COLUMBUS -- James Wisniewski said his goal is to help the Columbus Blue Jackets in their desperate push to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that his desire to do so should not be in doubt.

The 31-year-old defenseman was a healthy scratch at the New York Rangers on Sunday because he said management was unhappy with his play.

Wisniewski leads Blue Jackets defensemen and is fourth on the team with 27 points.

"If you're going to question my effort then there's something wrong with whoever's judging my effort because I don't think that's the case," he said. "No way you can ever question my effort. I think it's performance based."

The Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday that the Blue Jackets are looking to trade Wisniewski and that he has a modified a no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to list 10 teams to which he would not approve a trade.

Tlusty is a pending unrestricted free agent and Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis told the Raleigh News & Observer on Monday that any players moved will most likely be pending free agents.

Tlusty has 13 goals in 51 games this season, but the Hurricanes are 15th in the Eastern Conference.

"Obviously I know the deal and know what they expect to do," Tlusty told the Raleigh News & Observer on Tuesday. "I'm trying to block it out of my mind and just play the game I know how to play. You need stay really focused on the game and that's what I'm trying to do.

"It's kind of hard but it is what it is. Other guys go through it in their careers and I'm going through it right now. It's a part of the business and you have to understand as a player what's the management plan. My plan is to go out there and do things right."

Joffrey Lupul signed a five-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs two years ago because that's the place he wanted to play.

But with the Maple Leafs heading toward another season out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lupul understands he's one of the players that could be traded before the NHL Trade Deadline comes at 3 p.m. ET on March 2.

The NHL Trade Deadline is one week away, and Steve Mears and E.J. Hradek of NHL Live counted down toward March 2 at 3 p.m. with a look at the latest buyers and sellers.

The Philadelphia Flyers were 13 points out of the Stanley Cup Playoff race on Jan. 16 but sit four points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 20 points in their past 13 games. In addition, the Flyers could be getting defenseman Kimmo Timonen (blood clots) back as soon as Saturday against the New York Rangers, which Hradek said puts them in a unique situation. Including Timonen, the Flyers will have nine healthy veteran defensemen under contract, which likely makes them sellers at the deadline.

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets' fortunes this week might test general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff's steadfast commitment to a long-term draft-and-develop philosophy.

The Jets' 4-6-3 record since Jan. 27 has jeopardized what once appeared to be a very solid grip on a Stanley Cup Playoff spot. Winnipeg's skid has allowed what was an eight-point cushion on a Western Conference wild-card position to dwindle to three points.

Winnipeg's roster sustained another blow Monday with the announcement that rookie defenseman Ben Chiarot will be out for most of the regular season. Chiarot had surgery Sunday after injuring himself in a fight with Daniel Winnik of the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday in a 4-3 overtime loss.

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis indicated he will probably be active before the NHL Trade Deadline, at 3 p.m. ET on March 2, but any players moved will most likely be unrestricted free agents, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

"You never say never on re-signing them, but at this point we're headed down the road of moving as many pieces as we can and getting back pieces when we can," Francis told the paper. "I think at this point we will be moving UFAs, but you always get a lot of calls on players at this time of year."

One player Francis made clear he has no interest in trading is center Jordan Staal, after a report in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggested the Pittsburgh Penguins could have interest in reacquiring the No. 2 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Arizona Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle said he isn't bothered by rumors of him being traded from the only team he's played for in his nine seasons before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2 at 3 p.m. ET.

Yandle, 28, understands the business and also knows he'll close out a five-year contract at the end of 2015-16. He still has plenty to offer, plays big minutes and is considered a tremendous puck-moving defenseman; he has four goals and 40 points in 59 games this season.

"I think I've been in this situation before where my name has been thrown around over the last six or seven years and it's one of those things that if it happens, it happens," Yandle said. "I didn't pack anything extra [on this four-game road trip that ends Feb. 28 in Boston]. My mom works for Fed Ex, so if it happens she can always ship me some stuff.

"It's one of those things that's part of the business, but you just focus on the next game."

EDMONTON -- Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish has been negotiating with defenseman Jeff Petry in an effort to sign him to a contract extension and prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

However, if the two sides are unable to agree to a contract before the NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 2, it is expected Petry will be traded.

"We really challenged him on a one-year contract [this past offseason]," MacTavish said Friday. "He's clearly met that challenge and he's on a level that he hasn't been at before. I give Jeff a lot of credit for that. As for what the course of action is going forward, I've had many conversations over the last four weeks with Wade Arnott, Jeff's representative, as you might imagine. They have all been constructive conversations but I'm just going to leave it at that and we'll see what happens going forward."

CALGARY -- A day after sparking speculation that his time with the Calgary Flames is drawing to an end, forward Curtis Glencross put his focus on helping the Flames win Friday against the visiting Anaheim Ducks.

"That's something where I'm not even thinking about that right now," Glencross said after the morning skate. "It's an important game for us tonight, and at the end of the day we need to get two points tonight and move on. Our main focus tonight is about tonight's game. You never know what happens. That's not up to me; it's up to [management]. We'll see what happens.

"As of right now, it's something where I'm a Calgary Flame and I'm going to go out there and help my team as much as I can to get two points."

On Thursday, Glencross confirmed he had submitted a list of teams he would accept a trade to and that he is unhappy with his recent role with the Flames.

"If the right opportunity comes along and the management asks me to do that kind of thing, that's where we're at," Glencross said, according to the Calgary Herald.

NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello discussed the season and hinted at some possible maneuvering at the NHL Trade Deadline following the morning skate at Prudential Center on Friday.

The Devils host the Vancouver Canucks in the second game of a six-game homestand.

Lamoriello said it has long been his belief that winning low-scoring games behind solid defense is the formula for a championship season. He would know; he was the architect of three Stanley Cup titles in New Jersey (1995, 2000, 2003).

At the same time, he understands the frustration with regard to the lack of goal-scoring, particularly over the past five games. The Devils haven't scored more than one goal in a game since Feb. 7, a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

"I know you have to score goals, so I don't want to be misinterpreted or misrepresent how important it is to score goals, but we know the way our teams have had success in the past: from the goalie out," Lamoriello said. "When our young defense gets more mature, it will help us create offensively."