NHL Rumors: 2 San Jose Sharks Trade Candidates

The San Jose Sharks are 25-25-7 on the season and aren't in the playoff race in the Western Conference. Their a team full of bad contracts and management is trying to transition to a new younger core for the future. The Sharks have a couple of players drawing a tremendous amount of trade interest from other teams and it's likely San Jose tries to cash in on a couple of assets before the March 21 trade deadline. Let's dive into the waters and tag two Sharks who are expected to be moved before next Monday:

Tomas Hertl

Hertl is near the top of every trade bait list across the best insiders in the game and any move out of San Jose will be a blockbuster. Hertl's been a beast this season, recording 44 points in 57 games and the 28-year-old has caught the attention of just about every contending team. So far the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and Washington Capitals have been heavily linked to a Hertl deal and if he does end up getting moved out of California, expect to see the versatile forward head to the eastern conference. He's signed for $5.6 million this season and holds no-trade protection against only three teams, so the Sharks will certainly have some options to consider. 

Andrew Cogliano

The veteran speedster is enjoying the back nine of his career and is a pending unrestricted free agent who could be a great rental for a playoff bound club. Cogliano has appeared in 51 games this season for the Sharks, recording 14 points and his $1-million cap hit will be easy for teams to fit in under their cap. Cogliano's resume speaks for itself and any team who acquires the 34-year-old will be getting a defense-first type of forward who can kill penalties and can provide some more depth for a team's bottom-six. In 100 career Stanley Cup playoff games, the native of Toronto has recorded 29 points, it's likely he gets a chance to play in his 101st career postseason game this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers could have some trade interest before the deadline. 

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