NHL Trade Rumors: Top Chatter Regarding TJ Oshie, Tyler Bozak and More

The NHL's free-agent frenzy officially opened Wednesday at noon ET, but that isn't the only market heating up as trade talk continues to send the rumor mill spinning as well.

With several teams looking to improve their respective situations with regard to the salary cap, there are several intriguing names potentially on the block. There is no guarantee that all of them will be moved, but the NHL's cap tends to force organizations into some difficult decisions, which has already been seen on multiple occasions this offseason.

As teams continue to shape their rosters for the 2015-16 campaign, here is a closer look at some of the top trade chatter making the rounds.

T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund

The St. Louis Blues are coming off a season in which they won the Central Division title, but after being bounced in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in consecutive years, big changes could be coming.

According to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, that change could come in the form of trading either forward T.J. Oshie or forward Patrik Berglund.

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

St. Louis has a ton of forward depth, but with restricted free agent Vladimir Tarasenko set to receive a hefty raise, the Blues would benefit from shipping some salary elsewhere. Oshie and Berglund are prime candidates since they each have two years left on the current deals at cap hits of $4.175 million and $3.7 million respectively, per NHLNumbers.com.

While either player could possibly be on the move, it may be easier to trade Oshie since Berglund's limited no-trade clause kicked in Wednesday, according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest.

Not surprisingly, Oshie seems to be generating plenty of interest. He is a solid, two-way forward who excels defensively but also boasts some offensive acumen. He put up 19 goals and 55 points this past season one year after setting career highs with 21 goals and 60 points.

Per Josh Yohe of DKonPittsburghSports.com, the Pittsburgh Penguins have emerged as a potential candidate for his services:

The Pens desperately need some secondary scoring to support the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and there is no doubt that Oshie would be a fine complement to either of them.

Their interest may be impacted by the fact that they acquired Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday, however.

Trading for Oshie isn't likely to be cheap, though, since his cap number is manageable and he doesn't become a free agent for two more seasons. He's also just 28 years of age, which means he's firmly in his prime.

With so much working in his favor, the American will certainly be one of the most highly sought-after players on the trade market throughout the offseason.

Tyler Bozak

Center Tyler Bozak has received a great deal of criticism within the Toronto market for not emerging as a No. 1 center, but he has been fairly productive, and he could potentially be on the move.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Arizona Coyotes have expressed interest in trading for the 29-year-old pivot.

Sportsnet's Damien Cox initially reported that the Leafs were hoping to land a second-round pick in return prior to the draft, but now that it has come and gone, it is unclear what type of return Toronto is looking for. 

Graig Abel/Getty Images

Bozak has posted 49 points in consecutive seasons, and he is coming off a career-best 23 goals in 2014-15. With a cap hit of $4.2 million through the 2017-18 campaign, per NHLNumbers.com, Bozak actually produces at a clip that makes him a fairly paid player or arguably even a slight bargain.

The Coyotes aren't poised to produce for at least a few years, but they could use a solid veteran who can play alongside some of the youngsters who will be coming up to the NHL in the near future such as Dylan Strome, Brendan Perlini and Anthony Duclair.

Bozak fits the bill in that regard, and he may very well reach new heights in a place like Arizona since the expectations for his performance won't be unrealistic.

The Coyotes shouldn't throw a huge offer at Toronto since there is no reason to disrupt the rebuild, but if they can get him for a reasonable price, then he is worth pursuing.

Bryan Bickell

The Chicago Blackhawks have already begun the process of managing the salary cap by trading forward Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but there may very well be more moves to come.

According to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Bruins have kicked the tires on veteran winger Bryan Bickell, although there could be strings attached:

While Bickell is a Bruins-esque player due to his size and physicality, he has a cap hit of $4 million per season through 2016-17, per NHLNumbers.com. That is a bit lofty for a player who put up only 14 goals and 28 points this past season.

That is why Chicago would likely be interested in moving him, but it may not rush into it since general manager Stan Bowman anticipates increased interest as free agency wears on, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:

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The way the market works is you've got a few (free agents), and there's a lot of bidders, and (the players) are usually looking for long terms and big dollars. The players that might be (traded) are on shorter terms than that. So at that point, teams start to say, 'Oh, well, I don't know if I want to sign a guy to a five- or six-year contract. I might look at players on shorter terms.' They become more attractive at that time. That's all stuff that can happen, but we're not there yet.

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It is possible that waiting could lead to more suitors emerging, but it is difficult to envision Bickell being a popular option on the trade market unless Chicago is willing to pick up a big chunk of his contract.

Either way, there doesn't seem to be much room for Bickell on the roster since the Blackhawks have brought in several forwards via trade and free agency, so his days in the Windy City are likely numbered.

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