NHL Rumors: Analyzing Hottest Trade Buzz Entering 2017 Deadline Day

With just over one month left in the NHL regular season, Wednesday marks the final day for Stanley Cup playoff contenders to make roster upgrades before the trade deadline passes.

There has already been a flurry of activity leading up to the deadline, notably with Kevin Shattenkirk going from the St. Louis Blues to the Washington Capitals on Monday.

The rest of the Eastern Conference will be spending its time trying to respond to Washington's huge gambit.

Here are the top rumors to keep track of as the NHL's trade deadline approaches at 3 p.m. ET.

Marc-Andre Fleury on His Way out of Pittsburgh?

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves chasing the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, but their biggest deadline move could involve getting rid of Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2003, has not been keen on being the backup goalie to Matt Murray in Pittsburgh, per Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Frank Seravalli of TSN.ca reported the Penguins aren't necessarily in a rush to move Fleury if they don't get a deal to be of fair and equal value.

"Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford acknowledged again last week Fleury's desire to move on and resume a No. 1 role, but if the return isn't significant enough to warrant the defending Stanley Cup champions to sacrifice Matt Murray's insurance policy, then he will likely remain in the Steel City for another playoff run," Seravalli wrote.

One potential problem for teams seeking to add Fleury is his contract. He's not a rental player with two more years left on his contract, giving him more value than Ben Bishop, who was traded to the Los Angeles Kings Monday and whose deal expires after this season.

Fleury has only started 27 games this season and his 3.16 goals-against average is his highest mark since 2005-06.

At 22 years old, Murray is the present and future for the Penguins. He has earned the No. 1 goalie job with a 2.27 GAA and 92.6 save percentage.

Fleury is at an age where he wants to be a starter, but his performance with the Penguins this season has not warranted it. He does give the team value and depth, especially as they look to make another run at a Stanley Cup, and Rutherford may not want to disrupt that chemistry with the playoffs starting in April.

Jaroslav Halak's Rising Stock

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Teams in the market for a goalie who don't want to pay the price, in salary or players, to acquire a player like Fleury would be wise to take a look at Jaroslav Halak of the New York Islanders.

Per ESPN.com's Craig Custance, the Edmonton Oilers have shown interest in Halak, and he speculates the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins could get involved in the discussion.

Halak had a brutal start to the season, owning a 3.23 GAA with a save percentage of just 90.6, before the Islanders assigned him to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.

ESPN.com's Scott Burnside noted on February 3 Halak has been able to rehabilitate his career on the ice dating back to the World Cup of Hockey last September:

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Yet the 31-year-old, who was so good for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, has been excellent in the AHL, going 6-1-1 with a .927 save percentage. He comes with salary-cap baggage -- he's owed $5 million real money next season with a $4.5 million cap hit -- but surely the Isles would be willing to eat some of that if a team came calling.

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The Islanders are in the mix for one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference, though that shouldn't have an impact on their decision to move Halak, who hasn't played a game for them since December 29.

As long as the Islanders don't mind eating some of Halak's salary, just getting him off the roster with an opportunity for a fresh start down the stretch this season is the best thing that can happen for both sides.

Bruins Listening on Zdeno Chara

LM Otero/Associated Press

The Boston Bruins have caught fire of late, winning six of their first seven games after firing head coach Claude Julien on February 7, and still have a chance to catch the Montreal Canadiens atop the Atlantic Division.

Despite that success, defenseman Zdeno Chara has given Bruins general manager Don Sweeney a piece to think about moving before the deadline.

Per Jimmy Murphy of The Hockey Writers, the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks have shown an interest in Chara, and the Bruins "are listening."

There is one potential hiccup in any trade offers the Bruins may receive for Chara. His contract has a no-movement clause, which gives him final say over any potential deal.

Chara also comes with a cap hit of $6.9 million this season and $4 million next season, per Spotrac. He is going to be 40 years old on March 18 and hasn't been an All-Star since the 2013-14 season.

There's also the matter of Chara being one of the marquee names on Boston's roster and the franchise still in playoff contention. The Bruins haven't made the postseason since 2014, so subtracting Chara at this point in the season seems like a long shot even before factoring in his approval being needed to make a deal happen.