Here's a look at some of the chatter around the NHL as we countdown to the 2011 NHL Trade Deadline. We'll try to do this most mornings between now and the deadline.

BOSTON BRUINS

While the Bruins continue to set the pace in the Northeast Division, back-to-back losses to the Detroit Red Wings has their credentials as a Cup contender feeling a little flimsy. Boston has a deep and talented roster, but an addition or two is probably needed for the Bruins to be considered among the top contenders for a Cup run.

"For us, we looked at it as a bit of a measuring stick, and obviously we didn't do very well," coach Claude Julien said to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

Expect the Bruins to be active in the next two weeks, and they have cap space (because of Marc Savard's injury) and assets to deal. Boston's top prospects are among the League's best, but the Bruins also have prospect depth and two first- and two second-round picks in the 2011 draft to work with. GM Peter Chiarelli made news by saying he'd move Toronto's first-round pick (likely a top 5-8 selection), but his own 1st rounder or the two No. 2s might be more likely.

Clearly, the Bruins are close to being a prime contender for the Cup, and as Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe writes, now is a good time to make a push in the Eastern Conference.

"With Pittsburgh shorthanded following injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and Washington off its points-producing pace of last season, the Bruins could challenge Philadelphia, the East’s top club, with additions at center and defense," Shinzawa wrote.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

There is no NHL franchise reeling more this morning than the Avalanche. The club has lost eight straight games -- a record in the Denver era. Colorado lost by eight goals last night -- also a record in the post-Quebec portion of the franchise's history. The hope that came with Peter Forsberg's return is now gone after his retirement.

The Avalanche are now firmly in 14th place in the Western Conference. The pack of teams competing for the final five spots in the playoffs has moved forward without them. Colorado is 10 points back of eighth place with 25 games to play. To say the team's chances of making the playoffs are slim to none is not an exaggeration at this point.

This could mean it is time to consider the Avalanche as potential sellers and GM Greg Sherman has some assets to move if that is the case. First and foremost among them is forward Milan Hejduk. Pendings UFAs who can be impact forwards are few and far between this season, so Sherman could have several suitors for Hejduk if he ends up being available. Defenseman Adam Foote is also a pending UFA but not likely to bring as much of a return. Both players have no-trade clauses (Hejduk's is a no-move) that would have to be waived.

Given that Colorado was in contention for a top-four spot in the West before this collapse, and how the franchise has been rebuilt with elite young players such as Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Kevin Shattenkirk, it is hard to believe that Sherman would "blow it up" and move other guys with years still left on their contracts. John-Michael Liles, another guy with a no-trade clause (though it is limited), would probably attract a nice return. He has one year left on his contract with a $4.2 million cap hit, but the Avalanche are already thin on defense and that would leave another big hole to fill in the offseason.

NEW YORK RANGERS

The Rangers have done an admirable job of staying among the top five-seven teams of the Eastern Conference despite a rash of injuries. A big reason for their buoyancy has been the play of the team's young players like Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal.

New York hasn't been an organization known for showing patience, but Arthur Staple of Newsday writes that GM Glen Sather may be willing to do so this month.

"I think we can compete," Sather told Staple. "It doesn't mean we're going to do anything [at the deadline] or not do anything. The whole goal this season has been to keep these young guys going as well as they can, to create a team that takes some ownership in itself. It took us a while to get to that stage, but we're getting there."

If Sather does look to make a move, a veteran defenseman to put with his young corps could be a beneficial move. From Sather's comments, it doesn't sound like he's going to be willing to pay a big price to do so.

Here's a look at some of the chatter around the NHL as we countdown to the 2011 NHL Trade Deadline. We'll try to do this most mornings between now and the deadline.

CALGARY FLAMES

The number of teams that look like potential sellers in the Western Conference has decreased to maybe just one, and the Flames are a big part of that. Once looking like the Ottawa of the of the West (expensive veteran roster but languishing at the bottom of the standings), the Flames have shot into the top eight of the conference by winning 14 of 21 games.

Suddenly there isn’t nearly as much talk of players being shipped out from the Red Mile, and said players are happy about that.


