from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The problem, of course, is that the small increase in the salary cap this season gives most teams very little wiggle room, which is why have yet to see a single impact trade since the start of the season. The longer the season goes, the more trades will begin to happen as cap hits get easier to swallow with each passing day.

"You have to get very creative now to make deals," said Rutherford. "It’s not the old way where you just make a one-for-one hockey deal and that’s it. You just have to get real creative. Anyways, we’ll see what happens."

On top of that, the Penguins are not alone in wanting to upgrade their defense. The Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the teams that might want to look to upgrade their blue line.

It’s why teams like the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, who have depth at the position, might be in good position to deal, although like pitching in baseball, NHL teams always are cautious before moving defensemen for fear of injuries testing that depth.

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