The NHL's Mar. 21 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.


West Coast Watch

There's no shortage of intrigue around what the Vancouver Canucks will do over the next month with rumours swirling around the future of forwards Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.

Boeser, 24, is slated for restricted free agency this summer and could be looking at a significant raise over his current $5.875 million cap hit. With 15 goals and 28 points this season in 46 games this season, Boeser said Wednesday's he's tuning out the rumours leading up to March 21.

“It's not really a worry of mine," Boeser said. "I'm a big believer in saying whatever happens happens. I've said what I want to say about how much this organization means to me.”

Miller, meanwhile, is signed through next season at a cap hit of $5.25 million. The 28-year-old leads the Canucks with 18 goals and 53 points this season and head coach Bruce Boudreau restated his importance to the team on Wednesday.

“If we got (Connor) McDavid that would be ok," Boudreau said jokingly of trading Miller before turning serious. "He’s one of the cornerstones of our team and no one has talked to me about it.”

The Canucks currently sit five points back of the Edmonton Oilers for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference after a disastrous 8-15-2 start to the season under then-head coach Travis Green.

TSN director of scouting Craig Button believes Vancouver should only move Miller,  who is listed at No. 27 on the TSN Trade Bait board, if they can get back a significant return that helps them in the near future.

 


On the Block?

Filip Forsberg is on pace to post career-highs in the midst of a contract season - could the Nashville Predators may be looking to sell high on the 27-year-old?

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweeted Wednesday night that he's hearing the Predators are "actively shopping" Forsberg.

Forsberg, who carries a $6 million cap hit in the final season of a six-year deal signed in 2016, has 26 goals and 44 points in 38 games this season. He scored a career-high 33 goals with the Predators in the 2015-16 season and has never averaged more than a point per game. 

The Predators hold the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference and sit three points back of the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division. Nashville has reached the postseason in each of the past seven seasons, but have failed to advance past the first round since 2018.
 

Wanting To Stay

Count Ottawa Senators pending unrestricted free agent Nick Paul among the players hoping not to get moved ahead of the March 21 deadline.

Paul, who sits at No. 18 on the Trade Bait board, stated his optimism on reaching a contract extension with the Senators Wednesday.

“There’s still a lot of time. I haven’t really looked into it too much and my agent just said, ‘I’ll deal with it and you play hockey’,” Paul said. “As it gets closer we’ll talk, but I’m not really sure what’s going on.

“I’ve expressed that Ottawa is a good spot but, like I said, we’ll just see what happens with my agent.”

The 26-year-old forward has tied his career-high with nine goals already this season and has 16 points in 47 games. He said Wednesday he believed the uncertainty of his future did affect his play early in the year.

“Early on in the season I was more focused on trying to get points and trying to do that for my contract but all that did was make my play worse,” Paul said.

“I just kind of ignored everything and just decided to go with the flow. Not really pay attention to anything and let my agent handle that stuff. I don’t talk to him too much. I’m just playing hockey, trying to win and trying to make the team better. That’s all I’m really focused on right now.”

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has already admitted his team will be seller again this deadline day as they sit 19 points back of a playoff spot. 
 


Trade Thoughts

Craig Button weighed on the trade deadline outlooks of the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and the possibility of Claude Giroux joining the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Button believes the Jets should fill out their forward group with a bigger winger, the Senators should sell off all of their unrestricted free agents and would like to see the Canadiens continue to accumulate draft picks at the deadline.

Watch Button's breakdown here: