The NHL's Mar. 2 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy, 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. 

Open Mike

The Los Angeles Kings offered everyone a free shot at centre Mike Richards on Monday by putting the 29-year-old on waivers.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote that the Kings had been trying to find a trading partner for Richards - including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets - over the past month.

A one-time 30-goal scorer, Richards has underperformed in Hollywood, failing to eclipse even the 20-goal plateau in three-plus seasons with the Kings. He has five goals and 10 assists in 47 games with the Kings this year and still has five years remaining on his contract at an annual cap hit of $5.75 million. He is making $7 million this season, but his deal back-dives over the next five seasons, finishing with two seasons at $3 million.

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie added the Calgary Flames to the list of teams that have recently talked to the Kings about acquiring Richards in exchange for a bad contract of their own.

Call Me

With reports surfacing over the weekend that the Dallas Stars might have interest in some blue line help from the Toronto Maple Leafs, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger told TSN Radio 1050 Toronto's Mike Richards Monday morning that action on the Leafs is picking up. 

Dreger said trade talk picked up "mid- to-late last week" for Leafs management and that there is an expectation that it could further intensify in the next seven days. Dreger listed Dallas and the Anaheim Ducks as teams that would have interest in Cody Franson and that the Leafs would likely look for a roster player in his early 20s as the key component in any return. Failing that, Dreger said, the Leafs could be looking for multiple picks, including a potential first-rounder. 

Franson is a prime target for teams looking for offence from the point since the 27-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

Toronto entered the All-Star break 11th in the Eastern Conference, 10 points out of the final wild card playoff berth.

Rent Increase

The Winnipeg Jets could look for a short-term solution as the trade deadline nears.

Winnipeg entered the break seventh in the West and in excellent standing to earn their first post-season berth since relocating from Atlanta. Should the team want to build up its depth before the deadline a rental might make the most sense, writes the Winnipeg Sun's Ken Wiebe.

The options that might be most attractive to the Jets - according to Wiebe - are depth forwards that could bolster the team's second and third lines. He posted a top five that included Leafs duo Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli and Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Hendricks amongst others.

Bean Counting

The Boston Bruins could still be looking to bolster their forward ranks.

Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe believes the B's may circle around to Buffalo Sabres winger Chris Stewart as a possible deadline addition. Shinzawa writes that the two sides were in discussions before, but the price tag on the 27-year-old was too high to finalize a deal.

Stewart has twice eclipsed the 25-goal plateau, but has registered just six tallies in 45 games this season with cellar-dwelling Sabres. He is in the final year of a two-year deal that carries a $4.15 million average salary and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

Despite holding down the final wild card playoff berth in the East heading into the All-Star break, the Bruins' offence could use a boost. The team is averaging 2.58 goals-per-game this season, good for 11th in the Conference.