from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

Conversations between general managers are beginning to percolate following All-Star Weekend, with the parity-filled standings starting to crystallize for buyers and sellers. Some GMs plan to take as much time as necessary to make a final determination one way or the other.

Two new names joined TSN’s Trade Bait board in Carolina Hurricanes centre Derek Ryan and Maple Leafs winger Nikita Soshnikov.

In their quest for a third-line centre to replace Nick Bonino, the Pittsburgh Penguins are believed to be sniffing around on Ryan, a pending free agent. Ryan, 31, is on track for 19 goals and 45 points centreing Carolina’s third line. He is also 11th in the league in faceoff win percentage (56.3) among centres with a minimum of 300 draws taken.

The Penguins could also be interested in bringing back centre Mark Letestu for another tour of duty, although he remains a possibility to re-sign with Edmonton.

Fulfilling their biggest need with a relatively inexpensive but effective Ryan or Letestu would allow GM Jim Rutherford to be a player in the Evander Kane sweepstakes. The belief is Rutherford is also seeking a winger with scoring punch for the Pens’ top two lines.

more with the Top 30 trade bait list...