Top storylines before NHL Trade Deadline include Toews, Kane decisions

The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline is less than a month away and coming into focus.

The deadline is set for 3 p.m. ET on March 3 and, as usual, there is plenty of movement expected in advance of it.
Here are 10 storylines to follow in the lead-up to the big deadline day.

Toews and Kane

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will forever be linked together for what they accomplished with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015), but also might be linked forever because of how they leave Chicago, if they do so.
The veteran forwards are pending unrestricted free agents, in the last season of matching eight-year contracts they signed July 9, 2014. Each could be traded before the deadline with the Blackhawks (15-29-5) last in the Central Division and clearly rebuilding.
Each must agree to be traded because of clauses in his contract, which makes it anything but a lock either will be moved, but if they give the thumbs-up it only makes sense for the Blackhawks to trade them in order to add more pieces to their rebuild.
Kane has 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 46 games. Toews has 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 46 games. Kane is second in Blackhawks history with 1,215 points (439 goals, 776 assists), and Toews is sixth with 880 (371 goals, 509 assists).
Forward Max Domi is also a pending UFA who the Blackhawks could trade. He leads Chicago with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 49 games.

Blues clues

The St. Louis Blues have to figure out what they're going to do before the deadline because they have some players who will generate a lot of interest from contending teams if they are made available on the market.
Forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly are pending UFAs. So are forwards Ivan Barbashev and Noel Acciari.
The returns for Tarasenko and O'Reilly will likely help the Blues in the future if they decide it's time to retool or rebuild. They haven't made that decision yet.
St. Louis (23-25-3) is sixth in the Central and nine points behind the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

Larkin's situation

Dylan Larkin is coming off a five-goal performance at the 2023 Honda All-Star Game. He's the Detroit Red Wings' leading scorer with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 48 games and is their captain. He's also in the last season of a five-year contract and a pending UFA.
Larkin said during the 2023 Honda All-Star Weekend that he sees himself only as a Red Wing and wants to stay, but he also talked about the obvious, that contract negotiations are difficult and there is no guarantee that he will remain in Detroit.
Considering the Red Wings (21-20-8) are seventh in the Atlantic Division and nine points out of a playoff position, it makes sense for them to use the trade deadline as a signing deadline for Larkin. If they can't get him signed, a trade is likely.

Pastrnak's contract

Unlike the Red Wings and Larkin, there's close to a zero percent chance that the Boston Bruins would remotely entertain the idea of trading forward David Pastrnak considering they're in line to finish as the Presidents' Trophy winners this season and be a favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
But Pastrnak is a pending UFA, and the Bruins want to get him signed.
It's possible they agree on a new contract before the deadline. If they don't, it won't be the end of the world for Boston, but getting it done sooner rather than risk the prospect of losing him later is key for the Bruins and Pastrnak.

Storm brewing

The Carolina Hurricanes acquired forward Max Pacioretty before the season to be an impact goal-scorer. He has played five games and is out for the season after reinjuring his Achilles on Jan. 19.
Pacioretty's loss leaves an opening for the Hurricanes to add before the deadline. He carries a $7 million NHL salary cap charge, but with him on long-term injured reserve, Carolina has that amount open to add, making it a team to watch.

Shark bites

Timo Meier is a pending restricted free agent, and the San Jose Sharks must decide if they're going to re-sign or trade the 26-year-old forward, who leads them with 30 goals in 52 games.
It's a big decision that comes with a lot of layers. If unsigned, Meier will reportedly have to be given a qualifying offer of $10 million as an RFA. If that doesn't happen, he would become a UFA on July 1.
The qualifying offer on a one-year contract might be prohibitive, but the Sharks do not want to lose him for nothing. They also might not be inclined to sign him to a long-term contract because of the return value they could get in a trade.
Any team that acquires Meier will likely want to sign him for the long term.
San Jose also has defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is reportedly drawing interest in the trade market despite having four years remaining on his contract. Karlsson is having a resurgent season, leading NHL defensemen with 69 points (17 goals, 52 assists) in 52 games.
If the Sharks don't trade Karlsson before the deadline it will be revisited after the season.

Reigniting the Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights (30-18-4) lead the Pacific Division but are one point ahead of the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings, who are tied for second with 63 points.
But Vegas, which is two points ahead of the fourth-place Edmonton Oilers, was 1-5-2 while scoring 2.00 goals per game since Jan. 14, all without captain Mark Stone in the lineup, before a 5-1 against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
Stone is out indefinitely after the forward had back surgery Jan. 31. If the Golden Knights think he won't be able to return in the regular season, they can put him on long-term injured reserve and free up some cap space to add before the deadline.
That doesn't mean the Golden Knights will or should be buyers. Their position will likely be determined closer to the deadline. They have nine games before March 3 and if they can play their way out of a slump without Stone, then they might be aggressive buyers. If they can't, they might go the other way.
Vegas has converted at 5.6 percent on the power play in its nine games since Jan. 14 after doing so at 25.6 percent in its first 43 games.

Vancouver's next move

The Vancouver Canucks already traded forward Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders on Jan. 30. The pending UFA represented the Islanders but played for the Pacific Division in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Saturday.
The Canucks (20-26-4) might continue to be busy in advance of the deadline as they attempt to retool their roster during a disappointing season. They are sixth in the Pacific with 44 points, 14 out of a playoff spot in the West.
However, Horvat was the best so-called rental player the Canucks could move. Their other pending UFAs are defensemen Luke Schenn and Kyle Burroughs, and goalie Collin Delia. It's possible Vancouver's next bit of big business comes in the offseason.

Metropolitan buyers

The Islanders already showed they're buyers with the addition of Horvat. The Hurricanes are expected to be. The New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals should also be in the market to beef up their playoff chances.
The six teams in the Metropolitan Division are vying for a maximum of five playoff spots and they're all in win-now mode, which makes it an interesting race to the deadline.
The Devils might be the most interesting of the group because they're the newcomers, having not made the playoffs since 2018, the only time they've gotten in since going to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. They could look to add a big piece.
The Rangers showed the value of being aggressive buyers last season, when they got forwards Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano and Tyler Motte, and defenseman Justin Braun, additions who helped them reach the Eastern Conference Final. They are likely going to be in the market for a right wing that can play in their top nine forwards.
The Penguins and Capitals, in position to be the respective first and second wild cards from the East, are trying to keep their championship windows alive.

Defensemen on the move

The list of defensemen who could be traded is long, intriguing and led by Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.
Chychrun is not a pending UFA. He has two years remaining on his contract but has long been rumored to be on the move, and at some point the Coyotes might have to pull the trigger. They're in no rush because of his contract, but if the return is right, they will do it.
Arizona also has Shayne Gostisbehere, a pending UFA who could help any team with a struggling power play (Islanders? Golden Knights?).
Matt Dumba is a pending UFA, and there has been recent speculation that he is drawing interest and the Minnesota Wild could move him.
But with the Wild competing to get into the playoffs, a straight trade for picks and prospects wouldn't make sense, so it's possible they could look to trade Dumba for those assets and then move them to help their center depth for this season.
Other pending UFA defensemen who could be moved include John Klingberg and Kevin Shattenkirk from the Anaheim Ducks, Vladislav Gavrikov from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Travis Hamonic and Nick Holden from the Ottawa Senators, and Olli Maatta from the Red Wings.