NHL Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Rangers, Penguins and More

With the NHL season nearly half over, the buyers and sellers on the trade market are becoming a little more recognizable. The New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings are among them.

In a shortened season, the trade deadline seems to be approaching at an alarming pace. The April 3 cutoff represents the last day for deals to be made, and the coming months should hold a lot of surprises.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks, but some are beginning to pick up steam. Let’s take a look at the latest trade buzz surrounding the Rangers, the Penguins and the Red Wings.

New York Rangers

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Rangers may be looking to sell before the deadline but not because they aren’t in the playoff hunt. The Rangers need depth:

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Rangers GM Glen Sather isn't the least bit pleased with his club's inconsistency. Sources say the Rangers are trying to do "something" to shake the club out of the doldrums since it would appear coach John Tortorella isn't going anywhere. Since the Rangers have skill, they'd like to bring in more grit. The talk amongst NHL executives is the Rangers have floated the idea of moving RW Marian Gaborik.

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Marian Gaborik has played well this season, and the idea of moving a quality goal-scorer with the playoffs in the picture seems counterintuitive. In 21 games, the 31-year-old winger has tallied 15 points—good for second on the team behind Rick Nash.

Elliotte Friedman of CBC.ca offers a possible explanation:

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The Rangers do the Rick Nash trade 100 times out of 100, but that deal and other losses (Brandon Prust, Ruslan Fedotenko) robbed them of depth. The reason Gaborik might (and that's the key word: might) be available is the return could replace that depth. But the only way New York does anything with him is if the move really improves the team.  

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The Rangers would likely have to get a massive amount of depth to move one of their best players. Nothing concrete has been mentioned regarding teams potentially interested in working out a deal, but there’s a good chance more than a few suitors will be willing to part with positional depth to add a quality scorer with the playoffs approaching.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are just two points shy of the lead in the Eastern Conference, and scoring 71 goals in 23 games is a big reason for their success. With an offense led by Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh should once again be in contention for the Stanley Cup when it’s all said and done.

Still, the Penguins may be looking to add another piece in their pursuit of a championship. According to Garrioch, they may be interested in swinging a deal for Jarome Iginla:

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It’s believed the Penguins—among other teams—have targeted Calgary Flames winger Jarome Iginla, who will be a unrestricted free agent July 5, as a possibility to play on a line with Crosby. Flames GM Jay Feaster hasn’t decided what route he’s going to take with Iginla yet. If Calgary does put him on the market then the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks are all expected to make a pitch.

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With just 20 points through 20 games, the Flames aren’t in any position to make a deep run in the playoffs this year. Calgary is still four points shy of playoff contention, and there’s a good chance it becomes a seller before the deadline.

The Flames’ second-leading scorer, Jarome Iginla, will be one of the top prizes of the trade market should he be available. The 35-year-old winger has tallied 16 points in 20 games, and his veteran presence would be a welcomed addition for teams like the Penguins, looking to add some firepower for the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings

Currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, Detroit has some ground to make up. Luckily for the Red Wings, only one point separates them from the third-place Vancouver Canucks.

The Red Wings could be players in the trade market this season, at least that’s what Garrioch is hearing:

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Keep an eye on the Florida because GM Dale Tallon could be active at the deadline by moving contracts to shave money. The belief is the Panthers won't be able to keep C Stephen Weiss, a UFA on July 1, and there's interest from several teams. A team that's asked about Weiss is Detroit. The Wings would like to add more depth up front.

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The Red Wings probably won’t be considering a deal for Stephen Weiss at this point; the center will miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury (per USA Today Sports). Still, the fact that Detroit has been rumored to be interested in making a deal before the deadline is encouraging.

Detroit is just three points ahead of the 11th-place Nashville Predators, and there’s no guarantee of a playoff spot this year. The Red Wings need to continue looking for depth wherever they can find it, especially with the trade deadline now less than a month away.