"It's nice to not have to hear as many [rumors]," captain Jarome Iginla told Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. "Literally, I think everybody’s name was in one at one time or another this year, so that's been a pretty nice change."

Should Calgary continue this run of good form, there could be more rumors involving the Flames but they will likely involve players coming instead of going.

“Everyone’s doing their part, and that’s the most important thing,” Sutter told the Herald. “What transpires from here till the deadline is out of everyone’s hands. We just have to play - and play well - and let’s see where we're at then. But I like the way our team’s playing, I like our hockey team. I like the way our team is being a team.”

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Michal Frolik hasn’t scored in 23 games, but it says here that he will be an upgrade for the Blackhawks and could thrive if he gets to skate with some of Chicago’s elite forwards. That said, will Chicago keep looking to upgrade its roster considering the Blackhawks remain in 11th place in the West and three points shy of the Flames?

‘‘We’re not going to shy away from making another trade if it’s there to be made,” Chicago GM Stan Bowman told Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s tough to make things happen. We’re pursuing it daily. We have a lot of conversations, and we’re not going to stop trying to make something happen.’’

If Chicago is going to make another move, remember the Blackhawks are pretty tight against the cap so don’t be surprised if another roster player has to be moved out to make such a transaction work. Also don’t be surprised if the guy coming in is a defenseman.

OTTAWA SENATORS

In case it wasn’t clear given their place in the Eastern Conference standings or from GM Bryan Murray’s previous comments, the Senators began the rebuilding process yesterday by trading Mike Fisher to Nashville. Getting a first-round pick for a second-line center is a quality return, and if the Predators make a run in this year’s playoffs the Senators will collect an extra pick for 2012 as well.

Murray made it pretty clear while addressing the media following the Fisher deal that it won’t be the last this month.

“There will be some deals,” Murray told reporters. “I don’t know how many, I don’t even pretend to know that, but there will be more deals. If we’re going to … follow our plan that we’ve outlined going forward, we have to make room for some people. We’re obviously going to acquire draft picks if we can and give ourselves a chance to pick as high as we can in this year’s draft and get good assets for the organization.”

The attention will now turn to other veterans on the Ottawa roster. Jason Spezza told Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen that Murray has not approached him about waiving his no-trade clause. It would probably be tough for Murray to find a taker for Spezza’s contract.

“No, I want to be part of the solution here,” Spezza said to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. “I feel this team has a lot more potential than we’re showing. We have a chance to make a quick turnaround here. I don’t think it’s going to be a long rebuilding process. We have good pieces in place, we just haven’t shown it. I think I can be a big help to turn this thing around and maybe take a little more responsibility on myself. Definitely, my thoughts right now going forward are really trying to fix this and trying to make us a better team.”

Defenseman Chris Phillips has been a popular name among potential trade targets, but he has a no-movement clause and could decide he doesn’t want to leave.

“I have talked to [Phillips] about what he would like to have happen for him, but Chris has not come back to me,” Murray told Bruce Garrioch of the Sun. “The door is open, ‘Come in and tell me what you want me to do and what you would like to do.’ I think he wants to stay in Ottawa. I’m not quite sure how that will work.”

Phillips is an unrestricted free agent and the type of veteran defense-first defenseman that contending teams covet at this time of year. Considering how many defenseman were traded for second-round picks last year at the deadline, that’s probably a good place to start when thinking of potential compensation for Phillips if he does agree to a move.

Teams are going to be making some very important decisions in the next couple of weeks, and the current roster will obviously have an impact on what areas clubs look to address via trades.

The wrinkle can often be the return of injured players. There are lots of injured players out there right now, and the expected return date for some of them could have a big impact on certain teams and their activities this month. With that in mind, here's a look at a couple of groups of injured players.

The first group is guys who have been out for most or all of the season but have returned recently or expected back soon. These guys will be treated "like a trade acquisition" by some team officials/media members. The second group is guys who have been impact players this year but are hurt now.

