NHL Trade Buzz: Panthers take Sceviour off market

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are 14 days remaining until the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET; Feb. 26). Do the Florida Panthers have anything to sell? How much are the Tampa Bay Lightning willing to spend? Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings:

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers announced the signing of forward Colton Sceviour to a three-year contract Monday, removing a potential rental from the market.
Sceviour, 28, was a pending unrestricted free agent.
"Colton is a hard-working, versatile player who has become a key part of our success on the penalty kill," general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. "He has earned this contract extension through his dedicated work ethic, compete level and character. A reliable two-way player, Colton is an important part of our team both on the ice and in our locker room, for now and for the future."
The Panthers are nine points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, with four other teams to leapfrog. Though they have at least two games in hand on all of those teams, making the playoffs will be difficult.
That said, they are focused on developing this group under first-year coach Bob Boughner and don't have much, if anything, to sell. With Sceviour locked up, their only pending unrestricted free agents are forward Radim Vrbata, who has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 35 games and has been scratched the past five, and goaltender Harri Sateri, who will return to the No. 3 role when Roberto Luongo returns from a lower-body injury, likely this week.

Tampa Bay Lightning

General manager Steve Yzerman won't be too aggressive even though the Tampa Bay Lightning sit atop the NHL standings and have an excellent shot at the Stanley Cup.
"At the trade deadline, any deal you make you're paying more than at any time during the season," Yzerman told the Tampa Bay Times on Sunday.
"I weigh any opportunity with what it's going to cost. I can give up five first-round picks and every prospect we have and it still won't guarantee the Stanley Cup."

The Lightning have been relying too much on goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, whom coach Jon Cooper has called their most valuable player, and could use help on defense. Big names could be available, including Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson and New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, but would command premium prices.
Center Brayden Point, 21, and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, 19, are "untouchable," according to the Times. Though the Lightning have all their picks for the next three drafts and attractive prospects, Yzerman sounded reluctant to part with much.
"You talk about the assets -- I'm not just giving them away for the sake of making a trade," Yzerman said. "Every deal is different. The cost of the move has to make sense to me."

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello threw a curveball to reporters Monday regarding forward Josh Leivo.
"Josh has never made a trade request to my knowledge," Lamoriello said.

Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported Feb. 3 that Leivo told the Maple Leafs he would like to be traded by the deadline if they weren't going to use him.
Leivo, 24, signed a one-year contract extension on Nov. 18 but has played 12 games this season, none since Dec. 31, with three points (goal, two assists). He has been a healthy scratch because he would have to clear waivers to go to the American Hockey League.
"I do want to play for the Maple Leafs," Leivo told reporters Feb. 5. "That's why I signed for another year. But at the same time, I just want to play."
It might be semantics, but each side is in a difficult spot. The Maple Leafs valued Leivo enough to sign him to an extension. At the very least, he provides depth in the short term and potential in the long term. But their lineup is stacked, and he needs to play to reach that potential.