(Extra) point, Laine.
Still in hot pursuit of the No. 2 overall draft selection this summer along with his countryman, Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine gave scouts a taste of what he can accomplish in space (and in overtimes over the next few decades), dazzling in a 3-on-3 scenario over the weekend.
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If Steve Yzerman gets his wish, Jonathan Drouin will not be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning come the NHL's Feb. 29 trade deadline.
"I definitely prefer to deal him sooner than later, it would be better for everyone," the Lightning general manager told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday.
"A lot of things factor into it when making the trade, a lot of things to consider here. But number one is, 'Can I do something involving Jonathan that benefits the team that makes us better right now that helps us for the playoffs?' I'd certainly like to do that."
Yzerman has targeted an area of need as his team prepares for another playoff run.
"If I could do something to help our power play, I'd like to do that," he said. "And that's going to be difficult to do."
Why? Because the Lightning are close to the salary-cap ceiling, and Drouin's still on his cost-effective entry-level contract.
"It's not just our salary cap, it's the team that you're trying to make a deal with salary cap too," Yzerman said. "That's what everybody doesn't really understand. When trying to make a deal involving players and contracts, it's got to work for both teams. It's not just mine. It proves challenging for everyone."
Drouin, who made a trade request back in November, was suspended by the Lightning on Jan. 20 for failing to report for an AHL game.
While there's believed to be several teams around the league interested in acquiring the young forward, it remains to be seen whether a deal can be pulled off prior to 3 p.m. ET on Monday.
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The Vancouver Canucks are ready and willing trade partners ahead of the NHL's Feb. 29 deadline.
The team has let it be known that Linden Vey, Matt Bartkowski, Ronalds Kenins, Adam Cracknell, Chris Higgins, Brandon Prust, and Yannick Weber are all available, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports.
Vey and Kenins are RFA at end of season. Cracknell, Bartkowski, Weber, Prust all UFA at season's end. Higgins has one year remaining.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 24, 2016
Missing from the list are more prominent and attractive trade targets like Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis, both of whom are set to become unrestricted free agents.
The Canucks sit well outside the Western Conference playoff picture with only two games remaining before the trade deadline, and appear to have resigned themselves to the role of sellers.
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There are trade deadline pickups, and there is Marian Gaborik.
The Tennessean's Adam Vingan tweeted an interesting list Wednesday, looking at the most productive players acquired by teams on deadline day itself, going back to 1980.
This is quite the list. Peter Mueller! Wojtek Wolski! pic.twitter.com/H76zKlLGDO
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) February 24, 2016
The last four decades are represented above, but Peter Mueller, drafted eighth overall in 2006 by the Arizona Coyotes, proved to be - with respect to points - the best last-minute buy. Now playing in Switzerland, the man Mueller was traded for is also on that list: Wojtek Wolski. He was a point-per-game player for the Coyotes after the trade.
The flashiest name on the list, though, is Marian Gaborik, who the Los Angeles Kings acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014. Gaborik had five goals and 16 points in 19 regular-season games after the trade, but he exploded in the playoffs. He scored 14 goals in 26 postseason games as the Kings won the Stanley Cup. Eleven of those 14 were scored at even strength, and he added eight assists.
Gaborik has 12 goals in 54 games this season. He's likely out until the playoffs. Two years is a long time ago.
Two unrestricted free agents ahead of this year's deadline are on the list: Lee Stempniak and Brian Campbell.
Stempniak, arguably the face of the trade deadline, is the New Jersey Devils' leading scorer, but he and his 41 points could reportedly be had at the right price. He's making pennies, and he's been through the deadline-day ringer before.
Campbell's in the final season of a contract paying him $7.14 million (carrying the same cap hit), but with the Florida Panthers looking towards the playoffs, there's no indication he's available. The defenseman has 24 points and is playing almost 22 minutes a game.
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Zach Parise did not accompany the Minnesota Wild as they embarked on a two-game road swing.
The forward - who has what the team is calling an upper-body ailment - isn't among his teammates as they prepare to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
After that game, the Wild will travel to Washington to battle the Capitals on Friday.
The Wild are already without forward Jason Zucker, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday due to a concussion.
Parise has 18 goals and 18 assists in 51 games.
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Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is apparently doing his due diligence ahead of Monday's trade deadline.
Sweeney has been very active speaking with other teams to try and gauge the trade market, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
Though much of the trade speculation coming out of Boston has revolved around pending unrestricted free agent Loui Eriksson, according to LeBrun the team has also been inquiring about adding pieces, "particularly on defense."
The Bruins hold down the eighth-worst goals against average this season, while giving up an average of 30.5 shots per game.
Related: 3 teams that can use Loui Eriksson
When it comes to Eriksson, LeBrun also believes the club has prepared for all three possible scenarios - either trading him, keeping him for a potential Stanley Cup run, or signing him to an extension - going into the deadline.
Boston currently holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Mike Babcock wants to make one thing clear: the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't intentionally losing games.
“If you think that I’m not trying to get these guys to play as hard as they can possibly play, you’re missing the boat,” Babcock told reporters after practice Wednesday, according to Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun.
“They give me a group and I do everything I can to help that team win. We go through how are we going to win."
The Leafs have lost four straight games, and seven of their last eight. Only the Edmonton Oilers have a worse record, and both teams have a league-low 50 points.
"We know what we’re doing, we know what our plan is, we know what we are trying to do long term, and I think we have been diligent about doing that," Babcock said. "We are working hard to try to get players better.”
General manager Lou Lamoriello has begun gutting the roster ahead of the Feb. 29 trade deadline, sending Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators in a nine-player swap, trading forward Shawn Matthias to the Colorado Avalanche, and dealing defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling to the San Jose Sharks.
Babcock believes the transaction involving his former captain will ultimately benefit both teams.
"Were we a better team when we had Dion Phaneuf? Yes," he said. "Is it a good trade for Ottawa right now? Yes. Is it going to be a good trade for the Leafs? Yes. That’s what a trade is. It’s good for both of you. Trading (Polak) - is that a good trade for the Leafs? Absolutely. Do we miss (him)? For sure.
"That’s black and white. There is no grey area. You don’t have to surmise anything. That’s the plan.”
That plan is seemingly focused on the future, no matter how hard the current players and their head coach work to win now.
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St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Reaves was suspended three games Wednesday for boarding San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson.
Related - VIDEO: Blues' Reaves ejected for hit from behind on Sharks' Tennyson
Reaves received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct Monday after nailing Tennyson face-first into the boards.
Tennyson appeared unconscious as his head slammed onto the ice, and is dealing with concussion-like symptoms.
The NHL Department of Player Safety cites the fact Tennyson was "never eligible to be checked" on the play as a primary reason for the supplemental discipline.
It's the first time Reaves has been suspended in 324 career NHL games. The 29-year-old has two goals in 49 games this season.
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Drug charges against Washington Capitals forward Mike Richards were stayed by a Manitoba judge Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
The ruling means the prosecution won't move forward with the case, though the charges can be brought back within one year, the CBC reports.
Richards was arrested in June and charged with possession of a controlled substance after Canadian border authorities found him in possession of oxycodone. The arrest led the Los Angeles Kings to terminate his contract, though he reached a settlement with the team after filing an NHLPA grievance.
The 31-year-old has one goal in 15 games since signing with the Capitals on Jan. 6.
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