GROUP I: "LIKE MAKING A TRADE"

*Vinny Prospal, New York Rangers

Prospal missed the first 53 games of the season because of a knee injury, but returned Feb. 3. The Rangers need a veteran defenseman, but how the soon-to-be 36-year-old responds to coming off major knee surgery could determine if GM Glen Sather is in the market for another forward as well. The Rangers have overcome a lot of injuries up front, but Prospal was a key guy for them last year and if he's productive that would be a huge boost to their chances of making a deep playoff run.

*Sami Salo, Vancouver Canucks

Salo has yet to play this season because of a torn Achilles' tendon, but he is very close to being back. Salo is expected to be in the lineup Saturday, and the Canucks' defense corps can certainly use him. Alex Edler and Keith Ballard are injured and Dan Hamhuis was smarting after a hit from Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf last night. When (if) they all get healthy, the Canucks are going to face a cap crunch, but for now Salo could be the addition the team needs on defense.

*Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche

OK, Forsberg hasn't been a member of Colorado's organization, but his foot earns him a spot on this list because he'd have been playing in the NHL if not for the chronic problem. The Avalanche have slumped to 14th in the West, so maybe Forsberg's return will spark the club back into playoff contention. If the team keeps losing and he plays well, maybe Forsberg would be willing to move to a contender. There certainly will be a lot of eyes watching Forsberg when he returns in the coming days.

*Ray Emery, Anaheim Ducks

Emery is in the same group as Forsberg -- his hip has kept him out of the NHL but now he's healthy enough to try a comeback. He'll start the comeback in Syracuse with Anaheim's AHL affiliate, but he could end up as the No. 2 guy for the Ducks and is insurance for Jonas Hiller. That leaves one less team in the market for a goaltender, even if Anaheim wasn't going to be looking for a potential No. 1.

*Marek Zidlicky/Guillaume Latendresse, Minnesota Wild

These guys should be in Group II, but Wild GM Chuck Fletcher used the "like making a trade" phrase to describe their pending returns. Zidlicky has been out since December with a shoulder injury but has returned to practice. Lantendresse had sports hernia surgery in November and could be back in early March. Zidlicky would be a big boost and Latendresse would give the Wild more depth up front. Whether or not it keeps Fletcher from making a trade to improve the club remains to be seen.

GROUP II: IMPACT GUYS MISSING

*Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

His concussion is the most talked-about injury in the League. He said earlier today he expects to play again this season. The Penguins are already short one superstar center in Evgeni Malkin. If Crosby were to be shut down, would it be worth trying to replace both of them? If he is going to come back, expect GM Ray Shero to try and replace Malkin with a forward or two and keep the Penguins among the top Cup contenders.

*Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta Thrashers

The Thrashers are trying to hold onto a playoff spot in the East but doing so without their top defenseman (ice time) has been difficult. He's out with a broken finger, but he's close to returning after taking part in practice Wednesday. GM Rick Dudley has not been shy about his desire to make a trade. Getting a healthy Enstrom back might make it easier for him to focus on the team's problems up front.

*Brad Stuart, Detroit Red Wings

Stuart could be back by the end of the month from a broken jaw. Detroit just welcomed back Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom from injuries, and GM Ken Holland will have to decide if there is a cheap way to upgrade his team if he needs more depth on defense or if a goaltender with Chris Osgood out remains a priority.

*Tom Poti, Washington Capitals

Poti has had all kinds of problems staying healthy this season and has been limited to 21 games. He could be close to coming back from the latest lower-body ailment, but if GM George McPhee is worried about not being to keep Poti healthy (and if he doesn't spend all of his cap space on a center) it is possible the Capitals could look for a cheap veteran defenseman for insurance. Mike Green could play on Saturday, but if his head injury is worse than currently thought, then that could change things drastically in Washington.

*Mike Cammalleri, Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens are deeper up front this season than they were last year when Cammalleri carried the offense two a pair of playoff upsets. That said, he and Tomas Plekanec remain Montreal's top offensive players and the Canadiens will need him back in short order. Don't be surprised if Montreal is linked to a forward in the next couple weeks, even if adding a defenseman is probably the top priority.

*Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay Lightning

Malone has not scored at the rate expected of him this season, but he remains a key secondary guy behind the big guns in Tampa. The final diagnosis has not been delivered, but Erik Erlendsson reported he could miss 6-8 weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. Count the Lightning as another team that could be interested in adding a forward even with upgrading the defense as the biggest priority.

