NHL Rumors: Analyzing Buzz Surrounding Jordan Staal, Sean Bergenheim and More

The 2015 NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and teams interested in making a move—or several—have very little time remaining before the buzzer sounds on March 2 at 3 p.m. ET. Needless to say, trade rumors are running rampant across the Web.

At this point of the year, we have a good idea which teams are contenders and which are likely looking forward to the offseason. Top teams will be looking to fill any glaring roster needs by acquiring players the league's gutter-dwellers are looking to offload—usually in an effort to free up some cap space.

So, who are the players rumored to be on the move, which teams may be aiming to acquire their services and what's the latest buzz on their specific situations? Let's take a look.

Jordan Staal

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

There's no sugar-coating it: The Carolina Hurricanes are not a good hockey team this season. They currently hold a measly 21-30-7 record and are dead last in the Metropolitan Division. With a gloomy outlook for the remainder of the season, the team could presumably offload some big contracts in an effort to gain some spending flexibility during the offseason.

Well, according to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, center Jordan Staal received some interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins:

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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.

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The 34-17-9 Penguins already have a solid foundation; however, they could use some extra help up front. Staal would be a perfect candidate, as the former Penguin had plenty of success during his first six seasons in Pittsburgh, putting up just one season-wide negative plus/minus rating (a minus-five in 2007-08) in that span.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, acquiring Staal—either now or after the season—appears to be highly unlikely. TSN's Aaron Ward tweeted his findings on the situation:

Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer went a step further, tweeting a direct quote from general manager Ron Francis:

Don't expect to see Staal in a new uniform any time soon.

Sean Bergenheim

TERRY RENNA/Associated Press

The 26-21-12 Florida Panthers are still in playoff contention, and they aren't a likely candidate to move productive players; however, due to Sean Bergenheim's expiring contract, and his recent run-in with coach Gerard Gallant, the winger could find a new home in short order.

According to Harvey Fialkov of The Sun-Sentinel, there are already a few interested teams:

Bergenheim may not be a prolific scorer, but he is a fine two-way player who will bring some playoff experience to a locker room. A contender looking for a forward who can serve in a rotation as a possession player could be interested in Bergenheim's services, and according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, via TSN's Bob McKenzie, that team may be the Montreal Canadiens:

Interestingly enough, the Habs reside in the Eastern Conference, and considering Fialkov's tweet mentioned the interest from three Western Conference squads, the Panthers find themselves in a good situation. Not only are they likely to offload this expiring contract, but they're likely to get a good price.

Joffrey Lupul

LM Otero/Associated Press

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their downward spiral and are currently well outside of the playoff race with a 24-31-5 record. If the team is looking to rebuild, it will presumably offload pricey, long-term contracts—like Lupul's current five-year, $26.2 million deal.

Lupul is a viable winger; however, he's been very injury prone over his career, playing in fewer than 30 games in four of his last seven seasons.

That said, Andrew Walker of Sportsnet 590 The Fan tweeted Toronto's willingness to part ways with Lupul:

Since the team seems confident the winger will be dealt within the next week, it must have been receiving some early interest. At this time, we can only speculate which squads are calling about Lupul, but according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, the Leafs' options are limited to only 14 teams:

Expect to see Lupul in a different setting in the very near future, and keep a keen eye out for what appears to be an upcoming overhaul for the Leafs.