NHL Trade Buzz: Kevin Shattenkirk still on market

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are five days remaining until the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET, March 1) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is back in the news. The Edmonton Oilers could be active, and don't expect New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero to shop for a rental player.
Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings:

St. Louis Blues

Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk reportedly nixed a trade six weeks ago that would have given the St. Louis Blues defenseman a seven-year, $42 million contract.
First reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a follow-up report on Friday that said the trade was believed to be with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Shattenkirk is making $5.2 million in the final season of a four-year, $17 million contract ($4.25 million average annual value) with the Blues that does not include a no-trade clause, according to capfriendly.com. However, Shattenkirk, 28, would likely need to agree to a long-term extension with a trade partner before a deal is finalized. Shattenkirk, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, is not expected to be re-signed by the Blues, and general manager Doug Armstrong has been trying to get something in a trade rather than lose him for nothing.

At this stage, the Blues are shopping Shattenkirk as a rental player. McKenzie reported Thursday the Blues want a first-round draft pick, a top prospect and something else.
Shattenkirk also is believed to have turned down a potential trade to the Edmonton Oilers for forward Taylor Hall last June, according to the Post-Dispatch. Hall later was traded to the Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson on June 29, 2016.
The Blues took another potential unrestricted free agent off the market Friday by agreeing to terms with center Patrik Berglund on a five-year, $19.25 million contract. Berglund, 28, has 24 points (17 goals, seven assists) in 60 games in his ninth NHL season, all with the Blues.

Edmonton Oilers

With the Oilers trying to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2006, GM Peter Chiarelli could inquire about a veteran backup goalie or depth at forward or defense for the stretch run.
The Oilers have the most cap flexibility of all the teams in playoff contention in the Western Conference, and it's no secret there's no real insurance policy for starting goaltender Cam Talbot, who leads the NHL in minutes played (3202:25) with 21 games remaining.
Chiarelli said he hasn't given up on current backup Laurent Brossoit, but the 23-year-old rookie has made two starts and two relief appearances.
Talbot, who is 31-16-0 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .921 save percentage, is expected to start at the Washington Capitals on Friday. The Oilers, who play 13 of their final 18 regular-season games at home in March and April, are second in the Pacific Division with 33 wins and 74 points in 61 games; the Anaheim Ducks are third with 32 wins and 74 points in 62 games.
Would Chiarelli go all in by making a bid for Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning and risking a goaltender controversy? Bishop sat out a 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday despite having five straight wins.
Devils backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid or Buffalo Sabres backup Anders Nilsson might be better options for Chiarelli. Kinkaid, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent making $725,000 this season; Nilsson, 26, is on an expiring contract with a $1 million cap charge.

Jaroslav Halak, 31, has been exceptional for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League since being waived by the New York Islanders. In 16 games he is 13-1-2 with a 1.96 GAA and .931 save percentage. The big deterrent is Halak has one more season remaining on a contract that has an average annual value of $4.5 million annually, according to capfriendly.com.
Chiarelli could also be searching for a veteran forward. Colorado Avalanche right wing and Edmonton native Jarome Iginla might be just what coach Todd McLellan needs, a solid locker room presence with playoff experience. Iginla, 39, is a pending UFA making $5.333 million this season.

New Jersey Devils

General manager Ray Shero has made it clear he will not mortgage the future for a shot at qualifying for the playoffs this season.
That doesn't mean Shero wouldn't entertain offers for defenseman Kyle Quincey or forward PA Parenteau if the price is right. The Devils are eight points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with 22 games remaining.
Quincey, 31, is on an expiring contract with a $1.25 million cap charge, according to capfriendly.com. He's a veteran who averages 18:36 of ice time and can play either side. Quincey could be a nice addition for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who acquired Ron Hainsey in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, but are without injured defensemen Kris Letang (upper body), Trevor Daley (knee), Justin Schultz (concussion) and Olli Maatta (hand).
"I've been through it before so it's not new to me," Quincey said of the trade deadline. "It's not just on the player, but on the family too. But my wife has been through it also so she knows not to ask questions this time of the year."
Quincey was traded by the Colorado Avalanche to the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 21, 2012, six days before the deadline.

