Rumor: Frontrunner emerges for Patrick Sharp trade.

The fact that Patrick Sharp will be traded seems like more an inevitability than a question at this point, and now we have an idea of what that trade may looking like. According to hockey insider Pierre Lebrun of ESPN the Blackhawks have already opened up talks with certain NHL franchises in an attempt to get a better feel of what exactly Sharp, who is locked up through 2016-2017, could fetch on the open market. While Lebrun cautions that the talks have all been preliminary, likely a result of Chicago looking to establish Sharp's value, one team in particular has been mentioned multiple times. The Washington Capitals seem to have a high level of interest in Sharp, although as previously stated their talks have also been in the preliminary stages. The move would make a lot of sense, the Capitals currently have nearly $20 million in cap space and could easily accommodate Sharp's contract, and it's long been believed they would like to add a top 6 forward to their line up. The Capitals current have their 1st, 2nd, and 4th round picks available as well as several forwards on cap friendly deals. As it currently stands Washington seems like the frontrunner for any trade involving Sharp.