There has been alarming half-hearted efforts from veterans. That said there's still another 30 or 35 games left for them to recover. There's also going to be a trade by March 13th of some kind. Usually I watch for teams who finish strong in the last 10 games of the regular season. No matter where they finish in the standings.
Buffalo is a perennial darkhorse.
In the West, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Edmonton have the same potential. Beyond that I see the Leafs chasing a defenceman either from a team that's dumping salaries or one destined to miss the playoffs and wanting to build for next year. Janne Niinimaa might fall into that category or one of the excess defencemen in Calgary. However Gary Bettman wants this sale to go through and values the Phoenix market and will therefore ensure, no matter how long it takes, that Gretzky joins the lodge. Technically he can, but officials are on the lookout to protect these marquee players and thus goalies feel immune when they go out to field the puck.