The hours leading up to the NHL's 2015-16 free agency frenzy are silly season for rumors and reports. We here at HNGN have done our best to parse the legitimate from the nonsensical, but hey, nobody's perfect.

Anyway, here's the latest roundup of NHL rumors, with a focus on defense...

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, the San Jose Sharks and GM Doug Wilson have made defenseman Paul Martin their "No. 1 target," though from the sounds of it they'll have quite a bit of competition as LeBruin intimates there is "lots and lots of interest in him."

TSN NHL Insider Bob McKenzie echoed LeBrun's report, calling the Sharks a "leading contender" for Martin, but then tweeted a short time after that he was hearing the Sharks and Wilson were no longer a "top contender" for Martin.

TSN's Renaud Lavoie also reports that Martin is a wanted man today and that the Sharks are being aggressive, but he also adds that the Columbus Blue Jackets are hot on his trail as well.

It seems the grizzled blueliner is set to have his pick of the litter once the free agency period officially gets under way.

Elsewhere, McKenzie reports that the Colorado Avalanche and GM Joe Sakic, desperate to add help to their atrocious defensive corps, will be going "hard" after Francois Beauchemin.

LeBrun backed McKenzie's assertion and added that there are a total of five teams looking to add the 35-year-old soon-to-be former Ducks defenseman.

UPDATE, 12:45: The Avs officially grabbed Beauchemin and the Sharks landed Martin.

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