NHL Trade Rumors: Hottest Buzz Surrounding John Gibson, Blackhawks and More

The 2015-16 NHL regular season is underway, but that doesn't mean teams are satisfied with their rosters as they are currently constructed.

General managers are always looking to improve their personnel, and they are pressured to do so at times either due to slow starts or injuries at key positions. The NHL season is an extremely long one; however, falling behind early in the campaign and having to play catch-up has been known to cost teams playoff spots.

As front-office executives and coaches continue to figure out exactly what they have on their hands, here are the latest rumors making the rounds within the NHL.

John Gibson

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The Buffalo Sabres entered the season with a questionable goalie situation, to say the least. Robin Lehner was the starter, while Chad Johnson was set to serve as the backup. Lehner's tenure as the No. 1 netminder didn't even last one game, though, as he went down with an ankle injury.

According to NHL.com, he is expected to miss six to 10 weeks, which means Johnson has been installed as the starter and Nathan Lieuwen has been called up from the AHL to be the No. 2.

Buffalo would be wise to consider exploring the trade market, and per Ken Campbell of the Hockey News, general manager Tim Murray has attempted to pry John Gibson away from the Anaheim Ducks. His efforts have proven futile, though, as Anaheim is unwilling to part ways with him.

The Ducks sent Gibson down to the minors to begin the season with Frederik Andersen and Anton Khudobin already on the roster.

When asked about the demotion, the 22-year-old American understandably didn't seem to be thrilled by the decision, according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register:

"

When I'm told to play, I'm going to play. Hopefully it's a lot. ... I'm just going to play. I can sit here and say whatever, a bunch of things. At the end of the day, I'm just going to play hockey. It'll pan out one way or the other. 

I'm just going to have to play well. See what happens.

"

Gibson is still a young player, so the Ducks may not be in any hurry to part ways with him. Provided Anaheim doesn't budge in that regard, the Sabres may have to look elsewhere.

One possible trade partner is the Calgary Flames, who have three goalies on their NHL roster in the form of Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio.

Hiller is the veteran of the group, and Brian Costello of the Hockey News believes he could appeal to the Sabres.

The former Ducks goalie has a wealth of playoff experience, and he would be perfectly capable of carrying the load until Lehner returns.

Buffalo is an extremely young team that is still learning how to win. If it wants to be competitive and help its youth gain some confidence, though, going out and getting a goalie like Gibson or Hiller with some of the many draft picks it has accrued is something that must be explored.

Chicago Blackhawks

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

On the heels of an offseason that saw the Chicago Blackhawks part ways with many of the complementary players who helped them win the Stanley Cup, the team is reportedly in the market for a defenseman.

According to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, the Blackhawks are happy with their top four of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Trevor Daley and Niklas Hjalmarsson; however, they are actively looking to improve their bottom pairing.

Chicago was forced to part ways with veteran Johnny Oduya due to salary-cap issues, and it has yet to replace the steady, veteran presence he brought to the lineup.

For all their offensive firepower in the form of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, the Blackhawks have long hung their hats on defense and goaltending.

Chicago allowed the least goals in the Western Conference last season thanks to its defensive corps and goalie Corey Crawford, and while it is giving up just two goals per game through three contests, it never hurts to bolster the blue line.

It is unclear whom the Blackhawks might have their eye on, but they have to be conscious of the price due to their salary-cap situation. Based on general manager Stan Bowman's history of pulling off favorable trades, though, they should be able to figure something out.

Arizona Coyotes

Ross Franklin/Associated Press

Although the season is young, there is no doubt that the Arizona Coyotes are the most pleasant surprise thus far, as they are 2-0 after being the worst team in the Western Conference last season.

Arizona has victories over both the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins behind goalie Mike Smith, who has allowed just two goals in two contests.

Most figured that the Coyotes were a work in progress that would need several years to develop into a top team, and while that may still be the case, general manager Don Maloney is reportedly looking to get aggressive on the trade market.

According to ESPN.com's Craig Custance, the Coyotes are hoping to add an "impact player" due to the fact that they have plenty of cap space. Custance also said that Arizona may be interested in making a deal similar to the one the Sabres made to acquire Evander Kane from the Winnipeg Jets last season.

The Coyotes are stacked with young talent such as Max Domi, Anthony Duclair and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the NHL roster.

They also have plenty of players coming up through the pipeline, such as Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini. Provided Arizona can add a young, NHL-ready player without giving up any of its elite prospects, now may be the perfect time to do so.

Even if it seems unlikely that the Coyotes will keep up their current level of play, they must begin to prepare for the day when they're ready to go for a playoff spot, and acquiring more NHL-level talent will be key in making that happen.

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