It's the most wonderful time of the NHL season. Unless it's not.
Yes, the trade deadline finally is upon us Monday at noon PT, and that could bring a flurry of activity. Or, it might not, stressing us out as we try to fill out this here live blog.
The Sharks traded their most attractive piece about a week before the deadline, shipping defenseman Brenden Dillon to the Washington Capitals for a pair of draft picks. Dillon already is winning over his new teammates, but San Jose still has a few pending unrestricted free agents who could have new homes Monday afternoon.
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What will happen to bottom-six forward Melker Karlsson, who didn't play in either of the Sharks' last two games before the deadline after leaving with an injury against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 20? What of franchise legend Joe Thornton, who said "it is" tempting to think of being traded to a contender? How about big names under contract for the foreseeable future?
[RELATED: How to watch 2020 NHL Trade Deadline Show live online]
The rest of the NHL could look much different, too. Follow along here for the latest rumors, updates and more ahead of the trade deadline.
Programming note: The "2020 NHL Trade Deadline Show" is coming your way Monday at 11:30 a.m. PT on the MyTeams app and on NBCSportsBayArea.com! How will the Sharks be impacted heading into the noon deadline? Don’t miss it!
Monday
11:45 a.m. PT: Will Joe Thornton stay in San Jose? Rumors continue to swirl about the veteran's future with 15 minutes left until the deadline.
11:01 a.m. PT: The Flames are acqiring Derek Forbort from the Kings reports Pierre LeBrun.
10:40 a.m. PT: The Oilers are beefing up their attack, acquiring Andreas Athanasiou.
10:02 a.m. PT: Could Thornton meet up with former teammate Joe Pavelski? The Dallas Stars have their eyes on Jumbo.
9:45 a.m. PT: Jumbo's status still is up in the air.
9:28 a.m. PT: Now we're cooking.
9:25 a.m. PT: The Bruins and Ducks have a deal.
8:50 a.m. PT: Buffallo has added a veteran winger.
8:13 a.m. PT: It looks like Chris Kreider is staying put.
8 a.m. PT: So long, Patty Ice.
7: 11 a.m. PT: The Panthers get the defenseman they sorely needed.
6:55 a.m. PT: The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported the Pittsburgh Penguins are "making a big push" to acquire Patrick Marleau from the Sharks.
Sunday
9:40 p.m. PT: Mike Green was held out of the Detroit Red Wings' lineup for good reason Sunday. He's headed to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick.
Green is far removed from his point-per-game days with the Washington Capitals a decade ago, but he should give the Oilers solid depth on the blue line. At the very least, playing with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid should be reinvigorating.
9:22 p.m. PT: Could the Ottawa Senators' most valuable trade chip come off the board? TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Sunday night that pending free-agent forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau had "dialogue" with the Sens about a contract extension.
San Jose Sharks
"I think what you've got here is you've got a player who really would like to stay in Ottawa," McKenzie said Sunday of the Ottawa native, who has 40 points (24 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games this season. "He's a born-and-bred Ottawa Senator, and so the notion of staying in Ottawa long-term doesn't frighten him at all. But, free agency's also an opportunity to make hay, and he wants to make sure he's not taking too big a hometown discount to stay with the Senators."
McKenzie mentioned the Senators' rumored asking price -- a first-round pick and a prospect -- might be too much for other teams to pay at the moment. If they don't reach a deal, McKenzie said it's likely Pageau is traded Monday.
7:04 p.m. PT: There is a "strong possibility" the Sharks will trade veteran forward Patrick Marleau before Monday's deadline, TVA Sports' Louis Jean reported Sunday.
Marleau re-joined the Sharks earlier this season, after an offseason trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Carolina Hurricanes and a subsequent buyout. The 40-year-old has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 57 games this season, and TSN's Frank Seravalli wrote Saturday that Marleau is more likely to be traded than veteran teammate Joe Thornton.
5:36 p.m. PT: The Minnesota Wild didn't make a trade, but they did reveal who they'll play in the 2021 Winter Classic.
The Blues now join the likes of Chicago, the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers as teams who have played multiple times in the NHL's signature outdoor event.
5:17 p.m. PT: Alex Ovechkin got his man. The Washington Capitals acquired Russian star Ilya Kovalchuk in exchange for a third-round pick.
That's not a bad bit of business by the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs signed Kovalchuk after the Los Angeles Kings waived him and terminated his contract. Getting a third-round pick in return speaks to Kovalchuk's mini-resurgence in Montreal, and now he'll try to win his first ring alongside his countryman.
4:43 p.m. PT: TSN's Frank Seravalli firmly lists the Sharks among the NHL's five biggest sellers, while the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are set to be some of the biggest buyers.
Seravalli's colleague Darren Dreger, meanwhile, reported that Zach Bogosian has agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Buffalo to Tampa is a massive weather upgrade, but it might not be as big as leaving the cellar-dwelling Sabres and joining the Lightning.
4:11 p.m. PT: It officially Hold Trade Candidates Out Of The Lineup SZN. Detroit Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou and defenseman Mike Green didn't warm up Sunday.
The former is a restricted free agent, while the latter goes unrestricted this summer. The Red Wings are armed with nearly as many draft picks (eight) than players currently on their roster under contract next season (nine, per Cap Friendly). Additional moves could give Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman even more flexibility this summer.
Yzerman's old team, meanwhile, reportedly are favorites to sign defenseman Zach Bogosian.
The Buffalo Sabres terminated Bogosian's contract after he was waived and didn't report to the AHL's Rochester Americans.