NHL Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Antoine Vermette, Jeff Petry and More

The contenders are a player or two away. The cellar-dwellers want to add a few picks to bolster for the future. And this is the time of year when those two situations intersect, as some teams look to improve now and others look to improve later as the NHL trade deadline beckons.

Below, I'll take a look at a few of the players who could be on the move in the coming days.

Antoine Vermette, C, Arizona Coyotes

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With the Arizona Coyotes holding the third-fewest points in the NHL, the time to sell, sell and sell some more is upon them. And as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun notes, the player most likely to be on the move—and the most desired by other teams—is center Antoine Vermette:

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The biggest chip on the market remains Arizona (don't call me Phoenix) Coyotes centre Antoine Vermette. Yes, he's been there all year, but he likely isn't going to re-sign with the Coyotes so GM Don Maloney is trying to get what assets he can in return.

The Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins have all shown different levels of interest. They aren't alone because the Pittsburgh Penguins wouldn't mind a forward as well.

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Garrioch adds that general manager Don Maloney will want a first-round pick and a prospect in exchange for Vermette—a hefty asking price, indeed. Still, for teams looking to bolster the center position for the postseason, such a price might be worthwhile, even for a potential rental.

Vermette is having a nice season, with 13 goals and 22 assists in 61 games. He has postseason experience, is a true two-way forward and, with a better supporting cast, should find the net a bit more than he has this season. Teams might not be willing to overpay for a rental, but if Vermette gives a team an indication he would be willing to sign with them, they may be more likely to give up key assets. 

It would be shocking if Vermette wasn't moved before the deadline. Too many potential contenders could use his services.

Jeff Petry, D, Edmonton Oilers

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Yes, the Edmonton Oilers are bad. Yes, Jeff Petry will be a free agent. You can pretty much put the clues together here, right?

Of course you can. As Garrioch notes, "The Oilers made a last-ditch effort to sign Petry and, rightfully so, he's been excellent down the stretch. The thinking is he'll be dealt because he'll want in the neighborhood of the $4.9 million that Marc Methot got in Ottawa."

That might not happen, of course. General manager Craig MacTavish had the following to say about Petry's situation, per Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal:

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I’ll just say this about Jeff. We really challenged him on a one-year contract and he’s clearly met that challenge. His game is at a level right now that it hasn’t been at before. I give Jeff a lot of credit for that. As for a contract or what the course of action is going forward, I’ve had many conversations over the last four weeks with Wade Arnott, Jeff’s representative, as you might imagine. They’ve all been constructive conversations but I’m just going to leave it at that.”

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Translation: Petry wants a guarantee of more money than we're willing to dedicate to him right now, so we're going to see what we can get for him on the trade market. If nothing comes of that, we'll revisit his contract in the offseason.

Like Vermette, Petry's potential rental status probably hurts his trade value a bit, but for a team in need of improving the blue line with a player who has clearly been motivated and improved this season, it might be worth paying anyway. Petry will likely be on the move before the deadline. 

Chris Stewart, RW, Buffalo Sabres

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As Garrioch writes, "They've been trying to deal him since they acquired him but GM Tim Murray wants a second-round pick and a prospect. The Sabres may have to bend at the deadline. He might be a good fit for the [Calgary] Flames or [Boston] Bruins."

Chris Custance of ESPN the Magazine was hearing a slightly different asking price:

Stewart has 10 goals and 13 assists in 59 games for Buffalo this season. While he's never matched his 28-goal output in his second season in 2009-10, he's still a talented player who could help a contender this season. If the Sabres are indeed asking for the return Custance suggested rather than that of Garrioch, it would be surprising if he wasn't moved.