The Dirt Sheet

There's nothing like a good trade to get hockey fans going during the NHL season. And if there's no wheeling and dealing going on, the next best thing is a good trade rumour. While some of them sound like they could make sense, others will certianly leave fans and pundits scratching their heads. The NHL's Feb. 26 trade deadline isn't that far away, and here's a few names being mentioned out there in newspapers and cyberspace - far fetched or not.

Last Updated: Feb. 24, 2008

Brad Richards

Centre Age: 27 07-08 Salary: $7.8M

The Skinny: Sources say Brad Richards has given management and ownership his list of the teams he would consider waiving his no-movement clause for. It is believed a meeting will take place on Monday to determine what direction the team wants to take. If the Lightning have a suitable package and move forward in an effort to trade him, Richards will ultimately have veto as to whether or not the deal is completed. - TSN

Tomas Kaberle

Defence Age: 29 07-08 Salary: $4.25M

The Skinny: With a new outlook on the future, anything can happen in Leaf Nation. There's not one player in the lineup that hasn't been mentioned in trade rumours in one way or another. But amid reports that teams are interested in Kaberle, the agent for Kaberle says his client isn't prepared to waive his no-trade clause. - TSN

Antoine Vermette

Left Wing Age: 25 07-08 Salary: $1.075M

The Skinny: If the Senators get that high-profile rental player for the postseason, Vermette will be a heart-breaker to let go as part of the deal. He has shown great offensive instincts and at age 25 he still has plenty of time to mature and perfect his game. But he'll also become a restricted free agent in July. With Ottawa picking up Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore, the likelihood of Vermette moving is slim. - TSN

Marian Hossa

Right Wing Age: 28 07-08 Salary: $7M

The Skinny: The Atlanta Thrashers failed to realize any progress in their effort to sign All-Star winger Marian Hossa before Tuesday's trade deadline. It's now expected that Thrashers general manager Don Waddell will fully embrace the auction for the Hossa's services. - TSN

Brian Campbell

Defence Age: 28 07-08 Salary: $1.75M

The Skinny: The Buffalo Sabres might be facing the prospect of losing defenceman Brian Campbell as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The All-Star is done negotiating a new contract with the Sabres until the end of the year, putting the Sabres were in a similar situation from last season with forwards Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. They failed to lock either player up during the season, and they both left via free agency. The team could deal Campbell rather than risk losing him for nothing. - TSN

Rob Blake

Defence Age: 38 07-08 Salary: $6M

The Skinny: With the Kings having the worst record in the NHL, the team could become sellers by the Feb. 26 deadline. But Blake is going nowhere. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 38-year old, who will be a free agent on July 1 does not want to waive his no trade clause and has not been asked by the team to do so. "I want to stay here and remain a King," said Blake told the Times. "I stressed that with them and talked about the plans of the Kings and the future and a lot of different things. That was it." - L.A. Times/TSN

Olli Jokinen

Centre Age: 28 07-08 Salary: $5.25M

The Skinny: Jokinen has been subject to trade rumblings for the last couple of years now. And with the Panthers struggling, the rumour mill won't stop churning. Jokinen and general manager/coach Jacques reportedly met privately in late November to clear up talk that the team has been trying to trade the veteran centre, but local papers have hinted in the past the relationship between the player and coach is strained. We'll see how this turns out. - TSN

Alex Tanguay

Left Wing Age: 28 07-08 Salary: $5.375M

The Skinny: With Daymond Langkow and Kristian Huselius set to hit the free agent market, it's long been rumoured that Tanguay's salary could be on the move. The presence of Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager Pierre Gauthier at a Flames' game last month prompted speculation the Canadiens were looking at Tanguay and would be willing to move impending unrestricted free agent Michael Ryder to get it done. But all of that was squashed with a day left until the deadline as GM Darryl Sutter said he wasn't going to move him. - TSN

