NHL Trade Rumors: Examining Latest 2017 Offseason Reports

The National Hockey League hasn't enjoyed the offseason attention the NBA has this summer, but there has still been a lot of activity going on. We've had two drafts—including one expansion draft to help forge the Vegas Golden Knights—and plenty of trades and free-agent moves.

With many of the top free agents now off the market, though, we're entering a slower part of the offseason. There isn't going to be as much activity in the coming weeks as there has been in recent ones. This, however, doesn't mean we won't have any significant moves at all.

There are still some possible trades that could occur before the summer. We're here to examine some of the latest buzz surrounding the trade market.

Are Penguins Looking to Deal Kessel?

Winger Phil Kessel has spent the last two years with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He's helped win two Stanley Cup titles and is coming off a pretty solid postseason—he scored eight goals and 23 total points. Yet, there has been some recent buzz suggesting the Penguins could be looking to move him.

Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently broached the subject. He believes the departure of assistant coach Rick Tocchet—now head coach of the Arizona Coyotes—could play a role in an eventual departure for Kessel.

"I believe Phil Kessel will be traded," Cook wrote. "It might not happen this week or this month or even this offseason. But I believe it will happen sooner rather than later. Tocchet's departure could hasten the process."

The reporter believes that a strained relationship between Kessel and head coach Mike Sullivan could lead to Kessel's departure now that Tocchet is gone.

"Tocchet didn't just help keep Kessel's head in the game," Cook explained. "He served as a buffer between Kessel and Sullivan. Don't underestimate the importance of that role."

He isn't the only one who believes Kessel could soon be on his way out of Pittsburgh. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes Cook is on to something with his take. The player's salary could have something to do with matters.

Kessel has five years remaining on an eight-year, $64 million deal.

One logical conclusion to draw is that Kessel could follow Tocchet to Arizona in order to be with a coach he has a positive relationship with. Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports, however, reports that sources have indicated such a move is mere chatter:

As Cook pointed out, a trade might not necessarily come soon. This falls in line with something Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford recently said.

"I don't want to sit here and say that a certain player's not going be traded at some point in his career," Rutherford said during an appearance with 92.3 The Fan's Cook and Poni Show. "It's already happened to Phil. But that's not something that I foresee happening right now.”

Just because a trade isn't going to happen right now, though, doesn't mean it isn't going to happen. Pittsburgh could decide before the start of the season that Kessel's chemistry with the team isn't right and try to move him. The team could decide that early in the regular season. What's important to note is that the possibility does appear open.

For his part, Kessel doesn't seem bothered by the trade chatter.

"(Trades) happen all of the time," he told TSN (h/t David Rogers of The Comeback). "I've been traded before and if I get traded again, it is what it is. It's a business. You've got to look at it like that. If I'm somewhere else, I'll play hard for them.”

Kessel does possess a limited no-trade clause in his contract, so perhaps he simply isn't concerned about being traded to a team he doesn't want to join.

Still A Trade Market for Duchene

The Colorado Avalanche didn't trade Matt Duchene on July 1, to the surprise of many. There had been plenty of trade talk involving the veteran leading up to the start of free agency, but he remains in Colorado.

As is the case with Kessel, though, this doesn't mean the 26-year-old won't eventually be moved. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes Colorado assistant general manager Chris MacFarland could look to move him later in the summer. He uses precedent as a basis for his reasoning:

"Avalanche assistant GM Chris MacFarland was with Scott Howson in Columbus when Howson waited until July 20, 2012, to trade Rick Nash. Sometimes the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, and MacFarland could be following that blueprint. I wouldn't be surprised if interested parties (Boston, Columbus, Nashville, Pittsburgh, maybe Calgary) try again to see if anything shakes loose."

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com also believes Duchene could still be moved. He lists the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators and the Penguins as three likely—and sensible—landing spots.

If the Avalanche are going to move Duchene, though, they may need to re-evaluate the asking price. TSN's Darren Dreger believes a high asking price is precisely why the player hasn't been moved at this point.

"As high as a couple of first-round picks, or at least a first-round pick and a former first-round draft pick who's now a young NHL prospect, and then some and then some," Dreger said of the asking price during an appearance on Winnipeg's TSN 1290.

The reason for a high asking price is understandable. Duchene is a proven scorer, and he would be coming on a reasonable price tag—he has two years and $12 million remaining on his current contract. The problem is that many teams are already close to completing their rosters for the 2017-18 season and many other don't have the trade capital to acquire him.

Still, the possibility of a Duchene trade cannot be dismissed, even as we head into the latter part of the offseason.