The NHL offseason tends to be among the most active periods in the trade market, simply because it's when teams tend to have the most cap space and flexibility.

Last summer was a prime example of how busy the offseason trade market can be. The biggest move was a blockbuster deal in which the Florida Panthers shipped Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames for Matthew Tkachuk.

Other notable moves in the summer of 2022 saw the Chicago Blackhawks trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, the Minnesota Wild shipping Kevin Fiala to the Los Angeles Kings and the Carolina Hurricanes acquiring Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks and Max Pacioretty from the Vegas Golden Knights.

A flattened salary cap since 2020 has resulted in some teams with limited cap space making cost-cutting trades. Meanwhile, rebuilding teams have peddled players who no longer fit into their long-term plans. Other moves can involve restricted free agents who could be unwilling to sign long-term extensions with their current clubs.

Several notable stars, such as San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson and Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois, were the subjects of trade rumors over the course of this season. While they remained with their current clubs following the March 3 trade deadline, there's a good chance they could be on the move at some point this summer.

Here's our take on six NHL stars who could be on trade watch this summer. Feel free to weigh in with your views on this topic in the comment sections below.

Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks

It was another roller-coaster season for the Vancouver Canucks. They replaced head coach Bruce Boudreau with Rick Tocchet midway through the campaign and traded team captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders on Jan. 30. By season's end, they'd missed the playoffs for the eighth time in the past 10 years.

Brock Boeser frequently surfaced in trade rumors leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. The 26-year-old winger struggled offensively over the past two seasons and carries a $6.7 million average annual value through 2024-25, leading some observers to see him as a possible cost-cutting candidate.

It was reported prior to the trade deadline that Boeser's agent was working with Canucks management to find a suitable trade partner, with the Minnesota Wild considered as a possibility. During his season-ending press conference, however, Boeser told reporters he didn't want to be traded.

Boeser showed improvement after Tocchet took over as head coach. On Apr. 17, Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre reported Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin was pleased to hear Boeser's comments, but he made it clear the winger could still be traded.

With a payroll of $85.2 million for 2023-24 and only 19 roster players under contract, the Canucks must shed salary, especially if the salary cap only rises to $83.5 million. Boeser's lack of no-trade protection and his skills as a goal-scorer make him an obvious choice to be moved.

Alex DeBrincat, Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators made a big splash in last summer's trade market by shipping their 2022 first- and second-round picks to the Chicago Blackhawks for Alex DeBrincat. A year later, however, the 26-year-old left winger could be on the move again.

Debrincat is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off a three-year contract with an annual cap hit of $6.4 million. However, he earned $9 million in actual salary last season, which is how much it'll cost the Senators to qualify his rights. He's also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

On Apr. 14, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch told TSN that DeBrincat was non-committal toward a contract extension with the Senators during his end-of-season interview with the Ottawa media. Noting a lack of substantive discussions between the two camps, he felt it was possible the winger could be traded at this year's draft (June 28-29) in Nashville.

DeBrincat didn't dismiss the possibility of an extension, telling the press he was "definitely open for anything" but wanted time to evaluate his future with his family and his agent. Three days later, Garrioch reported the winger will let Senators management know about his intentions before the draft.

Garrioch believes that's a pivotal juncture, as it will give Senators general manager Pierre Dorion sufficient time to pursue a trade if DeBrincat wants to move on. Expect the speculation over his future to ramp up if he and the Senators haven't reached an agreement by the time the calendar flips to June.