The National Hockey League's Trade Deadline is on Monday, Feb. 24, 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.
 


Clearing Space?

The Boston Bruins announced Thursday that veteran David Backes won't report to the AHL in order for both sides "to preserve all potential options" moving forward.

Joe Haggerty of NBC Boston believes the Bruins don't want to risk having Backes, 35, suffer an injury before next month's deadline as they look for a taker. He adds the Bruins will likely have to retain the maximum 50 per cent of Backes' $6 million cap hit in addition to giving away an asset to move him.

UPDATE: Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Friday that Backes has not asked for a trade, but still wants to play, whether that's in Boston or elsewhere. 

Haggerty wonders if the Bruins could work out a deal with the Anaheim Ducks, who have $3.6 million in cap space and players such as Ondrej Kase and Josh Manson who could boost the Bruins' playoff push. He notes, though, that Boston would have to move their first-round pick and more in order to pull off such a deal. 

Backes, who's signed through next season, has one goal and three points in 16 games this season, having served as a healthy scratch regularly before being waived earlier this month.

Should the Bruins fail to find a taker for Backes, Haggerty writes he could still see time with the club as a depth player in the postseason. He appeared in 15 playoff games last year, posting two goals and five points.

A veteran of 944 NHL games, Backes has 245 goals and 554 points in his career with the Bruins and St. Louis Blues.
 


Loading Up?

With the St. Louis Blues in a repeat bid for the Stanley Cup, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic identified 10 top-six forwards the club could pursue ahead of the trade deadline.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said earlier this week that he's happy with his team's depth and doesn't expect to "be spending mid-to-late round draft picks on players just in case we have an injury." With depth moves ruled out, though, Armstrong said he will consider to adding to his top-six with winger Vladimir Tarasenko still sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Rutherford lists pending unrestricted free agents Chris Kreider, Tyler Toffoli, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ilya Kovalchuk and Taylor Hall among the possible options for the Blues. 

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday that at least eight teams have reached out to the Rangers regarding Kreider and added that New York will be looking for a return similar to what they received for Kevin Hayes last year - Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick. 

Rutherford believes that acquiring Toffoli could cost the Blues a second-round pick plus a prospect, while the lack of options on the centre market could allow the Senators to raise their price on Pageau to a first-round pick and a prospect. Kovalchuk, he writes, could likely be had from the Montreal Canadiens for a third-round pick, a good return considering the team only signed him earlier this month.

As for Hall, Rutherford notes that he will only become available if the Coyotes fall out of the playoff race over their next 14 games. The Blues, however, were reportedly interested in Hall before the New Jersey Devils traded him to Arizona and could circle back again.
 


Day-by-Day

The Philadelphia Flyers are set to get defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere back in their lineup soon after knee surgery earlier this month, but it's unclear how long he'll be playing with the team.

Gostisbehere is listed at No .7 on the trade bait board and there's been speculation the Flyers could look to flip him to acquire forward help ahead of the deadline. 

Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault praised Gostisbehere Thursday for his handling of the rumours that have followed him, but stopped short of making any guarantees about his future with the club.

“I think those are things now in today’s game that some players on each team hear it a lot,” Vigneault said, per the Courier Post. “They’ve got to focus on their game, focus on their job, on hockey. I think Shayne’s done a good job of that. Even before me getting here, his name was out there. Other than one time (their first meeting upon Vigneault’s hiring) I brought it up with him, it’s been game-to-game, day-to-day and he’s been fine with it.”

Gostisbehere, who's signed for another three seasons at a $4.5 million cap hit, has five goals and 12 points in 40 games this season. He scored a career-high 13 goals and 65 points in 78 games in 2017-18 before dipping to nine goals and 37 points in 78 games last season.

The 26-year-old said Thursday he believes his play was beginning to improve before the surgery this month.

“I definitely had a better mindset mentally,” he said. “I was feeling good and I think we realize on this team that we’re doing the little things. Every guy has a small role. No matter what your role is, just roll with the punches and you might not get all the glam ant glitz and people might be mad because they’re not doing too well but you know you’re helping the team get wins.”

The Flyers currently sit just one point back of the Carolina Hurricanes for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, a game Gostisbehere has been ruled out of.