NHL Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Jason Demers, Marco Scandella and More

Mobile top-four defensemen are a hot commodity in today's high-tempo NHL, and several notable names are finding themselves in the rumor mill as trade buzz percolates throughout the league.

NHL clubs are looking to possibly make some last-minute trades to give their rosters more clarity before the free-agency signing period begins on July 1. The Minnesota Wild are a team with a logjam of quality defensemen that could be split up to make way for free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. The Florida Panthers could also continue their trend of unloading heavy contracts this offseason.

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

Who Goes in Minnesota?

Even though they lost top prospect Alex Tuch, the Wild avoided a big hit from their current roster in the expansion draft, as they only gave up checking forward Erik Haula. Still, the team has a big-time cap crunch that needs solving, particularly because it also has interest in bringing in veteran free agents.

Defensively, Minnesota already has entrenched stalwarts in Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter along with an emerging star offensive defenseman in Matt Dumba, who put up 34 points last season as a 22-year-old. With Dumba needing a new contract next season also factoring into the Wild's salary issue, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reported that it appears one defenseman may be on the way out:

Russo brought up Marco Scandella's name again the following day when talking about players who may be traded to free up room for free-agent signings. Among the unrestricted names Russo said he is hearing are veteran checking forwards Matt Hendricks, Chris Kunitz and Scottie Upshall.

Minnesota currently has just over $13 million in cap space, but restricted forward Mikael Granlund, an electric young center who posted 69 points last year, and top forward Nino Niederreiter, 57 points, will likely take up most of that space with new deals. Scandella has three years left on his contract with a cap hit of $4 million.

Scandella, 27, has never recorded more than 23 points in five full NHL seasons, but he still has great value as a strong, left-shot skater who can play in most teams' top four. Russo mentioned Boston as a team interested, which makes sense given the Bruins' uneven depth on their backend. TSN's Bob McKenzie also noted last week the Montreal Canadiens as a team in on Scandella, although it appears Minnesota does not want the Canadiens' top trade piece:

It seems almost certain that Minnesota will make a trade to clear financial room, and Scandella is the prime target at the moment. Opposing teams know the Wild's situation, so they may not get a full return on Scandella due to a lack of leverage. The top-four defenseman market is also shrinking after the Marc Methot trade. Yet, he can still be an impact player for another NHL team next season.

Florida Moving Another Veteran?

The Panthers went for it last offseason, extending Aaron Ekblad and Reilly Smith to big deals while adding high-value free agents Jason Demers, James Reimer and Keith Yandle. This was their window to compete for a Stanley Cup, and they spent like it.

Instead, Florida flopped to 81 points and a missed postseason. As a result, Smith was moved to Vegas in the expansion draft, and now it sounds like Demers may be the next to go as the Panthers try to shed salary following their disappointing championship push. 

On TSN 1050 in Toronto, TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun reported the Panthers are committed to shipping out Demers this offseason, with the Maple Leafs being a possible fit.

"Florida will move him. Possibly this week," LeBrun said. "He has a list, and I don’t know if Toronto’s on it or not."

The Panthers' actions with the expansion draft seem to back this up. They had no problem losing Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, a 30-goal scorer last year who is due for a big raise next offseason, while leaving Demers unprotected in favor of younger but less accomplished players like Alex Petrovic.

Demers is a quality two-way defenseman who can play against opposing top lines while adding some offense. He put up 28 points last season and averaged 27.5 points over the last four years with the Dallas Stars and Florida. There is plenty of value for a guy who can move the puck while also playing a physical game, which NHL.com shows Demers can clearly do:

He still has four years left on his deal with a $4.5 million cap hit, but he also has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to list eight teams he cannot be moved to. As a right shot, Demers would fit well in Toronto's top four with Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs, if they are good on Demers' list, have the cap space to bring in Demers, but they have to part with a top prospect like Jeremy Bracco or Kasperi Kapanen to make the trade work for Florida.

Chicago Looking at Reunion

With the trades of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Artemi Panarin, the Chicago Blackhawks have already been among the most active teams this offseason since they have the least amount of cap space in hockey. Looking for cheap contracts to contribute, the team may be looking to a familiar face.

According to Brian Hedger of The Athletic, Patrick Sharp could be an option for the Blackhawks this offseason. Hedger cited a league source on Monday saying Chicago would be interested in bringing back the 35-year-old on a low-risk deal when free agency opens up. 

After playing a pivotal role as a top forward during Chicago's three Stanley Cups over 10 seasons, Sharp is no longer the star he once was. He posted a very respectable 55 points two years ago in his first season with Dallas, but he was brutal last year with 18 points in 48 games. Sharp went down with a hip injury that requires a lengthy recovery, which Hedger noted is progressing well:

With Marian Hossa seemingly out of the fold for the foreseeable future, Chicago has a spot open for a veteran presence who can still contribute. Sharp showed just two seasons ago that, when healthy, he can produce at a decent rate for a playoff team.

However, which Sharp is the real deal? Can he still be that player from two seasons ago, or is he now closer to last year's Sharp? It is certainly unclear, but bringing him on a cheap one-year deal would be a smart risk for Chicago. The Blackhawks are still among the Western Conference's top squads, and a guy like Sharp would be a calming presence on upcoming wingers like Ryan Hartman, Tomas Jurco and Richard Panik.

Statistics are courtesy of hockeydb.com. Contract information is courtesy of Cap Friendly.com.