The National Hockey League's Trade Deadline is on Monday, Feb. 26, and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy or sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out the latest trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

 

Trade Deadline targets for Bruins

The Boston Bruins are currently comfortable in second place in the Atlantic Division, 22 points ahead of the fourth place Florida Panthers and within striking distance of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the division. The team doesn't need much help for their stretch run, but they might look to add some anyway.

Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston runs down the potential additions the Bruins could look at leading up to the Trade Deadline. The players include Edmonton Oilers winger Patrick Maroon, Vancouver Canucks winger Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres winger Evander Kane, and three New York Rangers: wingers Michael Grabner and Rick Nash, and defenceman Ryan McDonagh.

 

Trade currency in Carolina

The Carolina Hurricanes are currently one point out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and could use another forward for their stretch drive. The team could look to their glut of defencemen to make it happen.

The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek suggests captain Justin Faulk as a possible trade piece. Faulk has two years left on his contract at $4.8 million per season after this year, which Duhatschek notes is good value if he can return to his 17-goal 2016-17 form, but the Hurricanes will owe Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce more money next season, and Noah Hanifan is coming off his rookie deal as well.

One name floated out there by Duhatschek is Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi. In 36 games for the Oilers this season, Puljujarvi has nine goals and six assists.

 

Quiet deadline?

Fans have been able to count on an active Chicgo Blackhawks at the past several Trade Deadlines, but this year could be different.

Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that after nearly a decade of being in buy mode at the Trade Deadline, the Blackhawks are expecting a much quieter day this year.

"A little more than two weeks out from the Feb. 26 trade deadline, the vibe is drastically different. The Hawks are well aware that they’re more than one player away from making a run at a playoff spot, let alone a Stanley Cup. So while the Hawks surely need some scoring punch, they won’t be in the market for Buffalo’s Evander Kane. And while they desperately need some defensive help, they won’t be spending any assets for Detroit’s Mike Green. Montreal’s Max Pacioretty? Vancouver’s Thomas Vanek? The Rangers’ Rick Nash? They’re not in the plans. Not this year."

Lazerus adds that if the Blackhawks do make moves ahead of the Deadline, it will be to recoup future assets, but it won't be a teardown job. But one big name Lazerus said the Blackhawks could potentially move is winger Brandon Saad.

"It’s more likely that Bowman will try to recoup some draft picks over the next two weeks. Maybe a contender would like a savvy, versatile veteran such as Tommy Wingels. Maybe free-agents-to-be Michal Kempny, Jan Rutta, Erik Gustafsson or Tomas Jurco could net a pick or a younger prospect. It’s unlikely but not unthinkable that the Hawks even dangle disappointing Brandon Saad to see what he could bring. Or maybe the Hawks just wait for the expected $5-million offseason bump in the salary cap to give them the flexibility to further retool around the aging core."