The center and defense trade markets have begun to heat up with a fresh crop of players entering the NHL rumour mill.
- Utah continues to scour the defenseman trade market following injuries to Sean Durzi and John Marino, but are likely to take a wait-and-see approach before making a deal. If a solution to their defensive woes can't be found in-house, they are likely to be aggressive on the trade market. Among the names Utah is believed to be dangling on the market to make a deal is pending UFA winger Michael Carcone.
- One of the targets linked to Utah is Maple Leafs' well paid healthy scratch defenseman Timothy Liljegren, but reports suggest the extra year on his contract beyond this one, coupled with a fairly onerous $3 million price tag, have put a damper on any early season trade speculation.
- Another rumoured option is veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov, who is on the final year of his deal in Columbus. There is likely to be plenty of interest in a rental Provorov, meaning Utah will be far from alone in this pursuit. The Blue Jackets have tried not to create too much chaos within their locker room as they try to navigate a difficult season on and off the ice, but they will make the necessary moves as their rebuild continues.
- A number of teams continue to search for help up the middle, following last week's report that the Flames would like to make an addition at some point this season. One of the players generating interest on that front is the Ducks' Trevor Zegras, who the Flames and Canadiens have been linked to at various points this year.
- The Predators also appear to be sniffing around for an upgrade at center and could be dangling defenseman Dante Fabbro on the market. Unhappy with their start and unsatisfied with Tommy Novak's performance in the 2C slot, the Preds are a team to watch.
- I would also throw the Blackhawks into the mix of teams rumoured to be looking at centers to take heat off of Connor Bedard. Andreas Athanasiou and a cast of other characters have not been able to get the job done in that respect.
- The Canadiens are another team to keep an eye on, with rumours suggesting GM Kent Hughes has begun to make calls around the league. Displeased with their sluggish start, the Canadiens want to take a step forward in their rebuild this season.
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