NHL Trade Rumors: Last-Minute Buzz on Sabres, Red Wings and More

It's the 11th hour of Monday's NHL trade deadline, and at this point in the action, much of the buzz concerns the inertia of potential last-minute deals.

The cellar-dwelling Buffalo Sabres are in fire-sale mode for the second season in a row, while the Detroit Red Wings have already had a busy afternoon ahead of the 3 p.m. ET deadline.

A marquee member of the Chicago Blackhawks was thought to be on the block as well. It appears that won't be the case any longer.

Read on to find out what's going on as the trade cutoff comes down to the wire.

Red Wings in on Zidlicky, Miss out on Phaneuf Seeking Defensive Help

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Having already acquired left winger Erik Cole from Dallas, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, MLive.com's Ansar Khan reported that all could be quiet on the trade front for Detroit on Monday:

But if the Red Wings were to execute a deal before the buzzer, Khan expected it to be for a blue-liner. Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf and New Jersey Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky were believed to be in play:

This turned out to be right to a degree, as Detroit agreed to a trade to land Zidlicky, as reported by NJ.com's Rich Chere:

As ESPN.com insider Craig Custance notes, the Wings weren't able to reach an agreement to land Phaneuf:

Custance also analyzed Zidlicky's move to the playoff institution that is the Red Wings:

While it would have been nice to land the Maple Leafs' leader, Detroit has to be pleased to welcome Zidlicky into the fold.

ESPN Stats & Info highlights how much of an impact Zidlicky's presence on the ice had in New Jersey:

The Red Wings already have a top-10 penalty-killing unit. Their defense is already sound, aided by stellar netminding from veteran goalie Jimmy Howard, who has a 2.23 GAA this year.

In this instance, the NHL's rich get richer, as one of the league's most storied franchises have a savvy 38-year-old veteran in Zidlicky to help their pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup.

Sabres Actively Shopping Chris Stewart

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Stewart is a rare bright spot on a sulky Sabres squad that resides at the very bottom of the NHL standings.

With a rebuilding project still in progress, Buffalo is open to dealing Stewart away—and there's no shortage of interest, per Custance:

TSN 1040's Matthew Sekeres weighed in on the hot pursuit by multiple suitors:

The Sabres aren't letting a second go to waste in trying to maximize Stewart's trade value, as there could be a whirlwind of deals over the last hour depending on what happens to him.

Stewart is just 27 years old and has scored 11 goals this season on a team that lacks personnel and offensive firepower. Despite his tendency to be inconsistent, perhaps a new environment and a winning culture would be ideal for the former first-round pick to maximize his potential amid a stabler situation.

On the other hand, suddenly jumping into a huge role for a contender is pressure with which Stewart is unfamiliar, so the right winger's up-and-down play makes him even more of a wild card.

It's understandable that Buffalo is hesitating to a degree. So is the report that as many as five teams are intrigued by the idea of Stewart joining their clubs.

Patrick Sharp Will Stay Put in Chicago

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Two sources told the Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Lazerus that Detroit and Washington were interested in acquiring Sharp before the deadline expired, but the left winger won't be heading out of the Windy City.

This confirmed what Mark Spector of Sportsnet.ca reported not long before:

In addition to dealing with the whispers of a possible trade, Sharp has come under fire by way of harmful rumors regarding his personal life as of late (h/t CSNChicago.com's Tracey Myers.

Lazerus recorded what Sharp had to say about that fiasco:

So it's been a rough go for Sharp as of late. As for the prospects of being traded, those had to have diminished once Patrick Kane was declared out of the lineup for an expected 12 weeks.

If the Blackhawks are meant to make any noise down the stretch, they have to do all they can to emulate the production of their leading scorer in Kane while he's sidelined.  Sharp isn't the greatest offensive threat, but he'll be counted on take on a bigger role.

A familiarity with the current locker room and championship experience should allow Sharp to be comfortable becoming a more prominent contributor in Kane's absence.

Even more important than the trade rumors that look to be blowing over, Chicago has to support Sharp as he deals with the damaging personal-life allegations that have evidently caused him some internal pain.