NHL Trade Talk: Buzz Surrounding the Detroit Red Wings, Bryan Bickell

Even though the NHL's trade market has drastically slowed since the beginning of July, there are still plenty of pieces that could be in play in order for teams to help round out their rosters into a contender. 

For others, financial issues could force their hands into parting with some of their most important players. Continue below for the latest buzz and analysis on possible trade candidates.

---

Detroit Red Wings

It's safe to say that the Detroit Red Wings blue line looks pretty good for the future. With an already decent defensive corps, the acquisition of free agent Mike Green made their group seem that much tougher to break down. 

But now it seems the Red Wings have seven defensemen that are capable of starting with Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Brendan Smith, Danny DeKeyser, Kyle Quincey, Jakub Kindl and Green.

According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the Red Wings are looking to deal a defenseman before the regular season begins in October. And while it looks to be difficult enough deciding which six will be patrolling the blue line every evening, St. James pointed out that there is a crop of young players that will also be vying to make the big club:

"

Alexey Marchenko, Xavier Ouellet, Nick Jensen and Ryan Sproul are all entering their last year of waiver-exempt status, so the Wings have to figure out who is NHL-caliber this season. All four won't be up at the same time, but ideally they'll each be able to get auditions at some point.

"

Of the four, Marchenko and Ouellet appeared with the Red Wings last season. Marchenko recorded a goal and an assist with a +1 rating in 13 games. Ouellet was in the NHL for 21 games, scoring two goals and an assist with a +4 rating.

This could mean that there is going to be a revolving door at the No. 6 defenseman position, as Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told St. James that he would like to see one of those young players make the roster. 

It's possible that one of the lower defensemen in that group of seven, like Kindl, could be on the trading block very soon. The prospect of a young talent that could surpass the 28-year-old Kindl's output will be too good for Holland to pass up. 

Kindl had a difficult enough time breaking into the defense last season, appearing in just 35 games. The frustration of being a healthy scratch led him to ask for a demotion to the minors in order to receive more playing time, according to Peter J. Wallner of MLive.com. 

The defenseman is signed until the end of the 2016-17 season as he'll be making $5.5 million until that time, according to Spotrac.com. So he wouldn't just be a quick rental for interested sides.

A team that is looking for an offensive-minded defenseman could snap up Kindl. In those 35 games last season, he recorded five goals and eight assists. A team like the Winnipeg Jets, who are in need of some defensive depth, would be a possible partner for the Red Wings. 

Bryan Bickell

The Chicago Blackhawks have had to face their salary-cap issues head-on since winning their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. 

They have had to deal Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Patrick Sharp to the Dallas Stars, only to see free agent Johnny Oduya follow Sharp to the Lone Star State. 

According to Spotrac.com, the Blackhawks have managed to just lower themselves under the salary-cap ceiling and have $231,538 to work with. They still need a bit more room to work with, as they have free agent Marcus Kruger still to address while finding a replacement for Oduya.

They still might not be done, however, as Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports:

"

Bickell is still a member of the Blackhawks. But according to multiple sources, it’s not for a lack of trying on Stan Bowman’s part. The Hawks general manager — who still needs to clear cap space before the season begins in October — has been unable to find a taker for the power forward’s $4-million cap hit. 

"

Bickell is signed through 2016-17, making that $4 million again next season. The left winger recorded 28 points on 14 goals and 14 assists in 80 games last season, but he missed much of the playoffs while battling vertigo. 

There were early reports toward the end of June that the Arizona Coyotes were interested in Bickell, according to Darren Dreger of TSN (as reported by TodaysSlapshot.com), but there has been little action since. 

A team like the Coyotes that had struggled so mightily last season in terms of offense could use a player like Bickell. A hard-nosed style of play to complement solid offensive skill does make this situation seem confusing as to why the Blackhawks have not been able to find a suitor. 

Look for the Blackhawks to continue pushing to find a suitor, even if they do not get an impressive return. Having that contract off the books is the most valuable thing Chicago could receive no matter what talent returns. 

Stats courtesy of NHL.com