Cory Stillman

The Vancouver Canucks didn’t make a big splash in the free agent market this offseason, but then again, they didn’t need to.

When you have a team that was only one win away from winning the Stanley Cup, you shouldn’t need to make many changes. Instead, GM Mike Gillis focused on keeping several key pieces of the team in Vancouver in order to re-load for another run at the Stanley Cup in 2012.

It might not've been quite like last Friday's insane flurry of trades that truly resembled the trade deadline, but Thursday, February 24, four days before the deadline itself, has shaped us as another very busy day of deals.

While the Washington Capitals have a secure grip on a playoff spot, currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, they appear to be in need of a spark to ignite the team's offense for the stretch drive towards the playoffs.  The Capitals' powerplay, once considered to be the fiercest in the game, has sputtered this season, falling all the way to the 18th best in the league.  

The way the Flyers are rolling, it does not appear that they need to add a forward. However, rumors persist that GM Paul Holmgren is looking to do just that.

Perhaps he is ready to give up on Nikolay Zherdev, move Andreas Nodl to the fourth line for the playoffs, or trade James van Riemsdyk to make big deal. In any case, here is a list of forwards the Flyers could be pursuing with name, age, and 2010-11 salary cap number listed.

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The NHL trading deadline is right around the corner and it figures to be an active one for many teams fighting for a playoff spot.

A number of teams appear to be a piece or two away from that coveted championship puzzle.

Big names including Brad Richards, Tomas Vokoun, Corey Stillman, Jarome Iginla and Tomas Kaberle have been thrown around in trade rumors in recent weeks.

Will the Philadelphia Flyers be able to acquire the final part that will push them over the edge? What other playoff contenders can change the course of their season with a big move? 

Photo Credit: Paint It Blackhawks

Today's NHL world of salary caps, hidden bonuses, and strict roster regulations make it impossible to not understand why even the best players are often relegated to the free agent market.

But when teams dump stars just weeks after they helped the franchise win the NHL's biggest prize, the Stanley Cup, it's clear that a loyalty's broken. However, this has been done by more than a few of just the past 13 Cup Champions (1997-2010), and the most recent titlist, the Chicago Blackhawks, have truly re-opened the wound.