Mikko Rantanen could be on the move again if the Hurricanes cannot sign him to an extension. Brock Nelson, Erik Karlsson and brothers Brayden and Luke Schenn are all in the mix.

Seth Jones, Ryan Lindgren and Gustav Nyquist have already changed teams. And there’s still plenty of time before the NHL trade deadline on Friday. Even after a series of deals prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off, this week should bring plenty of action before the NHL trade deadline on Friday.

“The two-dollar answer to the million-dollar question is, ‘I’m not sure we know,’ ” Bill Zito, general manager of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers said earlier in the week before acquiring Jones from the Blackhawks.

Of the league’s 32 teams, 25 are either in a playoff position or within four points of a spot. Not all of them are legitimate contenders, but Capitals GM Chris Patrick wondered if the tightness of races in the Eastern and Western Conferences will affect the volume of moves.

“There’s some teams this year that are kind of in that four-point range of the playoffs that maybe have been sellers for the last couple years and say: ‘You know what? We’re just going to run with it here and see what we can do, and if we miss, we miss, but I want to give the guys a chance to make it,’ ” Patrick said.

“I’m really not exactly sure what to expect, but it does feel like there’s kind of less teams that have come out and said, ‘Hey, we’re open for business.’ ”

Late in a disappointing season, the Predators signaled they are open for business by trading Nyquist to the Wild. That came hours after the Avalanche got Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the Rangers, who traded a couple of pending free agents but aren’t giving up on the season.

Forwards

Rantanen went from the Avalanche to the Hurricanes in a three-team blockbuster in January, but the 2022 Cup champion remains the biggest name in trade buzz because he still doesn’t have a contract beyond this season.

The Hurricanes could opt to roll the dice and try to win with him and figure it out before July 1, but if he’s available, suitors will be lining up.

Nelson, another pending unrestricted free agent forward, is more likely than not to get traded with the Islanders fading from the playoff chase. Same goes for Rickard Rakell of the Penguins, Scott Laughton of the Flyers and Ryan Donato of the Blackhawks.

Kraken center Yanni Gourde — a two-time Cup champion with the Lightning in 2020 and ’21 — is coming off sports hernia surgery but could be exactly the kind of depth addition that gets a team over the top in the playoffs.

Blues captain Brayden Schenn just played his 1,000th regular-season game in the league, and reports have circulated that teams are interested in acquiring him and defenseman brother Luke, who plays for the Predators, in separate trades.

The Rangers are holding winger Reilly Smith out for trade-related reasons, and the Bruins have some decisions to make with (injured) captain Brad Marchand and hard-nosed forward Trent Frederic.

Defensemen

Jones to the Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick put the wheels in motion and may have set the market rate, though the defense market is far less robust than at forward.

The Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen might be the best right-handed shooter at the position available, and he has two years left on his contract. So does three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson — at roughly double Ristolainen’s salary — and the Penguins should be motivated to move him and get younger.

The Canadiens’ David Savard, a teammate of Gourde’s and Luke Schenn’s on the Lightning’s 2021 Cup run, is among the best rental options on the board.

Goaltenders

Knight being part of the return for Jones could open the door for the Panthers to get another backup for two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, but after that it’s slim pickings in net.

The Ducks’ John Gibson is the only No. 1 goalie believed to be available. The Hurricanes and the defending West champion Oilers are in the small group of teams with championship aspirations that may look to upgrade at hockey’s most important position, though salary cap implications could very well lead them to stay pat.

AP writer Tim Reynolds in Sunrise, Florida, contributed.