NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz Following Stanley Cup Final 2017

With the Stanley Cup Final over, the upcoming expansion draft and 2017 entry draft are sure to bring a flurry of transactions and trades in the coming days. As a result, the rumor mill is unsurprisingly flowing.

The deadline for teams to ask players to waive no-movement clauses has come and gone, which is officially getting the offseason into motion.

There are now several important dates on the horizon, and CapFriendly provided a breakdown of the timeline:

Even with the heavy expected movement around the league, the Vegas Golden Knights—who are the root of the volatility—are not expected to announce any trades until after the expansion selection ends, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. This is added period of uncertainty will fuel more buzz this week.

With that in mind, let's take a look at two recent trade storylines.

Anaheim Defense Plan Progressing

Along with the Minnesota Wild, the Anaheim Ducks' current roster presents the league's biggest crunch regarding defensemen.

The Ducks appear certain to go with the seven forwards, three defensemen protection approach given the excess of talented scorers in Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg that need to be kept. This leaves just three protection spots on the back end.

Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm are likely locks to receive protection, as each emerged as outstanding top-four defensemen in recent seasons. That leaves Kevin Bieksa, Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen as the guys possibly facing exposure, and one big obstacle seems to be cleared.

Bieksa, 35, holds a no-move clause, and it appears he was not asked to waive it despite the relief this would give Anaheim. Instead, TSN's Bob McKenzie said Tuesday that word is the Ducks could have a deal in place with Vegas to steer clear of a particular unprotected player:

LeBrun added that he is hearing one player is certain to stay in Anaheim:

If all of this information turns out to be true, then a side trade could involve Vegas passing on Manson. This could mean Anaheim is giving away a ton to entice the Golden Knights into avoiding unprotected Manson and Vatanen, or the Finn could be moved elsewhere in the next few days.

The latter seems to have the most credence, since Vatanen's name has been tossed around a lot in trade rumors. Moving him would also make plenty of sense for three main reasons. 

Firstly, the cost of keeping a team from passing on one of two top-four defensemen has to be awfully steep. With quality defensemen being such a commodity, Anaheim would likely have to trade multiple young assets like Brandon Montour and Sam Steel since the team lost its 2017 first-round pick in the Patrick Eaves trade. Also, trading Vatanen helps the Ducks get some assets back in a deal while clearing his $4.875 million cap hit to help re-sign Fowler next summer.

Anaheim will be busy between a rumored side trade with Vegas and possibly moving Vatanen. As much as the Ducks would like to keep a skilled puck-mover like the 26-year-old, it appears to be the most logical action given their roster demands in other areas.

No. 1 Pick on the Move?

The 2017 NHL draft is all about "Nico or Nolan," but the New Jersey Devils may not be sold.

Despite bucking the odds by moving up from No. 5 to the top spot via the draft lottery, there is buzz the Devils may pass on dynamic centers Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman told Calgary's Sportsnet 960 radio Monday that he hears New Jersey may look to move down to address another need.

"New Jersey with the No. 1 pick. I've heard they really like a couple of defensemen there and I'm curious to see if they will move down," Friedman said around the 14-minute mark before later adding his own speculation. "I think New Jersey—I think if they know that they can go down and still get a [Cale] Makar or a [Miro] Heiskanen—I think they would definitely consider moving down. I think they would."

For a team that lacks any significant young defensive depth after Steven Santini, New Jersey adding another high-end future defensemen seems like a good idea. However, moving down from this pick is a questionable move unless the Devils receive an overwhelming offer.

Hischier and Patrick are rated No. 1 and No. 2 by NHL Central Scouting in addition to being the consensus two best available prospects by every major scouting service and draft analyst for a reason. They are the two top talents who appear like sure bets to become legitimate top-six centers for a long time.

After missing the postseason for five straight years with many of the same core players, New Jersey is not in a position to draft for need over talent. The Devils lack a true top center to play with Taylor Hall, and Hischier or Patrick are their best bet of finding that guy in the near future. 

Taking the best available player is an effective philosophy for a team that does not have the luxury of opting for a more immediate need. There isn't a can't-miss defenseman available who warrants that type of movement, and while finding top-four defensemen is difficult, it is even harder to get a top centerman.

The Devils, who finished last in the league in scoring in 2015 before averaging less goals per game the following year, would be smart to add to an offense in need of a spark. 

Statistics are courtesy of NHL.com. Salary information is courtesy of CapFriendly.com.