"Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said Tuesday he is no closer to determining whether he will be a buyer or seller at the Feb. 27 deadline.

Yzerman had said he believed clarity would come after the homestand that ended against the Kings. But with the team still on the edge of the playoff conversation, there is no longer a clear timetable, though the upcoming three-game road trip that starts Thursday against the Rangers likely will be key.

"The team is playing well," Yzerman said before Tampa Bay's 3-1 loss stopped its 6-0-1 points streak. "We're winning games. There's still lots of time left. … Let this play itself out."

There was a minor stir when for the eighth time D Evan Oberg was called up from AHL Norfolk. With Marc-Andre Bergeron in the lineup after missing nine games with a back injury, Tampa Bay has nine healthy blue-liners. That sparked thoughts of a pending trade."