NHL Rumors: Latest Gossip on Final Day of 2015 Draft

Friday was a whirlwind 24 hours in the NHL world.  

Not only was exciting young blood infused into the league landscape in the forms of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, but players and picks were moved at an insane pace as the first round of the 2015 draft came and went. 

Beyond the Boston Bruins shipping out Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings and Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a bounty that included Nikita Zadorov, JT Compher, Mikhail Grigorenko and the 31st pick in this year's draft.

And that was just one round. 

With six more rounds to go and a few big names swirling around the rumor mill, we're here to break down the latest gossip from around the NHL. 

Rangers Fielding Offers for Talbot

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Twenty-seven-year-old Cam Talbot put together an eye-opening season backing up Henrik Lundqvist with the New York Rangers, and teams in need of quality goaltenders apparently took notice.

According to the New York Post's Larry Brooks, "the Sabres, Oilers, Sharks, Stars and Flames are in the mix for Talbot, for whom the Blueshirts have received offers of, according to one informant, 'multiple second-rounders and a high second-rounder plus a prospect.'"

While the Rangers were unable to extract a first-rounder for Talbot on Friday—they didn't own a first-round pick—Saturday could offer another chance to get solid value for the netminder, who's on an expiring deal.

Brooks continued:

"

The Blueshirts are seeking to deal the goaltender, a career 33-15-5/2.00/.931 and with eight shutouts in 53 starts, in order to, A) get assets that will restock the organization’s depleted prospect list; and, B) save what likely would be a critical $500,000-700,000 of cap space on the No. 2 goaltender’s position.

"

According to Spotrac, Talbot is slated to earn $1.45 million in the final year of his deal before hitting the open market. Therefore, if the Rangers are interested in netting a package of prospects before potentially losing Talbot for nothing next summer, now could be the time to make a move. 

Plenty of Interest in Kessel

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected center Mitchell Marner with the fourth pick in the draft, but the team has yet to make its biggest splash of the summer.

According to ESPN, Toronto continues to listen to offers regarding the services of center Phil Kessel:

"

Shanahan said there is interest in Phil Kessel but no deadline to trade him @MapleLeafs pic.twitter.com/wOtUo0sFIr

— ESPN NHL coverage (@ESPN_NHL) June 25, 2015"

"All I can say is that when you have a guy like that who's such a natural goal scorer in the prime of his career, everybody wants goal scoring," Toronto president Brendan Shanahan said on Thursday, relayed by ESPN's Katie Strang. 

However, just because the 27-year-old is on the block doesn't mean the Maple Leafs are in a rush to deal him.

"We have time on our side," Shanahan said, per Strang. "We don't feel that we need to do anything major to get something done on some self-imposed or outer-imposed deadline."

In other words, don't count on Toronto making Kessel-related noise during the mid-to-late rounds of the draft on Saturday afternoon.  

Kessel appeared in all 82 games for the Maple Leafs last season, scoring 25 goals and tallying a team-best 36 assists. In four of his last five seasons, Kessel has taken to the ice for every one of Toronto's regular-season games. But despite appearing in just 48 contests in 2012-13, Kessel has still notched more than 20 goals during every campaign since 2008-09. 

Penguins Have Available Defensemen

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Penguins opted to hold steady without a first-round pick Friday night, but that didn't prevent them from fielding offers regarding a potential move into the first round.

"I know we can make something happen if we want [a first-round pick]," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said, according to Sporting News' Sean Gentille. "Consistently, they're after our young defensemen. It's been that way for a long time and continues to be. All of our young defensemen—different teams like different ones."

Gentille noted Pittsburgh is in the market for a "top-six winger," which makes sense after the Penguins ranked a subpar 18th in goals scored (221) last season. 

Since this year's draft is considered one of the deepest in recent memory, the Penguins could conceivably part with a youngster, fill a need with an established winger and still replenish its stash of defenders with the 46th pick in Saturday's second round. 

According to Gentille, Pittsburgh's crop of available defenseman includes, but is not limited to, Olli Maatta, Scott Harrington, Derrick Pouliot and Brian Dumoulin.