NHL Rumors: Latest Trade Rumblings and Updates from Around the League

There is obviously plenty of hockey remaining in the NHL season, but the contenders in the league are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the field. On the flip side, there are a number of squads that need to retool their rosters if they hope to contend for playoff spots.

Whenever roster moves are needed, trade rumors are sure to follow. 

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest whispers from around the NHL.

Carolina Hurricanes

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun passed along the latest update on the Carolina Hurricanes:

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Only a few months into his tenure, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis is ready to make changes.

The word amongst league executives is he’s been working the phones and he’s pretty much willing to discuss anybody except for young players the Hurricanes consider part of their core.

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Carolina was winless in its first eight games, so it’s really no wonder that Ron Francis is looking to make some moves. However, the Hurricanes won their last two games, including Sunday’s showdown against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, and they have some momentum on their side.

Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press

Still, Carolina is not a threat to advance deep into the playoffs with the current roster. Whether these potential moves would be directed toward building for the immediate or long-term future remains to be seen, but Garrioch pointed out that captain Eric Staal and defender Andrej Sekera would draw some interest. 

We are just in the initial steps of any possible moves, though, as Garrioch opined, and there is work to be done: “Francis, who was in Anaheim and Phoenix scouting last week, is about to find out it’s easy to say you’re open for business but actually doing anything in a salary cap world is a whole other story.”

San Jose Sharks

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Garrioch, in the same piece, noted that the San Jose Sharks could look to make a move in the near future: “Sharks GM Doug Wilson, who many of his peers call a 'tirekicker,' wants a top-four defenceman, but the word amongst league executives is 'he doesn’t want to give anything up.'"

The Sharks are in a much better position in the standings than the Hurricanes, so there is not a drastic need to change the roster if they want to compete this year. At 7-4-2 with 16 points, they look like a playoff contender at the very least.

However, if there is one area that the Sharks could use some improvement on, it is the defensive end.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

They are 14th in the league entering play Tuesday in goals against at 2.5, and their penalty-kill percentage of 82.5 (12th in the league entering play Tuesday) could use a boost if they want to advance deep into the postseason. 

Adding a top-four defender would provide a dramatic boost to those areas, but that is simply not going to happen if the Sharks are not willing to give something up in return. That step falls on Sharks general manager Doug Wilson’s shoulders.

Ottawa Senators

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The Fourth Period provided an update on the Ottawa Senators: "The Ottawa Senators are still believed to be interested in Buffalo Sabres right wing Chris Stewart, who remains on the trade block. Stewart, 26, is in the final year of his contract and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer."

The Buffalo Sabres acquired Chris Stewart as part of the package they got back for Ryan Miller and Steve Ott, but they are not going to reach the postseason this year in all likelihood. Trading Stewart could help the team add young assets with an eye toward the future.

The good news for any contender that acquires Stewart is that he still believes in his abilities. That was clear in preseason comments, per Matt Larkin of The Hockey News:

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There’s no doubt in my mind that I can be an elite power forward in this league. There’s things I can do that guys can’t. When I got to St. Louis I had a pretty good start there, and then the next year they brought in a bunch of older guys. That’s nothing to complain about. There are good hockey players there. It was definitely team-first and I took a backseat to some of the guys there that had been there longer than me. Going to Buffalo with a young team, it’s up to me to grab the bull by the horns and just demand that ice time.

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Ottawa is going to have some competition if it wants to land Stewart. The Fourth Period noted that the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers are all among teams interested in his services.

Bill Wippert/Getty Images

The Blue Jackets in particular jump out because of how many injuries they have dealt with this season. If they hope to build on last year’s playoff appearance, they may need to add some healthy bodies to the rotation quickly. 

Your move, Sabres.

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