With the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline looming, it is an opportune time to examine candidates who may be moving to a contender.

Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks

Earlier this season, with Anaheim mired in a horrific slump, their GM made everyone available except for Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. This seemed to light a fire under the collective rears of the team's three stars Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Ryan is the most likely of the three to be available, but probably in the offseason. Anaheim isn't making the playoffs this year and the team could benefit from moving Visnovsky and his $5.6M on the books through next season. They obviously aren't a contender as is, but if they could get a couple of helpful younger pieces or draft pick compensation and cap room, that could really help them plan ahead. He has three seasons with 58+ points and is excellent on the power play, but not every team will want to commit beyond this year with the 35-year-old. Potential landing spots: St. Louis, Florida, New Jersey, Nashville, NY Islanders, Minnesota, Philadelphia.

Derek Roy, Drew Stafford & Brad Boyes, Buffalo Sabres

These three were supposed to provide offensive depth behind Thomas Vanek, especially on the power play. Instead, they have combined for six power play goals between them, and 60 points in total (with a combined -23 rating). All three carry $4M cap hits with him; Boyes is only signed for this year and would be a pure rental; Roy is signed through next season; Stafford has three more years after this one. New ownership poured an enormous amount of money into the roster and the facility and cannot be happy with the results, so a bit of a shakeup may be necessary. Roy once scored 80 points; Stafford scored 31 goals last year; Boyes scored 43 goals in what seems like centuries ago in 2007-08. There will be varying degrees of interest in each, but one has to think that Buffalo would be willing to listen on all accounts. Potential landing spots: Detroit, Nashville, Toronto, Los Angeles, Florida, Minnesota, Colorado.

Tuomo Ruutu & Jaroslav Spacek, Carolina Hurricanes

This is fairly simple: Carolina is not making the playoffs this year, and both of these players are slated to hit unrestricted free agency July 1st. While they have shown recently with Tim Gleason that if the trade offers aren't suitable, they will just try to resign their players, it appears that there are enough suitors for at least Ruutu to suggest he will be gone in the coming weeks. He is attractive to contenders because he can fill a role on any forward line, and play in any situation. Spacek is just a depth defenseman, but one that any contender would look at to provide injury insurance. Potential landing spots for Ruutu: Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville, Vancouver, Boston, Ottawa.

Ales Hemsky & Sam Gagner, Edmonton Oilers

It seems as though Hemsky has been on the block for years now, and its true that Edmonton never really did seem married to the idea of keeping him all the time, but there is a large expectation that when March comes around, Hemsky won't be an Oiler. This offseason he will be an unrestricted free agent, so it only makes sense that the Oilers get anything they can for him before he signs somewhere else. The winger is definitely talented, but never seems to play a full season.Potential landing spots: Detroit, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, Florida, Toronto. In Gagner's case, he isn't nearly as available, but the rumor is that the RFA-to-be is available in a bigger trade if the club was able to land a young defenseman, a huge hole on their roster. Potential landing spots: Toronto, Ottawa, Nashville, Montreal, Florida, Los Angeles, Colorado, NY Rangers, Winnipeg.

Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota Wild

A healthy scratch on a few occasions this year, the 34-year-old offensive defenseman and rookie head coach Mike Yeo don't appear to be on the same page. Zidlicky would like to play, but doesn't seem to favor the team's system. He can be a gambler, but a contending team looking for a power play boost would really benefit from having him in the lineup; he has five seasons with 40+ points. The catch is, Zidlicky carries a $4M cap hit into next season, so he isn't a pure rental. Potential landing spots: St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Florida, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia,

Travis Moen & Hal Gill, Montreal Canadiens

In the days of the salary cap, these are the exact type of players who almost always seem to find themselves packing on trade deadline day. Moen is an inexpensive grinding forward with playoff experience (won a Stanley Cup win Anaheim), can kill penalties, provide leadership, and is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Potential landing spots: Vancouver, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, Washington, Chicago.. Gill is a towering defenseman that is sound in his own end, is an excellent shot blocker and is also a free agent-to-be with a Stanley Cup win (with Pittsburgh). Potential landing spots: Chicago, Philadelphia, San Jose, Washington, New Jersey, Florida, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Vancouver.

Ray Whitney, Phoenix Coyotes

The 39-year-old Whitney always produces. In the last decade he has registered fewer than 55 points only once, and scored 20+ goals six times. At 16-27-43 in 51 games this year, he is having another good season. Whitney has also won a Stanley Cup (with Carolina in 2006), scoring 15 points in 24 games that year. In an age where every team talks about the need for a top-six forward, Whitney would be an ideal fit for many teams with Stanley Cup aspirations. Financially he is a cheap addition, carrying a $3M cap hit for only this season. Potential landing spots: Nashville, Detroit, Florida, Chicago, Toronto, Ottawa, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Colorado.

Antero Niittymaki, San Jose Sharks

For Niittymaki it isn't "if", it's "when" he gets traded, and to which team. San Jose likes current backup Thomas Greiss (.927 SV%, 1.98 GAA) and they are currently showcasing Niittymaki in the AHL to prove he is healthy. He is in the final year of a deal that carries a $2M cap hit and would be an OK rental as a backup for a contender not in love with their current backup. Potential landing spots: Detroit, Vancouver if Schneider gets dealt, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Nashville, Ottawa.

