The NHL's Feb. 29 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

To Be Determined

Whether the Vancouver Canucks are buyers or sellers will likely depend on the success (or lack thereof) on their upcoming schedule, writes Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun. The Canucks play eight of their next 11 games at home and currently do not hold a playoff spot in the Western Conference. If Vancouver can get themselves back in the postseason hunt, then general manager Jim Benning might be interested in acquiring a few assets to get them over the hump, says Ziemer. If they start to slide the other way, there could be some notable names on the move. Forwards Radim Vrbata and Brandon Prust as well as defenceman Dan Hamhuis will all be unrestricted free-agents come July 1 and have good chances of being moved, according to Ziemer.

Fire Sale?

Sam Carchidi of Philly.com thinks the Philadelphia Flyers will be sellers at the Trade Deadline. The Flyers are five points out of the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Carchidi writes that if general manager Ron Hextall decides to become a seller at the deadline, then defencemen Mark Streit and Nick Schultz as well as winger Matt Read could be on the move. Streit, 38, and Schultz, 33, have two more years left on their current contracts while Read has three more years. On the other hand, if the Flyers want to become buyers, Carchidi thinks Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd or even Jonathan Drouin could be viable options.

All Eyes on Tampa

Steven Stamkos will become a free-agent on July 1 if a contract extension is not reached with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a recent column, Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune speculated on possible suitors (including teams looking for a rental and ones that could sign him to an extension) for the superstar forward if the Bolts decide to shop Stamkos before the Feb. 29 deadline. Teams include the Blues, Canucks, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Rangers and Wild.