July 1 signaled the beginning of the NHL's free-agent signing period, and while plenty of big-money transactions were made, there could be many more moves on the horizon in the form of trades.
The trade market tends to take a backseat to free agency at times, but after the Pittsburgh Penguins managed to deal for former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel Wednesday, it is clear there is a great deal of talent to be had on that front as well.
As teams continue to position themselves for a run in the 2015-16 season, here is a rundown of the latest trade rumors that are taking the league by storm.
Patrick Sharp
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp's name has been the subject of trade talks ever since he and his teammates hoisted the Stanley Cup, and while recent developments suggest he could potentially stay put, trade options are still very much on the table.
The Blackhawks and general manager Stan Bowman are working hard to ensure they stay under the salary cap for the upcoming season. Big contract extensions to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are making that a challenging enterprise, so Sharp's future in Chicago is quite uncertain.
According to NHLNumbers.com, the 33-year-old veteran carries a cap hit of $5.9 million for the next two seasons, which makes him an expendable commodity despite his track record as an excellent complementary scorer.
There is a glimmer of hope for Blackhawks fans that Sharp could remain in the Windy City since the team traded forward Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package of players, including forwards Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano.
Even so, Sharp's agent has expressed confidence that his client is likely to be dealt at some point, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times provided a list of teams Sharp could possibly be traded to in the wake of Saad being shipped out of town:
Sharp is coming off somewhat of a down year, as he posted 16 goals and 43 points during the regular season. However, the sniper proved during the playoffs that he can still be productive to the tune of 15 points in 23 contests.
If he produces closer to the 34 goals and 78 points he put up in 2013-14, then Sharp suddenly becomes a bargain for the team that ultimately lands him.
Chicago keeping Sharp isn't totally out of the question, but after acquiring a slew of forwards in the form of Anisimov, Dano, Viktor Tikhonov and Artemi Panarin, the odds are in favor of Sharp playing elsewhere next season.
Michael Grabner
Winger Michael Grabner looked like a budding star five years ago when he scored 34 goals for the New York Islanders, but now it seems as though there may not be room for him in the Isles' future plans.
The 27-year-old Austrian is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him register just 13 points in 34 games due to injury. He hasn't reached the 20-goal plateau since the 2011-12 campaign, and with his contract set to expire at the end of 2015-16, New York would be wise to explore his value on the open market.
According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com, the Islanders won't hesitate to gauge interest in the speedy forward. Also, Arthur Staple of Newsday is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs could make a run at acquiring the seventh-year NHLer.
Grabner is under contract for one more season at a manageable cap hit of $3 million, per NHLNumbers.com. With free agency potentially on the horizon, general manager Garth Snow acknowledged that trades are likely to be explored, according to Staple:
Every contract has a last year to it, so I don't feel we have any pressure or timetable that a move has to happen this offseason. Every team has players with expiring contracts. If a move presents itself that will help both in the short and long term, we'll take a look at it.
While Grabner has a ton of skill, that hasn't translated into great production as of late. He has failed to top 26 points in each of the past three seasons, and since he isn't exactly a defensive dynamo, it is difficult to justify placing him in a bottom-six role.
Grabner is a top-six guy in terms of his ability, but he hasn't lived up to that billing recently. A team may be willing to take a chance on him due to his past success and the fact that he's only on a one-year deal, but it's tough to envision the Isles getting a significant return.
Vincent Lecavalier
The Philadelphia Flyers have been fairly quiet so far this offseason, but it hasn't necessarily been for a lack of trying. Philly reportedly wouldn't mind striking some deals, and it would especially like to move veteran center Vincent Lecavalier.
According to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the four-time All Star and former Stanley Cup winner is "available for peanuts."
It's easy to understand why, as the 35-year-old forward posted a career-low eight goals and 20 points in 57 games last season. He also carries a $4.5 million cap hit through the 2017-18 campaign, per NHLNumbers.com.
Tim Panaccio CSNPhilly.com reported on June 27 that the Flyers were interested in trading Lecavalier as well as defensemen Luke Schenn and Nicklas Grossmann. Philadelphia did manage to send Grossmann to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Sam Gagner, but Lecavalier and Schenn remain in the fold.
According to Panaccio, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall admitted his desire to create some more cap space:
Ideally, we'd like to clear a little bit of space there, but we'll seed. We're under the cap, albeit slightly, when we plug (defenseman Michael) Del Zotto in, you want some space to call players up, too. ... We're close, we'd like to clear a little bit more, but you've got to have a partner there. We'll see as we move along here.
Despite Lecavalier's recent decline, he could potentially help a contending team as a fourth-line center due to his size, experience and leadership.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, no organization is going to take Lecavalier without Philadelphia paying a huge chunk of his salary. Philly is in a bad spot with Lecavalier after giving him an ill-advised contract, and it may ultimately be forced to live with it.
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