Luke Schenn, Carl Gunnarson, Mike Komisarek & Cody Franson, Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto simply has too many defensemen. They really like youngsters Jake Gardiner and Keith Aulie, and with good reason, but have had to send Aulie back to the AHL because there isn't any room for him. Toronto still has a need to upgrade their offense, and if they packaged some players, including one of the above defensemen, they could get a sizable addition up front, especially since three of these guys are still young and inexpensive. Schenn can be a top-pair guy, but has been inconsistent, but is relatively cheap at $3.6M for four more years. Komisarek is the expensive guy; more depth than substance while carrying a $4.6M hit for two more years. Gunnarson will make a paltry $1.325M next year, while Cody Franson is scheduled for restricted free agency. Potential landing spots: Anaheim, Minnesota, Edmonton, Florida, Philadelphia, Washington, Columbus, NY Islanders, Buffalo.

Johnny Oduya, Winnipeg Jets

Oduya is in the final year of his contract, carrying a $3.5M cap hit. He isn't flashy, isn't going to help you offensively, but he would be a very solid addition for a contending team looking to shore up its defensive depth anywhere from spots 3-6. Potential landing spots: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Florida, San Jose, Minnesota, New Jersey.

Anyone on Columbus not named Rick Nash or Ryan Johansen

Their roster is a disaster. They have so many players making much more money than they are worth. They SHOULD trade Nash, blow it all up and build around Johansen, but GM Scott Howson has repeatedly said Nash isn't going anywhere. It's a shame, he is officially the new Jarome Iginla: someone too nice to throw his organization under the bus, and too committed to his teammates and community to request a trade, thus he will stay where he is and probably never win a Stanley Cup.

Nick is RealGM's NHL Feature Writer. You can reach him by email nick.obergan@realgm.com or on twitter @NickObergan [READ]

Ryan Smyth would consider a trade to the Rangers, according to a source.

Smyth has recorded 34 points for the Oilers this season. [READ]

The Penguins signed center Joe Vitale to a two-year, $1.1M contract extension Friday, locking up the 26-year-old who has earned a regular spot in the lineup this season. [READ]

The Rangers made a minor deal Friday morning, sending center Erik Christensen to the Wild for center Casey Wellman.

The Wild also will receive a conditional 2013 seventh-round draft pick in the trade.
[READ]

Jimmy Howard, All-Star goaltender with the Red Wings, will miss the next two games due to a broken finger.

Howard broke a finger on his right hand during Thursday's win. He leads the NHL with 32 victories.

The Red Wings recalled goaltender Joey MacDonald from the American Hockey League. [READ]

Patrik Elias has been fined $2,500 by the NHL for boarding Mike Blunden on Thursday.

The fine is the maximum allowed under the CBA. [READ]

The Flyers are receiving strong play from rookies such as Zac Rinaldo and Matt Read.

Read leads all rookies in goals and game-winners.

“I just think he’s getting better every game,” Rinaldo told ESPN.com following Thursday’s victory over Nashville.

Eleven different rookies have laced them up for at least one game for the Flyers this season, and six have played at least 22 games. [READ]

Sam Gagner had four goals and four assists in the NHL's first eight-point game in 23 years, and the Oilers beat the Blackhawks 8-4 on Thursday night.

Gagner fell two points shy of matching the league mark of 10, set by Toronto's Darryl Sittler on Feb. 7, 1976, but he tied the club record of eight that is held by Wayne Gretzky and defenseman Paul Coffey. [READ]

The Jackets activated center Jeff Carter and placed defenseman Nikita Nikitin on injured reserve, retroactive to January 21, Jackets Executive Vice President and GM Scott Howson announced today. Nikitin suffered a knee injury at Detroit on January 21 and is listed as week-to-week.

Carter has missed the last 10 games due to a shoulder injury suffered at Anaheim on January 8. He has registered 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points and 12 penalty minutes 30 games with the Jackets this season. He leads the club in power play goals (five), while ranking second in goals and seventh in points. In 491 career NHL games, he has collected 191-169-360 with 300 penalty minutes and a +42 plus/minus rating with Columbus and Philadelphia. [READ]

The NHL is investigating a scoreboard error that could have an "enormous impact" on playoff races in the Western Conference.

During Wednesday night's game at Staples Center, the clock briefly stopped in the closing seconds, giving Drew Doughty time to score the winning goal as the Kings beat the Jackets 3-2.

The puck officially crossed the line with less than a second to play. However, when the Jackets looked at video after the game, they discovered the clock froze for roughly a second just prior to Doughty's goal, meaning time should have expired before the puck crossed the line. [READ]

Gordie Howe is about to embark on another series of fundraisers to support dementia research.

It's a personal cause. The disease killed his wife, Colleen, in 2009 and is beginning to affect him.

"He's a little bit worse than last year, but pretty close to about the same," son Marty said. "He just loses a little bit more, grasping for words.

"The worst part of this disease is there's nothing you can do about it." [READ]

Blue Jackets forward Jared Boll has been fined $2,500 for his actions in last night's game at San Jose, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 0:20 of the first period. Boll received a minor penalty under Rule 48 (Illegal Check to the Head).

The fine money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. [READ]

Brian Burke, President and GM of the Maple Leafs, announced Wednesday that the club has assigned forward Nazem Kadri and defenceman Keith Aulie to the Marlies of the AHL.

Kadri has appeared in 19 games with the Maple Leafs this season, registering four goals and two assists for six points with eight penalty minutes and a plus-three rating.

Aulie has collected one assist and 16 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Maple Leafs this season. [READ]