Word already came last week that the Florida Panthers, replete with young talent itching to get their shot with big club, are open to trading any number of their veteran forwards.
Players like Sean Bergenheim and Tomas Fleischmann were offered as possible trade targets as the Panthers seek to get youngsters like Vincent Trocheck, Rocco Grimaldi and Quinton Howden into the lineup and onto the ice.
But now it sounds like another forward, as of yet unmentioned, has garnered the most interest, specifically from top-6 winger-hungry Pittsburgh.
"Apparently, the forward generating the most interest is Brad Boyes," Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet Canada reported. "Pittsburgh is believed to have interest in him, needing a winger with a good number ($2.625 million). The problem is Tallon may not want to trade him. Boyes is signed for one more year and playing in a prime offensive role."
Boyes has managed four goals and eight assists in 23 games this season, a year after netting 21 goals and 15 points, according to Hockey-Reference.com.
As Friedman noted, he's playing a major offensive role on a team still very much in the playoff hunt, so the Panthers probably aren't in any rush to move him. There's also the issue that Pittsburgh will probably try to trade from its young defensive depth in order to bring in a winger - an area the Panthers don't really have any burning need to shore up.
Obvious negatives to a deal aside, the Penguins seem to be looking for a forward with skills eerily similar to those of the 32-year-old Boyes.
"What kind of winger is Pittsburgh looking for? Guys like Pascal Dupuis, Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz; smart enough to recognize that playing with Crosby and Malkin means straight lines, simple plays and recognizing you need to go where they need you to be."
Ironically, this is almost exactly the role Boyes plays now in Florida, surrounded by young, high-end talent whom he supports with strong, straight-forward play and a consistently advantageous scoring touch.
