The NHL’s trade deadline remains smore than a month away, set for March 6, but the impending Feb. 4 roster freeze has action heating up around the league. TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest news and rumours ahead of the freeze and will return after for the final Countdown to TradeCentre.

Follow all the latest trades here and the most up to date signings here.

Panarin Watch Continues

All eyes are on the New York Rangers and winger Artemi Panarin ahead of Wednesday’s roster freeze, but with just over 48 hours to go, it does not appear a trade is imminent.

Panarin is being held out of the Rangers lineup as the team looks to move him, but TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said Monday on First Up there “doesn’t appear to be any eager takers” for Panarin, who is looking for a contract extension of four years at roughly $11 million per season.

The 34-year-old controls his destiny in trade talks as he holds a full no-move clause as part of his expiring deal at a cap hit of $11.64 million.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN reported last week that 14 clubs had already expressed interest in Panarin with more teams expected to follow. He listed the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken in the Western Conference, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders in the East.

TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston have pointed to the New York’s Metropolitan Division rivals in the Capitals and Hurricanes as among the more legitimate suitors in the chase.

Panarin has 19 goals and 38 assists in 52 games this season, on pace to top the point-per-game mark for the ninth straight season. The 34-year-old scored a career-high 49 goals and 120 points for the Rangers in 2023-24.

New York has lost all three games since moving Panarin to the press box and sit third-last in the NHL with a 22-28-6 record.

Will the deadline spur action?

Last week saw a good number of teams making deals ahead of the roster freeze, including the New York Islanders acquiring two players in Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat to boost their playoff hopes.

Dreger said he expects some more trade action before the roster freeze, but isn’t convinced a flurry of activity awaits before window closes for three weeks.

Instead, he believes certain general managers like Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues could wait until after the Olympics to let the price continue to build on players who could be sold off unless they are blown away by an offer.

The Blues are shaping up as a clear seller, though it remains unclear how deep a reset for the team could go with players like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Binnington potentially available if the team elects to make a significant change.

St. Louis currently second-last in the Western Conference, 11 points back of the Los Angeles Kings for the final playoff spot. The Blues made a second-half surge to the playoffs last year, but have not shown signs of making that same charge yet this season.

Who could be on the move in Calgary?

The Calgary Flames have already set their course as sellers ahead of the trade deadline, having sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights last month.

Kent Wilson of the Calgary Sun believes Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and Zach Whitecloud, who was just acquired in the Andersson deal, will draw the most interest on the team ahead of the deadline. He also believes the Flames should part with one of Brayden Pachal or Joel Hanley to make room on the blueline for prospect Zayne Parekh to make the jump to the NHL next season.

Kadri has nine goals and 35 points in 54 games this season. At 35, he doesn’t fit Calgary’s rebuild timeline, but remains signed through 2028-29 at a cap hit of $7 million, which Wilson believes the Flames will have to retain a portion of to move him.

He argues the Flames will be less inclined to move Coleman or Whitecloud, but would do so if their asking price is met.

Coleman, who has 13 goals and 21 points in 44 games this season, has been ruled out through the Olympic break with an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old winger is under contract through next season at cap hit of $4.9 million.

Whitecloud has one assist in six games with the Flames since joining the team. He had two goals and seven points in 47 games with Vegas prior to being dealt. A Stanley Cup champion with the Golden Knights in 2023, the 29-year-old blueliner remains signed through 2027-28 at an affordable cap hit of $2.75 million.

The Flames are 10 points back of the Los Angeles Kings for the playoff spot in the Western Conference, on track to miss the postseason for the fourth straight year.