Here's a look at some of the chatter around the NHL as we countdown to the 2011 NHL Trade Deadline.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Despite a loss to scorching hot San Jose last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets remain on the fringe of the postseason chase with 57 points -- good for 12th place in the West and six back of eighth-place Calgary. The big question for the Blue Jackets is what direction to go in the next couple of weeks.

Do the Jackets try to add and make a push for the 8th spot, or do they try to sell and get ready for next year?

"The players decide if the team is good enough," Columbus GM Scott Howson told Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch. "Right now, we're showing signs of climbing back in. If we can do a deal that makes sense for the team, we're going to do it."

One of the problems for Columbus is the lack of postseason trips in its brief franchise history. The Blue Jackets have only been to the NHL's spring dance once, and like a couple of their expansion brethern (Nashville and Atlanta) have not advanced to the second round. Getting more fans back to Nationwide Arena is critical, and this is the tough decision teams like this have had to make -- does a playoff appearance do more to help the franchise in that area or would trying to rebuild some more to be a contender in future years?

"The team, as constructed, is neither the 14-6 team of the autumn or the 6-14-4 team of the dark holiday season nor the 6-3-2 team of midwinter," Arace writes. "It is a team which, this morning, is three games over .500 and below the playoff bar. It is not good enough."

Should the Blue Jackets decide to sell, Howson has several interesting assets. Pending UFAs defenseman Jan Hejda and goalie Mathieu Garon could draw interest if Howson doesn't want to drasticly alter the makeup of his roster for next season.

EDMONTON OILERS

There are 14 teams in the West that still fancy themselves as a playoff contender, but the Edmonton Oilers are the one club that is clearly not. Still, Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini told the Edmonton Journal this deadline already has a different feel than last year's when he dealt Denis Grebeshkov, Lubomir Visnovsky and Steve Staios.

"This year there’s not the pressure to move players in order to make room. We have enough room for our young players," Tambellini said to the Journal. "But I'm approaching this as I have other deadlines — where I am wide open to listening to ideas of how other teams can help make us a better team now, and maybe importantly, in the future."

Jim Vandermeer is the team's top pending UFA, and could be one of those depth defenseman that about half the League goes looking for around this time of year. There continues to be lots of speculation about Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky, who both have one year left on their contracts.

Tambellini didn't have much to say about his pair of potentially coveted forwards, but it sounds like he is open to a variety of different options with trade proposals between now and the end of the month.

"There's a lot of different scenarios that will come across the desk in the next couple of weeks and if it's younger, great," Tambellini said to the Journal. "If it's something that makes sense as far as a veteran, we'll look at that, too. We'll make a deal if it's good for the Oilers moving forward. If not, we’re very comfortable with where we're at. We have young players in young positions, we have good veterans playing hard in their positions and contributing from a leadership perspective.”

FLORIDA PANTHERS

The Panthers are another team like the trio mentioned about with no recent playoff success, and their need for better attendance is probably even greater. Florida dealt Michal Frolik, one of the team's top forwards in recent seasons and a guy who will turn 23 years old next week, to Chicago yesterday along with goalie prospect Alexander Salak for Jack Skille, prospect David Pacan and former prospect Hugh Jessiman.

Assistant general manager Mike Santos told reporters in South Florida that this deal doesn't mean the Panthers will be sellers in the coming days.

"I think we’re buyers. Skille’s a known quality," Santos told the Miami Herald. "He might not have played as many games as Frolik in the league, but he was with an organization pretty deep in forward."

Frolik hadn't scored a goal in 23 games and had dropped to the fourth line at times for Florida. Skille, like Frolik, was a high first-round pick but hasn't been able to secure a greater role with the Blackhawks.

"We saw the upside [with Frolik], but in the last 10 to 12 games we're getting outhit badly, so we needed a more physical presence up front," Santos told the Sun-Sentinel. "We traded one guy with 8 goals for another with 7 goals, but he really brings that element we need, more physicality who's harder to play against."

