NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On The Flyers, Blues And Senators

What moves could the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators make before the NHL trade deadline? Here's the latest speculation.

What moves could the Philadelphia Flyers make before the NHL trade deadline? Is it worth waiting until the off-season?

The Philadelphia Flyers made a significant trade last week, shipping forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames for forwards Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier and two draft picks.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Flyers GM Daniel Briere might not be done dealing in the trade market.

During Monday's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman pointed out they cleared Farabee's $5 million annual average value for the next three seasons from their books. With the salary cap rising to a projected $95.5 million next season, Briere has freed room to go "big-game hunting" in the off-season.

The Athletic's Kevin Kurz shared that view, suggesting they could clear more space by trading Rasmus Ristolainen at the March 7 trade deadline or during the summer. The 30-year-old defenseman has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.1 million. He also lacks no-trade protection.

Kurz believed moving out Ristolainen would give the Flyers the cap flexibility to make a big roster addition. Friedman speculated that they could use an offer sheet to target talent on a cap-strapped rival, emulating the St. Louis Blues signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers last summer.

Speaking of the Blues, terminating Brandon Saad's contract last week cleared $4.5 million from next season's salary-cap payroll. That move has their fans wondering who else from their current roster could be on the move before the trade deadline.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic suggested defensemen Justin Faulk and Ryan Suter as their most likely trade candidates. Faulk, 32, has two years left on his deal, with an average annual value of $6.5 million. He has a full no-trade clause that reverts to a 15-team no-trade list on July 1, the same day the 40-year-old Suter becomes UFA-eligible.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators are breathing rarified air this week, sitting third in the Atlantic Division. Postmedia reports GM Steve Staios is scouring the trade market for a forward and a defenseman.

The recent return of David Perron from a back injury could address that need for a forward. Nevertheless, Staios is rumored to be interested in Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato and rugged winger Brandon Tanev.

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