As the veterans depart, Mike Babcock wants Toronto Maple Leafs fans to know that this is all part of the plan - and nothing's going to be handed to the kids.

Roman Polak and Nick Spaling were traded to the San Jose Sharks on Monday, one day after Shawn Matthias was sent to the Colorado Avalanche.

Related: Maple Leafs trade Polak, Spaling to Sharks for 2 second-round picks, Torres

"(The) guys who left were good people," Babcock said after practice Monday, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "That's the people part of the (business). The (business) part of the (business) is we're excited to have the kids."

Babcock on trades: "We try not to confuse the players & the people. We have a plan to do the right thing for the Leafs."

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) February 22, 2016

Toronto's accumulating draft picks as it continues to gut its roster, and that means spots for younger players are opening up. Defenseman Stuart Percy and forward Brendan Leipsic were recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies, who are currently sitting in first place, after the trade.

"Nothing's going to be given to them, they have to earn it," Babcock said. "That's just the way the league is. It's a hard league and it exposes weakness in everybody.

More trades are coming, which means more young players will get a chance with the big club. Michael Grabner, P.A. Parenteau, Brad Boyes, and James Reimer all have expiring contracts.

"If you work hard today, everything's going to be OK for you," the head coach added. "That, to me, is the key thing and the message to our team."

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The NHL trade deadline is arguably the most anticipated single day during the regular season. Names big and small are often on the move, with sky-high prices being paid for rental players.

Before this year's deadline - Monday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m. ET - let's take a look back at deadlines from the past couple of years.

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TORONTO - P.A. Parenteau received a text message from his agent Monday morning with news of a trade. Parenteau hadn't been dealt — not yet anyway. Instead, the 32-year-old was receiving word on the Toronto Maple Leafs latest transaction, whic...

It's a case of good news and bad news for the Florida Panthers.

Aleksander Barkov is likely to return to the lineup Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes, Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant said Monday, according to Jameson Olive of the club's official website.

Barkov has missed six games since being hit high by Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader on Feb. 8.

Related: Panthers livid over Abdelkader's 'cheap shot' on Barkov

Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau, however, won't play Thursday, Gallant said. Huberdeau left Saturday's game after being hit awkwardly into the boards by Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba.

Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who has been out since Feb. 4, is also likely to return to the Panthers' lineup against the Coyotes.

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Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr, Minnesota Wild forward Erik Haula, and Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson were named the NHL's three stars of the week Monday.

Jagr scored three goals in three games last week while moving into sole possession of third place on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring list.

Related: Jaromir Jagr scores 742nd goal to pass Brett Hull for 3rd all time

The 44-year-old has 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season.

At 44 years, 5 days, Jagr is the oldest player in NHL history at time of 20th goal of a season #pixiedust

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) February 21, 2016

Haula put together an impressive seven-point week, highlighted by the first three-point performance of his NHL career during Sunday's outdoor game.

.@EHaula nets his seventh goal of the season, tying career-best. He records his first career three-point game after registering 1-2=3 today.

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) February 21, 2016

Anderson was nothing short of exceptional last week, keeping the Senators' playoff hopes alive with three consecutive wins.

Congrats to @CraigAnderson41, who was named the NHL's third star of the week, going 3-0-0 with a 1.58 goals-against average and .951 save %.

— Sens communications (@Media_Sens) February 22, 2016

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SUNRISE, Fla. - Jaromir Jagr scored twice to move into third place on the NHL career goals list and help the Florida Panthers beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Saturday night. Jagr's goal 4:53 into the second period tied the score at 1-1 and tied...

Ilya Kovalchuk is apparently in trouble in the KHL.

"(Due) to a coach's decision, Ilya Kovalchuk has been removed from the squad and has been placed on an individual training programme," SKA St. Petersburg assistant coach Maxim Sokolov said Monday.

Kovalchuk was exiled due to poor performance but has not been removed from the team entirely, reports Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. SKA St. Petersburg's head coach is former NHL defenseman Sergei Zubov.

They lost the opening game of their playoff series against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3-2 in overtime Sunday, and Kovalchuk was checked off the puck during a sequence that led to the tying goal.

He was a minus-2 with only one shot on goal in 24:26 of ice time.

Kovalchuk notched 16 goals and 49 points in 50 regular-season games.

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The Philadelphia Flyers will be without captain Claude Giroux against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Giroux will miss his second consecutive game after sustaining an upper-body injury Friday following a hit from Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban. He remains day to day.

The 28-year-old forward has 16 goals and 33 assists in 57 games this season.

His absence comes at a critical time for the Flyers, who are five points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival won't face supplemental discipline for delivering a high hit to Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker on Sunday, reports Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.

Related: Blackhawks' Rozsival ejected for high hit on Wild's Zucker

Rozsival was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct after hitting Zucker late in the second period.

Zucker was carted off the ice with an upper-body injury. He's currently listed as day to day.

The 24-year-old has 12 goals and 10 assists in 58 games this season.

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