Staying or Going: Jordan Leopold

The Clash once posed the question: Should I stay or should I go now? We take a look at the big names surrounding the NHL trade deadline and whether they'll be staying in place or going to finish the season in another city.

He may not be a superstar, but a guy like Colorado defenseman Jordan Leopold can help a team. He has some offensive skill, is a very smart player in his own end, and he keeps the bean counters happy by carrying a low salary cap number. Can the Avalanche hold on to him?

Leopold isn't a superstar, but he's easily a top six defenseman on most teams. He has some value on the power play, and even though the numbers don't show it, he has offensive upside.

The former Hobey Baker winner (also an NCAA champion at Minnesota) has bounced back from a couple injury-riddled seasons to post decent numbers for a struggling Colorado team. With his contract up, there's a good chance Leopold will be moved before Wednesday's deadline.

Contract status: UFA this summer, $1.5 million this season.

Cities where the interest may be mutual: Boston, Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver, Columbus. The Oilers lost Lubomir Visnovsky for the season, and Columbus is a bit weak when it comes to two-way defensemen. Montreal appears to be tinkering and looking for more power-play help, but they'd have to deal an NHL player for Leopold as they don't have any cap space to play with. Boston could be a favorite here, if only because their defensive depth is one of few question marks. On NHL Live Thursday, NESN/NBC/CBC analyst Mike Milbury said the Bruins could really use a puck-moving, left-handed defenseman. I'm not sure he's far off the mark on this one.

Where he'll end up: I think Leopold is gone. I don't see Colorado keeping him. Yes, Colorado is just eight points out of a playoff spot with over 20 games to play, but they're in last place in the Western Conference, and they stand little chance of making a postseason run from that position. Unless they think Leopold fits into their long-term plans, there's no reason to keep him around. I say he ends up in Boston, where the Bruins sense they are very close to a Stanley Cup. In the end, that proverbial window of opportunity doesn't stay open forever, and often closes before anyone thinks it will.