NHL Rumors: Top Trade Reports Surfacing Before 2015 Draft

The draft often serves as an impetus for movement as front offices plan out the most important phase of their offseason. With the 2015 draft looming Friday, trade buzz is aplenty throughout the NHL as teams rejigger their current rosters.  

According to Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski, the NHL has set the salary cap at $71.4 million for the 2015-16 season, the league's biggest increase since the 2012 lockout. While the static cap has boxed in numerous contenders in recent seasons, perhaps the additional flexibility serves as a conduit for additional movement in the market.

In the waning hours before the draft, let's round up the latest trade buzz and evaluate the likelihood of these deals actually occurring.

Babcock Not a Kessel Fan

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made the biggest acquisition of the offseason thus far by nabbing Mike Babcock away from their Atlantic Division rival, the Detroit Red Wings. With the Leafs ready to embark on a rebuilding quest, the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby reported Phil Kessel could be on the outs after Babcock's arrival:

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The most recent dispatches from the hockey office say Babcock thinks Phaneuf can be salvaged, but shares the disdain that Shanahan is said to have for Kessel. Whatever the feelings, all agree these are still assets that can’t simply be kicked to the side of the curb.

Kessel’s long-term contract, eight years at $64 million US, makes him just as difficult as Phaneuf (seven years, $49 million) to deal.

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Toronto, which once gave up a pair of first-rounders to acquire the right winger, would likely be looking for a bevy of draft picks rather than costly talent to expedite its rebuilding process. However, the Leafs won't be sellers on a true open market, as Kessel's limited no-trade cause allows him to reject a trade to any team other than the eight below:

Of those squads, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been the most popular trade destination for Kessel. But the Pens only have about $13.7 million in cap space as the offseason begins, and with just 13 players under contract, Pittsburgh has a long ways to go just to ice a complete roster. None of those teams rank among the top 10 teams in available cap space, which could make absorbing Kessel's massive contract quite tricky.

And there's also the real question of whether or not Kessel is still an All-Star-caliber point producer. His shot percentage plummeted to 8.9 percent last year, per Hockey-Reference, his lowest mark since the 2007-08 season. Unless Kessel gets back to averaging around one point per game, his trade value is largely nil.

Sharp Trade in Preliminary Stages

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The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks retooled following their first Stanley Cup in 2010, a track they'll likely need to undertake again after their third championship in six seasons. One player likely to move is Patrick Sharp, whose $5.9 million cap figure makes him an untenable fit. However, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun suggested that no movement is imminent, though talks have been discussed: 

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The Chicago Blackhawks, as of Monday evening, weren’t that far along in trade talks with any team about any player, including right wing Patrick Sharp.

What general manager Stan Bowman, we hear from other teams, has been doing so far is making his rounds and finding out where the interest level is for some of his players, obviously led by Sharp. In other words, he's getting an understanding of the market. But no specifics had been discussed quite yet with any team.

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With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews eating up nearly 30 percent of the cap on their own, Chicago needs to shed salary in any deal. Though that limits Sharp's potential breadth of suitors, the Blackhawks also shouldn't have difficulty extracting value for a player who has produced like an All-Star for six of the past eight years.

LeBrun noted the Washington Capitals have been an oft-rumored destination for Sharp. But the Caps need to make room for a Braden Holtby extension, while players like Joel Ward and Evgeny Kuznetsov will demand raises. The Chicago Tribune's Chris Kuc listed a trio of teams most interested in Sharp, though all are still waiting out the Hawks:

Chicago could move someone else like Bryan Bickell in the meantime, but the clock is ticking if the Hawks want to recoup some of the picks they gave up at the trade deadline last February. Perhaps the draft serves as an impetus toward a Sharp deal, though the more likely resolution occurs after teams have a better grasp on their financials following free agency.

Gauging the Market on Talbot

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New York Rangers backup goaltender Cam Talbot performed magnificently in Henrik Lundqvist's stead last season, posting a sterling .926 save percentage and 21-9-4 record last season. He's consequently earned a starting spot outside of Gotham, but speaking on 1260 Radio in Edmonton, TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Rangers have already rejected an offer, per theScore's Ian McLaren:

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I'm told that there was a team that offered two second-round picks for Cam Talbot and that didn't close the deal. So (general manager Glen) Sather and (assistant GM) Jeff Gorton and management types of the New York Rangers are still on a bit of a fishing expedition.

The Rangers recognize that he's a valuable piece. He's got another year left at $1.45 million. He's proven that he can be an excellent 1A goaltender. He came in long term in place of Henrik Lundqvist last season, who had some injury issues, obviously. And he proved that it appears he's ready to be a starter.

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The 27-year-old Talbot has just 53 career starts (all of which have come in the past two seasons), but his .931 career save percentage augurs someone deserving of his place in the limelight. Consequently, there's no shortage of teams lining up for his services, most of which are seeking a long-term solution in the net:

Buffalo and Edmonton would especially be in position to provide Talbot 60-plus starts in net next season. The Blueshirts are without their first-rounder this year due to the Martin St. Louis-Ryan Callahan swap two seasons ago, so recouping that pick could be their priority if they rejected two second-rounders, as Dreger indicated.

That's a hefty asking price for someone without a starting pedigree, even if the small sample size is encouraging. However, given the demand on the market, New York should reap a nice compensation package for Talbot, most likely from the Oilers or Sabres.