The NHL 2014 offseason is here and that means trade rumors will be running wild and names like Jason Spezza, James Reimer, Patrick Sharp, Rick Nash, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Cam Ward and Patrick Marleau all could be on the move and teams like the NY Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs all could be dealing.
The NHL salary cap is going up and that could spark teams to make a move, including someone like the Rangers or the Blackhawks and this comes after Ryan Kesler was moved at the NHL draft. The Canucks finally pulled the trigger on him to the Ducks after his name came up all last season and come July 1, some names could get moving along with him, including Thornton and Marleau. Reports have teams like the Red Wings, Maple Leafs and Rangers interested in Thornton and this comes as he is set to turn 35 years old and he has trade restrictions in his contract, so the ball is in his court.
Two players that also could get moved include Patrick Sharp and Michael Del Zotto from the Blackhawks and the Predators respectively. Jason Spezza is a name that likely will move from the Senators and they have been shopping him for a while as well. Sharp could get moved to help the team sign Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, as both are looking for large contracts.
The Rangers are a team to keep an eye on, as Yahoo Sports reports that they could be interested in signing free agent Dan Boyle while also looking at deals for Thornton or Marleau with the Sharks. The team likely will keep Rick Nash despite his disappointing playoffs performances, as they already had to get rid of Brad Richards due the CBA rules and they do not want to get rid of both of those names after making a run to the Stanley Cup finals. Nash has not been good in the playoffs and he has not lived up to expectations since signing a mega deal with the team after being acquired and they are hoping he can return to form.
The Maple Leafs may look at trading James Reimer this offseason, as reports say he has asked for a trade and this comes after the team acquired Jonathan Bernier and made him the primary starter. The Maple Leafs are looking to get back into the playoffs come next season and Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that the goaltender has asked for a trade and there is a good chance he could be on his way out of the organization. Reimer played well last season, but he blew the game against the Bruins and that basically put things in a negative light and now he could be on his way out and a name like Martin Brodeur could slide in as a backup since he is a free agent.
