NHL Trade Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Jordan Staal, Curtis Glencross and More

The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and there are bound to be a number of moves with so many teams jockeying for playoff positioning in the season’s stretch run.

Naturally, there are plenty of rumors circulating around the league before any of those trades come to fruition. Contenders are looking for extra help before the postseason, and rebuilding teams are looking to add more young assets moving into the future.

With that in mind, here is a look at a few rumors from around the NHL.

Jordan Staal

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Josh Yohe of TribLive.com passed along an update on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ quest to land Jordan Staal: "The Penguins are interested in reacquiring center Jordan Staal, sources told Trib Total Media. A move likely would not take place until after the season, though the Penguins have inquired about what it would take to obtain the Carolina Hurricane before the March 2 trade deadline, sources said."

Staal has only played in 22 games this season because of early injuries, but he has 14 points on the season, including 11 assists. Two of his three goals this year have also come in February, so he appears to be settling into a more productive role as the season progresses.

Staal spent the first six seasons of his career as a member of the Penguins, so there would be an element of a homecoming if this move was to occur. He finished with 40 or more points in four of those campaigns and was a regular contributor in the offensive attack. 

He is still only 26 years old and theoretically has a number of productive seasons remaining in his career. The Penguins are safely in the playoff picture, but they were only 14th in the league in goals per game as of Sunday. Adding some more offensive firepower like Staal could help that attack (although it looks like this move may not happen until the offseason).

Chicago Blackhawks

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Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune noted that the Chicago Blackhawks could look to make some additions before the deadline:

"

Source says #Blackhawks are looking at Hurricanes' Andrej Sekera and Flames' Curtis Glencross as possible trade targets.

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) February 21, 2015"

Andrej Sekera and Curtis Glencross are interesting names because they each do different things. Sekera is a solid defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes who would bolster Chicago’s depth on the back end, while Glencross is a left winger for the Calgary Flames who can add some offensive punch and sharp passing on the outside.

The Blackhawks are largely considered a Stanley Cup contender, but they have lost three in a row and five of seven.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

While it would be ill-advised to panic and make a move for the sake of making a move because of a February slide, there are less than two months remaining until the playoffs begin. Chicago could make its fans slightly more comfortable with a couple of roster additions for the postseason push.

Perhaps Sekera or Glencross will be those players.

Detroit Red Wings

LM Otero/Associated Press

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press pointed out that the Detroit Red Wings may stay put at the trade deadline: “Pro scouts for the Detroit Red Wings are putting in the last few days worth of evaluations as the NHL trade deadline approaches. But unlike two of their Atlantic Division rivals, there's no desperation around the Wings.”

St. James noted that Detroit has an abundance of cap space and could make a move or two because of it; however, she also acknowledged that it could simply hold onto its young talent and draft picks and still make a playoff push this season.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Red Wings are a very impressive 33-14-10 and are looking to make some noise in the playoffs. They have also won two straight overtime games and could parlay that into some late-season momentum. The argument can be made that shaking things up via trade could upset some of that momentum.

That perspective is interesting when compared to general manager Ken Holland’s recent quote, via Craig Custance of ESPN The Magazine: "Are we going to be aggressive? My history has been, we'll trade. If there's a deal there we think fits with what we're trying to do, we'll do it." 

It remains to be seen whether Detroit finds that move that fits with its goals, but it will be a dangerous squad in the postseason either way.

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