Carolina Hurricanes Considering Adding On Defense

Earlier this season the Carolina Hurricanes were rumored to be looking to shed some defensemen, given how many NHL options they had at the position. Now as we approach the trade deadline however, that thinking seems to have flipped. In an interview with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Hurricanes’ GM Don Waddell explained that the team would “certainly look at adding” a defenseman if the right one was available.

The Hurricanes of course lost the Norris-contending Dougie Hamilton earlier this month when he broke his leg, but Waddell also isn’t ruling out a potential return for the puck-moving defenseman at some point before the playoffs. As Gulitti explains, that means the Hurricanes can’t go into the long-term injured reserve opened up by Hamilton’s injury until they know for sure if he’s going to come back or not.

Carolina is in a dogfight in the Eastern Conference playoff race, trying to fend off the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers who are right on their heels for the final wild card spot. They’re also still within striking distance of the New York Islanders for a divisional spot, but still have more than 30 games to go.

Adding a defenseman–especially one that is focused more on his own end–would be a change for the team, but also a curious decision when their depth chart still has so many capable options. Beyond Haydn Fleury, who has stepped into the lineup recently, the team still has Roland McKeown, Gustav Forsling, Jake Bean and Fredrik Claesson who all have NHL experience. Oliwer Kaski and Chase Priskie too were expected to challenge for spots in the NHL this season. That’s not to even mention the fact that their NHL group is still headlined by Jaccob Slavin, one of the best two-way defenders in the league.

It is of course important to note that Joel Edmundson and Trevor van Riemsdyk are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the year. With those potential openings available the Hurricanes don’t necessarily have to go for a rental just to cover Hamilton’s absence, but one that could be around a little longer.