“I need to be where the GMs are.” — Ken Holland

The general manager of the Detroit Red Wings shuffled off to Buffalo Tuesday, well ahead of Friday’s draft, because he has work to do.

Yes, we are in the busiest stretch of the hockey business calendar, and rumours they are a-flying.

We’ve rounded up the most interesting ones from the last 24 hours here, from the farfetched to the yeah-that-could-work.

Blackhawks chasing Malkin? Really?

Steve Zipay of Newsday caused a stir Tuesday with this little nugget:

“All I know is that they’re asking around, as they should,” Zipay explained, via Twitter. “It’s what front offices do.”

Chicago has a projected salary-cap space of $6.9 million under the newly-announced $73-million cap and is trying to stuff RFA Andrew Shaw under that, so creating room for a $9.5-million star like Evgeni Malkin would be difficult for even Stan Bowman.

“We’re not looking to move him. I did not get an inquiry from any team,” Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford told the Post-Gazette.

Also: Malkin has a full no-move, no-trade clause through 2022.

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has said that a Malkin trade should happen eventually due to cap concerns and his trade value is high now.

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Sabres willing to trade first-round pick; Murray talks Stamkos

If you’re betting on a general manager looking to make a splash this weekend, you could do worse than putting your money on Buffalo Sabres string-puller Tim Murray.

Speaking with local reporters Tuesday, the GM said he’s willing to trade his No. 8 overall pick.

“Say if somebody offers us a top-end, young, left-shot [defenceman] and they demand our eighth overall pick and we feel that makes us better, we’ll make the trade,” Murray said.

“The fans might be short-term disappointed because we don’t make a pick. If we did that, we’d try to move back into the first round somehow, but long-term if we got — it’s a dream — a franchise left-shot that’s 25 years old, I don’t see anyone in the city complaining about that. I don’t foresee that happening, but you’re asking me a hypothetical, so in a perfect world that’s where the pick would go.”

Murray had been rumoured to have made a pitch for impending UFA Steven Stamkos at the 2015 draft, and there have been rumblings that Buffalo will pay top dollar if the Tampa Bay Lightning captain hits the market on July 1.

“There are no numbers,” Murray said of gossip that places the Sabres’ expected offer in the eight digits. He added that the club has not yet had internal discussions of an offer.

Still, this is what’s happening on Buffalo sports radio these days…

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Nash trade whispers persist

A fabulous 2014-15 (42 goals!) followed by a dismal 2015-16 (15 goals!) has placed New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash in the mill of rumours.

Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post suggests the possibility of the Blueshirts dealing Nash to make room for a free-agent signing. Cyrgalis also hints that defencemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal might not be long with New York either.

Nash, 32, has two years left on a back-loaded contract that carries a $7.8-million cap hit but, in actual salary, pays $8 million in 2016-17 and $8.2 million in 2017-18. Tough contract for a team to absorb.

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Bidding war for Shattenkirk

Citing an anonymous “hockey source,” Joe Haggerty of CSSNE.com reports that at least three teams — the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers — are making a pitch for St. Louis Blues D-man Kevin Shattenkirk, who is firmly on the trade block.

Writes Haggerty, a Bruins beat man: “Sources have indicated to CSNNE.com that Boston is a geographically desirable place for Shattenkirk to potentially sign a contract extension given his desire to play on the East Coast following this upcoming season. He’s familiar with the city of Boston after winning a national championship with Boston University back in 2007, and clearly wouldn’t take much convincing to return to the Hub as a pro player.”

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Capitals give updates on free agents

Speaking Tuesday in Las Vegas, where he has a shot to snatch GM of the Year, Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said he plans to give qualifying offers to restricted free agents Marcus Johansson, Dmitry Orlov, Tom Wilson and Michael Latta.

“GMBM,” as the kids call him, said he would “love to have” soon-to-be UFA Jason Chimera back — the winger scored 20 goals as a 37-year-old — but timing and other factors would have to work out perfectly for the veteran to be re-signed before July 1.

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Coyotes offered to trade down, talked Datsyuk with Red Wings

The Arizona Coyotes, who have two first-round picks, are open to trading up, trading down or staying put on Friday.

“If we do stay at 7 and 20, then we’ll get good players,” rookie general manager John Chayka told Sarah McLellan of AZCentral.com. “If we make a decision to move, then we’ll get good players that way as well.”

Chayka said he’s had a “pretty impressive offer” to trade down.

On Monday Red Wings GM Ken Holland said he spoke with at least one club about trading Pavel Datsyuk’s $7.5-milllion contract.

The Coyotes, reportedly, have at least considered it:

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Panthers’ defence, backup goalie unsettled

Lots of moving parts here:

Jim Benning updates Hamhuis status

Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province that he has not received calls from other teams wishing to acquire UFA Dan Hamhuis‘s negotiating rights but that he’d be open to the idea — which worked out well for Dallas and Arizona.

“We’re going to see at the draft when we’re talking to other teams if there are players who make us better and then we can circle back with Dan and try to get something figured out,” Benning said. “There’s nothing that has changed on that. We’re still trying to figure it out.”

P.K. Subban could not care less about your trade rumours

Yep.