NHL Rumors: Trade Chatter Surrounding Hanzal, Duchene and More

With Wednesday's trade deadline looming, expect discussions between buyers and sellers to get serious as general managers decide whether it's time to pull the trigger on prospective trades or stand pat.

The right move can help a playoff team become a championship contender or help an outsider get into the playoffs.

The Ottawa Senators are in a good position to earn a spot in the playoffs as they are in second place in the Atlantic Division behind the struggling Montreal Canadiens. A strong finish could allow them to pass the Habs, but a halting run down the stretch could result in them missing the playoffs.

Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion knows that he can't afford to sit idly by and hope the Senators secure their position by playing well down the stretch. He wants to improve the Senators up front by adding a forward to the mix, according to longtime Ottawa Sun beat writer Bruce Garrioch.

While the Senators are among the teams that have been discussing players like Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Dorion does not want to give up a young stud defenseman like Cody Ceci.

As a result, Garrioch reports that the Senators are more likely to be involved in a deal for center Martin Hanzal of the Arizona Coyotes. At least four other teams have made inquiries about Hanzal at this point, and that could drive up Arizona general manager John Chayka's price.

However, if some of the other teams start to back away from the deal, that will almost certainly reduce the Coyotes' asking price.

Other potential targets for the Senators include Drew Stafford of the Winnipeg Jets, Thomas Vanek of the Detroit Red Wings and Jiri Hudler of the Dallas Stars.

While the Senators may find the price for Duchene to be too high, the Philadelphia Flyers may be more of a mind to complete a deal for the young forward or teammate Gabriel Landeskog.

Veteran reporter Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com reports that an NHL source has said that the Avs would love to complete a deal with the Flyers.

The Flyers are on the outside of the playoff structure and may be more inclined to make a larger-scale trade than a team like the Senators.

Ottawa does not want to lose any of its core players, but if Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall comes to the conclusion that the Flyers won't get into the postseason, he might be willing to shake things up to give Philadelphia a more competitive team in upcoming seasons.

The Flyers have several young defensemen that could help them complete a deal with the Avs for Duchene or Landeskog.

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Edmonton Oilers have had a strong season and are in line to get back to the playoffs this season after a long absence. Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are in second place in the Pacific Division and within reach of the first-place San Jose Sharks.

General manager Peter Chiarelli is interested in tightening up the weak spots and fine-tuning the Edmonton roster.

The Oilers are not a strong faceoff team, and they could be interested in picking up a No. 3 center, according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Hanzal, Brian Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Riley Nash of the Boston Bruins are all solid faceoff men.

The price for Hanzal and Boyle may be too much for Chiarelli, but a deal for Nash may be somewhat easier for the former Bruins general manager to close.