NHL Trade Rumors: Buzz on Chris Stewart, Phil Kessel and More Before Deadline

With only a day remaining before the 2015 NHL trade deadline, league veterans playing on non-contenders are sweating bullets awaiting a potential call from their general managers.

That is particularly the case for players on expiring contracts. The NHL has increasingly become a league hellbent on shopping those deals near the deadline. Teams reassessing where their future lies decide to move on from a veteran before losing him for nothing, while desperate-to-act squads get talented rentals on the cheap.

It's a clean and easy process. It's also exciting, as a deluge of rumors wash over the league with reporters being fed information from all channels. And when teams actually begin talking about players whose contracts go beyond this season, that's when things start getting even messier.

With that in mind, let's take a look at a few of the latest rumors floating around the puck-crazed world.

Buffalo Sets High Asking Price for Chris Stewart

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Still in the infancy of their rebuilding effort, the Sabres are the NHL's worst team. They have about as much need for veterans as they do a punch in the stomach.

Hence the expected departure of winger Chris Stewart. In the final year of his deal, Stewart has 25 points in 61 games—putting him in range of having his worst season from a per-minute production standpoint. Buffalo has been outscored by 30 goals when he's on the ice. That number is far from his fault alone, but it's enough to represent more than half of his career minus-49 plus/minus.

That said, 27-year-old wingers aren't always made available around the deadline. Hence this, um, interesting asking price from the Sabres, courtesy of CBS Sports Radio's Andy Strickland:

Let's be clear here: If the Sabres manage to get a second-round pick and a worthwhile prospect for Stewart, then someone erect a statue of Tim Murray. That would be a complete heist. Stewart is a fine player who could probably use a change of scenery, but he's also a guy who will in all likelihood be traded for the third time in his career. This is a package one would expect for a near-All-Star rather than a decent middling player.

Odds are the Sabres will move Stewart for a price far less than what's being reported.

Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf Likely Staying in Toronto

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

Unlike Buffalo, Toronto did not expect to be sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs entered 2014-15 without much in the way of elite young talent. A majority of their best players had at least a handful of NHL years under their belts, and the leadership of Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf is typically enough to sit near playoff contention.

Not so this season. The Leafs are ahead of only Buffalo in the Atlantic Division, a disappointment that's caused the team to start seriously planning a rebuild. David Clarkson's trade to Columbus got that process underway, leading to increased speculation that every other vet was on the table.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Toronto may be more interested in waiting until the offseason to unload its two biggest remaining stars:

Kessel is under contract through 2021-22 as part of the eight-year, $64 million extension he signed in 2013. Phaneuf is locked up through 2020-21 thanks to a seven-year, $49 million contract.

The Maple Leafs would have to bring back salary at nearly a matching level as part of any in-season deal, which makes waiting until the summer make more sense. Then Toronto can shop both players to teams with cap space, getting its desired package along with financial breathing room.

Either way, there will not be a shortage of interested parties. Kessel has over 50 points for the seventh straight season and is still (somehow) only 27 years old. Phaneuf is one of the league's steadiest captains and two-way defensemen. These are valuable players who could push a Cup contender over the edge.

Unfortunately for those teams, Toronto seems to be smartly playing its hand and waiting.

Other Notes

USA TODAY Sports

Flyers Looking to Move Braydon Coburn

Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly reported teams are actively pursuing Coburn before Monday. The 30-year-old defenseman has a year remaining on his deal, so he's not necessarily a rental. With the Flyers stripping their roster and looking to begin anew, look for Coburn to be on the move sooner rather than later.

Marek Zidlicky Being Traded to a Contender

Craig Custance of ESPN reported New Jersey Devils D-man Zidlicky moving is "more likely" than most had expected. Zidlicky has a no-trade clause, so he'll essentially get to choose where he moves (or doesn't). At age 38, chasing after his first Stanley Cup makes some sense. He's also an impending free agent this summer, so it's possible this could be the last run of his career.

Martin Havlat Could Be on the Move

As noted by Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Havlat was a healthy scratch for New Jersey's Saturday night win over Columbus. The winger, who has scored 14 points this season, could be on the move to a team in need of depth up front. Havlat signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract last summer, so he'll likely come on the cheaper end of trade targets.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.

All contract numbers via Spotrac.