NHL Trade Rumors: Latest on Tyson Barrie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and More

The start of free agency begins with a flurry of activity every year as the best available players decide where they are going to play for the next several years of their career.

But after a few hours of a feeding frenzy as millions of dollars get spent and blockbuster moves get made, it is soon back to the business of general managers making additional maneuvers that allow their teams to grow more competitive for the 2016-17 season.

While free agent signings will remain an important tool, so will acquiring talent through trades. There are still several trades that could happen in the the upcoming days, and don't be surprised to see the Edmonton Oilers pick up their pursuit of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie.

The 24-year-old already has 264 regular-season games under his belt and he has recorded 40 goals and 113 assists during his career that began in the 2011-12 season.

The Avs have said that they are not interested in trading Barrie, but the Oilers want him and will not be easily dissuaded, according to NHL insider Bob McKenzie (h/t veteran hockey reporter Chris Nichols). 

The Oilers have many issues, but their inability to defend has been a big problem that general manager Peter Chiarelli is going to have to fix if this team is finally going to contend for a playoff berth.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The move of Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils shows that Chiarelli is not afraid to move big-name stars and former No. 1 draft picks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be the next Oiler on the move.

The Minnesota Wild need a playmaking center, and Nugent-Hopkins fits that description, with 222 career points. The 23-year-old is scheduled to earn $6 million per season through the 2020-21 season, according to generalfanager.com 

That's a huge commitment, and Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune points out that if the the Wild were going to acquire Nugent-Hopkins and his salary, they would need to move significant salary off of their books. That could mean solid defenseman Jonas Brodin, who is scheduled to earn $4.2 million per year for the next five seasons.

Previously, a Nugent-Hopkins for Matt Dumba deal had been discussed, but that didn't make economic sense because Dumba is a restricted free agent who will not command huge money at this point.

Nugent-Hopkins could also be targeted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Jimmy Murphy of CSNNE.com. The Blue Jackets could offer the Oilers some of the defensive talent that Chiarelli needs.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The Blue Jackets would like to trade some of their higher salaried players like veterans Scott Hartnell, Fedor Tyutin and Jared Boll, according to NHL insider James Mirtle. The Blue Jackets have told potential trading partners that they may be willing to retain some salary to get these players off their books.