A trade-deadline primer for the Carolina Hurricanes

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is just over a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in three straight seasons, being eliminated in each of the first three rounds over that span meaning there’s one more hurdle to reach – the Stanley Cup Final. While they’re in a tight Metropolitan Division, they sit in second place heading into Tuesday's action with multiple games in hand so they’re poised to make a splash. And with several veterans slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer and a situation where they probably won’t be able to keep them all, this may be their best opportunity to push their chips to the table and try to make a serious run.

Record

32-11-3, 1st in the Metropolitan

Deadline status

Buyer

Deadline cap space

No base cap room, $1.801 million in full-season space with LTIR, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming draft picks

2022: CAR 2nd, CHI 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, ANA 6th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th, CBJ 7th
2023: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th

Trade chips

It’s hard to see Carolina willingly taking a regular off its roster unless that’s required to match salaries which could put someone such as Ian Cole ($2.9 million, pending UFA) on the radar, particularly if the Hurricanes make a move to upgrade their third pairing. Beyond that, their prospects are where the trade options will be.

One player who stands out as a potential trade option is center Ryan Suzuki. The 20-year-old was a first-rounder (28th overall) back in 2019 but hasn’t had much luck since then, particularly when it comes to staying healthy; he has been limited to just 10 games this season with AHL Chicago. His final major junior season was lost last year when the OHL didn’t play; and while he got into 26 games with the Wolves, it was in a limited role. In the meantime, others are getting to play ahead of him in the minors, and his spot on the organizational depth chart has likely dipped. Still, with recent first-round pedigree, Suzuki is someone about whom teams will likely be asking.

Jack Drury is one of those prospects who has slipped ahead of Suzuki on their depth chart. He didn’t look out of place in a two-game stint with Carolina this season and he’s one of the leading scorers for its farm team. He’s someone who could very well push for a roster spot next season in an effort to save a bit of cap space, but these are precisely the types of players teams looking to sell but not get into an expedited rebuild will be seeking.

Defenseman Joey Keane has fared a little better this season, the last one of his entry-level contract. He’s someone who is going to be eligible for waivers next year and could be in the mix for a seventh defender spot in Carolina as a result. But there should be some teams that would be interested in getting him into their system now for evaluating, either with their own farm team or at the NHL level down the stretch.

Other potential trade chips: D Anttoni Honka (unsigned draft pick), F Andrew Poturalski ($750,000, UFA – AHL’s leading scorer), F Patrik Puistola (unsigned draft pick)

Team Needs

1) Middle-six two-way winger: The Hurricanes find themselves pretty deep down the middle, but they’re not quite as strong on the wing. Another player such as Jesper Fast who can play up and down the lineup while providing some defensive value would certainly help give them a deeper lineup with more versatility.

2) Third Pairing Upgrade: Ethan Bear hasn’t been able to have the impact Carolina hoped when the Hurricanes picked him up from Edmonton while Cole is a role player, a shutdown, stay-at-home piece. The same can be said for Brendan Smith. That’s not a bad group of fifth to seventh defenders behind their strong top four but it can be improved.