NHL Rumors: Latest Gossip on Justin Faulk and More Ahead of 2017 Trade Deadline

The 2017 NHL trade deadline is fully underway, as numerous impact players have already been dealt ahead of Wednesday's 3 p.m. ET cutoff.

Sunday night saw two of the deadline's biggest names come off the board. The Tampa Bay Lightning traded star goaltender and pending unrestricted free agent Ben Bishop, and center Martin Hanzal is on the move from the Arizona Coyotes to the Minnesota Wild.

Other high-profile names around the league could certainly follow, according to gossip leading up to the deadline. Let us take a look at the latest buzz surrounding trade candidates for Wednesday.

Is Justin Faulk in Play?

The Carolina Hurricanes are very much in danger of missing the postseason for the eighth straight season, being 11 points out of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference. While the team possesses a very promising core of young talent, that group could be shaken up in the coming days.

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal cited unnamed league scouts on Thursday in saying that defenseman Justin Faulk is available at the deadline. The Hurricanes have developed one of the league's top young defensemen corps, led by full-time NHLers Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin while Haydn Fleury waits in the wings. 

Faulk is only 24 years old himself, but there are circumstances that make this gossip very believable.

After breaking into the league during the 2011-12 season, Faulk is having one of his worst seasons. He has 25 points through 51 games and owns a putrid minus-17 rating. He was still named an All-Star, but this is certainly a down year by his standards. 

Carolina also needs some reinforcements on offense, particularly down the middle. Sebastian Aho and Elias Lindholm lead a decent group of young forwards, but the team could use more speed at center.

Matheson did not name any potential trading partners, but the Oilers make a lot sense here. Edmonton is already flushed with young centers, and Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are certainly not going anywhere.

That leaves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a potential name to watch if these two teams start talking. The 23-year-old only has 30 points in 63 games this season while playing in a third-line role. The dynamic centerman could use a fresh start in a top-line role, and dealing him would give Edmonton one fewer forward to worry about protecting in the upcoming expansion draft.

Faulk would significantly boost Edmonton's power play as well. His big shot from the point set a Carolina franchise record for extra-man tallies a year ago, per the NHL's YouTube page:

This eventually resulted in 12 power-play goals last season, and he would give McDavid more space to work down low as his shot would garner plenty of attention.

The additions of Adam Larsson and Kris Russell definitely improved the Oilers defense, but the team should be in the market for an impact blueliner, especially if Faulk is available.

Toronto Looking at Riley Sheahan

Although he is not on the same level as Faulk, Riley Sheahan is another 24-year-old in the midst of a down year.

The young forward is still goalless in 58 games while only having nine assists and a minus-19 rating. With Detroit completely falling out of a playoff race, Sheahan has emerged as a possible trade candidate.

SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos discussed on Saturday that the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to acquire Sheahan. 

ESPN.com's Craig Custance substantiated that notion but added that Toronto is not alone in its interest:

The move makes sense for the Maple Leafs, as the exciting young team is surprisingly very much a threat to make the playoffs as the No. 8 team in the East. Toronto could use Sheahan to solidify its center group along with Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri and Auston Matthews. Sheahan also played for Leafs head coach Mike Babcock in Detroit, so the familiarity factor also works in Toronto's favor.

The SportsNet pair speculated that Sheahan could bring back as much as a first-round draft choice to Detroit, based on the return of a conditional second-rounder Dallas received in the Patrick Eaves trade Friday. 

Giving up that much for Sheahan would not be a smart move for a Toronto team that is still looking to the future, given how well its young talent has played this season. Still, adding a two-way player like Sheahan would help the Maple Leafs greatly for a playoff run this year, if it comes at the right price.

Statistics are courtesy of Hockey Reference unless otherwise noted.