NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz After 2020 Stanley Cup Final

On the heels of the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the Dallas Stars in six games to win the 2020 Stanley Cup, the NHL offseason has officially begun, meaning focus has shifted toward free agency, the draft and the trade market.

Multiple trades have already been made, but the potential is present for more, as several significant names are believed to be available for the right price.

Considering the fact that the free-agent market is relatively weak outside of the top few players, trades may be the best way for teams to improve their roster this offseason, especially when it comes to fortifying the blue line.

Here is a rundown of the latest rumors regarding three big-name defensemen who could possibly be on the move.

Oliver Ekman-Larrson

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes, but that tenure could soon come to an end.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Coyotes have engaged in trade talks with the Edmonton Oilers centered on Ekman-Larsson. Dreger called the talks preliminary, but also categorized Edmonton's interest as "serious."

Dreger also noted that the Boston Bruins are interested in OEL, which makes sense due to the fact that Boston may lose defenseman Torey Krug in free agency.

Ultimately, the decision lays in Ekman-Larsson's hand since he possesses a full no-movement clause in his contract, which runs through the 2026-27 season.

Defense has long been an issue for the Oilers, and while Ekman-Larsson will never be confused with a shutdown defender, he could be a good fit on the team due to his ability to jump into the play offensively, which would allow him to link up well with superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Ekman-Larsson has reached the 40-point mark five times during his career. He has also scored 20 or more goals twice and 12 or more goals on seven occasions.

Last season, he finished with nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 66 games. He also finished with a minus-3 rating, which was his best mark since 2012-13.

Trading the 29-year-old Ekman-Larsson would leave the Coyotes with a big hole in their defense corps, but it would also open up considerable cap space for a team that could undergo some big changes this offseason with forward Taylor Hall likely to leave in free agency.

Shayne Gostisbehere

Another offensive-minded defenseman who could potentially be on the move this offseason is Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the Flyers have made Gostisbehere available for trade and "shown a serious willingness" to move him.

The 27-year-old rearguard is coming off his worst NHL season by far, as he finished with just 12 points in 42 games to go along with a minus-rating. He has seemingly fallen out of favor in Philly, but there is some hope that another team could salvage him.

Entering the 2019-20 season, Gostisbehere had posted at least 37 points in four straight seasons, including a career-high 65 in 2017-18. He also reached double-digit goals twice, including a career-high 17 in 2015-16.

It wasn't long ago that Gostisbehere was considered one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL, so perhaps it is possible for him to return to that status in new surroundings.

Gostisbehere is signed for three more seasons at $4.5 million per year, so his contract isn't so bloated or lengthy that it would necessarily scare a team off. Gostisbehere's terrible performance last season would likely be the greatest deterrent in any deal.

Ivan Provorov is developing into a bona fide No. 1 defenseman in Philly, but the Flyers are fairly short on the blue line otherwise, which is one fact that could cause them to pull Gostisbehere off the market provided they are unable to improve the defense corps elsewhere.

Given how poorly he played in 2019-20, however, Gostisbehere may be the ideal buy-low candidate for any team looking to add some offensive punch to the back end.

Torey Krug

Krug is set to become a free agent, but that doesn't mean he can't be a factor on the trade market as well.

According to TSN's Frank Seravalli, some teams have expressed "significant interest" in trading for Krug's negotiating rights.

The Bruins have continued to have talks with Krug, but if the team ultimately decides that it is unable to re-sign him, then trading his rights could be the best possible move, as it would allow Boston to recoup a draft pick.

Trading for a player's rights is a risky move at times, but it allows a team to exclusively negotiate with the player until free agency starts and also allows the team to sign the player to an eight-year contract, which gives it a leg up on the competition.

Krug has been one of the NHL's most consistent defensemen over the past seven seasons, as he has posted 39 or more points in each of those campaigns and rarely missed games.

His performance in 2019-20 was especially impressive, as he finished with 49 points in just 61 games. That came on the heels of a career-high 14 goals and 59 points in 2017-18 and then 18 points in 24 playoff games in 2018-19.

Krug has been a huge contributor to Boston's success in recent years and losing him would be a major blow to the Bruins' blue line, but it is becoming increasingly likely that Krug is on the way out.

If that proves to be true, trading his rights would at least give the Bruins something to show for his departure, which doesn't often happen when a player leaves via free agency.