DALLAS -- Shortly after trading left wing Erik Cole to the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill discussed the two prospects, defenseman Mattias Backman and center Mattias Janmark, the Stars received in return.

Backman, 22, was a fifth-round pick (No. 146) by Detroit in the 2011 NHL Draft. He played 18 games for Grand Rapids in the American Hockey League earlier this season before being loaned to Linkopings HC in the Swedish Hockey League.

Nill was an assistant general manager with the Red Wings when Backman was drafted, so he knows Backman well.

"He's a defenseman, a good puck-moving defenseman," Nill said. "He came over and played a few games at Grand Rapids start of the season and went back to Sweden. But he's very close to being an NHL-ready defenseman, just needs to gain strength in that but real good skill, good hockey sense."

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said Saturday he isn't interested in moving any core players, including center Ryan O'Reilly, and doesn't plan to make a short-term fix before the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday.

"We're in the thick of things right now," Sakic said of the race for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "I've had conversations with different teams. We've had teams inquire about some of our guys. We're not going to go out and try to acquire somebody for a run. I don't think we're in a position to give up draft picks or prospects just to try and make a run this year."

PHILADELPHIA -- New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello said Saturday he's doing his best to ignore rumors he could be playing elsewhere after the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline passes Monday at 3 p.m. ET.

Zuccarello has 12 goals and 35 points in 58 games this season and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. In a similar situation last season, the Rangers traded captain Ryan Callahan at the deadline to the Tampa Bay Lightning rather than risk him leaving as a free agent after the season.

"I got a game today," Zuccarello said Saturday after the Rangers' morning skate at Wells Fargo Center prior to their game against the Philadelphia Flyers (8 p.m. ET, NBC, City). "That's all I'm focusing on. That's the only thing I can control. … Try not to think about it. Work hard tonight and do whatever I can to win hockey games, that's my focus. This is my team."

The Calgary Flames plan to be "as aggressive as we can" heading into the NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 2, general manager Brad Treliving told Sportsnet 690 Radio on Friday.

"I wouldn’t say I'm close. Things can change. We’re talking. There’s lots of conversations going on," Treliving said, according to Nichols on Hockey. "Are we imminent? We hope; we expect and anticipate to get some business done. But again, I don't know. You need somebody to say yes on the other line too.

"So we're going to be as aggressive as we can. We'll see where that gets us."

The Chicago Blackhawks are close to making a trade, but not necessarily to directly replace injured forward Patrick Kane, general manager Stan Bowman told CSN Chicago on Thursday.

"We're getting pretty close [to a trade], but until it's done, it's not done," Bowman said. "I wouldn't want to characterize anything until you get the word that, 'yes, we have a deal,' and we'll make the trade call.

"I've seen enough things that you think are going to happen that don't quite work out. So we're not there yet, but we've had a lot of good discussions today. Hopefully we'll get there."

Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly is often mentioned in trade rumors with the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2 at 3 p.m. approaching.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy did his best to quell those rumors Thursday during his weekly interview with 104.3 The Fan in Denver. O'Reilly is signed through the end of next season with a $6 million NHL salary-cap charge, and Roy said he doesn't see him going anywhere.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said Wednesday he expects to be in sell-off mode leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2.

Maloney was a guest on WFAN Radio during the first intermission between the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames at Prudential Center. He presumably was in attendance to look at prospects in the lineup for the Devils and Flames.

"We will retool at the end of the year, so for us we're in sell-off mode and we've been very public about that," Maloney told Devils radio color commentator Sherry Ross. "We're waiting to get what we think is a good price for some of our players. I'm sure we'll be making three or four deals."

NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils right wing Jaromir Jagr said Wednesday that he knew his role on the team would be limited after general manager Lou Lamoriello opted to go behind the bench with co-coaches Adam Oates and Scott Stevens in December.

It has led to speculation that Jagr is a prime candidate to be traded prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, which comes at 3 p.m. ET on March 2.

Jagr, who on most nights played 20-plus minutes under former coach Peter DeBoer, has played fewer than 13 minutes the past two games in victories against the Carolina Hurricanes (12:13) on Saturday and Arizona Coyotes (12:49) on Monday.

New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello appears content to wait and see what develops this week before deciding to buy, sell or stand pat heading into the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2 at 3 p.m. ET, according to NorthJersey.com.

The Devils have won four straight games and entered Tuesday eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They also have two teams ahead of them in the standings, the Florida Panthers and the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Bruins and the Panthers each have a game in hand on the Devils.

Lamoriello believes most of the trade activity will come closer to the deadline.

"But that's a hard question to answer because really there's 29 other teams thinking independently and it takes two of them to do something," Lamoriello told NorthJersey.com. "Sometimes you think there's going to be no movement and there's a lot and then the reverse."

With the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline looming Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are still in the market for a defenseman.

However, coach Jon Cooper said he doesn't expect the team to make a blockbuster deal or do anything that would cause a drastic change of the current roster.

"I can say that I'm positive this team will not be blown up," Cooper said. "They are staying together. We might add a piece and while I can't say that no one will be subtracted, I can't imagine that happening. We've had this group together for a while. Some came through the minors and others have been up here but they have grown together."