NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Gossip on Notable Players and Prospects

Think the most gripping NHL action of the year ended with the Chicago Blackhawks hoisting the 2015 Stanley Cup? Think again, as the week of the draft has finally arrived, and with it will come a fair amount of roster movement.

The draft is typically a big time for general managers and front offices to make some of their biggest moves of the offseason, choosing to lump large contracts in with promising prospects. For that reason, teams will move dozens of players around in the days and hours leading up to the draft as they begin to fill their most gaping holes.

Take a look below at three players who seem all but assured to see a change of scenery very soon.

Phil Kessel

Tom Mihalek/Associated Press

The saga between Phil Kessel and the Toronto Maple Leafs looks like it's coming to an inevitable ending by the time—if not some time before—they go on the clock for their fourth overall selection.

Toronto has shopped Kessel around for a long while, but as one of the league's undeniable best offensive talents, the asking price has been high from the Maple Leafs, as per ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun, who called the price "way, way too high."

With the danger of seeing this saga drag on even longer, Toronto seems to be changing its tune slightly, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported:

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Toronto's let it be known it will take salary back for Phil Kessel, but there is a limit. It's got to be less (in term and value) than Kessel's. The Maple Leafs are more interested in prospects and draft picks, but recognize that alone won't get a deal done. Since the idea is to help create cap flexibility, it doesn't make sense to receive a similar contract in return.

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It's not surprising to hear Toronto so dead set on receiving some serious return in the form of building blocks for the future. In Kessel, it's preparing to trade away a 27-year-old who has contributed at least 30 goals in every Toronto season in which he's played over 50 games. Rebuilding is a scary word to throw around, but the Maple Leafs have their fair share of roster kinks to work out.

New head coach Mike Babcock handpicked Toronto over the offseason to be his new stomping grounds. He knew the challenges ahead in not only turning around a team that only won 30 games last season, but also with serious questions surrounding some of its best players.

If they can ship away Kessel this week for a proper return, however, all of the drama from his embattled tenure could prove to be worth it from Toronto's perspective.

Kyle Okposo

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

For a team that has built itself through the draft in recent seasons, the New York Islanders could find themselves awfully bored with no selections until the 72nd pick of this weekend's draft. But that doesn't seem likely to keep them from getting in on the fun.

The Islanders are contemplating putting Kyle Okposo on the trading block, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported Saturday. Despite emerging as one of the key offensive contributors and playing well above his salary, New York has reasons to consider a clean break now.

Okposo is entering the final year of his five-year, $14 million contract, according to Spotrac. That yearly average of $2.8 million is a steal considering he's coming off the best two seasons of his career and is a promising 27 years old.

But with how general manager Garth Snow has talked about this draft despite no picks in the top 70, one could envision a decent-sized trade.

"There's a lot of different scenarios that could play out," Snow told Staple. "There could be a trade where we acquire a first or a second. We prepare the same way for this draft that we have in past drafts because you just don't know what's going to happen."

Despite playing in just 60 games over the 2014-15 season, Okposo dazzled by finishing second in team points with 18 goals and 33 assists. Replacing his production in the immediate future would likely come down to Cal Clutterbuck or Colin McDonald, two veteran right-wingers who could emerge in his place. 

Cam Talbot

John Minchillo/Associated Press

There's no better way for an unheralded goaltender to take that next step to winning a starting spot than to get called upon due to injury and lead a contending team to success. That's exactly what Rangers goalie Cam Talbot did late in 2014-15 when Henrik Lundqvist missed time, and those around the NHL have taken notice.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported that Talbot is among the hottest names on the market as draft week looms:

Even though the Rangers have perhaps the game's greatest goaltender in Lundqvist and have no real reason to hold onto a 28-year-old who has outplayed his backup status, they aren't letting go easily. Talbot's dirt-cheap contract sees him paid just over $500,000 per season, per Spotrac. 

There may not be a better value in the entire league, which has the Rangers asking for a high return, per Dreger:

Although it happened in front of arguably the NHL's stiffest defense, Talbot has dazzled in his 57 games played over the last two seasons. He went an incredible 21-9-4 largely in late-season relief of Lundqvist last season, giving up just two goals per game for his career.

As tends to be the case with goalies who have played well above their salary and role, Talbot will get rewarded handsomely in the near future—whether it's promotion to a starting spot, a bigger contract or both.