The Carolina Hurricanes largely stayed quiet at the trade deadline, at least compared to most of their Eastern Conference counterparts. However, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes, that wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Russo wrote in a behind-the-scenes look at the Hurricanes’ trade deadline process that the team was, as reported, in it near the very end to acquire now-New Jersey Devil Timo Meier. But another interesting name had also popped up in trade discussions with the Calgary Flames: former Hurricane Elias Lindholm. Ultimately, the Flames opted to stay the course at the deadline as well, but Russo reported that a deal with Calgary centered around Lindholm could have been “a possibility at one point.” Lindholm, along with Noah Hanifin, was traded to Calgary nearly five years ago in a trade that sent Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and the rights to then-prospect Adam Fox to the Hurricanes.
More from the NHL wire on this Monday morning:
- This year’s deadline rhythm bucked a trend, with a flurry of star-power-laced trades in the weeks leading up to March 3 yielding an unusually quiet Trade Deadline day. NHL general managers are conflicted on whether that trend will continue, says Pierre LeBrun in a piece for The Athletic. Many GMs opted to attribute the increase in pre-deadline action to the clear disparity between buyers and sellers and a saturated market, giving buyers more options to choose from to increase their championship odds. However, Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland predicted that the number of teams still in rebuild mode and a very slight salary cap increase next season could lead to more pre-deadline moves again next season.
- Rumors have been bubbling up in recent weeks surrounding NHL expansion, with cryptic tweets from multiple NHL insiders generating some smoke about an NHL return to Atlanta, as well as a team in Houston. Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland says not so fast, however, relaying a report from a league source that they weren’t sure “these two cities are even at top of our list” when it comes to potential expansion. ESPN’s John Buccigross had alluded to an Atlanta-Houston double expansion late last week.
Atlanta is 0-2 in having a NHL franchise. They don’t deserve a third chance.
Houston is a solid option.
I’d rather see Quebec, Salt Lake City, and (for nostalgia sake) the Whalers back in Hartford before Atlanta.
That’s considering expansion is even needed at this point in time
Milwaukee deserves a team, it’s a joke that Atlanta would get 3 teams before Milwaukee gets one just because the Blackhawks are insecure about how close Milwaukee is.
Atlanta, I believe, is a much bigger metropolitan area than Milwaukee. Expansion is a much different process these days, than it was when Clarence Campbell in 1967 toured the buildings of prospective expansion cities, and made his decision based on that (and if the owners had the expansion fee). Nowadays they look at demographics, median income of the population,local corporate sponsorship etc. It seems like whether people will actually come see the team is a minor consideration now.
Not saying this is right, just saying how the NHL works
I’d agree with that. And a natural rivalry with Chicago and Minnesota
@KRB Obviously Atlanta is a bigger market but it’s a market that’s already proven twice it won’t support a pro hockey team.
@Hannibal…yup, I know that. I was just saying what the NHL’s thinking might be. Just because they failed twice, doesn’t mean they won’t try again. They’ve been failing in Arizona for nigh on 30 years, but they won’t call it quits there
Too close to Chicago,Minnesota,and Detroit…would make for a great rivalry between the cheese heads and Minny fans though.
Atlanta is a good hockey town – it is a bad hockey ownership town. The fans supported both teams while they were here. Bad ownership with financial/personal issues led to selling teams. Sports fans still yell “Knights” during the national anthem to recognize the minor league hockey team.
John Buccigross isn’t even an “insider”. He knows nothing about the game. He doesn’t even understand the rules of the sport. He was just handed a commentary job when the NHL came back to ESPN. I don’t know why people would think his information is credible, and this league source further proves the fact.
As if bally sports is a credible source either….
Back before the lockout, when ESPN had hockey before it moved to NBC, Buccigross had a gimmick, where he’d somehow work references to his favorite punk rock bands into the conversation. I used to say he knew more about punk rock, than hockey, and he should get a job with MTV. I doubt much has changed.
