NHL Rumors: Buzz on James Wisniewski Trade, Erik Cole and More

With the NHL trade deadline coming so late in the season—March 2 at 3 p.m. ET, to be exact—there is little opportunity to mask overall intentions in trade talks.

Aside from a couple of bubble playoff teams, just about every NHL franchise knows exactly what it is at this late stage in the season. You're either a buyer or a seller, and any team still somehow waffling between those two designations will either stand pat or be forced to come to a realization when an appealing offer comes across its desk.

This trade deadline may not be a frantic one, but there are still plenty of rumors floating about.

Let's take a look at the latest buzz surrounding a player looking to ensure the deadline is quiet in his corner of the hockey world and a team that could very well turn the deadline into a busy event.


James Wisniewski

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Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch reported early on Wednesday that the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to deal scoring defenseman James Wisniewski.

The 31-year-old has a $5.5 million salary-cap hit for each of the next two seasons, and it's possible the team doesn't want the aging Wisniewski eating up valuable cap space should his game decline.

However, it appears the Blue Jackets will have a tough time trading Wisniewski, as he appears to have little intention of leaving Columbus. Portzline provided an update on his contract situation:

That's certainly one way to hamstring a front office, especially since Wisniewski's contract prevents him from being a rental option for a contender.

Barring a rare three-team trade, it appears the Blue Jackets may be stuck with Wisniewski, for better or worse. It's not like he drags the team down when on the ice. Wisniewski is excellent on the power play—six goals and 13 points, per NHL.com—and played well enough to score 51 points in the 2013-14 season.

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

While his numbers this season—28 points in 53 games—are off that pace, he still provides decent value on the back end.

His commitment to Columbus is admirable and it would seem with all the restrictions in his contract that the Canton, Michigan, native is highly motivated to perform well for the team he's played for since 2011.

Portzline noted his attitude is something of a departure from certain former Blue Jackets:

If Wisniewski does indeed stay in Ohio, Blue Jackets fans in favor of retaining the blueliner will be hoping that this trade storyline doesn't affect the relationship between player and team. 

Boston Bruins Looking for Help on Wing

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The Boston Bruins currently sit fourth in the Atlantic Division with 67 points, a total that has them in the running for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference under the league's newest format.

Considering the Bruins' sterling recent history, missing out on the postseason this year would be a fairly disappointing result. As it stands, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli appears to be doing all he can in order to improve the roster for a greater playoff push.

"Chiarelli is contacting lots of teams trying to find a fit, both for a traditional hockey deal (harder to do at this time of year) and a rental deal (more likely). But so far nothing, as the prices are still too high," wrote ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

It appears the Bruins are most concerned with shoring up the right winger spot, as LeBrun reports the team has Erik Cole of the Dallas Stars on their list.

"Another name to keep in the back of your mind is veteran winger Erik Cole, another pending UFA winger," he wrote. "If the Dallas Stars decide to pull the plug over the next week, Cole is yet another name on the Bruins’ shopping list."

Len Redkoles/Getty Images

LeBrun also mentioned Chris Stewart of the Buffalo Sabres.

"For example, it’s believed Boston circled back recently to Buffalo on pending unrestricted free agent Chris Stewart. Sabres GM Tim Murray, however, remains adamant (at this point) that he wants a second-round pick plus a prospect for Stewart," he wrote.

Both players are clearly rental options, but LeBrun's report suggests a fairly steep price for Stewart.

If Chiarelli can manage to pry Cole away on an easier-to-swallow deal, he may be the better option of the two—especially considering he's the more prolific scorer of the two.

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SOG %	TOI/G
Cole	56	18	14	32	4	18.6	14:26
Stewart	59	10	13	23	-31	8.9	15:51

Cole is nine years older than Stewart, but that's not much of an issue if Boston is just looking for short-term assistance on offense.

In fact, if the Bruins want a real upgrade in terms of experience and can't swing a deal for Cole, Stewart or Columbus' Cam Atkinson—another player mentioned in LeBrun's report—they could throw caution to the wind and try to swing a trade for Jaromir Jagr of the New Jersey Devils.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The ageless Czech maestro has made it known he's concerned about seeing diminished playing time on a non-contender, per Rich Chere of The Star-Ledger:

Jagr briefly played for the Bruins in the 2012-13 season. He acquitted himself well during the tail end of the regular season in that stint—17 points in just 11 games—but his ability to find the back of the net disappeared in the playoffs. Jagr didn't register a single goal in 22 games and 58 shots.

With that in mind, its perhaps a bit unlikely the Bruins go down that road again, especially with Jagr now at the advanced age of 43.

Jagr also counts for $3.5 million against the cap and the Bruins have approximately $2.5 million in available cap space, so a current roster player would have to be moved in any potential deal.

With Chiarelli highly likely to make a move before the deadline and position the Bruins for a deep postseason run, expect Boston to be a constant source of trade chatter as the deadline nears.

Contract and salary-cap information courtesy of Spotrac.