

I think it's obvious that the Penguins would rather deal Fleury before March 1 rather than wait until the offseason, but that decision may be out of their hands.

And finally, there's this: It's one thing to say you're not looking to do anything big before the deadline. But will the Caps or Pens feel pressure to respond if the other team makes a move between and March 1?

The road to the Stanley Cup out of the East will go through one of these two cities, in my book. Will either team feel a temptation to keep up if the other team makes a trade? We're about to find out.