The Columbus Blue Jackets need to bolster their offense this offseason and are apparently open to trading one of their budding young goaltenders to do so.

Columbus is reportedly listening to offers for both Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins and would like a first- or second-line center in return, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

The Blue Jackets also don't believe there will be enough net to go around - both puck-stoppers have proved they're capable of fulfilling a starting role, LeBrun adds.

Here's how each netminder stacked up this season:

GSAA = Goals saved above average

Korpisalo enjoyed a consistent campaign before he took a massive leap in the postseason. The 26-year-old posted a .941 save percentage and a 7.21 goals saved above average across nine playoff starts. Korpisalo also set the modern-day NHL record for saves in a playoff game when he turned aside 85 shots in a five overtime game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Merzlikins, 26, went on an absolute tear after failing to record a win over his first 10 NHL appearances. The Latvian goalkeeper enjoyed a 12-2 stretch in which he authored a ridiculous .953 save percentage and five shutouts to propel the Blue Jackets from lottery players to playoff participants.

Both netminders have two years remaining on their respective deals, with Korpisalo carrying an annual cap hit of $2.8 million and Merzlikins $4 million.

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The Montreal Canadiens could be looking to shake things up ahead of this year's draft. General manager Marc Bergevin has let teams know his team's No. 16 selection is available for the right price.

"I’ve had conversations with other teams to check on whether certain players might be available. I was asked if my (first-round) pick might be available, and I answered yes, though I won’t trade that pick just to trade it," Bergevin said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin. "It has to be for a player who would help us right away. And then there’s the contract. Trading the 16th pick for a player that has one year left on his contract before becoming a free agent, that’s not the smartest thing to do either.

"But my pick is even more available (than usual), yes."

While Bergevin is open to trading his team's top pick, he is looking for a top-six forward in return, reported TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

The Canadiens' offense showed immense potential during the 2019-20 postseason when they knocked out the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round.

With the sudden rise of youngsters like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki and the aging of core veterans such as Carey Price and Shea Weber, Bergevin believes relying on their youth and not having to add depth players in the offseason can keep his squad moving forward.

"There’s no doubt we are working with a small sample size with what happened in 10 games (in the postseason), but at a certain point you have to take the risk that your kids will keep progressing," he said. "We’ve reached a point where we’re ready to take that risk."

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Enter theScore’s Hockey Top 10 Draft Contest for your shot at $5,000 USD!* All you have to do is correctly predict the first 10 draft selections of the 2020 NHL Draft, including the order in which they're called. The entry with the most correct picks will win the cash prize.

Think you have what it takes? Entry is completely FREE, so it's time to put your hockey knowledge to the test!

Submit your entry on the official contest page before the start of the draft on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020 by 6:45 p.m. ET to lock in your chance at $5,000 USD.

Good luck!

*Terms and conditions apply. Contest is open to legal residents of the United States (excluding Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are of legal age. Void where prohibited. For official contest rules, visit https://thesco.re/34enys1.

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The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins are believed to be the two teams Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson would be willing to join in a trade, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The situation is fluid and Ekman-Larsson's desires could change at any time, Friedman notes.

Boston and Arizona were engaged in trade discussions about the defenseman before the Coyotes hired Bill Armstrong as their general manager in September, according to TSN's Darren Dreger. Steve Sullivan had been serving as the Coyotes' interim general manager after they parted ways with John Chayka in July.

The Bruins are projected to have $14.4 million in cap space this offseason before re-signing restricted free agents Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk, according to CapFriendly. With Torey Krug a pending unrestricted free agent and Zdeno Chara possibly on the verge of retirement, Ekman-Larsson - a left-handed shooter - could help fill potential holes on the left side of Boston's blue line.

The Canucks are projected by CapFriendly to have $14.3 million in offseason cap space, but their situation is far more complicated than Boston's. A number of Vancouver's key players are set to become UFAs, including Tyler Toffoli, Josh Leivo, Chris Tanev, and Jacob Markstrom.

Vancouver also has a handful of RFAs who are due for modest raises in Jake Virtanen, Tyler Motte, and Troy Stecher. More importantly, the entry-level deals of cornerstone players Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes expire after next season.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, are in a serious salary-cap bind: They're projected to have just $1.1 million in cap space this offseason with three RFAs and three UFAs.

Ekman-Larsson has seven years remaining on a contract that carries an $8.25-million annual cap hit and includes a full no-movement clause. The 29-year-old is coming off the worst offensive season of his career after tallying nine goals and 30 points in 66 games in 2019-20. He averaged 17 goals and 45 points in the six seasons prior.

On the defensive side of the puck, Ekman-Larsson has limited expected goals against at a below-average rate since his career year in 2015-16, according to HockeyViz's examination of his isolated impact at five-on-five.

It's possible a change of scenery could help him improve those metrics.

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With the free-agent market lacking impact centers, the Nashville Predators are open to moving one of their pivots, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Nashville has Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, Kyle Turris, and Nick Bonino down the middle of the ice - none of whom have any trade protection.

Duchene signed a seven-year, $56-million contract last offseason, but he underachieved during his first year in the Music City, collecting 42 points in 66 games.

Johansen was also a disappointment in 2019-20, tallying just 36 points in 68 contests. The 28-year-old is signed for five more campaigns with an $8-million cap hit.

Turris is coming off two straight down years, as he's registered just 54 points over his last 117 regular-season games (he produced 50 points in each of the two seasons prior). The 31-year-old has four more seasons left on his contract, which carries a $6-million cap hit.

Bonino is the most economical option, as he has just one year left on his deal with a $4.1-million cap hit. He put up 35 points in 67 games last season, which tied the second-best points-per-game mark of his career.

The top unrestricted free agent centers include veterans Mikko Koivu, Joe Thornton, Carl Soderberg, Erik Haula, and Cody Eakin. Former Predator Mikael Granlund is also a pending UFA, though he's spent the last few seasons playing the wing and has been far more productive there.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets are among the many center-needy teams.

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Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois revealed Thursday the extent of the mysterious injury that kept Steven Stamkos out for all but five shifts of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Stamkos underwent surgery for a sports hernia prior to the NHL's pause in March, BriseBois told NHL.com's Bryan Burns. The Lightning captain recovered from that injury and fully participated in Phase 2 of the league's return-to-play plan, but his rehab triggered a compensation injury.

"We fully expect him to be ready for next season," BriseBois said, adding that Stamkos will meet with a specialist next week to ascertain the full extent of his current injury.

BriseBois also said Stamkos is expected to recover in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Stamkos saw just 2:47 of ice time during the postseason - scoring a goal in Game 3 of the finals - but the Lightning were victorious anyway, beating the Dallas Stars in six games to win the Stanley Cup.

The 30-year-old was productive when healthy during the regular season, tallying 29 goals and 37 assists in 57 games.

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The Edmonton Oilers and forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have made progress on a long-term extension over the past 24 hours, reports TSN's Frank Seravalli.

A new deal isn't imminent, but the two sides appear to be headed in the right direction, Seravalli adds.

Nugent-Hopkins is entering the final season of a seven-year, $42-million contract he signed in 2013. He'll become an unrestricted free agent if a deal isn't reached by the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 27-year-old was on pace for the best statistical season of his career before the pause in March, having posted 61 points in 65 contests while averaging over 20 minutes per night. He added six points in four play-in games versus the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Oilers currently have approximately $32 million in projected cap space for the 2021-22 season, when Nugent-Hopkins' potential new deal would kick in.

Edmonton drafted Nugent-Hopkins with the first overall pick in 2011. He's registered 443 points in 604 games in his career.

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