The NHL rumor mill continues to swirl around one name - Arizona Coyotes centerman Antoine Vermette.
It seems that Vermette has become the lynchpin, the finger in the dike holding back the potential flood - or more likely, strong trickle - of trades expected to come before the NHL's deadline in March.
According to reports, the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks are still at the forefront of a large number of teams showing interest in the two-way, do-a-little-bit-of-everything forward.
"Antoine Vermette has been out there in terms of trade circles for much of this season, and I believe he's going to be the first piece that goes. Where might he end up? Man, there are tons of teams that have interest in Antoine Vermette. The Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference. The St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference. Vancouver is looking for a top-6 piece," said TSN Insider Darren Dreger while appearing on an episode of Montreal TSN's 690, as transcribed by NicholsOnHockey.com.
Vermette is a pending unrestricted free agent playing for a team with an uncertain future and little money with which to offer him an extension worthy of his talents. Coyotes GM Don Maloney has also been tasked by management with shedding payroll and getting younger.
The Bruins' interest in Vermette has been well-documented. He'd be a perfect fit for coach Claude Julien's preferred playing style and would add another talented presence to their second or third-lines.
The Blues already boast a plethora of forward talent, but could trade a piece or two of their own and make room for Vermette, solidifying themselves as Stanley Cup favorites in the process.
And the Canucks have been rumored to want a top-six forward for some time.
Vermette won't come cheap though, in terms of his cap hit - $3.75 million, per Hockey-Reference.com - or the compensation sought by the Coyotes.
"Now, normally for a player like that the going rate in previous years for a rental of that stature is usually a second round pick and a pretty good prospect. I think what you'll see is Don Maloney try to stretch this out as close as he can to the deadline to get more than a second round pick and the prospect because there are so many contending teams that are after Vermette," said Bob McKenzie on NBCSN's NHL Live, according to NicholsOnHockey.com.
The 32-year-old Vermette has 11 goals and 19 assists in 46 games this season.