NHL Trade Rumors: Latest on Roberto Luongo, Jaroslav Halak and More

The NHL offseason is well underway, now that the draft and the first push of free agency are over. 

But the trade market is still hot, and there are plenty of big-name players who could be on the move.

What's the latest on the NHL trade rumors out there? 

Read on to find out.

Roberto Luongo

The Roberto Luongo saga continues.

After the Vancouver Canucks traded Cory Schneider (instead of Luongo) to the New Jersey Devils, Luongo expressed his shock, telling James Duthie of TSN:

Before the trade, Luongo told the Vancouver Province that his "contract sucks...it’s a big factor in trading me and it’s probably why I’m still here.”

Now, as Renaud Lavoie of RDS reports, Luongo is considering his options:

What are his options? As general manager Mike Gillis flatly told the Vancouver Province: “Play or not play.”

Luongo could choose not to report. According to Pro Hockey Talk, that could result in the termination of Luongo's contract.

Luongo has $40.6 million and eight years left on his contract, via CapGeek. Giving up that much money is a tough pill to swallow.

But because of that contract, it's highly unlikely the Canucks will find a trading partner. It's a main reason why the Canucks chose to trade Cory Schneider, who had a better year than Luongo.

Time will tell if Luongo reports to the Canucks, but while Vancouver is most likely seeking trades, it's hard to imagine another team taking on that contract. 

Jaroslav Halak

According to Tim Panaccio of CSN, the Philadelphia Flyers could be interested in acquiring Jaroslav Halak:

The Flyers did sign Ray Emery to compete with Steve Mason, according to ESPN. However, Halak may be an upgrade over both of them.

Halak was overtaken by Brian Elliott in St. Louis. Elliott has been outstanding. But Halak is a great goaltender. In 16 games last year, Halak posted a 2.14 goals-against average.

Halak did play 46 games two seasons ago, posting a remarkable 1.92 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, along with six shutouts.

The addition of Halak would give the Flyers three capable goaltenders, all of whom can start. A goaltender surplus might be a good thing for Philadelphia, since the Flyers have not had a reliable goaltender in years.

The Flyers would probably have to give up a mid-round pick or a promising young player to acquire Halak.

Dan Boyle

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,  the San Jose Sharks could explore trading Dan Boyle. 

Boyle has a hefty contract, and the Sharks could decide that moving his $6.6 million cap hit, as per CapGeek, is a wise decision.

The Senators, according to Garrioch, would be interested. It makes sense, given that they traded (via the Dallas Morning News) Sergei Gonchar earlier in the offseason to the Dallas Stars.

Boyle plays a similar game to Gonchar, and he would be a stabilizing, veteran presence to a team that just lost its longtime captain, Daniel Alfredsson. However, after trading for Bobby Ryan, the Senators do have limited assets to work with.

However, Boyle is still a weapon on the power play and will provide 25 minutes of solid defense for whatever team trades for him.