The NHL's March 21 trade deadline (3 p.m. ET) is approaching. Speculation over which players will be on the move continues to grow as the big day draws near.
Most trades leading up to the deadline tend to involve non-playoff clubs shedding pending unrestricted free agents they cannot afford to sign or who no longer fit into their plans. The return is usually for draft picks and prospects, with the receiving team hoping one of them will one day blossom into a talent equivalent of the player traded away.
Occasionally, an actual hockey trade involving a swap of players takes place, like the Washington Capitals trading Jakub Vrana to the Detroit Red Wings for Anthony Mantha at last year's trade deadline.