The NHL's Mar. 2 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TradeCentre on TSN and TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates.

On The Board

The Carolina Hurricanes, currently 28th in the league with 45 points, are expected to be big sellers at the Trade Deadline. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reports Jiri Tlusty and Jay McClement are expected to be dealt after failing to come to terms on contract extensions with the team. McKenzie expects there to be interest in both players, as Tlusty has offensive depth and McClement is a defensive specialist.

Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer reported earlier that GM Ron Francis hopes to be fairly active come March 2.

Hoping To Stay

The Edmonton Oilers are expected to make some deadline moves, some that may even include their top players. But Jordan Eberle hopes he’s not a part of any.

Sean Farrell wrote on NHL.com on Thursday that Eberle wants to stay in Edmonton, even if hearing his name in trade rumours is just part of the game. "You know, any time your team's in the position we are, we have been for the last few years, names come up," he said. "That's the obvious thing, so you've got to put that aside.

"A lot of the times you have to try and use it as a compliment, you know, other teams want you. And that being said, I want to be an Oiler, and I want to play here and I want to turn this thing around." 

On The Outs?

The big news in Leafs Land is MLSE greenlighting a total rebuild for the Maple Leafs, as mentioned in Cathal Kelly's column for The Globe and Mail on Thursday and in TSN's Insider Trading. 

One possible implication is moving star forward Phil Kessel, who has acknowledged after Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders that he may eventually be on the move.

Injury Fill-Ins?

With the Minnesota Wild playing better of late the possibility of the team becoming buyers at the Trade Deadline is increasing, especially with the amount of injuries they’ve faced.

But TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com reports Wild GM Chuck Fletcher won’t panic and make a trade that doesn’t make sense for the team. 

"Every time you have injuries, you can't just run out to the market and pull the trigger to fill the hole that's been created," Fletcher told LeBrun on Thursday. 

"Sometimes you can do it, but you can't go out and force things. The first look always has to be inside your group and hopefully there's opportunity there for players to either move up in the lineup or players to get called up and play. You can't always look to the outside." 

Veteran Exodus

With a playoff run looking bleak, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline and looking to stock up on draft picks.

Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer speculates their excess of veteran defencemen, including Nick Schultz, could be moved for picks ahead of March 2.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall also told reporters Thursday that he is not going to trade one of his younger players for a shot at the postseason.

"If the right deal comes along for now and for the future, we'll make it. If it doesn't, obviously we won't," he said. "We'll do everything we can to get in the playoffs, short of selling off younger assets. But we have our vision for the future. We're not going to do anything short-term that's going to hurt us long-term."

Centre Watch

Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington reports the possibility of the Capitals pursuing a second line centre and lists some possibilities in Arizona's Antoine Vermette, Toronto's Mike Santorelli and even Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings (playing with Manchester of the AHL).