The NHL needs to dump the RSN model and get a good league wide streaming deal without blackouts before they can think about more expansion. And I know they don’t like relocation as it isn’t a money producer but just get Arizona moved to Houston, it can’t do much worse.
I would have hated to see Lindholm go! Glad he’s still here to go down with the ship haha. Go Flames!
Please Uncle Gary. Water down the NHL some more. You’ve taken almost all of the physicality out, reduced tie games to a skills competition, made 2/3rds of teams into playoff contenders, taken all meaning from “.500 teams”, all but eliminated dynasties, turned the Stanley Cup into a participation trophy (everyone will win one) and made the NHL into a woke paradise. Let’s reduce the integrity of the game some more. We won’t mind. We’ll buy our team’s 10th jersey, pay $200 per seat for upper bowl, drink $12 beers, subscribe to 5 streaming services to get all games. We suffered thru no season 20 years ago. We’re loyal, and we’ll gladly be your slaves again.
This 100%!
The only reason this league would want more expansion is because the desperately need the expansion fee revenue. This league has enough mediocrity (or parity as they like to call it) without watering down the talent level anymore than they have.
It is obvious that you and your clan of tantrum tossers who constantly yell about the commissioners in the various sports have never had much use for reality or facts. This just in: like the NFL, MLB, and NBA, the NHL commissioner works for the franchise owners and implements their changes, not his own. Re the participation babbling: the NHL went to a 16-team playoff system in 1980. Gary Bettman became NHL commissioner in 1993. Like many businesses, simple supply & demand economics dictate changes. If there is a demand for more teams, they will be supplied regardless of incessant yapping about watering down the game. Or maybe you are an anti-job goober and don’t appreciate that more NHL hockey job opportunities have been made available over the years and the skill level is higher than ever because of it. The same supply & demand concept applies to jerseys, tickets, food, and drink. Although there is an obvious demand that continues to be filled, you are under zero obligation to purchase anything NHL related. Quit whining as if you are – you are not being for to being slave to the NHL. In fact, your comparison is rather weak when you put it up against the lives of people who have actually lived through or are still living through slavery. The NHL has made you so miserable that maybe it is time for you to move on to something less stressful on your thin skin and lack of knowledge.
So the NHL is a jobs program? Great, expand to 100 teams then!
My old buddy pu s s y hockey, the biggest coward on the internet, is back! I didn’t read any of your long trope, because your opinion is as meaningful to me as that of a Tibetan monk. You know, you might have some credibility if, instead of being the gadfly, you actually stated and defended a stance on something. Instead you just look for things to attack, in your patented cowardly troll and run style. Stand up for something sometime p u s s y
Krb, little butthurt are we?
What they have done is made the game faster,more skilled, and more entertaining to watch(other than the all star skills competition) all while making the game safer for the players for the most part.
The days of slow non skilled goalies and goons are over.
Get over it and move on.
Sorry Scooter, I won’t move on. The game is watered down. There’s too many teams, and not enough NHL quality players to go around. The 3 on 3 OT is a figure skating competition and shootouts are a joke.
I’m sorry that you accept a mediocre, pale imitation of the great way the game once was, an exciting blend of physicality, intimidation and skill, and that you want to be forced into watching a million ads, and be a human billboard if you want to purchase a jersey, while paying $500 for two tickets, $15 beers, $30 parking, all to watch a glorified version of women’s hockey. Some of us aren’t that stupid, and easily manipulated, and won’t accept a poor product, like you do
Krb,
Well it sure sounds like you are actually that stupid since you are letting you toxic masculinity keep you from enjoying the game so “like so much”.
Yes, the game is faster because they took out the redline. It would’ve been faster 30 years ago if they had done that back then too. But faster is not necessarily better, as evidenced by far too many games that are played today. One missed stretch pass after another is hardly exciting.
I often wonder how much hockey people watched from 20 or more years ago. The 80’s Oilers or 90’s Penguins were hardly boring to watch, just to name a few teams. Now most teams have a hard time putting two scoring lines together.