Welcome Cam Ward to the trade rumor mill

A couple of tweets has the interwebs buzzing about a possible trade involving Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward:

Hearing Cam Ward is in play. Oilers have inquired about him, but is a deal close? Stay tuned

— Josh Rimer (@JoshRimerHockey) January 15, 2014

Cam Ward trade is possible, but Carolina requires great return to consider in-season. He should return to action next week.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 15, 2014

Ward is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment. The 29-year-old former Conn Smythe Trophy winner has struggled this season (6-7-5, .895 save percentage); however, his career .910 save percentage in 450 appearances could garner some interest.

Signed through 2015-16, Ward’s contract is big in terms of salary and cap hit — per CapGeek, his hit ranks fifth among all NHL goalies — but small in remaining term.

There’s also the matter of Carolina’s two other goalies, Anton Khudobin and Justin Peters, being pending unrestricted free agents.

Related: Will Khudobin or Peters be traded?