An NHL scout for an Eastern Conference team hit San Jose on Thursday with plans to make one more stop in the West on Friday before heading home. He had only one concern.

“I hope I get there before all the trades are made,” the scout said.

The anticipation and media build-up to Monday’s noon trade deadline is being dealt a serious blow as general managers get into the frenzy early this year. If you consider the Winnipeg-Buffalo seven-player blockbuster consummated on Feb. 11 the start of it all, 28 players and 14 draft picks have been moved in a dozen deals as of Friday.

If the trend continues, even with a trickle, on Saturday and Sunday, I know which way I’d lean with regards to the Las Vegas odds provided by Bovada on Monday’s player movement — 15½ for an over/under on trades and 28½ on players involved.

Focusing on the Sharks, it’s understood the team will be sellers. Goalie Antti Niemi, forwards James Sheppard, Tyler Kennedy and Andrew Desjardins plus defensemen Scott Hannan and Matt Irwin all have expiring contracts. And GM Doug Wilson is stockpiling picks while clearing salary-cap space to put the club in a position to strike in the offseason.

That’s not to say all of the pending unrestricted free agents — most, if not all, of whom are not in San Jose’s future plans — will get moved by the deadline. But a couple will, assuming Wilson can get some value in return.

It’s assumed, too, that Wilson has done his due diligence and circled back with his veterans, including forwards Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, to ask if they’ve reconsidered their stance of not wanting to waive no-trade clauses if an intriguing offer comes along.

Thornton, especially, doesn’t appear to be the happy camper we’re used to seeing. His play on the ice hasn’t dipped one bit, however. He reached the 40-assist plateau Thursday for the 12th time in 13 seasons, and his 892 helpers rank 20th all-time, just two behind Phil Housley.

Matt York / Associated Press

But that kind of a deal, considering the cap hit a team would have to assume — $6.750 million for Thornton and $6.667 million for Marleau — is pretty hard to swallow at this time of the year. Then again, a Stanley Cup-contending team like Chicago suddenly has a need for top-end skill.

The best the Sharks can hope for is a hockey deal involving Niemi in which the team can get younger and potentially better in goal (hello Toronto, and Jonathan Bernier). Otherwise, it’s a time to sit back and watch what others do, assuming there’s anything left to do Monday.

Couture fined: The league fined Sharks forward Logan Couture a maximum $5,000 for slew-footing Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith late in Thursday’s game. Couture was assessed a tripping penalty while Smith drew a minor for hooking. Smith did not return after taking an awkward fall, but Detroit coach Mike Babcock said he was OK afterward.

Bad odds either way: As of Friday, the Sharks had only a 23.9 percent chance of extending their playoff appearance run to 11 seasons. Even worse, San Jose had a 2 percent chance of landing the top draft pick if, as a non-playoff team, it were to be part of the Connor McDavid sweepstakes.

Sens warning: Sharks coach Todd McLellan heeded a warning about Saturday’s opponent. “We’ve got an Ottawa team coming in with back-to-back shutouts on the road, and I know they play just as hard as Detroit did, so we have to find a way to get better.”

Is team fragile? McLellan, again, when asked if his team is fragile. “I think its belief system is not as high as it needs to be. So I guess if you want to call that fragile, I guess it possibly is.”

Slap shots: The Flames are remaining tight-lipped about the upper-body injury that top defenseman Mark Giordano suffered late in Wednesday’s win against the Islanders. Calgary has come a long way as a surprise West playoff contender, and Giordano’s loss could be pivotal. … Does trading for a player (Nathan Horton) who may never play again just to dump a bad contract (David Clarkson) save Toronto GM Dave Nonis’ job? I think not. … And I just can’t wait to find out where Antoine Ver mette lands. Has it really come to that?

Ross McKeon is a freelance writer. Twitter: @rossmckeon

Sharks on Saturday

Who: Senators (26-23-10) at Sharks (30-24-8)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: SAP Center

TV/Radio: CSNCA/98.5