NHL Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz Surrounding Luke Schenn, Travis Zajac and More

The start of the 2015-16 NHL regular season is just days away, but with teams looking to make last-minute changes and improvements, it is possible that some fairly significant names could be on the move.

Circumstances often dictate trades just prior to the start of the season. That was the case last year when the New York Islanders took advantage of cash-strapped teams by acquiring defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy from the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively.

Those types of opportunities could present themselves once again in the coming days, which means smart, aggressive organizations still have a chance to get better.

Here is a closer look at some of the biggest names who could find themselves donning new uniforms when the 2015-16 campaign commences.

Luke Schenn

The Philadelphia Flyers seemingly have a glut of defensemen entering the season, and that could ultimately lead them to trade Luke Schenn away.

Philly acquired Schenn in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for winger James van Riemsdyk in 2012, but the move hasn't exactly paid dividends as the rugged blueliner has 37 points and a plus-one rating over three seasons with the Flyers.

According to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Flyers may be ready to put an end to the experiment as Schenn is reportedly on the trading block along with forward Vincent Lecavalier and R.J. Umberger.

It has become clear during the preseason that the Flyers are down on Schenn based on the way he has been deployed, as reported by Carchidi:

Philadelphia would certainly have no interest in keeping Schenn as an extra defenseman, especially since he carries a cap hit of $3.6 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason, per NHLNumbers.com.

Schenn is well aware of the situation he finds himself in, but he is trying to focus on performing rather than the possibility of a trade, according to Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"I don't tend to worry about it," Schenn said. "I know what it's like. I've obviously enjoyed playing with the Flyers and would love to be a part of things. But, it's also not my decision. I can only control what I do on the ice."

Schenn may not be the player the Leafs thought they were getting when they selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft, but he is a steady, reliable rearguard who can help a contending team.

Since the team that potentially acquires him won't have to make any commitments beyond 2015-16, it stands to reason that Philly should get some considerable interest for the 25-year-old's services.

Travis Zajac

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The New Jersey Devils are under new leadership with Ray Shero as general manager and John Hynes as head coach, and they may be looking to ship out a member of the old guard before the season begins.

According to Rich Chere of NJ Advance Media, there have been some rumblings regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs attempting to acquire 30-year-old center Travis Zajac.

The 2004 first-round pick boasts a strong two-way game, which prompted the Devils to sign him to a contract that carries an annual cap hit of $5.75 million through 2020-21, per NHLNumbers.com. As pointed out by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Willis, however, he has not lived up to that deal:

"

LRT: Travis Zajac hasn't hit 50 points since 2010 and had 25 last year. His cap hit is $5.75MM until July 1, 2021. #Leafs #NJDevils

— Jonathan Willis (@JonathanWillis) September 23, 2015"

Zajac was a force during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons as he averaged over 20 goals and 60 points per season. He was also a key part of New Jersey's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, posting 14 points in 24 playoff games.

He has struggled since then, though, especially last season when he registered just 11 goals and 25 points in 74 contests.

Despite his poor play and massive contract, Tom Gulitti of the Record believes the Leafs have interest in Zajac due to the fact that GM Lou Lamoriello knows him well from his lengthy tenure in New Jersey:

Zajac can be an effective player as a glue guy on a team with playoff aspirations, but it seems more likely that the Leafs will be vying for an early draft pick than a spot in the postseason.

Any trade involving Zajac would likely include the Devils eating a substantial chunk of his salary. But based on the fact that his skills are eroding and he's under contract for six more seasons, it wouldn't make sense for a rebuilding team like Toronto to bring him in.

Jonas Hiller

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Calgary Flames have three NHL-caliber goaltenders in Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio, which suggests they may be looking to unload one of them over the next several days.

Hiller started 52 games for them last season, but, according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the Flames attempted to trade him at last season's deadline and once again at the draft. With that in mind, Spector sees Calgary continuing to shop the Swiss netminder.

The 33-year-old Hiller performed solidly last season for a Flames team that went to the playoffs. He went 26-19-4 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Things went south in the postseason, though, as he went 3-3 with a 2.61 GAA and was replaced by Ramo.

Hiller is easily the most experienced of Calgary's goalie options since he started several seasons for the Anaheim Ducks and played in many playoff games, but it seems as though he has hit his ceiling.

Ramo and Ortio are unknowns to some degree, but they may give the Flames a better chance to make a deep run provided they catch lightning in a bottle.

Hiller still has some value as an NHL goalie, but with teams seemingly less willing to give up assets for goaltenders than ever before, it is unlikely that Calgary will get a big return if it does decide to part ways.

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