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Any mention of the Capitals during the next two weeks will center (pun intended) around the team's need for an upgrade in the middle. Sure, there will be speculation about the Capitals being interested in a veteran goaltender, but unless there is an injury or GM George McPhee has a drastic shift in his assessment of Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth, Washington is not going to be adding a potential No. 1 goalie this month.

That leaves us with the hole in the middle. Rookies Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault have now played a combined 70 games this season. Almost all of them were as the two centers that joined Nicklas Backstrom to form the team's top 3 in the middle. Johansson and Perreault have combined for 13 goals and 12 assists - not terrible numbers for one center on a contender but as the No. 2/3 combo it is pretty ghastly.

"Both have shown promise this season. Both also have been prone to bouts of ineffectiveness as they adjust to full-time roles in the NHL," writes Brian McNally of the Washington Examiner.

At this point it certainly looks like it will be a seller's market at center. There aren't a lot of obvious, impact guys available at the position and several contenders in the East, namely Washington, Pittsburgh, New York and Boston, could all be looking for one in the coming weeks.

Parity in the NHL will go a long way towards shaping the direction of clubs in the next couple of weeks, but injuries may play just as big a part or more.

Today has been a busy day for injury updates around the League, and some key players could have a big impact on the next couple of weeks. Here's a look at the news from the day (we'll have a larger, wide-ranging post about injuries and guys returning from them tomorrow):

* Pittsburgh confirmed what might have been the inevitable -- Evgeni Malkin will need surgery on his knee and is done for the season. This also confirms the Penguins' move toward the top of the list among the buyers in the NHL. Provided they are confident Sidney Crosby will be back soon from a concussion, look for GM Ray Shero to go hunting for a forward (or two) to try and replace Malkin's production. A center would be ideal, but given the team's lack of depth on the wing a Crosby-Jordan Staal-Mark Letestu trio down the middle could work with an extra scoring wing or two.

* Top goalie prospect Jacob Markstrom of the Florida Panthers might need knee surgery. Tomas Vokoun is a pending UFA and could be the best player on the market if GM Dale Tallon chooses to make him available. The thinking behind moving Vokoun is Markstrom, currently in the AHL after a couple of standout seasons in Sweden, would be able to step in as the No. 1 guy next season. If Markstrom's injury is serious, does that make Tallon reconsider moving Vokoun? The guess here is probably not - if there are a few teams interested in Vokoun the return could be big, and if Markstrom wasn't ready to be the starter next season, either because of injury or performance, there are always placeholders available for cheap at that position.

* Calgary forward Alex Tanguay is out indefinitely with a concussion. The Flames have stormed into the top eight of the Western Conference, but losing Tanguay (14 goals, 42 points) for an extended period of time could derail what isn't exactly a deep Calgary offense. Will the injury push GM Jay Feaster to make a move to help his team, or would a few losses without Tanguay have him thinking of going in the other direction?

* Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson is out indefinitely with a lower back injury. He hopes it won't be more than two weeks. Clearly GM Bryan Murray is going to be in sell mode in the next couple of weeks. Alfredsson was unlikely to be dealt, but this would seem to make it even less likely if teams were at all worried about his back being a problem during the stretch run or the postseason.

* Vancouver defenseman Keith Ballard and New York Rangers captain Chris Drury are also out with knee injuries. Ballard is expected to miss 3-4 weeks while Drury will be on the shelf for six weeks. The Rangers' cap situation with Drury out doesn't change much, but the team's need for a center could be increased. The Canucks are dangerously close to be in a very precarious situation on the blue line. Alex Edler is already out because of back surgery. Sami Salo could be back this weekend from a torn Achilles' tendon and rookie Chris Tanev has been a welcome surprise as a fill-in. where the Canucks go with their tight cap situation could depend a lot on how close Ballard is to coming back as the deadline nears and how Salo performs. 

Many general managers believe you never can have enough experienced defensemen, and you certainly can put Ducks GM Bob Murray in that group.

Murray today brought Francois Beauchemin back to Anaheim, a move that bolsters their defensive depth with a big, strong, experienced, puck-moving defensemen who can play big minutes.

