Report: Staal generating “significant interest” on trade market

We’re less than two weeks away from the NHL’s February 25th trade deadline and things are heating up! There are no shortage of rumors surrounding Columbus Blue Jackets pending unrestricted free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, as well as fellow pending UFAs Matt Duchene, Matt Stone and Ryan Dzingel of the Ottawa Senators. 

One pending UFA that we haven’t heard in trade talks yet though is forward Eric Staal of the Minnesota Wild. Earlier today David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported that Staal is receiving “significant interest” from “some top teams” and could be on the move prior to February 25th.

Check it out:

There's significant interest from some top teams in Minnesota's Eric Staal. He has a strategic 10-team no-trade list, can become UFA July 1. Wild GM Paul Fenton has a tough decision to make.

Interesting. No doubt that the 35 year old center could help out a LOT of teams in their playoff push. The big pivot has a solid 17 goals and 37 points in 56 games with the Wild this season, but put up 42 goals and 76 points just a season ago.

How good would he look down the middle with the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets or San Jose Sharks?

Look for teams to put together their best offers as besides Stone and Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers the market for centers is pretty thin this deadline.