Every Stanley Cup contender in every season is interested in filling a need for top-end talent or depth to solidify its position before the trade deadline passes, but the run-up to 2015 NHL Trade Deadline, which is 3 p.m. ET on March 2, likely will put the focus on the sellers for two reasons:

1. Connor McDavid

2. Jack Eichel

"We're having a poor year and there are certain rewards for being real bad this year. I think we're all aware of that," Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said last week on TSN 1200 Radio in Ottawa. "If we ever had to have a down year this is probably as good as any of them."

Alex Ovechkin has reached the point in his career when comparisons and context on a generational level can give way to a much bigger range of time.

The Washington Capitals forward scored his 30th goal the season in the first period Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. It is the 10th time in his 10 seasons that Ovechkin has reached 30 goals.

He became the fifth player in the history of the NHL have accomplished that, joining Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Mike Gartner. It is a feat of ability, consistency, durability and longevity. It is also an accomplishment buttresses the case for Ovechkin in any discussion about the greatest goal-scorers of all time.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals assistant coach Todd Reirden firmly believes in devising a plan for each of his defensemen, tailoring them to best accentuate each player's strengths.

Regarding Mike Green, that meant redefining his role.

"The key for Mike in talking to him this summer, even prior to getting here, is he wanted to win more hockey games," Reirden said. "However that is going to happen, he wanted to win more hockey games, as long as the plan was clear in how we were going to use him, how we were going to use all of our defensemen."

PHILADELPHIA -- The last time Martin Brodeur had three games in three nights was more than 20 years ago when he played in the American Hockey League.

But Brodeur, in his new role as adviser to the general manager of the St. Louis Blues, was seated next to GM Doug Armstrong in the press box at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday to watch the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It's four in four because we played Thursday too," Armstrong said.

After 22 seasons of watching NHL hockey from the top of his goal crease, Brodeur is getting a crash course in evaluating games from the top of the arena. He announced his retirement as a player Thursday to work in the Blues front office and that night was next to Armstrong to watch St. Louis host the Nashville Predators.

The next night he traveled with the Blues to see them play the Carolina Hurricanes. With the Blues off Saturday, he and Armstrong took a train from Washington to Philadelphia. They'll leave late Saturday night and be back in Washington in time for the Blues' game against the Washington Capitals on Sunday (1 p.m.; NBCSN).

"There's no nights off when you're on the road," Armstrong said.

That's one of the many adjustments for Brodeur.

"It's fun," the 42-year-old said. "I'm learning, asking a lot of questions. It's something that has really interested me. The last three days have been fun, being involved."

BROSSARD, Quebec -- When facing an elite scorer, a common last-gasp tactic is to hit him early, hit him hard, and hit him often.

Assuming you can catch him, the strategy should bear fruit as the star player will begin to wear down, and ultimately, or hopefully, become a little tentative to go to the areas of the ice where he can hurt you.

As the Montreal Canadiens prepare to face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals at Bell Centre on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; NHLN-US, SN), they know that is not an approach that will slow down the hottest goal scorer in the NHL.

The problem with hitting Ovechkin is not catching him; it's avoiding hurting yourself while doing it.

"I've lined up beside him a few times," Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher said after practice Friday. "I actually tried to hit him a couple of times. That didn't go well."

NEWARK, N.J. -- Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby can recall like it was yesterday his NHL debut against one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the game.

It was Oct. 5, 2005 at what was then known as Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. Crosby would finish his rookie season with 39 goals and 102 points, but Brodeur had his number on this day in a 5-1 win for the Devils.

"I had a great chance on my first shift and he made the save; that will always be a big memory for me," Crosby said. "When I look back on that moment, it's the only time I can remember smiling or laughing at missing a scoring chance. It was my first NHL game, my first shift and you get robbed by Martin Brodeur.

"It could be a lot worse."

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks goalie Ryan Miller will be extra cautious facing the Buffalo Sabres for the first time Friday.

Buffalo picked Miller in the fifth round (No. 138) in the 1999 NHL Draft, and he played his first 12 seasons in the Sabres organization before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues late last season. The 34-year-old goaltender expects to feel awkward playing against his former team.

"It's going to be a little bit strange," said Miller, who signed a three-year contract with Vancouver last summer. "I will pay special attention not to pass the puck towards the Buffalo symbol."

NEW YORK -- Retired New Jersey Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko, affectionately called "Mr. Devil" by many fans, watched with interest the retirement announcement by good friend and former teammate Martin Brodeur at Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Thursday.

One thing immediately struck him.

"I didn't see the New Jersey Devils logo in the background," Daneyko said with a grin. "It was a little awkward, I'm not going to lie. I guess I'm a little selfish. I would have liked to have seen the big Devils logo back there.

"Maybe down the road we will see Marty in front of the Devils logo because this was a subdued press conference [in St. Louis]. We're going to have, more sooner than later, the retirement night and jersey raising to the rafters. Maybe then we'll be able to soak in a little more about what Marty meant to the New Jersey Devils and the career he had."

There are plenty of superlatives to describe the career of Martin Brodeur, but one word that seems to stick out is longevity.

Brodeur was around professional hockey for parts of three decades and two centuries, leaving his footprint on the game again and again. His tour of the professional hockey world lasted 24 years in total, and here are some of the most important dates and moments from that journey.

June 16, 1990: The New Jersey Devils select Brodeur with the 20th pick in the NHL Draft, held at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

March 26, 1992: Brodeur makes his NHL debut and picks up his first victory in a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins. Brodeur saved 24 of the 26 shots he faced.