NHL Rumors: Notable Trade Reports on Road to 2016 Draft

In addition to selecting future stars, the NHL draft always promises to include numerous trades involving top players, and the 2016 edition should be no different.

Notable players that were moved during the 2015 draft include Dougie Hamilton (Boston to Calgary), Robin Lehner (Ottawa to Buffalo), Milan Lucic (Boston to Los Angeles), Ryan O'Reilly (Colorado to Buffalo) and Kyle Palmieri (Anaheim to New Jersey). 

These are all impact players, and more top players could be on the move when the 2016 NHL draft kicks off Friday. Here is a look at trade talk surrounding some of the better players in the NHL. 

Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche

On a team that missed the playoffs the last two seasons, Tyson Barrie was a bright spot as one of the top young offensive defensemen in the league.

The 24-year-old, who is a restricted free agent, put up 53 points in 2014 before collecting 49 points last season. He seems to be a solid building block on the blue line for a young team, but some around the league expect Barrie to be traded.

TSN's Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1260 in Edmonton on June 3, and he said there are discrepancies between Barrie's value and how the team wants to construct its defensive group moving forward (via Chris Nichols of Today's Slapshot).

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There’s no question in my mind, I think Tyson Barrie is going to be traded. …

Colorado is looking for a defenseman. But I don’t think they like the economic leverage that Tyson Barrie has right now. Tyson Barrie has got a very strong arbitration case. I think he’s going to be looking for a sum of money that Colorado doesn’t feel comfortable in giving him. Therefore I think they’re looking for somebody who – looking for a different type of defenseman maybe, or one that’s not going to cost them as much money. 

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McKenzie added that the Edmonton Oilers would be in the market for Barrie.

Per the Denver Post's Mike Chambers, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic addressed the talk around Barrie last Thursday, saying he expects to keep the defenseman.

“I’d like to do a long-term deal with Tyson. If that doesn’t work out, it’s expected he’ll go to arbitration,” Sakic said. “Either way, he’ll be here.”

McKenzie is one of the best insiders in the business, so there has to be some validity to his thoughts.

Colorado would be wise to hang on to Barrie, as offensive defensemen of his caliber are hard to find. The Avalanche have money tied up with Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson, Gabriel Landeskog and O'Reilly, so that could be a problem as the team tries to negotiate with Barrie.

If Barrie were to be moved, Edmonton and New Jersey would be ideal fits as teams that need offense from the back end.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins 

After watching Matt Murray backstop the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory, Marc-Andre Fleury seems destined to play elsewhere next season following 12 years in Pittsburgh.

Calgary has emerged as a possible trade partner for Fleury, as the Calgary Sun's Eric Francis reported last Wednesday that the Flames have already inquired about the netminder: "Flames GM Brad Treliving is well aware of the possible fit and, as should be expected from the diligent workhorse, he's been in contact with [Penguins GM Jim] Rutherford."

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The Flames, who primarily played three goalies in Jonas Hiller, Joni Ortio and Karri Ramo last season, were last in the league in goals-against average despite giving up the 11th-fewest shots per game.

Rutherford told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun last Friday that he wants to keep Fleury.

"Ideally, we’d like to start next year with both goalies, Fleury and Murray,” Rutherford said. "But we have to look into some things. We have to, first of all, look into what the expansion guidelines are (if the Board of Governors votes yes next week), and talk internally as to how all this works, if both goalies are here.”

The Penguins could choose to expose Fleury to the expansion draft, but that would not be until next offseason. It also would mean that the team gets no return for a star goalie.

The Flames would be an ideal fit for Fleury. They have a young team that will continue to improve, and having a veteran goalie like Fleury around could make them contenders in the near future.

Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues

Kevin Shattenkirk is one of the best scoring defensemen in hockey below the elite class of Brent Burns, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. Yet his name has been involved in trade rumors for the better part of a year.

This will continue into this offseason, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

There will possibly be six teams pushing for Shattenkirk, per Garrioch. They include the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and Oilers, with the Boston Bruins also in the market for a defenseman.  

Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last Monday that Shattenkirk's future depends on the Blues' cap situation.

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Blues general manager Doug Armstrong isn't eager to get rid of him, as he has been with a few players in the past. But many other things would have to happen before Shattenkirk could fit snugly into the team's long-range plans.

To use Armstrong's puzzle analogy, the Blues will try to fit in other pieces first. If those efforts fail, then perhaps there will be long-term money for Shattenkirk after all.

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Shattenkirk has one year left on his deal that pays him $4.25 million annually. St. Louis has roughly $15 million in cap space, but it has free agents David Backes and Troy Brouwer to sign.

Shattenkirk put up at least 40 points in four of his last five seasons, so he would have tremendous value should St. Louis decide to move him.

Boston would be the best fit. It desperately needs a No. 1 defenseman with Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg past their primes. Shattenkirk is from the New England area, and he played collegiate hockey at Boston University.

Expect the Bruins, who own the 14th pick in this year's draft, to make a push for the 27-year-old. 

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com.