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.


Holding Up the Market

All eyes are John Tavares as teams wait to see whether or not he will test the free agent market this summer.

Craig Custance of The Athletic believes the Tavares watch will have a direct impact on the trade market this month as teams aim to keep cap space free for next season to make a run for him.

Custance notes that both the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues are believed to be in the market for scoring help ahead of the deadline, but both teams will have room to pursue Tavares this off-season if their cap situation remains unchanged. He adds the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings could have trouble moving forwards such as Mike Hoffman, Gustav Nyquist or Thomas Tatar at the deadline since they all carry term past this season.

Custance also says there's a chance that the unwillingness of clubs to add long-term contracts could make the rentals on the market, such as Evander Kane, more appealing. 

One team who could pursue players with term on their deals? Tavares' Islanders. Custance writes general manager Garth Snow may opt to add players to further sell Tavares on a bright future for the team. 
 


Back In Black?

Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that a reunion between the Penguins and centre Matt Cullen is not out of the question approaching the trade deadline.

Mackey argues that the Penguins have been unable to replace Cullen's leadership in the dressing room and he already knows the team's systems. Mackey believes the Wild could become sellers ahead of the trade deadline if they continue to sit outside of the playoff picture.

Cullen, 41, became the league's oldest active player this week when Jaromir Jagr returned to Europe.

He has four goals and 11 points this season while logging a career-low 11:21 of time on ice per game. He joined his hometown team as a free agent this summer after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins.
 


Making the Case

Brett Cyrgalis of The New York Post is the latest to link New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cyrgalis believes McDonagh could boost the Maple Leafs' defence for their next two playoff runs, as well as his own value for free agency in 2019.

Cyrgalis thinks a return of Mitch Marner, William Nylander or Zach Hyman and a high draft pick could be beneficial to both the Rangers and Leafs.

However, TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger have both downgraded the chances of the Leafs adding a high-end defenceman before the deadline.
 

Rental Options

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said Thursday the Edmonton Oilers could move two pending free agents at the deadline, but only after they've taken a final run at contract talks.

"Two players that could be on the move are Edmonton Oilers rentals' Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu," McKenzie said on Insider Trading. "Especially in the case of Maroon, though, he's not going to be traded until [team president and GM] Peter Chiarelli get a better handle of over the course of next week exactly what it's going to cost in terms of re-signing him. There is the desire on the part of Maroon to stay in Edmonton, and there is a desire on the part of the Oilers to have Maroon back next year, but only at the right price.

"I would expect over the next week to see some negotiations on that front, but if they don't come to a contract agreement, then most certainly Maroon's name will become front and centre in those trade rumours leading up to the deadline. As a rental. Letestu is another guy that is more than likely going to be moved. They're getting action on both Maroon and Letestu."

Maroon is fifth on the Oilers in scoring this season with 13 goals and 26 points in 48 games. Letestu has eight goals and 16 points through 49 games, with nine of his points coming special teams - six on the power play, three short-handed.
 


Not Done Yet?

The Nashville Predators surprised the league Wednesday when the team announced centre Mike Fisher was coming out of retirement for the stretch drive. 

However, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Predators might not be done there. LeBrun said Thursday the Predators could still enter the trade market to further boost their lineup.

"If all goes well with his comeback, Fisher is a bottom-six centre," LeBrun said. "I think if the Predators get their way, they'll add a top-six winger who can score. They may not - the urgency is perhaps not there with Fisher back, but I still think that's a goal of the Predators if the price is right."
 


Match Game Votes

On Thursday, TSN debuted Frank Seravalli's TradeCentre Match Game, listing potential options of landing spots for trade deadline candidates Mike Green, Evander Kane and Mike Hoffman. We asked the fans to vote on where they believed each player would land and the results (as of Friday morning) are below.

Mike Green

Tampa Bay - 34%
Washington - 29%
Toronto - 24%
Vegas - 12%

Evander Kane

Pittsburgh - 54%
Vancouver - 29%
San Jose - 18%

Mike Hoffman

Edmonton - 55%
New Jersey - 30%
Carolina - 14%

Three new names have debuted on the TradeCentre Match Game in Thomas Vanek, Michael Grabner and Patrick Maroon. Cast your vote on their landing spots now.