Parenteau, 33, also is a pending unrestricted free agent. New Jersey claimed Parenteau on waivers from the Islanders on Oct. 11 and he has provided secondary scoring, ranking fourth on the Devils with 13 goals and sixth with 26 points in 58 games.
"[Shero] and I talk all the time; we discuss weekly what we're doing with the team and individual players," coach John Hynes said. "I'll focus on coaching the team and when he has something that comes up, he'll connect with me for sure."
Shero, who most recently acquired defenseman Viktor Loov from the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Sergey Kalinin on Feb. 18, traditionally has been an active participant this time in the season. At the 2016 deadline, he acquired Devante Smith-Pelly from the Montreal Canadiens for Stefan Matteau; traded forward Lee Stempniak to the Boston Bruins for a 2016 fourth-round pick and 2017 second-round pick; and traded defenseman Eric Gelinas to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2017 third-round pick.
The Devils have 10 picks in the 2017 NHL Draft, including two each in the second and third rounds.
Shero told the Devils website he will look to improve his team until March 1, but won't negotiate a deal if it means giving up top prospects already in the pipeline.
"If we have the opportunity to trade any of those draft picks for established players, like we did for a Kyle Palmieri or something like that along the way, we'll do that," Shero said. "Over the past couple years, we've added a lot of good, young players to our organization, and we're going to look to continue to do that. I don't see us getting into the rental market for expiring contracts, giving up assets and draft picks for that."

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are battling for third place in the Atlantic Division and the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, and that might be motivation enough for GM Don Sweeney to swing a deal in the hope of assuring his team makes the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
Coach Bruce Cassidy has Boston playing well since taking over for Claude Julien on Feb. 7. The Bruins are 5-1-0 under Cassidy, have outscored the opposition 23-13, are 5-for-19 on the power play, 16-for-18 on the penalty kill and have averaged 30.16 shots and allowed 27.66 shots per game.
The Boston Globe reported Thursday that left wing Matt Beleskey could be on the trading block for the right price. Beleskey signed a five-year contract with the Bruins on July 1, 2015. According to the Globe report, it includes his right to name six "no-trade" cities.
"I don't know, but hey, I think every year the trade deadline comes and it's little bit of a tense time," he said. "But what are you going to do? It's part of the game and you just have to play hockey."
Beleskey, 28, who missed six weeks because of a leg injury, has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 35 games. He ranks second among Bruins forwards with 77 hits. Beleskey's contract carries an average annual value of $3.8 million through 2019-20, according to capfriendly.com.
Perhaps a fresh start for Beleskey on a team considered a serious contender for a Stanley Cup this season is just what he needs. He has 17 points (13 goals, four assists) in 34 career NHL playoff games, all with the Anaheim Ducks. Sweeney may have to retain a portion of Beleskey's salary if he does make a trade.

Forward Ryan Spooner, 25, a pending restricted free agent making $950,000 this season, hopes his recent play will keep him in Boston. After scoring no goals and five assists in 14 games in January, Spooner has seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight games in February.
"I want to stay here," Spooner told the Boston Herald. "I mean, I think I can help out. With the team we have here, I think we can make some noise."

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes rank 29th in the NHL with 49 points and are on the verge of missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season. They would appear to be sellers at the deadline and center Martin Hanzal and right wing Radim Vrbata are their two biggest bargaining chips.
Vrbata, 35, figures to be high on the wish list of any contending team, because he can provide secondary scoring. He's on an expiring contract that pays $1 million and leads the Coyotes with 42 points (13 goals, 29 assists), including 13 power-play points, in 59 games.
Hanzal, 30, is on an expiring contract with a $3.1 million cap charge. He does a little bit of everything, leading the Coyotes with a 56 percent faceoff winning percentage (582-of-1,039) and is third with 25 points (15 goals, 10 assists) in 50 games.

Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has never hesitated to add veteran pieces to his lineup at the deadline. Hanzal or Vrbata could provide just what Chicago needs for its playoff push and beyond. The Blackhawks have 10 picks in the 2017 NHL Draft, including one each in the first four rounds and three in the fifth. It's no secret draft picks are assets Coyotes GM John Chayka covets.