NHL Trade Speculation: 20 Biggest Names on the Move Before the Trade Deadline

Now that the holiday roster freeze is done and the second half of the season has begun, the NHL is going to start seeing some trades.

There have been trade rumors abounding throughout the NHL about several players, and now is about the time that these names will start moving around as teams put together their rosters to try and make their run at the playoffs.

Here are some of the top names to expect to move before the trade deadline hits.

Sean Avery

To say that Sean Avery is out of favor in New York might be one of the biggest understatements of the year.

Avery was just placed on waivers for the second time this season and has already spent some time down in the AHL.

If the Rangers could find somebody to take this guy on, and his ability to be a pest and occasionally score might attract somebody, the Rangers would likely make that move.

Filip Kuba

Filip Kuba's future will largely depend on where Ottawa sits come deadline time.

Kuba is 35 years old and is a solid defender. He has great size and can even put up some offensive numbers when given the chance.

Kuba is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and likely not part of the youth movement starting in Ottawa.

Ottawa could likely find a suitor for him.

Ales Hemsky

Ales Hemsky has appeared in several trade rumors in recent years, and this year has been no different.

Hemsky is a skilled player that could provide some good scoring depth.

Hemsky could also fetch the Oilers a decent price, but not the top-level price that he might have gotten them a few years back.

With the Oilers quickly sinking to the bottom of the Western Conference again, Hemsky could be good trade bait to help the Oilers get their season back on track.

Jay Bouwmeester

Jay Bouwmeester could benefit a lot of teams on the blue line with his cannon of a shot and tough play in the corners.

He also has a big cap hit for a team in Calgary that could use more space on the salary cap.

Calgary hangs precariously towards the bottom of the playoff picture. If they are out of things by the time it is getting close to the deadline, they should seriously consider moving Bouwmeester while he still has decent trade value.

Dustin Penner

This would be a case of addition by subtraction for the L.A. Kings.

Dustin Penner has been woefully unproductive since coming over at last season's trade deadline, and it seems pretty obvious that L.A. is not a fit for Penner.

Penner may yet find success elsewhere, and the Kings wouldn't mind getting rid of his contract.

Penner might also be attractive to other teams because of his size and the scoring ability that we know he has.

Evgeni Nabakov

The Islanders are completely out of the playoff picture and don't have much of a chance.

He could provide a team looking to make a playoff push some depth in net and some valuable playoff experience.

He could also provide the Islanders a decent return.  Don't be shocked if Nabby gets dealt.

Scott Gomez

Scott Gomez has been a huge bust for Montreal and is definitely not living up to his contract.

No doubt the Canadiens would love to take Scott Gomez off of their books through a trade, but they might not get a ton in return.

Perhaps this is a case of addition by subtraction.

Still, Gomez is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the New Jersey Devils with some good skill. He could provide depth, leadership and experience to a team trying to make a push.

Jonathan Bernier

Jonathan Bernier is a great back-up goalie that could probably start for another NHL team.

Bernier would be a good piece for the Kings to move that would affect their roster minimally but could still yield them a pretty good return.

Bernier would add depth or possibly earn the starting job wherever he could be traded.

Mark Streit

Though he is the Islanders' captain, Mark Streit could provide some good return for the Islanders if the right team came knocking.

The Flyers need a defender with the loss of Pronger, and Streit might just be the guy.

Dealing within the division is always a tricky issue, but the Islanders would definitely hold the superior card in this deal.

Francois Beauchemin

Francois Beauchemin is a solid defender capable of contributing offensively.

He also won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks back in 2007.

The Ducks stink pretty bad at the moment, and moving a guy like Beauchemin could get them something decent in return.

Derick Brassard

Derick Brassard is the picture of underachievement.

He was chosen in the top 10 of his draft year, so you know that the potential is there—it just has yet to show up.

Brassard could benefit from a change of scenery, and Columbus needs to blow up its roster with a quickness.

Ryan Suter

It seems that things in Nashville are going to come down to the Predators choosing either Shea Weber or Ryan Suter.

Nashville wants to keep both guys, but both players would likely have to take a "home town discount" in order for that to happen.

Shea Weber's trip through arbitration last season makes it pretty clear that he wants to be paid like the elite defender that he is.

If it came down to a choice between Suter and Weber, you have to go with Weber.

Sergei Gonchar

Sergei Gonchar has always been a fantastic defenseman that can quarterback a power play and contribute offensively.

He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins a couple of years back and would definitely appeal to any team looking to make a deep run into the playoffs.

He is no longer the best offensive defenseman in Ottawa and could be expendable.

His trade value is probably not as high as it once was, but Ottawa could probably get something decent in return.

Shane Doan

Shane Doan has been with the same franchise for his whole career, but it doesn't appear that he's going to get his chance to win a cup if he stays there.

Doan is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and might want to fly the coup if Phoenix because of all of the issues with ownership and never knowing if the team is going to relocate or not.

Doan would make a great rental player for a team looking to make a push for the cup.

Bobby Ryan

The Anaheim Ducks are just awful, and a coaching change hasn't helped to turn things around yet.

The Ducks are going to need to change up their roster if they want to make any kind of turn around this season.

Bobby Ryan appeared in many trade rumors earlier this season and could easily find himself back on the block, especially if the return is good enough for the Ducks.

Alex Semin

Alex Semin and the Washington Capitals finally seem to have put some wins together but still are on the outside looking in.

Though the ship seems to be moving in the right direction, the Capitals should still think about changing their personnel a bit.

Semin is a player who has shown up in trade rumors for a while now.  He is having a disappointing season to this point—much like the Capitals—with just 10 goals and 20 points.

A change of scenery would probably help him out and help the Capitals inject some more energy into their lineup.

Drew Stafford

Drew Stafford was a 30-goal scorer a year ago but has hit a bit of a lull this season.

Buffalo has done the same after an aggressive offseason that made them seem like they could be the favorite out east.

Buffalo needs to do something to shake up their boys so a trade would not be out of the ordinary.

Stafford could also get a good player in return.

Rick Nash

Once again inhabiting the basement of the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets are just moments away from having to make a tough decision.

Rick Nash has been the franchise for a long time, but with the complete flop of a season that the Jackets are going through this year, it's time to move on.

Nash does have a no-trade clause, but it probably wouldn't be too hard to get him to waive that, especially if a contender comes knocking on Columbus' door.

Zach Parise

The Devils want to keep Zach Parise on their team but might have to move a few other people in order to do so.

Parise currently has a $6 million cap hit but could be expecting a raise.

He signed the one-year deal to keep the possibility of getting a long-tern deal done with the Devils.

Parise will also be an unrestricted free agent next season, and if the Devils aren't able to work out a deal by the deadline, then it might seem prudent for them to trade him and get something in return for him rather than letting him walk for free.

Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla will never say that he wants out of Calgary—he's just too classy of a guy to do anything like that.

That being said, if a team with a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup were to convince Calgary to trade him there would be no way he would turn that down.

Iginla is the best current player in the NHL without a cup, and you just know that a shot to get the cup that has eluded him all of these years could be the thing to pull him away from Calgary.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and NHL on Bleacher Report. For more NHL news and discussion,