NHL Rumors: Buzz on Mark Stone, Kevin Hayes, More Before 2019 Trade Deadline

The Ottawa Senators appear to have a pipeline going with the Columbus Blue Jackets as Monday's NHL trade deadline approaches.

The Sens traded Matt Duchene to the Blue Jackets on Friday, and they followed that up by trading winger Ryan Dzingel to Columbus on Saturday, as the Jackets announced.

Mark Stone is the Sens' top asset, and it seems clear that Ottawa wants to move him as well. However, Dzingel proved easier to trade, and the Sens completed the deal because they received forward Anthony Duclair and two second-round choices (2020 and 2021) in return.

Dzingel has scored 22 goals and 22 assists this season. He should be a valuable addition to the Jackets because he has a hard, accurate shot that he can get away in a heartbeat when he finds himself between the circles.

The Blue Jackets had competition from the Boston Bruins for Dzingel, per TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger.

Stone is Ottawa's most explosive offensive player, and he has scored 28 goals and 34 assists this season. He has the kind of talent to play the role of difference-maker in any playoff series.

The Senators would surely like to get a package that includes a first-round draft choice for Stone, but that may be difficult to accomplish. Stone is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, and it will be a gamble for any team to give up that kind of valuable asset for a rental player.

If he were to make the difference in a Stanley Cup run, it would be worth giving up a first-round pick. But any other finish may lead to regret for giving up that much in return.

TSN insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that the door is not closed on Stone remaining with the Senators. While owner Eugene Melnyk has not made Stone a long-term offer, there is a chance he could do so before the deadline.

With suitors who are willing to give up a package that includes a first-round choice difficult to find, the Sens could decide they are better off keeping Stone as the centerpiece of the franchise while they build with draft picks.

But if Stone is not going to get a new contract offer, McKenzie reported that the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are the teams most likely to pursue a deal for the wing.

Rangers in Sell Mode at the Deadline

The New York Rangers traded veteran forward Mats Zuccarello to the Dallas Stars on Saturday for a conditional second-round pick in 2019 and and a conditional third-round pick in 2020.

The Rangers, who have been in a rebuilding mode since trading Rick Nash to the Bruins at last year's deadline, are most likely not done dealing. 

Forward Kevin Hayes is also a player of interest, according to Dreger.

Dreger had tweeted that the Rangers had been taking calls on Zuccarello and Hayes, and now that the first trade has been made, the pursuit of Hayes is likely to increase.

Hayes may be the No. 2 forward available on the trade front after Stone, but he is not likely to be as expensive as Ottawa's top scorer.

The center has scored 14 goals and 28 assists in 51 games for the Rangers this term. Hayes scored a career-best 49 points in 2016-17, and he scored a career-high 25 goals last season.

While he is not an elite scorer, he has excellent size at 6'5", and teams that want to play a heavy game during the postseason would likely be the most interested in pursuing such a player.

New York defenseman Adam McQuaid, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, is also likely to move before the deadline. Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweeted that McQuaid has likely played his last game as a Ranger.