NASHVILLE – The Nashville Predators sent a message Sunday to the rest of the NHL when they acquired defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli from the Toronto Maples Leafs. They are all-in to make a push for the Stanley Cup this season.

Nashville general manager David Poile said if things go according to plan, he doesn’t anticipate making any more moves before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2 at 3 p.m. ET. He seems confident that Nashville’s roster has enough to do some damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"That seems to be the trend around the League with teams that feel that they are going for it, which we certainly feel like we have a good chance to try to bolster our lineup and add depth," Predators forward Eric Nystrom said. "I definitely think we did that with this trade, so that was good. We’re a confident team regardless but any time you can improve your team, that’s the idea."

TORONTO -- Olli Jokinen made his way through the crowd of waiting reporters outside the dressing room of the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility and shook his head in bewilderment.

"Wow, Toronto," he said.

The 15-year veteran had been traded Sunday to the Maple Leafs from the Nashville Predators, who do not quite attract such massive media coverage. How long will his stay in Toronto be? That is not certain.

Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis said the goal is to get Jokinen in peak playing form in hopes that a contender for the Stanley Cup Playoffs may wish to acquire him to add depth to its organization.

Jokinen was asked how long he expects to be with the Maple Leafs.

"I don't know," Jokinen said. "Right now I am a Maple Leaf and I'll probably take it day by day."

Who will be this year's Marian Gaborik and Martin St. Louis?

That's one of several interesting and as yet unanswered questions with the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline approaching March 2 at 3 p.m. ET. That is two weeks away. Before the flurry of deadline deals, let's take a look back at what transpired leading up to the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline.

The Los Angeles Kings acquired Gaborik on deadline day last year; the right wing led the NHL with 14 goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and helped the Kings with their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons.

The New York Rangers acquired St. Louis on deadline day last year; the right wing helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final with 15 points in 25 playoff games, including the overtime winner in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He was also an inspiration for playing after the death of his mother during the second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators have never gotten past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They want to change that this year.

The Predators, who lead the overall NHL standings entering the final third of the season, acquired defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday for forward Olli Jokinen, forward prospect Brendan Leipsic and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

It's a return to Nashville for both players. Franson was drafted by the Predators in the third round (No. 78) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Santorelli was selected by the Predators in the sixth round (No. 178) a year earlier.

TORONTO – By trading veterans Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli the Toronto Maple Leafs may have indicated they're willing to commence on a full-scale rebuild, and it could take a while.

The Maple Leafs traded Franson, 27, and Santorelli, 29, to the Nashville Predators on Sunday for Nashville's first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft along with forwards Brendan Leipsic and Olli Jokinen. Franson and Santorelli are both impending unrestricted free agents.

Toronto general manager Dave Nonis was asked if the trade is the first of many to come before the March 2 deadline. He said not necessarily.

"We're going to make moves whenever they come about if we feel they can help us," Nonis said. "Whether or not there are a lot more between now and the deadline I really couldn't say. It's not like we're trying to move out our whole roster. If there are deals that will help us move the team forward we will look to do that. In this case we're talking about two players that are unrestricted and we couldn't risk not getting something for them. If we couldn't re-sign them it was important we got some assets back for them."

The Nashville Predators have acquired defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli from theToronto Maple Leafs for a 2015 first-round pick, veteran forward Olli Jokinen and prospect Brendan Leipsic.

Nashville has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past two seasons, but leads the Western Conference with 82 points in Peter Laviolette's first year as coach.

"In preparation for the 2015 playoff run, our goal was to add a veteran defenseman who could play in all situations and a proven forward who could move up and down lineup based on the situation," general manager David Poile said in a statement. "We were fortunate to do this in the same transaction with players who are in the prime of their careers more than two weeks before the [NHL] Trade Deadline in order to give them more time to contribute and jell with their teammates.

NASHVILLE – New Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers is looking forward to starting the next chapter of his career Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

Myers was traded from the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday with forward Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux, and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft for forward Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goaltending prospect Jason Kasdorf. He joins a Jets team in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoff race in the Western Conference.

"I'm excited," Myers said. "I see the position these guys were in before we came and always playing against them, they play a hard game. To be stepping in to be a part of that now, it's very exciting as a player.

"It was a pretty quick turnaround. [My] agent called me in the morning and said 'It's looking like it could get done.' A few hours later, we were on a flight connecting in Atlanta so there wasn't really much time to think about it or let it sink in."

Left wing Evander Kane said he is looking forward to a "fresh start" with the Buffalo Sabres after being traded to them by the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.

"I'm definitely glad to be moving on and I'm going to have a fresh start with a new team," Kane told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com. "I'm looking forward to the future for sure."

That future won't start until next season because Kane is sidelined after surgery to repair his left shoulder. He told LeBrun the timing of the surgery was not based on him being scratched from a game last week and a reported problem with some teammates.

"I had it (the shoulder injury) last year and it got worse over the last two months," Kane said. "And actually, when they went in there to do the surgery, they found a hole in my shoulder as well and some other things they had to fix. It was a little more complicated than everyone thought at first, so it's really good we got it fixed now.

"That some people thought I was having surgery just to end my season, that's so not true. That's the biggest thing I want to make clear."

The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets started the run-up to the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline with a bang Wednesday, completing a blockbuster trade that sends forward Evander Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian to the Buffalo Sabres for a package that includes defenseman Tyler Myers, forward Drew Stafford, two prospects and a first-round pick.

"It’s nice to go somewhere where you feel wanted and you feel that they want to put you in a situation to have success," Kane told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com.

Buffalo holds three first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft. The Sabres have previously acquired first-round picks in this draft from the New York Islanders and the St. Louis Blues. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the Sabres will decide which pick is transferred to complete the trade.

"This was not a knee-jerk reaction," Cheveldayoff said, noting there was strong interest in Kane from several teams. "I'm excited what this trade brings to our organization. … I feel good with the 'now,' but I’m really excited about the prospects of the future in this whole deal."

BUFFALO -- For the second straight season, the Buffalo Sabres have shaken up their roster in a big way near the NHL Trade Deadline.

The Sabres traded defenseman Tyler Myers, forward Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a 2015 first-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets for forward Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goaltender Jason Kasdorf.

"It was shocking," Sabres forward Marcus Foligno said. "Obviously Myers and [Stafford] have been here for a long time. They're great guys, good guys in the room. It's tough to see some good friends leave, but that's the business of this game and each day you just have to wake up and go with it."

Buffalo later traded goaltender Jhonas Enroth to the Dallas Stars for goaltender Anders Lindback and a conditional 2016 third-round pick.