NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kevin Shattenkirk, Nail Yakupov and More

While much of the buzz around the NHL surrounds free agency, quite a few players nonetheless appear to be available via trade. That means the trade chatter is going strong, with teams looking to address major needs before overpaying in free agency.

Below, we'll break down three of the latest rumors making the rounds.

Kevin Shattenkirk

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Kevin Shattenkirk seems to know his time with the St. Louis Blues is coming to a close. In fact, his agent, Jordan Neumann of Edge Sports Management, confirmed as much to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

"

[Blues general manager Doug Armstrong] inferred that Kevin probably wouldn’t be re-signing there beyond next season, and therefore he thought it was in both our best interests and the Blues’ best interests that he pursue a trade. I would say that neither Kevin nor I was surprised. I think we all kind of saw it coming. We really respected the fact that Doug reached out and talked to us about it, and that we had some fair warning, and that he allowed us to have at least a little bit of input as the process sort of took off heading into draft weekend. Kevin loves it in St. Louis, he’s really enjoyed his time, his career has really taken off there. But at the same time, he’s a very smart young man and we completely understand the business. It would be naive to say we didn’t expect it to be coming.

"

As Rutherford noted, Shattenkirk's $4.25 million cap hit next season is a lot to absorb for a Blues team currently just $15 million below the cap ceiling, especially if they attempt to re-sign restricted free agent Jaden Schwartz and unrestricted free agents David Backes and Troy Brouwer.

And the Blues are going to have a tough time re-signing the 27-year-old after the 2016-17 season, when he becomes a free agent, as the blueliner will command a large contract on the market. 

Indeed, Shattenkirk is an excellent defenseman who moves the puck well, has a solid shot, certainly can provide an offensive boost and is a well-rounded player altogether. He's scored 43 points in four of the past five seasons and has averaged 20 or more minutes of ice time in five straight seasons.

The problem may be that, for as valuable as Shattenkirk clearly is, the Blues appear to value him even more highly. That was likely one of the reasons he wasn't traded during last week's NHL draft, with Brendan Savage of MLive.com reporting Shattenkirk's price tag is "apparently scaring many teams away."

He reported that the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings have expressed interest in the blueliner, though the Blues' "definition of value apparently doesn't jive with that of other teams."

So while Shattenkirk seems likely to be dealt, the Blues certainly won't deal him for the sake of dealing him. They'll want big value in return, and while a team will almost assuredly bite at some point, that may not take place until some of the big names in free agency are settled into new contracts.

Nail Yakupov

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The Oilers want to deal Nail Yakupov, and apparently they aren't looking for much in return.

Before the NHL draft, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (h/t Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy) reported that the team was just looking for a low second-round or third-round pick for the forward. 

And a scout told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, “Yakupov’s value has dropped significantly over the last two years. … They may have to take somebody else’s failed prospect. I don’t think the Oilers will get a whole, big return for him.”

Yakupov has talent, for sure, and his lack of success in the NHL doesn't seem to arise from a lack of work ethic or character concerns. But eight goals and 15 assists in 60 games in 2015-16 is simply unacceptable, as is the fact that the former top overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft has never scored 20 goals in a season.

Maybe a change of scenery will be what he needs to revitalize his career. And he'll almost assuredly be getting one, though the Oilers will be selling him for pennies on the dollar at this point. 

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

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While Yakupov is the most likely Oiler to be moved this offseason, he may not be the only one. Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has also been the subject of trade rumors, with the latest one linking him to the New Jersey Devils, according to Matheson.

Per that report, the return for Nugent-Hopkins could potentially be defensive prospect Damon Severson. 

The Oilers seem to be keen on bringing aboard a defenseman in a trade for Nugent-Hopkins, with Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting before the NHL draft that the team had talks with the Wild surrounding blueliners Mathew Dumba and Jonas Brodin.

Nugent-Hopkins notched 12 goals and 22 assists in 55 games in the 2015-16 season. His best campaign came in 2014-15, when he scored 24 goals with 32 assists. Like Yakupov, he's never quite lived up to being the top overall pick in the 2011 draft, though he's scored 52 or more points in three seasons and has been more productive than Yakupov.

The Oilers have no shortage of young talent at forward, however, making a player like Nugent-Hopkins expendable. He'll likely bring back a much bigger haul than Yakupov, which makes his potential trade feel imminent.

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