NHL Rumors: Buzz on Tyler Bozak, Eric Fehr and More

It is becoming more and more quiet on the transaction front in the NHL. The wheeling and dealing that lit up news feeds a week ago has been greatly subdued as team's continue to look for that magical formula that can turn them into a Stanley Cup contender. 

There are still some very talented options available on the market, whether it be through free agency or the trade market.

Continue below for the latest buzz surrounding some of the top available players.

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Tyler Bozak

Tyler Bozak is set to shoulder a lot of the offense in Toronto next season now that Phil Kessel has been dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The center is signed through 2018, making $4.2 million in each of those years, according to Spotrac.com.

But TSN's Darren Dreger has reported that Bozak could be on the trading block:

Bozak experienced a career year last season, tying a personal best with 49 points and setting a new high with 23 goals. One might have to chalk up his minus-34 rating to the environment he was in last season, with a Maple Leafs team that experienced one of their worst seasons in franchise history. 

The Coyotes are in need of some offense. They dealt Sam Gagner, their top-scoring points-getter, to the Philadelphia Flyers. Their best returning points-scorer is defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who recorded 43 points last season. 

If the Coyotes made a deal for the center, Bozak would most likely be playing first-line hockey on a franchise that is waiting for their newest threat, Dylan Strome, to mature into an NHL-ready forward.

The Maple Leafs would be dealing their second-leading scorer from last year in Bozak, who is still on their roster. Only James van Riemsdyk recorded more points with 56. 

Toronto would have to go out and find some kind of extra offensive spark if Bozak was to be dealt. They drafted forward Mitch Marner this year, and the undersized center—just 5'11" and 160 pounds—will need time to mature and develop. 

As the Maple Leafs attempt to rebuild their franchise into the class of the Eastern Conference, patience must be preached to a fanbase that is starving for a Stanley Cup that has not been won since 1967.

Eric Fehr

Unrestricted free agent Eric Fehr is one of the best players still available in free agency. And while he remains unsigned, it is not because there is a lack of interest, as TSN's Ryan Rishaug points out:

Fehr could become one of the best bargain signings of the free-agency period. He made just $1.6 million in 2014-15, the final season of his two-year, $3 million deal, per Spotrac.com.

At 29 years old, Fehr is a power forward who can play right wing with a bit of offensive skill. Last season, he recorded his best season since 2009 with 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points as he was an important role player on a Washington Capitals side that made the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

The team that Rishaug lists, the Edmonton Oilers, could use Fehr as a bottom-six forward who could provide wing help to a team that needs improvement on their last two lines. 

The Capitals just acquired a right-winger in T.J. Oshie from the St. Louis Blues, though he plays a much more offensive, finesse-filled style compared to Fehr. 

One thing the Capitals have done that created plenty of success was use their physicality in order to break down their opponents. Establishing a bruising style of play was able to open up the ice for more of their skilled players like Alex Ovechkin, who is plenty physical, along with Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom. 

That style is what helped them defeat the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs last season, beating a very skilled team down and wearing them out over a seven-game series. 

Losing defenseman Mike Green in free agency and forward Troy Brouwer in the Oshie deal, the Capitals are starting to lose that identity, and it will only worsen if Fehr walks in free agency. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com