NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Analysis on Possible Targets

The NHL's trade market has slowed down significantly since the NHL draft and the beginning of free agency. After a four-day hiatus, the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers hooked up for a deal on Monday, July 6, as the Oilers acquired goalie Anders Nilsson and sent forward Liam Coughlin to Chicago.

There has not been much else happen since. 

With some talented players still being dangled on the market, trades will not come to a halt just yet. Here's a look at the latest buzz surrounding some of the game's best available players who could be dealt in the upcoming days and weeks.

Patrick Sharp

At this point, it seems that Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp has accepted the fact he is going to be dealt, according to NHL.com's Brian Hedger:

The Blackhawks will be forced to deal Sharp because of salary-cap issues. As of Wednesday afternoon, Chicago was $1,343,129 over the cap ceiling, per HockeyBuzz.com. 

According to CSN Chicago's Tracey Myers, the Blackhawks have expressed interest in bringing back defenseman Johnny Oduya. To do so, they'll have to dump salary. Sharp is set to make $5.5 million in 2015-16 and another $5 million the following year, according to Spotrac.

There have been a number of teams that have expressed interest in Sharp, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Since Lazerus' tweet, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported that the Islanders dropped out of the Sharp pursuit. On Tuesday, July 7, George Richards of the Miami Herald reported that the Panthers were not interested. 

That just leaves the Philadelphia Flyers, who could use a skilled left winger such as Sharp to turn a decent offense into a very good one.

Last season, the Flyers averaged 2.58 goals per game, good for 21st in the NHL. However, they had some of the best offensive talent in the league with the likes of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux on a dangerous first line. 

Voracek tied for fourth in the league with Alex Ovechkin with 81 points last season, while Giroux was not far off with 73 as the Flyers limped to a 12th-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Getting Sharp and completing a first line with that kind of talent could create one of the best units in the NHL. 

All three are capable of scoring 25 or more goals in a season and have an uncanny ability to distribute the puck. Voracek trailed only Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals in assists last season with 59. Giroux was tied for ninth with 48. 

Sharp had a down year, scoring just 16 goals and 27 assists in 68 games last season. Compare that to his 2013-14 season, when he tied a career high with 34 goals and set new marks with 44 assists and 78 points. One can see just how good that line could be if Sharp can repeat those numbers.

If the Flyers can sort out their defense and continue to add depth on their team—they started by acquiring Sam Gagner from the Arizona Coyotes—they could be back in the playoffs next year.

Kevin Shattenkirk

St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is one of his team's best offensive threats. In just 56 games last year, Shattenkirk recorded 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists), putting him just two points behind St. Louis' leading defenseman, Alex Pietrangelo. 

Pietrangelo, however, played in 25 more games than Shattenkirk. 

The two are the core of the Blues defense, a team that allowed just 2.40 goals per game, fifth-best in the NHL last season, on their way to a 109-point season.

It therefore seems odd that Joe Haggerty of CSN New England reported the following on July 2: "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."

The Blues could be looking for a change in their lineup. They've already dealt forward T.J. Oshie to the Washington Capitals for Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley and a 2016 third-round draft pick.

With just one playoff series win in the past four seasons, a player such as Shattenkirk could bring in some good talent to help fill out the roster. 

Philadelphia would greatly benefit from acquiring Shattenkirk. The Flyers allowed 2.72 goals per game last term, 21st in the NHL. Once a big, bad, bruising bunch, the Flyers defense were more easy to dissect and did not produce much. They do have an offensive-minded blueliner, but Mark Streit is 37 years old and posted a -8 plus/minus rating despite recording 52 points last season.

At 26 years old, Shattenkirk went +19 and is entering the prime of his career. He could bring a winning culture to a Flyers defense that will be trying to groom draft pick Ivan Provorov while attempting to restore Andrew MacDonald to the player he was with the New York Islanders. 

While Shattenkirk would most likely not record a rating as high as last season's, he could become the leader of a Flyers team that is just a couple of pieces away from becoming a threat in the Eastern Conference. He would not be looking at a downgrade when it comes to offensive options in terms of the transition game, either. He would be losing Vladimir Tarasenko as a target but gaining Giroux and Voracek. 

Shattenkirk up to Giroux, over to Voracek? The Flyers could be playing some pretty entertaining hockey in 2015-16.

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com