Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The N.H.L. trade deadline is 3 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 27, but if form holds, the really big deals will happen in the days and weeks leading to it.

Last season, the trades got going Feb. 9, when Toronto picked up forward Joffrey Lupul from Anaheim for defenseman Francois Beauchemin. A few days later, the Boston Bruins acquired some keys to their title run: forwards Chris Kelly from Ottawa and Rich Peverley from Atlanta, and defenseman Tomas Kaberle from Toronto. The Bruins were loading up for a shot at the Stanley Cup; all their trading partners considered themselves out of playoff contention and were looking to the future.

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