The NHL's annual holiday roster freeze starts at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 19 to 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 28. No trades can occur during that period, meaning some general managers could scramble to make deals before then.

Three notable moves have taken place this month. On Dec. 6, the New York Rangers traded defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. Three days later, the Colorado Avalanche sent goalie Alexandar Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks for netminder Mackenzie Blackwood. On Dec. 14, the Ducks shipped blueliner Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues.

Meanwhile, several noteworthy players have recently surfaced in the rumor mill. Some observers wonder if the Florida Panthers might shop forward Sam Bennett, and Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens is reportedly drawing interest around the league.

As the holiday freeze approaches, we're breaking out our trusty BS Meter to separate fact from fiction. Feel free to express your views about this topic in our app comment section.

Will Dallas Stars Become a Major Buyer at Trade Deadline?

The Dallas Stars lost a key player when they revealed center Tyler Seguin would be sidelined for four to six months after hip surgery.

The 32-year-old sits among the team's leading scorers with 20 points.

Several pundits believe the Stars will place Seguin and his $9.9 million annual cap hit on long-term injury reserve and use the savings to add to their roster by the March 7 trade deadline.

Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek considers the Stars in "win-now" mode, predicting they'll be aggressive in the trade market before the deadline. He thinks it could cost them a young player like Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque or Lian Bichsel if that's what it takes to land an impact player.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman also believes the Stars will go the LTIR route with Seguin to add to their lineup. He claims they're doing due diligence on what centers and right-shot defensemen are available.

BS Meter: Not BS

The Stars reached the Western Conference Final in 2023 and 2024 but fell to the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers. They'll do whatever it takes within the rules of the CBA to boost their roster for the playoffs. They should also get Seguin back during the playoffs when the salary cap no longer counts.

Are St. Louis Blues Shopping Brandon Saad?

The St. Louis Blues made a splash in the trade pool on Dec. 14 by acquiring Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks.

The 33-year-old defenseman is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $6.5 million, with the Ducks retaining $2.5 million.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong might not be done making moves. Friedman reported he's trying to move Brandon Saad, who has a year remaining on his contract with a $4.5 million cap hit and a full no-trade clause for this season.

The 32-year-old has struggled this season with just four goals and 10 points in 28 games. He was made a healthy scratch for Saturday's loss to the Dallas Stars.

However, Saad has reached the 20-goal plateau seven times in his 13 NHL seasons, including 26 goals in 2023-24. He also has plenty of playoff experience, winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2012-13 and 2014-15.

BS Meter: Not BS

Armstrong is trying to retool his roster while keeping the Blues competitive. He could attempt to move Saad to a contender for a young player who can provide immediate help to his roster, or move him for draft picks to free up his cap hit for another addition via trade or free agency.

Will Anaheim Ducks Re-Sign Jacob Trouba?

On Dec. 6, the New York Rangers traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.

The move was designed to shake up the Rangers' struggling roster while shedding the 31-year-old defenseman's contract, with an average annual value of $8 million through 2025-26.

In return, New York received defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft. With Trouba's contract off the books for next season, it had the cap space to sign goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year contract extension with an annual cap hit of $11.5 million.

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News doesn't believe Trouba should get too comfortable in Anaheim. On Dec. 7, he said he wouldn't be surprised if the Ducks flipped the rugged shutdown defenseman to a playoff contender by the March 7 trade deadline.

However, Nick Kypreos of the Toronto Star reported the Ducks see Trouba as a big part of their ongoing roster rebuild. He said they're already looking into signing the rearguard to a contract extension on July 1.

It's also worth remembering Trouba still has a 15-team no-trade list this season.

BS Meter: Not BS

General manager Pat Verbeek could trade Trouba if the player isn't keen on sticking around with the rebuilding Ducks. However, Verbeek wouldn't have added the former Rangers captain if he didn't think his experience and leadership could benefit the young Anaheim roster. A contract extension isn't out of the question.

Will Buffalo Sabres Peddle Dylan Cozens?

The Buffalo Sabres' NHL-record 13-year playoff drought appears likely to extend another year with the club near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. That's given rise to trade rumors among fans and pundits.

During a Dec. 9 appearance on Daily Faceoff, Lance Lysowki of The Buffalo News suggested general manager Kevyn Adams was running out of time to reverse his club's fortunes. He noted that Adams tried to boost his roster during the summer, but the players he pursued had no-trade or no-movement clauses.

Four days later, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Sabres were getting calls from teams interested in Dylan Cozens.

The 23-year-old center is struggling this season but is two years removed from a career-high 31 goals and 68 points. He's in the second season of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.1 million.

Friedman believes the Sabres should be wary with this situation given the interest in Cozens. Meanwhile, TSN's Darren Dreger reported no sense of panic among team management. It wants to make a trade that'll help its team now, but it doesn't want to force things.

BS Meter: It's BS...for now.

The Sabres could become sellers by the March 7 trade deadline if they haven't risen in the standings by then. However, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported team owner Terry Pegula met with the players in Montreal on Dec. 16 and told them he still believes they can reverse the team's fortunes. He also told them not to expect a big trade anytime soon.

Could Florida Panthers Trade Sam Bennett?

Sam Bennett has played a crucial role in the Florida Panthers' rise as a Stanley Cup champion. The gritty, versatile two-way forward can play center or wing while his physical style of play drives opponents to distraction.

The 28-year-old is in the final season of his contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. On Dec. 11, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos included the center among his list of intriguing trade candidates.

Kypreos believes there's a risk Bennett could test next summer's free-agent market. He's been told Panthers general manager Bill Zito doesn't want to lose his most physical forward for nothing.

Kypreos believes there's a 50-50 chance Bennett could be moved before the March 7 trade deadline if he and Zito haven't closed the gap in their contract negotiations.

The Panthers could keep Bennett as an "own rental" for the 2025 playoffs, but Kypreos envisions a sign-and-trade scenario in which Florida gets a player in return who can help them right away.

BS Meter: It's BS

Zito could peddle Bennett before the trade deadline for a player with term on his contract who can help the Panthers. However, that player probably won't have the same mix of skill, playoff experience, and snarl that Bennett brings to the team. If they can't get him signed, they'll keep him for one more run at the Stanley Cup and replace him in the summer.

Stats and standings (as of Dec. 16, 2024) via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.