5 players guaranteed to be moved before trade deadline day

While everyone continues to salivate over the potential of seeing many blockbusters go down this trade deadline season, it's time to scale things back a bit.

While names likes Matt Duchene, Ben Bishop, and Marc-Andre Fleury continue to be thrown around, it's important to recall almost every other trade deadline of the past five years.

Time and time again rumors of big name players on the move have run rampant only to see general managers fail to deliver. Be that an uneasiness to pay a hard bargain or an unwillingness to give up a player for cheap, the big fish usually aren't dealt until the offseason.

Be that as it may, this season sees - among the perennial stars - a collection of names that are slam dunks to be dealt ahead of this year's trade deadline. Let's check out that crop of players:

Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla made his intentions known this week that not only is he open to a trade, he would welcome one to a playoff contender.

The future Hall-of-Famer understands his career is coming to an end and he would love one last crack at winning the Stanley Cup.

As for the Avalanche - a team primed to start a rebuild - the club has literally no reason to keep him. The team's playoff aspirations died weeks ago, while Iginla will become an unrestricted free agent and is most likely to retire at season's end. A deal of any magnitude would be a gain for Colorado.

Of course, how serendipitous would it be if the Calgary Flames could make the postseason and acquire their former captain?

Martin Hanzal

Much like Iginla, Martin Hanzal is on an expiring contract and can be counted on to be shipped out of Arizona.

The Coyotes forward has had his name in rumors for the better part of the season and it should be only a matter of time before a deal is done.

What does seem peculiar - and what could be slowing things down - is the rather substantial demand by the Coyotes. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported last week that the Montreal Canadiens had interest in Hanzal and that the asking price was a first-round pick, forward Michael McCarron, and a conditional draft pick.

It's a lot for a player who has never cracked the 20-goal plateau, but with nothing to gain standing pat, count Hanzal in as one to be moved before March 1.

Thomas Vanek

If you haven't caught the common theme here yet, it's that all the players on this list will become free agents this summer.

While Thomas Vanek has fared admirably with the Detroit Red Wings this season, the Red Wings are likely to go in a different (younger) direction going forward, and for that expect Vanek to be dealt before the deadline.

Vanek is a cost-effective option for teams - only making $2.6 million - while his 31 points in 38 games on a club that sits in the Eastern Conference basement is not too shabby.

Factor in his history of producing as a rental player and he is the perfect candidate for a contending team looking for added depth.

Radim Vrbata

Much like Vanek, Radim Vrbata is a great candidate for depth scoring at a bargain.

His contract is bonus-laden with a $1-million cap hit and bonuses that pay him extra if he hits either the 20-goal mark or the 40-point plateau, as well as for playoff rounds won, eventually capping off at $3.25 million.

It might scare off some teams, but if that's the cost of winning in the playoffs, you'd likely be hard-pressed to find a team that wouldn't be willing to fork that over.

He provides value, and with the Coyotes continuing to rebuild, don't expect him back after March 1.

Kevin Shattenkirk

With high-end talent on the table, the risk of teams standing pat at the deadline always remains an option.

However, the St. Louis Blues saw how this worked out last season and they're unlikely to follow the same path with Kevin Shattenkirk. The club watched as captain David Backes and Troy Brouwer both signed elsewhere on July 1 last year, proving when in doubt, sell at the deadline.

There appears to be high interest in Shattenkirk and rightfully so as the 28-year-old sits fourth among all defensemen in scoring with 35 points in 51 games.

He's a power-play specialist which in tight postseason hockey could be the difference between a long playoff run and an early exit.