Steven Stamkos maps his next move as trade rumors heat up around the league's deadline frenzy. The Kings zero in on Thomas while circling the Stanley Cup sweepstakes, signaling LA brass wants proven snipers to punch up their attack. Front-office whispers suggest Stamkos holds all the cards in a market where contenders pay top dollar for game-breakers who deliver in May.

The NHL shakes off the Olympic break as teams hit the ice Wednesday with 11 days ticking down to the March 6 trade deadline. Front offices scramble amid tight wild-card races, where bubble squads like the Flames, Sabres, Blue Jackets, and Predators weigh buying or selling. Veterans such as Blake Coleman and Steven Stamkos brace for tough calls, knowing one hot streak or cold snap flips the script on contenders and pretenders alike.

Steven Stamkos brushes off the trade chatter with a shrug, telling insiders he's not sweating the deadline even as Nashville sorts its playoff push. Predators management weighs keeping their captain against bolstering the blue line, a decision that could swing their postseason fate. With Stamkos' no-movement clause in play, any deal hinges on his nod, and league execs whisper this saga shapes buyer-seller lines league-wide.

The New York Islanders sit in the eye of the storm as the Olympic roster freeze ticks down to its Sunday night end, with just 13 days until the March 6 trade deadline. Losing Kyle Palmieri to a season-ending ACL tear has left a gaping hole in their top-six scoring, and GM Mathieu Darche knows the league's rumor mill already hums with names like Steven Stamkos or Jordan Kyrou to plug it.

With the Olympic roster freeze lifting soon, GMs across the league huddle over mock trade boards, eyeing top targets like Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton from a restless New Jersey Devils squad desperate to jolt their locker room. Edmonton's pivot to defense has names like Connor Murphy and Justin Faulk circling their radar, while Los Angeles scouts replacements for the injured Kevin Fiala, whispering about a Stamkos reunion.

Blackhawks fans brace for a wild post-Olympic ride as playoff brackets shake out and the Western Conference lights up the scoresheet. Los Angeles Kings chart a tricky path forward without Kevin Fiala, who's out for the year after that Olympic leg breaker, forcing GM Ken Holland to eye scorers like Steven Stamkos amid their $15 million cap war chest.