Beauchemin has just 12 points in 54 games with the Leafs this season, but he had been used in more of a defensive-oriented role. He's a minus-4, but was second on the team with 23:45 of ice time per game, including 2:48 per game shorthanded.

Beauchemin's durability should take some of the ice-time pressure off the Ducks' top-four defenders, Lubomir Visnovsky, rookie Cam Fowler, Toni Lydman and Paul Mara, all of whom average more than 20 minutes per game.

And while Beauchemin's offensive numbers might be down, he does have a strong shot from the point, one that allowed him to score 8 goals in 61 games in 2005-06, and in his four previous seasons with the Ducks, he had 21 goals and 88 points in 234 games.

He also has a Stanley Cup ring to his credit, which he won while putting up 4 goals and 8 points in 20 playoff games en route to the 2007 championship.

To get Beauchemin, the Ducks had to surrender top defense prospect Jake Gardiner. The 17th pick of the 2008 Entry Draft, Gardiner has been fine-tuning his play at the University of Wisconsin. Now in his third season, he has 30 points in 30 games this season, and he also has a gold medal to his credit from the 2010 World Junior Championship.

Gardiner is renowned for his skating and speed. At 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds he needs to get bigger and stronger, but with top-end skating skills, he's a definite prospect.

In Joffrey Lupul, the Leafs receive a top-six forward who's just 27 and has scored at least 20 goals three times in five full NHL seasons.

However, Lupul has been plagued by back problems and a blood infection that limited him to just 23 games last season and kept him out of action until this past December. He has just 5 goals in 26 games -- and 1 goal in his last 14 -- but if healthy, the talent clearly is there.

The Anaheim Ducks, locked in a tight race in the Western Conference, made the first bold move leading up to the 2011 NHL Trading Deadline later this month, trading for defenseman FrancoIs Beachemin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

Beauchemin has some history with the Ducks, having played there during Anaheim's Stanley Cup run in 2007.

Here is the release from the Ducks:

The Ducks announced today that they have acquired defenseman Francois Beauchemin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for right wing Joffrey Lupul and defenseman Jake Gardiner. 

“We are thrilled to be able to reacquire Francois,” said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. “He is a physical, puck-moving defenseman with tremendous character. We would also like to wish Joffrey Lupul well in Toronto. He’s worked very hard to return from a serious ailment and we hope he can get his career back on track.”

Beauchemin, 30 (6/4/80), was a key member of the Ducks 2007 Stanley Cup Championship club. He played with the Ducks from 2005-09, appearing in 246 regular season games (21-69=90 points with 172 penalty minutes). Beauchemin also played in 55 playoff games with Anaheim, scoring 8-10=18 points with 68 penalty minutes (PIM). He scored 4-4=8 points in 20 games during the club’s 2007 Stanley Cup run, ranking third in the NHL in average time-on-ice (30:33). He also has two of the three multi-goal games by a defenseman in club playoff history.

A native of Sorel, Quebec, Beauchemin has played in 54 games this season, scoring 2-10=12 points with 16 PIM. He was originally acquired by Anaheim from Columbus with Tyler Wright in exchange for Sergei Fedorov and a fifth-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft on Nov. 15, 2005. He ranked fourth in the NHL in total minutes played (2093:23) in 2007-08, averaging 25+ minutes both that season (25:31) and in 2006-07 (25:28).

Beauchemin was drafted by Montreal in the third round (75th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by Columbus off NHL waivers on Sept. 14, 2004. After his stint in Anaheim, he signed a three-year contract with Toronto as a free agent on July 6, 2009 (runs through 2011-12 season). The 6-0, 213-pound defenseman has played in 382 NHL games (with Montreal, Columbus, Anaheim and Toronto), scoring 28-101=128 points with 221 PIM.

Lupul, 27 (9/23/83), has played in 26 games with Anaheim this season, scoring 5-8=13 points with 14 PIM. He returned to the Ducks lineup on Dec. 5 vs. Phoenix after missing a nearly a full year with a back injury and subsequent blood infection (his previous game was Dec. 8, 2009 vs. DAL). Lupul was most recently acquired by Anaheim from Philadelphia with Luca Sbisa, a first round selection in 2009, a first round selection 2010 and a conditional draft pick for Chris Pronger on June 26, 2009. He has played in 421 NHL games, scoring 117-121=238 points with 246 PIM with Anaheim, Edmonton and Philadelphia.

