WOULD A TRADE BENEFIT THE B'S?

With the March 1 trade deadline rapidly approaching, many GM's are looking for that one extra piece that could get their team over the hump. One of those teams, the Boston Bruins, are in an ideal situation. At 39-8-6, Boston has a 14-point lead on second place Washington in the Eastern Conference standings, and an acquisition certainly isn't a necessity, but more of a luxury for Peter Chiarelli's team. While one addition could key a long playoff run, the Bruins certainly shouldn't overpay for a two month rental.

One of the names being bounced around the rumor mill is Eric Cole of the Edmonton Oilers. Despite the Oilers still being in the playoff hunt, trading Cole might benefit them if they are unable to come to terms with the left wing on a long term deal, as his contract expires at the end of the season. According to ESPN.com, an Edmonton scout has been watching the Bruins as of late and Boston may have to part with defenseman Matt Hunwick and/or Vladimir Sobotka to complete any deal. Instead of trading two talented young players for a rental player (Cole is making $4 million this season and the Bruins don't have the cap space to re-sign him), I'd rather see Chiarelli move just one prospect for someone like Keith Tkachuk. If St. Louis would be willing to take Sobotka for Tkachuk straight up, or even Sobotka and a mid-level prospect like Johnny Boychuk, the Bruins would benefit greatly.

Another name being thrown around is Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers, and Boston would be flat out stupid to trade for the 6'4 blue-liner. Not only do the Bruins not have the cap space to sign Bouwmeester, with Phil Kessel, David Krejci, Tim Thomas, and (possibly) Manny Fernandez needing to be re-signed, but they would be forced to mortgage their future as well. The Boston Globe speculates that the B's would have to part with either Milan Lucic or Blake Wheeler in a package for Bouwmeester, which they absolutely should not do.

With such a big lead in the standings, any move the Bruins make would be strictly to get them over the hump this season. With a left-handed shot for the power play as their top priority, Tkachuk, Cole, or even Nik Antropov of the Leafs would be great additions to Boston's roster. Whatever happens, the Bruins shouldn't gamble their future, so they should only deal if the price is right.

5 PLAYERS WHO MAY BE SWITCHING UNIFORMS

Thankfully, now that the All-Star game is done with, we can get back to the real games left on the schedule. And, as the season progresses, we come closer and closer to the March 1 trade deadline. The more we inch towards that fateful date, the more rumors swirl and fans become frenzied. While there is still more than a month remaining until the deadline, here are five big name players who may be switching uniforms at some point in the near future.

Vincent Lecavalier- Tampa Bay Lightning
Lecavalier, who just signed a contract extension (it begins after the season) to stay in Tampa Bay for the next 11 seasons, is certainly the hottest rumor right now. The Vinny to Montreal deal supposedly includes Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins, and Josh Gorges headed back to the Lighting. Nobody really knows if this is at all accurate, but the rumors surrounding Tampa's captain certainly won't die.

Marian Gaborik- Minnesota Wild
Gaborik's injury history may hurt his value. The fact that he is hurt now will probably decrease the chances he is dealt, depending on how he plays when he returns. But the one reason Gaborik may be traded is the fact that the Wild haven't been able to sign him to an extension, and he becomes a free agent at the end of the year. If Minnesota wants to get anything in return, their only option is to deal their star player.

Jason Spezza- Ottawa Senators
The Sens terrible season makes them candidates to unload some of their higher priced veterans. Spezza, who has 18 goals on the season, could be the odd man out. The Sens could get some key pieces in return, and would clear cap space, as Spezza is making upwards of $5 million this season.

Jay Bouwmeester-Florida Panthers
Bouwmeester keeps rejecting Florida's attempts at signing him long term. If that trend continues, the Panthers will have to unload their talented defenseman. Bouwmeester is young (25), he's good (26 points), and he's very well paid ($4,875,000). Whoever does deal for the Panther will want to sign him long term, so a team with cap space will be his most likely destination.

The Phoenix Coyotes--All of Them
The Coyotes financial troubles are pretty well known, and there is certainly a chance they could be forced to unload a ton of salary. Despite the standings--Phoenix currently sits in fifth in the Western Conference--high priced players like Olli Jokinen and Derek Morris could be on the way out. Maybe the headline should have read The Phoenix Coyotes--All of Them (Except Ed Jovanovski) because at $6.5 million per season for another two years, I don't think anybody will be willing to take on Jovanovski's monster contract.

It will be interesting to see what teams decide to do at the deadline. Trading any of these players could deplete rosters severely, yet open cap space for the future. At the same time any of these players could turn pretenders into contenders. Let the trading begin!