The August dog days of the NHL offseason were jolted last week by the St. Louis Blues signing Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Dylan Holloway to offer sheets.

That led to the Oilers trading away Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks for blueliner Ty Emberson and acquiring winger Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks. Those moves were made before their decision not to match those offer sheets, meaning Broberg and Holloway belong to the Blues.

They weren't the only notable moves made this month in the NHL trade market. The Columbus Blue Jackets shipped Patrik Laine on Aug. 19 to the Montreal Canadiens. Six days earlier, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired center Cody Glass from the Nashville Predators.

The offer-sheet saga between the Blues and Oilers, plus the Laine and Glass trades, shows that general managers aren't spending all their time relaxing at their summer cottages. It remains to be seen if other trades will be made by the end of August, but we can't rule it out as training camps begin opening in mid-September.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill continues to churn. There's speculation involving a notable Pittsburgh Penguins star, and a Nashville Predators goaltender is believed to have submitted a trade request.

Follow along as we employ our BS Meter on the latest trade rumors to separate fact from fiction. You can express your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.

Yaroslav Askarov Wants Out of Nashville?

On Aug. 19, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Nashville Predators goaltender Yaroslav Askarov had informed the team he would not report to their American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee this season.

The 22-year-old goaltender also requested a trade, something we suggested as a possibility last month.

Chosen 11th overall by the Predators in the 2020 draft, Askarov spent the past two seasons honing his craft in Milwaukee.

Nashville Hockey Now's Clay Brewer believes its signing of Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension on July 1 makes it unlikely Askarov will be competing for the starter's job anytime soon.

The Tennessean's Alex Daugherty noted Predators general manager Barry Trotz was aware of Weekes' report but expects Askarov to report to training camp next month.

If the Russian wants out of Nashville, Daugherty recommends getting the most out of him as a trade asset.

Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News suggested the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks and Utah Hockey clubs as potential destinations for Askarov, and Colorado Hockey Now's Evan Rawal believes the Avalanche should make inquiries. Philly Hockey Now's Jonathan Bailey suggested the same for the Flyers.

BS Meter: Not BS

Weekes is among the most dialed-in of NHL insiders. He wouldn't make that report without substantiation. It will be interesting to see if the Predators honor Askarov's trade request as training camp approaches.

Joel Farabee to the Buffalo Sabres?

Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee occasionally surfaced in the rumor mill following the end of the 2023-24 regular season. There was sufficient speculation about the winger that he earned a spot on our May NHL Trade Block Big Board.

The Farabee trade rumors faded away until Aug 4, when a reader asked The Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski if the Buffalo Sabres were interested. He noted that the Sabres had $8.4 million in cap space and restricted free-agent center Peyton Krebs to re-sign but felt there would be enough space for such a move.

Lysowski felt Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could be open to such a move at the right price. He pointed out that Farabee has twice reached the 20-goal plateau in his five NHL seasons, including his 22-goal effort last season.

The 24-year-old underwent artificial disk replacement in June 2022, which Lysowski speculated could be a concern for Sabres ownership. It was the same procedure Buffalo refused to allow Jack Eichel to undergo in 2021, leading to his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.

BS Meter: It's BS

The Sabres could be in the market for a middle-six forward with a decent scoring touch and might even have an eye on Farabee, but there's been no indication the Flyers intend to part with him. Buffalo has $8.5 million in cap space but may be reluctant to take on his $5 million annual cap hit, which runs through 2027-28.

New York Rangers Not Interested In Trevor Zegras?

Since January, Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras has frequently appeared in media trade speculation.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek denied speaking with other teams about the 23-year-old following the March 8 trade deadline, but the ongoing conjecture earned the forward a spot on our July NHL Trade Block Rankings.

Some of those rumors linked Zegras to the New York Rangers. The Bedford, NY native grew up following the Blueshirts and might one day welcome an opportunity to play for them.

That's also prompted speculation over whether the Rangers might attempt to acquire Zegras. On Aug.2, a reader asked The Athletic's Arthur Staple if there was anything to those rumors. He said he didn't think they had much interest, as much as the youngster might love to play for them.

Zegras struggled through injuries and inconsistency last season, putting up the worst stats of his career. He's signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $5.8 million.

BS Meter: Not BS

With only $623,476 in cap space for 2024-25, the Rangers couldn't afford Zegras' contract even if they were interested. Verbeek would also set a high asking price for the promising talent and won't want to retain any part of his salary to facilitate a trade.

Kris Letang to the Montreal Canadiens?

Kris Letang has been with the Pittsburgh Penguins since his seven-game NHL debut in 2006-07. He quickly established himself as their top defenseman and helped them win three Stanley Cups.

On July 7, 2022, he signed a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension (with a full no-movement clause) to finish his career in Pittsburgh.

However, a recent rumor claimed he would welcome a trade to the Montreal Canadiens.

On Aug. 5, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Tim Benz cited colleague Mark Madden saying he'd heard there were discussions between the Penguins and Canadiens about moving Letang at his request, but nothing came of it.

Rumors surfaced during the 37-year-old's contract negotiations with the Penguins two years ago linking the Montreal native to the Canadiens. However, those were quickly dispelled when he signed his current deal.

The Canadiens are a rebuilding club that could benefit from an experienced No. 1 defenseman like Letang. His leadership would also be helpful in the development of promising blueliners such as Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson.

BS Meter: It's BS

This rumor appeared before the Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine and his $8.7 million cap hit. Even before trading for Laine, it was unlikely Montreal would saddle itself with a 37-year-old defenseman whose best seasons are behind him carrying an average annual value of $6.1 million through 2027-28.

Stats via NHL.com and salary info via PuckPedia.