The NHL's off-season is upon us and teams are already looking to re-shape their rosters for a more successful 2015-16 season. Keep up to date on the latest trade/free agent speculation and rumours from around the league.

Sooner than Later

Cam Talbot and Patrick Sharp, two of the most likely trade candidates this off-season, are expected to be moved within the next week, according to reports.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger told TSN 1050 in Toronto he wouldn’t be surprised if Talbot is traded as early as this weekend. At least six teams have expressed some level of interest in the current New York Rangers back-up.

“Not sure yet what the return would be, but the Rangers are – they’re motivated to move. And they don’t have to. He’s got another year at a very good number under contract. So there’s no sense of urgency here. He’s a 27-year-old.

“But if the return is solid enough, then absolutely the Rangers are going to trade him. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes down this weekend, or before the draft next week.

Meanwhile NHL.com’s Brian Hedger is reporting Sharp will be traded next week.

Detroit Decisions

Ken Holland is working the phones and looking for trades, and the outcome may determine Stephen Weiss’ future with the team.

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, reports Holland is looking for a top six forward with size and a productive top four defenceman, and depending on how trade talks go, could buy-out Weiss.

“Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is working the phones exploring what's available via trade, which ties into whether or not the team decides to buy out forward Stephen Weiss.

If a trade materializes where it would help the Wings to free up salary cap space, that's when a decision would be made to buy out Weiss. He has not played up to expectations since being signed to a five-year, $24.5 million contract in 2013, but to buy him out would mean six years of dead money against the cap, at respective rates of approximately $1 million, $1 million, $2.5 million, and then three successive years of $1.67 million.

If a scenario doesn't develop wherein the Wings need the cap space (they have plenty for this coming season, but will be in tighter quarters for 2016-17), the Wings will hang onto Weiss.”

Meanwhile, Ansar Khan of MLive.com speculates Rick Nash or Martin St. Louis will not be the top six forwards the Red Wings targets.

“From a Red Wings perspective, do you want to assume Nash's contract (three more seasons at a cap hit of $7.8 million) when you have many young players to re-sign over the next couple of years amid concerns about the cap not rising much? You'd be getting a big winger who can score goals in bunches in the regular season (he's coming off a career-high 42) but has had minimal impact in the playoffs (10 goals, 32 points in 60 games).

On top of that, he'd likely cost you, at minimum, a player like Gustav Nyquist, who's five years younger and much less expensive (he'll probably sign a deal similar to Tomas Tatar's $2.75 million cap hit).”

Decisions, Decisions

With their cap situation being what it is, the Boston Bruins have some decisions to make this off-season. One player they’d like to find a way to keep is defenceman Adam McQuaid.

According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com, McQuaid is likely the only of many unrestricted free agents the Bruins will be able to keep this off-season.

“Sweeney said there was one of the five upcoming UFAs that the Bruins would like to potentially have back on the roster and multiple league sources have indicated to CSNNE.com that Adam McQuaid is the player Boston would like to re-sign.”

Can’t Get Rid of Him

It should come as no shock the Los Angeles Kings are trying to move centre Mike Richards after sending him to the AHL last season.

That said, according to LA Kings Insider, the team is having a hard time trying to move the veteran.

“I’m getting the strong feeling, through multiple channels, that there hasn’t been any clear movement, and no viable suitors have stepped forward at this time.”

Sticking Around?

Antti Niemi’s time in San Jose may not be over after all.

According to David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News, Sharks GM Doug Wilson stopped short of saying the team will cut ties with the veteran netminder this off-season.

“Wilson met with the media in his annual pre-draft session that is the session where he usually spells out which pending free agents will not be coming back. He stated that neither forward John Scott nor defenseman Scott Hannan would be returning, but Wilson did not include either Niemi or defenseman Matt Irwin in that group.

"I've talked to their agents. We've had some discussions," Wilson said. "Obviously we've been exploring many different ways to improve this hockey team."