[jschick88]

Perhaps the biggest name left on the trade market is Jay Bouwmeester.

The Calgary Flames don’t have to necessarily move him, he’s got one more year left on his deal (at $6.6 million) so he’s not a pending unrestricted free agent forcing the NHL club to seek immediate asset return.

"I think they move Bouwmeester," one NHL team executive told ESPN.com Friday. "But they want a lot for him."

Central Division rivals Detroit and St. Louis are teams that have interest in Bouwmeester, no question. The Blues crave a top-4, left-handed blueliner who can play alongside either right-handed stud Alex Pietrangelo or Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Red Wings don’t need anyone to pay anyone’s salary, that’s not an issue. It’s all about the asking price from the Flames and whether Detroit could live with giving up that kind of asset package -- whatever it might be.

The Los Angeles Kings are another possibility, and they are definitely on the lookout for help on defense. There was hope recently that top-four blueliner Willie Mitchell (knee) could play this season, but a source told ESPN.com Thursday that the Kings aren’t as hopeful now. Either way, the Kings were supposed to know more next week on Mitchell.

The Philadelphia Flyers are also believed to have some interest in Bouwmeester and they certainly should. They need a premium puck-moving blueliner, there’s no question.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/i...eester-is-high