NHL Rumors: Trade Buzz on Patrick Sharp, Kevin Shattenkirk and More

An already lackluster NHL free-agent class is further diminished after the initial wave of signings in recent days. In turn, the trade market should continue to heat up as front offices around the league look to fill holes for next season.

Some big chips have already been moved over the past week. Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres), Phil Kessel (Pittsburgh Penguins) and T.J. Oshie (Washington Capitals) are some of the notable names to find new homes since draft weekend, as ESPN.com noted.

More high-profile deals are likely to follow throughout the summer. So let's check out some of the latest rumors about players who could be on the move.

Patrick Sharp

The Chicago Blackhawks are currently in the same position as many other championship teams over the years. It takes special talent to win titles—they've won three in the past six seasons—and eventually those players are going to command more money.

It's already led to the exit of Brandon Saad, and Sharp could be next. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports one of the interested teams, the Boston Bruins, may be out of the sweepstakes after their other moves, but there are still others involved:

NHL Numbers lists the Hawks as having less than $1 million in available cap space with two restricted free agents (Marcus Kruger and Joakim Nordstrom) to deal with and other needs to satisfy. Moving Sharp's $5.9 million cap hit would give them flexibility.

The 33-year-old forward scored just 43 points in 68 games this past season after tallying 34 goals and 44 assists the previous season. He's still a valuable asset, but it may be difficult to get fair market value since other teams know the position Chicago is in.

Kevin Shattenkirk

Shattenkirk was limited to just 56 games last season due to an abdominal injury. He still managed to register 44 points, one off his career high. It was the latest sign the 26-year-old defenseman is about to enter his prime years.

That's why it's a bit surprising his name has popped up in trade rumors. While the St. Louis Blues have reportedly downplayed the talk, Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com is hearing discussions have occurred with multiple teams:

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Per a league source, there have been discussions over the past few weeks between the Blues and both the Rangers and Flyers about Shattenkirk, and there's a fair chance he could be on the move this summer. There is no indication that the Bruins are in on Shattenkirk, but they certainly should be if they aren't already.

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It's always difficult to separate fact from fiction at this time of year. Teams don't want to admit when a top player is available because it decreases their leverage, but Shattenkirk is under contract for two more seasons, so there isn't any major urgency to deal him.

Along with the teams listed, the Sabres are also in the market to upgrade their defensive corps and already made the aforementioned blockbuster for O'Reilly. Adding Shattenkirk could push them into playoff contention one season after finishing in the NHL basement.

Blues' Forwards

While the Shattenkirk talk may or may not come to fruition, it definitely seems like the Blues need to make a move to clear up their forward logjam. As mentioned, they already sent Oshie to the Capitals, but that deal included getting fellow forward Troy Brouwer in return.

NHL Numbers lists the Blues as having around $12 million in cap space, but restricted free agent Vladimir Tarasenko will take up a sizable portion of that. The Fourth Period highlighted some of the players the team has made available:

"The Blues are believed to be shopping forwards Patrik Berglund, who has been on the trade block since midseason, and Magnus Paajarvi, a restricted free agent."

Berglund could be a nice bottom-six addition for another team. He's put up 247 points in 513 games, including at least 12 goals in all seven NHL seasons. He's also reliable in his own zone, making him a prototypical third-line center.

The report notes Paajarvi, who cracked the lineup just 10 times last season, is a slightly different case. He's a restricted free agent who wants to remain at the NHL level, or he could return to Sweden, so the Blues need to find space or trade him to a team that has an open spot to get value.