With the Olympic break now upon us, the trade deadline is less than 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 teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Hurricanes.
Last season, the Hurricanes seemingly landed their big fish, acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, due to an initial lack of traction in extension negotiations and a flat-out denial to sign a new contract, Carolina shipped Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for Logan Stankoven and several draft picks. Furthermore, the Hurricanes attempted to swap Rantanen for Mitch Marner, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, before being told that he, too, wouldn’t sign an extension. Regardless, Carolina has remained one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and has been connected to nearly every big-ticket trade candidate.
Record
36-15-6, 1st in the Metropolitan (99.8% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$40.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: DAL 1st, SJ 4th, TOR 6th, CAR 6th
2027: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, DAL 3rd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
Trade Chips
Given that nearly every report indicates the Hurricanes are going big-game hunting, there wouldn’t be any surprise to see them move one, if not both, non-lottery first-round picks they have through next season (assuming they’re competitive again next year). Still, there are a few prospects and rostered players Carolina could dangle for a big addition.
Despite being on pace to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, the Hurricanes have one of the league’s better prospect pools. Highlighted by Kurban Limatov, Bradly Nadeau, Dominik Badinka, Felix Unger-Sörum, and Nikita Artamonov, Carolina could conceivably trade any of them for a big addition to the team. In an ideal scenario, since it is not always easy for the Hurricanes to attract big free agents, the team could retain Nadeau long-term for a future top-six role. He has scored 18 goals and 41 points in 34 games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season.
Still, Carolina may be able to land an upper-level player without parting with any prospects. The Hurricanes are known to be shopping Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and are reportedly open to moving defenseman Alexander Nikishin for the right price. Given that he’s signed through the 2029-30 season at a $4.82MM price tag, and he’s only scored two goals and nine points through 36 games this season, Kotkaniemi would be a complementary piece in any trade. However, a package of Nikishin, Kotkaniemi, and their two first-round picks through next season could land a more than meaningful addition.
Nikishin’s value is self-explanatory. He’s a formidable two-way defenseman, scoring seven goals and 22 points in 56 games while averaging 18:20 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s third on the team in hits with 100, and has a 91.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength. It’s hard to imagine any team balking at adding a player like Nikishin to their defensive core for the next several years, if not more.
Team Needs
Star Forward: As described, the Hurricanes desperately need a star. There’s nothing wrong with Sebastian Aho leading the pack, but putting a star next to him would put Carolina into a different tier. Given the trade market this year, Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues appears to be the ideal candidate. Thomas, 26, has scored 58 goals and 200 points in last 194 games, and helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup title in 2019. He doesn’t have the best possession metrics, but would seemingly fit effortlessly into Rod Brind’Amour‘s system. Given that they have an aging defensive core (outside of Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux), St. Louis, which has expectedly put a high price on Thomas, could be enticed by a package of Nikishin, Kotkaniemi, two first-round picks, and one of Carolina’s top-five prospects.
Goalie Depth: The best word to describe the Hurricanes’ goaltending tandem is weird. The team has relied heavily on rookie netminder Brandon Bussi, who’s managed a 23-3-1 record in his first 27 games with a .906 SV% and 2.16 GAA. Carolina, of all teams, isn’t a stranger to riding the hot hand in the playoffs (looking at you, Cam Ward), but it would be prudent to give him some better insurance. Frederik Andersen, 36, is having the worst season of his professional career, and there’s no guarantee that Pyotr Kochetkov will return this season. Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of options on the trade market, but the Hurricanes could look at some expiring assets, such as Alex Nedeljkovic of the San Jose Sharks or James Reimer of the Ottawa Senators.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.