OPINION

By Craig Custance

updated 2:51 p.m. ET March 2, 2010

So who's left? The Olympic break created a much-earlier trade market than usual, taking some of the suspense out of the normal deadline rush. Ilya Kovalchuk was dealt before the break. Dion Phaneuf changed addresses. Cam Barker was shipped to the Wild.

The flurry of activity before the two-week trade freeze completely changed the dynamic of Wednesday's 3 p.m. deadline, thinning out the pool of available players.

But that hasn't slowed the conversations among general managers eager to improve their team for a playoff run. Florida GM Randy Sexton has been one of the most active players in the trade market — his latest deal sent Jordan Leopold to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick — and he’s probably not done.

He doesn't see today's deadline rush being much slower than in years past.

"I think activity will be brisk," he wrote in an E-mail. "There are still teams with an outside chance to make the playoffs, and the activity level will depend, to some degree, if those teams decide to buy or sell."

There are plenty of teams with decisions to make. Bubble teams such as Atlanta, Montreal, Dallas and Anaheim have players who would be attractive to contending teams, but they're close enough to a playoff spot that it might be a tough sell to fans if they started dumping players.

For some, salary cap issues make the decision an easy one. Detroit GM Ken Holland said he doesn't anticipate being a major player at the deadline because his team is so close to the cap.

"Our trade deadline (additions) will be a healthy (Johan) Franzen and healthy (Niklas) Kronwall," Holland said. "We'd just like to get our team together."

But here are six teams that could be busy:

Buyers
1. Los Angeles Kings: Dean Lombardi has been very patient in building the Kings and might just tinker a little by adding a veteran defenseman. Justin Williams' surprisingly quick recovery from an ankle injury lessens the need for help up front, but the Kings inquired about Carolina's Ray Whitney and former Thrasher Ilya Kovalchuk, so adding a winger is definitely a possibility.

2. Boston Bruins: Boston needs scoring in a big way and would love to add a top six forward. They have the ammunition to do it with spare first-round picks, courtesy of the Phil Kessel trade. "We're in on a couple deals," GM Peter Chiarelli told the Boston Globe, which reported that the team also could be in the market for a puck-moving defenseman. It makes a lot of sense for Boston to at least explore the idea of rekindling talks with Toronto about Tomas Kaberle, even though Kaberle’s agent says he won’t waive his no-trade clause.

3. Phoenix Coyotes: Yes, the Coyotes. They're typically sellers this time of season, but GM Don Maloney has a green light from the league to add salary if a deal fits. The Coyotes’ power play has consistently been among the league's worst all season, so getting help there should be a priority. The issue for Maloney, who has done a fantastic job building a winning team under challenging circumstances, is balancing the future with trying to get in the playoffs this year.

Sellers
1. Florida Panthers: Sexton has already dealt two of his potential unrestricted free agents in Leopold and Dominic Moore. He did well to get second-round picks for each of them. But you get the sense more changes are on the way. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg could be moved, and if Florida can find a taker for forward Steven Reinprecht, he's a trade possibility. But the prize is Tomas Vokoun. He still has one year remaining on his contract, with a cap hit of $5.7 million next season. If a contender like the Blackhawks, Flyers or Capitals decide they need a goalie, Vokoun is the best available.

2. Carolina Hurricanes: We know Ray Whitney has drawn interest, but he's not the only Hurricane attractive to rival teams. "I am getting inquiries on more players than I expected," GM Jim Rutherford told Raleigh’s News and Observer. "That doesn't mean more players will be traded, but it's more inquiries than I anticipated." Defensemen Aaron Ward and Joe Corvo join Whitney as the best bets to be moved before the deadline.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs: Following the deals for Phaneuf and Giguere, GM Brian Burke boldly declared that the Leafs were still open for business. Kaberle is his most attractive asset, but that no-trade clause complicates the issue. The player most likely to be traded is 6-4 left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky. He had 19 goals through his first 61 games and is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

SportingNews.com Blackhawks re-sign defenseman Nick Boynton Leafs allow college prospect Sweatt to walk after dispute over contract Maple Leafs let Kaberle deadline pass; defenseman regains no-trade rights Canada beats United States to win third consecutive Ivan Hlinka tournament Patrick Kane brings Stanley Cup home to Buffalo

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