NHL Rumors: Jets Shopping Defenseman

If the Winnipeg Jets are unable to get themselves back into the playoff race, they likely will end up trading Nathan Beaulieu, according to Frank Seravalli.

Beaulieu is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason because of it. The 29-year-old could get a lot of interest from around the league, as teams are always looking to add to their depth come playoff time. Furthermore, he wouldn't cost more than a mid-to-late round draft pick, either.

In 19 games this season, Beaulieu has one assist and a minus-8 rating. He is currently out with a lower-body injury but recently returned to practice. Therefore, if all goes according to plan, he should be able to get himself back into the lineup in the near future. If the Jets end up shopping him, they certainly will want him to be back in the lineup, as it could help his overall trade value.

At this point of the campaign, the Jets have a 22-18-8 record and trail the Los Angeles Kings by three points for the final Wild Card spot. Yet, they also are behind the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars, so there are multiple teams currently fighting for it. Therefore, the Jets need to go on a big run here to avoid being sellers at the deadline.

Nevertheless, keep an eye on this depth defenseman next month.