Sergei Fedorov

Centre Age: 38 07-08 Salary: $6.08M

The Skinny: The Blue Jackets could be sellers if they fall out of contention for a playoff spot in the West, and Fedorov - along with Michael Peca and Adam Foote - could be given For Sale signs. The Detroit papers have already speculated the possibility of No. 91 returning to the Motor City for one last run, and the veteran centre - in the final season of a five year, $40 million contract - has already said he would be all right with that. - Detroit News/Free Press

Dwayne Roloson

Goaltender Age: 38 07-08 Salary: $4.5M

The Skinny: As Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said last month, it's worth keeping an eye on the Edmonton netminder. As long as Mathieu Garon is playing all the games, it could be a situation where Roloson goes to the Oilers and says, "Hey, I want to play - if not here, somewhere else." - TSN

Michael Ryder

Right Wing Age: 27 07-08 Salary: $2.95M

The Skinny: After back-to-back 30-goal seasons, Ryder has cooled off the the point that head coach Guy Carbonneau has him platooning through all four lines and the press box. Ryder, who is an unrestricted free agent next summer, was expected to have a great offensive campaign, but only reached double digits in goals this month. His lack of production and relatively high salary make him tough to move, and the return could be small if he does go. - TSN

Marek Malik

Defence Age: 32 07-08 Salary: $2.5M

The Skinny: Malik has had a rocky relationship with head coach Tom Renney as of late, and the New York papers have easily targeted him as a player on the move. The defenceman has been struggling with his game this season, and having a $2.5 million salary this year doesn't make trading him any easier. - New York Post/NY Daily News

Ray Emery

Goaltender Age: 25 07-08 Salary: $$3.167M

The Skinny: After another late practice last month, it looked like Emery's days with the Senators were numbered. That, coupled with other recent problems had GM Bryan Murray thinking trade, but the team appears to be moving forward with both Emery and Gerber platooning in goal. Emery, who signed a three-year, $9.5-million US contract in the summer, is a longshot at best to go. - TSN

Jarret Stoll

Centre Age: 25 07-08 Salary: $2.2M

The Skinny: Stoll has been a trade topics in various blogs and newspaper sites. He is essentially a third or fourth line pivot in Edmonton, but plays a great two-way game. - Columbus Dispatch/Detroit News/Edmonton Sun/Edmonton Journal

Patrick Marleau

Centre Age: 28 07-08 Salary: $4.5M

The Skinny: Marleau has not exactly been lighting it up in the first quarter of the season, while coach Ron Wilson had his ups and downs with the captain in the dressing room in the past. A recent report had the Calgary Flames interested in getting him, but two factors work against this. First, GM Doug Wilson has stated he won't deal him and second, Marleau has a tough contract to dump after signing a two-year $12.6 million extension in the summer. - TSN

John-Michael Liles

Defence Age: 27 07-08 Salary: $1.4M

The Skinny: Liles, regarded as a good offensive defenceman, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's been mentioned in a couple of trade rumours earlier this season involving the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs. It's also been hinted that Liles could be on the block for help more size and toughness on defence or better goaltending. - Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News

Jaromir Jagr

Right Wing Age: 36 07-08 Salary: $8.36M

The Skinny: The Rangers are in an uphill battle for a playoff spot, and they will hold on to Jagr barring a huge drop in the standings. But whispers out of New York suggest that Jagr could be on the move, especially if certain contract triggers aren't met. If he does not finish the regular season with at least 84 points while the Rangers win at least one round in the playoffs, Jagr's contract will expire at the end of the season and he wil become a UFA. - New York Post

Glen Murray

Right Wing Age: 35 07-08 Salary: $4.15M

The Skinny: The Bruins' veteran winger has been the subject of a few trade rumours at the start of the season, as Murray - who earns $4.15 million this season and next - was off to a relatively slow start. But Boston has been playing good hockey lately, even with Murray out of the lineup. - Boston Globe/Boston Herald