Gardiner, 20 (7/4/90), has appeared in 30 games for the University of Wisconsin (WHCA) this season, collecting 7-23=30 points with a +20 rating and 22 PIM. Selected by Anaheim in the first round (17th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Gardiner advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four championship game in his sophomore season at Wisconsin last year. He has appeared in 110 career games for the Badgers, earning 16-48=64 points with 58 PIM.

We'll have more on this trade shortly on NHL.com.

The Boston Bruins may well be the team to watch in the next three weeks when it comes to the 2011 Trade Deadline.

Tuesday, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli all but guaranteed his team would be active on the trade front before the deadline arrives.

Certainly, Boston has been forced to be more aggressive with the season-ending injury to first-line center Marc Savard, but that move also freed up some necessary cap space to go after a marquee player.

"In the real world, I'd like to add without subtracting," Chiarelli said Tuesday on his weekly call to the Toucher and Rich show on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Chiarelli also woke up many across the League by saying on the show that the first-round pick obtained from Toronto in the Phil Kessel trade is in play. Last season, the Bruins refused to even listen to offers for that pick during their attempts to add talent for the playoff push.

Now, however, the Bruins feel that their young core -- players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask to name a few -- have advanced to the point where the team can switch from building for the future to more of a win-now mode.

"It's a valuable pick so it would have to be a valuable asset coming back," Chiarelli said.

As of Wednesday's standings, Toronto sits in 26th place in the League standings, meaning that the pick could be a top-5 selection in June's Entry Draft.

Chiarelli said during the show that he has already received some action on the No. 1 pick, but refused to name names.

"Right now prices are very high, because its three weeks before," Chiarelli said. "Look at the West standings, they’re so tight. The East is tight too, just not as tight. There's not a lot of sellers right now."

Boston currently holds the No. 3 seed in the East, but is just two points ahead of Montreal for the lead in the Northeast Division. The Bruins play the Canadiens on Wednesday night at the TD Garden.

So, what type of player is Boston seeking at the deadline? Neither Chiarelli nor Cam Neely, the team's president, would be specific.

"I think we're going to look at anything we feel we can do to make our club better going into the postseason," Neely said Tuesday on the Felger and Massarotti show on 98.5. “We have a really strong hockey team that we&'d like to improve in a few areas. If it makes sense for us, we'll do anything."

Both Chiarelli and Neely admit that it is unlikely that they will find a No. 1 center on the trade market, but they would like to add some depth at forward. There is also a school of thought that the team would like to add an experienced defenseman to bolster its blue line.

Butch Goring shakes his head when he's reminded that it's been 31 years since he was involved in the best trade deadline deal of all time.

The New York Islanders had struggled for most of 1979-80 after finishing first overall the previous season. GM Bill Torrey refrained from making any moves until the trade deadline, when he swapped a pair of productive long-time Islanders -- forward Billy Harris and defenseman Dave Lewis -- to Los Angeles for Goring, a speedy center.

The rest is history. With Goring anchoring a second scoring line, the Isles went 8-0-4 for the rest of the season, won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and then went on to win the next three, as well.

Goring said he was surprised -- and not at all pleased -- when the deal went down.

"I had signed a six-year deal with the Kings -- I think I was in the second year -- so I really wasn't expecting to go anywhere. At least I was hoping not to go anywhere," he told NHL.com. "My initial reaction was one of anger and disappointment."

Once he took a look at the team he was going to, he says he felt better.

"I got here and I realized I was going to an awfully good hockey club," he said. "That made it a lot easier to handle. This was a team that had a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Once I was able to get the emotions out of it, I realized it was a tremendous opportunity. In L.A., we were pretty much a .500 hockey club."

The Goring deal has become the gold standard of deadline deals because it led to four Cups, not just one.

