Whose trade stock has changed the most in the past week?
Scott Burnside: It's more than a bit shocking to see the Tampa Bay Lightning last in the Eastern Conference. But that's where they are. Now, like everyone else in the compacted East, the Lightning aren't totally out of it, but the days leading up to the March 1 trade deadline will be difficult ones for GM Steve Yzerman. Which brings us to goalie Ben Bishop, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and really doesn't fit the Bolts' long-term plans. Injury and uneven play have made it a difficult season for Bishop, but he has turned in two solid performances in a row, including a 28-save shutout of the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. With the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues enduring goaltending woes that could have implications on playoff participation, Bishop's recent resurgence could prompt renewed interest in the big netminder.
Craig Custance: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is always going to leave you a little underwhelmed with his offensive production -- he has one goal in seven games since he returned in late January from his back injury -- but the fact that he continues to log big minutes for coach Dan Bylsma is a good sign for teams monitoring his health. He played more than 27 minutes in an overtime loss to the New York Rangers last week and has played well over 20 minutes in all but one game since returning. Perhaps most important to his stock is that the Sabres are stuck in neutral and haven't strung together the win streak necessary to get in a playoff spot. The Sabres were getting calls on Kulikov even before he returned, and there will be even more interest as the deadline gets closer.
Joe McDonald: Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk's name has been churning the rumor mill for months, especially with the Blues trying to remain in the playoff hunt. If they move the pending unrestricted free agent, they want a big-time return, such as a top prospect and a first-round pick. Because the 2017 draft isn't very strong, teams would be OK with giving up a first-rounder for an opportunity to land a player the caliber of Shattenkirk. Many teams won't be looking for rentals -- if they are giving up assets, they'll want a player to be around for more than the rest of the season -- and Shattenkirk will sign somewhere for $6 million-plus as an unrestricted free agent. The Boston Bruins should kick the tires on the 28-year-old blueliner, especially with captain Zdeno Chara nearing the end of his career.
Pierre LeBrun: The Dallas Stars' Patrick Eaves is a pending unrestricted free agent and has 19 goals, one off his career high, which he set with the Ottawa Senators 11 years ago. Talk about under the radar. He can slide up and down your lineup; he's a versatile player. At a $1 million cap hit, that's peanuts and music to the ears of playoff-bound teams with very little cap room. Now, the Stars are still holding out hope for their own playoff run, but if they become sellers, Eaves is a real sneaky target. Plus, the Stars could always try to bring him back July 1.