NHL Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Matt Duchene, Ilya Kovalchuk and More

NHL free agency's first step is underway as the deadline to extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents and the discussions with pending unrestricted began, but the rumor mill for trades is still very much alive as a busy offseason continues.

Several big names are still on the board as trade candidates after the entry draft, but could they be moved in the coming days? With teams looking to have a better picture of their rosters before deciding which free agents to focus on, some blockbusters could be on the horizon.

With that in mind, let us dissect some of the latest buzz around the league.

Colorado Not Settling on Trade Market

After finishing off one of the worst seasons in recent league history with a pitiful 48 points, there is no doubt big-time changes are needed for the Colorado Avalanche.

Matt Duchene has been arguably the NHL's most prominent names in rumors since the trade deadline, and his ability indicates he should be a scalding hot commodity. Duchene, only 26, possesses an elite combination of speed and skill that makes him one of the most dangerous players in hockey. Very few guys can create their own offense from simple plays in the neutral zone before a tremendous finish like this, courtesy of the NHL:

It appears Colorado general manager Joe Sakic is placing a very high value on those game-breaking skills, which Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman is hearing may be why he has been on the trading block for so long.

"I think it's interesting," Friedman said Monday on Sportsnet 960. "I think Duchene's agent, Pat Brisson, is pretty frustrated. I'm sure Duchene is frustrated too. Colorado's asks have been very big, from what I've been told. I think locally they feel this is not a deal they can 'lose,' and other teams are saying, 'OK, we'll try to force them to sell low.'"

Duchene has 418 points in 572 games, but he is coming off by far the worst year in his career with 41 points and a minus-34 rating in 77 games. He also has just two years left at $6 million per season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, which makes it difficult for trade partners to part with valuable assets to acquire the gifted center.

On Sunday, Newsday's Arthur Staple reported that New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow made a strong offer to Colorado that included Travis Hamonic, who was dealt on Saturday to the Calgary Flames. Still, the idea of adding a top-four defenseman and a high pick was not enough for Sakic, per Staple:

"Snow had an offer out to the Avalanche, with Hamonic and the Islanders' 2018 first-round pick as part of a package for Matt Duchene, while at the same time shopping Hamonic to defense-hungry teams such as the Flames and Maple Leafs for an asking price of two first-round picks. Those were two very different paths Snow was staring down. Avalanche GM Joe Sakic balked at a Duchene move, as he has for months."

The proposed Islanders deal would have netted quite a haul for Colorado, even though Hamonic, a 26-year-old with three years left before unrestricted free agency, would not have been a great fit. Still, Sakic could have flipped Hamonic for more assets to help his rebuild.

If the Hamonic deal is not enough for Sakic, then what is? The Nashville Predators could certainly use some scoring after they struggled in the Stanley Cup Final without Ryan Johansen, but Adam Vignan of The Tennessean raised a quality point when speculating what the Duchene cost could be:

Duchene is an outstanding offensive talent, but Sakic needs to make a move soon. With Duchene being on the trade block for months, the relationship between the two sides has to have soured, which other teams are sure to pick up on. The longer this star is on the market, the lower his value will become.

Ilya Kovalchuk to Columbus?

Since news broke that Ilya Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL, speculation has run wild as to where he could end up.

Even at 34 years of age, Kovalchuk looks to still have something left in the tank that made him one the best scoring threats the NHL has ever seen, particularly in the last 20 years. He had 78 points in 60 games in the KHL last season, and he has 816 career NHL points in as many games played.

Kovalchuk can step in as a top-six winger and be a major boost for a contending squad. He and his agent can talk to other teams, but the New Jersey Devils still own his rights. For Kovalchuk to play anywhere else, the Devils must have a deal in place to immediately sign and trade him.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported on June 5 that the Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams interested in bringing on Kovalchuk. That notion has yet to be refuted, but Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch is hearing that while Kovalchuk would be a nice addition, the Blue Jackets are not all-in on going after the Russian just yet. Portzline relayed this information in a series of tweets:

NHL.com's Mike Morreale later tweeted that Devils general manager Ray Shero expects more clarity on Kovalchuk's desires soon:

If Columbus is unable to find what it wants elsewhere though, Kovalchuk would be an excellent fit.

The Blue Jackets just traded for dynamic winger Artemi Panarin, who was a linemate of Kovalchuk's for St. Petersburg SKA. He also has familiarity with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who just won his second Vezina Trophy, from their time on the Russian national team.

Otherwise, Columbus is a budding team built to compete for the Stanley Cup for the next few seasons. The team racked up 108 points to finish third in the ultracompetitive Metropolitan Division last year, and it has a bevy of scoring punch up front with Cam Atkinson and Alex Wennberg along with emerging elite defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.

Cap space could be the only obstacle. The Blue Jackets have about $10.3 million free with Josh Anderson and Wennberg needing new deals. Unless it is able to move 35-year-old Scott Hartnell and his $4.75 million hit, Columbus may not have enough room to accommodate the type of salary Kovalchuk could command based on his value.

If Kovalchuk is serious about playing for a Stanley Cup, he could make himself much more attractive to Columbus by taking a pay cut to join a team that looks to be among the Eastern Conference's best. It will be much harder to find a team with space to take him after free agency begins, so Kovalchuk's camp must make moves in the very near future.

Statistics are courtesy of hockeyDB.com. Contract information is courtesy of CapFriendly.