"As we now know, you can say it was a pretty good trade," he said with a laugh. "It's because we didn't just win one; we started a dynasty of some sort. I'm not saying that trade was the reason we won four (Cups), but the fact of the matter is that they made a trade and they ended up winning four. That's why it's been such a much talked-about trade, and I'm happy to enjoy the moment every year."

Here's a look at some of the chatter around the NHL as we countdown to the 2011 NHL Trade Deadline. We'll try to do this most mornings between now and the deadline.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The injury situation is pretty grim in the Steel City, but trader Ray is on the case and we can only assume that by 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 28 the Penguins' GM will have acquired either a scoring winger or a big center to counter the loss of Evgeni Malkin for the season and the unknown of Sidney Crosby's return.

Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review wrote Monday that multiple sources are telling him that Crosby won't be back until at least March. Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma nodded in his approval Sunday when asked if he doesn't expect to have Malkin (knee) back until next fall.

So, Ray Shero is on the clock.

TSN's Bob McKenzie mentioned Alex Kovalev and PA Parenteau as names associated with Shero and the Penguins.

Kovalev would certainly be an interesting acquisition considering he had some of his best years in Pittsburgh and he's having some of his worst in Ottawa. There's no reason why the Senators wouldn't look to unload him either. He hasn't meshed with coach Cory Clouston and the team is not winning or going anywhere this season.

He comes with a $5 million cap hit, but the Penguins have the relief created by putting Malkin on long-term injured reserve and Kovalev would only be a rental since his contract is up at the end of the season.

Parenteau, currently with the Islanders, is having a breakout season with 32 points in 51 games. There is less concern with his contract since he's making only $600,000 this season and is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

TSN's Darren Dreger on Tuesday wrote about San Jose's Devin Setoguchi and Florida's Stephen Weiss as potential candidates to join the Penguins by the deadline. Dreger speculates that to acquire a player like Setoguchi or Weiss the Penguins would likely have to part with a package of prospects and/or draft picks and perhaps even a current roster player.

Defenseman Alex Goligoski is the name Dreger mentioned and it's also the name we've heard on many accounts regarding potential trade bait for the Penguins. Goligoski is seen as expendable since he doesn't play in the Penguins' top four (Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek). He's a power play specialist, but Letang and Martin are more than capable of playing the point.

Goligoski has another year on his contract at a reasonable $1.83 million cap hit, so any team that acquires him can look at him as a longer term investment that will help their power play.

Devils center Jason Arnott's name has also come up in rumors involving the Penguins. He's a big center that would likely be looking to make a run at winning another Stanley Cup to match the one he won with the Devils in 2000.


BOSTON BRUINS

With Marc Savard now officially sidelined until the fall at the earliest, the Bruins have the necessary cap relief to go searching for another a forward to replace him. Savard was making about $4 million.

Dreger, though, is reporting Tuesday that the Bruins have a strong interest in Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle. It makes sense only if, as Dreger writes, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli really does firmly believes that Blake Wheeler can take on Savard's role in the middle.

The Bruins could use a puck rushing blue-liner like Kaberle, but more than anything they need to bolster their blue-line depth as a whole as they head into the stretch run.

Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe writes Tuesday that Chiarelli should reach for the stars, or rather call the Stars, to find out the availability of Brad Richards, whose contract expires at the end of the season. Richards would be the Ilya Kovalchuk or Marian Hossa of this year's trade class, but it's hard to see Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk looking to deal him now.

The Stars are still first in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference. They've been able to stay in those positions despite losing three in a row and five of their last six.

ATLANTA THRASHERS

Thashers GM Rick Dudley told Ben Wright of the team's website that he is actively seeking a top-six forward. Dudley appears willing to deal with anybody right now because he knows how important it is for his team to make the playoffs.

Atlanta has only gotten in one time (2007) and it hasn't won a playoff game in franchise history. The Rangers swept the Thrashers that season and since then the team has had to trade away stars Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk.

We haven't seen any names associated with the Thrashers as of yet, but Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweeted earlier Tuesday that he was told the team had two scouts at Monday's game between the Oilers and Predators.

Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal wrote last week that basically several players off the Oilers' current roster could be had, including Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky. They're both top-six forward material.

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl