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Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Like a handful of other teams, the Hurricanes already landed their big fish well in advance of the March 7 trade deadline. Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall are in for Martin Nečas and Jack Drury, giving them some additional scoring punch on the wings. There are still some areas for improvement on the roster, though, and general manager Eric Tulsky may have another more minor move or two up his sleeve.
Record
32-18-4, 2nd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$282K on deadline day + $3.17MM LTIR pool, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: CAR 1st, TBL 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
2026: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 5th, TOR 6th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
Trade Chips
Unlike most contenders, the Hurricanes’ draft pick pool is quite well-stocked. Their prospect pool also ranks in the league’s upper echelon – depending on who you include – and they barely dipped into it in the Rantanen blockbuster by leveraging an already-established top-six winger in Nečas. Whether they have the cap flexibility to acquire an asset that warrants a first-round pick remains to be seen, but they do have their own picks for the next few years left at their disposal, plus a 2026 second-rounder that’s also fairly valuable.
The qualifier in the first paragraph refers to defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who’s the most valuable trade chip Carolina could leverage outside of their first-round picks. The 23-year-old lefty has aged out of being able to be considered a prospect in some circles, but he’s easily the best and highest-ceiling player in the Hurricanes organization who’s not on the roster. Standing at 6’4″ and 216 lbs, the 2020 third-round pick has blossomed into arguably the best defenseman not currently in the NHL.
Now in his second season as captain of SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, he’s led KHL defensemen in scoring in back-to-back seasons and has added 35 points in 47 games this year with a +17 rating. He’s on an expiring contract and will almost certainly be coming to the NHL next season, whether that’s in Carolina or elsewhere, if they deal his signing rights. They’d prefer retaining him, especially with Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov on expiring contracts, but he’s an asset they’ll need to consider if they figure out a way to make another sizable splash. But depending on how (and if) their other top defense prospect, Scott Morrow, performs after this week’s recall, they could be more willing to move on from one or the other.
Outside of that, it’s hard to imagine the Hurricanes dealing from their roster again after already parting ways with Nečas and Drury. There are some other depth pieces in their prospect pool they could be willing to move, namely wingers Nikita Artamonov and Felix Unger Sörum, but the organization has spoken highly of both and would likely rather part ways with their draft capital.
Team Needs
1) Help Down The Middle: While Rantanen’s been snakebitten since his acquisition with a goal and an assist in five games, he’s shooting at just 5.6% and will rebound soon enough. They accomplished their main objective of adding general scoring punch and high-end talent – something that’s been sorely lacking throughout their championship window to date outside of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. They now have time to focus on positional needs, where adding another player who can ice out Jesperi Kotkaniemi as their second-line center reigns supreme. He’s producing more offense than 2023-24’s nightmarish 12-15–27 line in 79 games played, but he’s still barely clicking at a 40-point pace and has underwhelming possession numbers in already limited minutes for someone currently tasked with centering Hall and Svechnikov. It could be another low-cost, high-risk pickup in the vein of last season’s Evgeny Kuznetsov trade, of which Ryan Donato would fit the bill if the Blackhawks are willing to be trade partners again. He’d be affordable given their tight cap situation – the same can’t be said for others on the board like Dylan Cozens or Brock Nelson without a third team retaining salary in a deal. The Canadiens’ Jake Evans is also producing at a slightly higher rate than Kotkaniemi this year in more extended usage, with much better relative possession impacts.
2) Another Depth Forward: The Hurricanes have a strong No. 3 option in goal in Dustin Tokarski and decent defensive depth in case of injury, with names like Morrow, Ty Smith, Joakim Ryan, and Riley Stillman providing a good mix of offensive utility and experience in case of an injury to their ironclad top-six group. The same can’t be said for their depth wingers, which have taken a hit with Jesper Fast‘s season-long absence and a long-term injury to his replacement, William Carrier. Their LTIR flexibility could allow them to at least add a six-figure winger with a bit more experience or offensive upside to rotate into their bottom six in case of added injury issues.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Sharks To Activate Ty Dellandrea From Injured Reserve
The Sharks will have forward Ty Dellandrea back in the lineup tonight against the Canucks, head coach Ryan Warsofsky tells Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. They’ll need to open a roster spot to activate him from injured reserve, which they’ll likely do by transferring Nikolai Kovalenko to IR.
Dellandrea last played on Jan. 23, missing four games with an upper-body injury. He also missed four games with a UBI earlier in the year and has been healthy scratched on a few occasions, limiting him to 41 of San Jose’s 55 games. Aside from ranking third on the team with 99 hits, he hasn’t been much of a factor. He has just one goal and four assists with a -15 rating, averaging 11:45 per game and posting some of the worst possession metrics on the team with a 41.9 CF% at even strength.
He has been an infrequent penalty killer, averaging around a minute per game shorthanded. It’s still not quite what the Sharks expected out of Dellandrea when they parted ways with a fourth-round pick to acquire his signing rights from the Stars last summer, one year removed from a 28-point campaign in Dallas. The 2018 first-round pick regressed to nine points in 42 games last year, though, so there were warning signs that his offensive development had stagnated.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year, $2.6MM contract with San Jose, so he’ll have another year to prove he’s an NHLer, barring a trade in the next few months. If he can’t add more value via his point totals or in his possession game, he’s a non-tender candidate in the summer of 2026.
Dellandrea will center the fourth line between Carl Grundström and recent waiver pickup Walker Duehr in his return, sending Colin White to the press box (via Max Miller of The Hockey News).
Kovalenko, meanwhile, missed their Tuesday game against Montreal with an undisclosed injury and isn’t expected back before the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’s one of a long list of IR-bound Sharks that includes Klim Kostin, Jan Rutta, Nico Sturm, and captain Logan Couture, who’s yet to play this season due to osteitis pubis.
Flames Recall Dryden Hunt, Reassign Clark Bishop
The Flames announced Thursday they have recalled winger Dryden Hunt from AHL Calgary. In a corresponding transaction, Forward Clark Bishop is headed back to the minors, keeping the team’s active roster at a maximum of 23 players.
Hunt, 29, has been in the Calgary organization since they acquired him from the Maple Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. He hit unrestricted free agency for a day the following summer before signing a two-year, two-way deal to return to the Flames, which he’s now a few months away from finishing up. He was initially an undrafted free agent signing by the Panthers in 2016 and has since carved out a journeyman’s career as an NHL/AHL tweener with decent bottom-six utility.
He was recalled once earlier this season after clearing waivers during training camp but didn’t see any game action. It’s unclear whether that will change, as the Flames still have 12 healthy forwards without him. Hunt last saw NHL action in April 2024, so he’s likely to serve as a scratch tonight against the Avalanche.
The 6’0″ winger is amid a strong season for the Wranglers, leading the AHL club in scoring with 12-28–40 in 41 games. He’s hovered shy of a point per game for the club since making his Wranglers debut in 2023, totaling 77 points in 81 games. He’s routinely been a productive minor-league producer in the past, too, with a 100-136–236 scoring line in 310 career AHL appearances.
Hunt has also played 230 NHL games across eight seasons with the Avalanche, Coyotes, Flames, Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers, scoring 18-33–51 and having a -30 rating. Last year, he averaged 11:08 per game across 28 appearances for Calgary, scoring 3-5–8 and ranking third on the team with 14.05 hits per 60 minutes.
Bishop, 28, had a goal and a minus-two rating in six games since being recalled on Jan. 23. He’s been a healthy scratch in Calgary’s last two contests after logging his first NHL action since February 2022. He, Hunt, Rory Kerins, and Adam Klapka are a few of the names the Flames have rotated into bottom-six roles while they deal with season-ending ACL tears for Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha and a lengthy absence for Connor Zary due to a knee injury.
Golden Knights Place Tanner Pearson On Injured Reserve
The Golden Knights have placed left-winger Tanner Pearson on injured reserve, per Sin Ben Vegas. Pearson, who missed Tuesday’s loss to the Islanders with an undisclosed injury, has been ruled out for the team’s final two games before the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Knights now have an open roster spot – they previously had one before the transaction, but recalled Jonas Røndbjerg from AHL Henderson today to replace Pearson on the active roster, per the NHL’s media site. He’ll join the team for tonight’s game in New Jersey and have to suit up unless they plan on dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Pearson, 32, landed a PTO with Vegas and eventually signed a one-year, league-minimum deal a few days before the start of the regular season. The 12-year veteran started the season on a high note with seven points in 11 games, but he’s been colder since then, with 12 points in 42 appearances since the beginning of November. He’s been especially cold lately, posting an assist and a minus-eight rating in his last 14 showings. He’s lost ice time and been pushed down the depth chart after the team inked Brandon Saad following his mutual termination with the Blues last week.
The 2014 Stanley Cup champion has a 9-10–19 scoring line in 53 games for Vegas on the whole, his best offensive showing since he scored 14-20–34 in 68 GP with the Canucks in 2021-22. Pearson lost most of the 2022-23 season with Vancouver due to a lingering hand injury and struggled to the tune of 5-8–13 in 54 games with the Canadiens last year.
His injury did force Vegas to roll 11-7 against the Isles, and it’s still unclear when he sustained it. Pending RFA Alexander Holtz should get a look in the top nine with Pearson out, as he’s projected to skate alongside Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomáš Hertl tonight against his former club. He’s back with the club after the team quietly assigned him to Henderson over the course of the past couple of weeks, although he never suited up for the minor-league club.
Røndjberg has played fourth-line spot duty again for Vegas this year, entering the lineup nine times. He’s still looking for his first point of the year but has secured his fourth straight season of NHL playing time with the Knights, who drafted him 65th overall back in 2017. The Danish winger has 7-8–15 in 32 games with Henderson.
Predators Recall Joakim Kemell
Ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Blackhawks, the Predators announced they’d recalled right-winger Joakim Kemell from AHL Milwaukee. He’s the corresponding move to fill Vinnie Hinostroza‘s roster spot after they lost him to the Wild on waivers yesterday. If Luke Evangelista can’t play due to his lower-body injury, then Kemell should be in line to make his NHL debut – potentially in a top-six spot with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly.
Kemell, 20, was Nashville’s first-round pick in 2022 and is one of two players selected in the top 20 who have yet to make their NHL debut. He’s in his second full season with Milwaukee and third overall, co-leading active Admirals in scoring with 9-16–25 in 38 games. While his minus-nine rating is the worst on the team, he’s got a strong overall track record since arriving in North America and is coming off an AHL All-Star Classic appearance.
His six assists in his last five games helped convince the Preds to give him his first recall. They have 13 forwards on the active roster, but Evangelista and Mark Jankowski are doubtful for tomorrow’s contest and would leave Nashville in a bind if they can’t go.
The 5’11”, 183-lb Finn was named Liiga Rookie of the Year in his draft year, posting 15-8–23 in 39 games for JYP to lead the top-level league in rookie goal-scoring. He regressed a bit in 2022-23, logging 12-3–15 with a -16 rating in 43 games, but looked refreshed when Nashville recalled him from his loan at the end of the season and sent him to Milwaukee. He finished the year with 13 points in his first 14 AHL regular-season games and led the Calder Cup Playoffs in rookie goal-scoring with eight in another 14 games. He posted 16-25–41 in 67 games in his true rookie season with the Ads last year.
Kemell’s entry-level contract slid twice due to his lack of NHL appearances, so this is the first year his deal counts against their contract limit. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2027.
Devils Place Nico Hischier On IR, Recall Simon Nemec
The Devils announced today that captain Nico Hischier is headed for injured reserve after missing the last four contests with an upper-body injury. Top defense prospect Simon Nemec was called up from AHL Utica in the corresponding move and will enter the lineup tonight against the Golden Knights in place of Jonas Siegenthaler, who left Tuesday’s game against the Penguins with an apparent leg/ankle injury after falling awkwardly in the neutral zone.
Hischier sustained the injury on a cross-check/slash from Montreal captain Nick Suzuki, leading to his first absence of the season. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters last week that Hischier is out week-to-week, so while he’s eligible to come off IR at any time, he’s still not expected back for their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off against the Canadiens on Saturday.
He remains the team’s goal leader despite missing time, with 24 in 51 games. He’s also added 19 assists for 43 points, ranking fourth on the team with a +11 rating and leading them with a 55.5 FO%. Dawson Mercer briefly shifted from wing to center for the first few games of his absence but was replaced down the middle by Erik Haula for Tuesday’s game after the veteran was cleared to return from an ankle sprain.
After making New Jersey’s opening-night roster, Nemec gets another chance in the NHL. He recorded an assist and a minus-two rating in nine games before a string of healthy scratches and an eventual reassignment to Utica in early November. The 2022 second-overall pick has 5-17–22 in 32 AHL games since his demotion, the best offensive showing of his three-minor league campaigns.
His recall comes after he expressed frustration about his extended AHL assignment to a media outlet in his native Slovakia last month. However, he said he hadn’t requested a trade out of Newark, and the Devils haven’t yet appeared willing to leverage him in a trade.
Someone will be playing on their offside tonight against Vegas, as Nemec gives them four righties and two lefties on the blue line. Johnathan Kovacevic is the only one of the former group to spend significant time on the left this season, per CapWages, so he’ll likely replace Siegenthaler in top-pairing duties alongside Dougie Hamilton while Nemec enters the lineup alongside either Brenden Dillon or Luke Hughes.
Avalanche Had Interest In J.T. Miller, Fielding Calls On Casey Mittelstadt
The Avalanche remain in the market for an upgrade at center, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting Thursday they were one of the teams who submitted trade proposals to the Canucks for J.T. Miller. Their offer “never got close enough to threaten the Rangers deal,” Friedman writes. Still, he confirms a report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff earlier in the week they’re listening to inquiries on struggling pivot Casey Mittelstadt to help facilitate an addition.
Colorado opened up a decent chunk of short-term financial flexibility when they swapped out Mikko Rantanen for Martin Nečas in last month’s blockbuster. They also managed to add some center depth in that deal by landing Jack Drury from the Hurricanes, but he doesn’t have top-six utility on a contending team. That leaves Mittelstadt, amid an underwhelming 9-23–32 scoring line in 55 games with some of the team’s worst possession impacts, as their only legitimate option to anchor the second line behind Nathan MacKinnon. His sputtering defensive play and lower volume of shots this season indicate the 26-year-old is a better fit elsewhere in the lineup or simply a better fit in another team’s system.
The Avs are hoping 20-year-old Calum Ritchie will be the long-term answer. Ritchie played seven NHL games earlier this season after a strong training camp, scoring once but posting a minus-seven rating. The 2023 first-round pick was returned to OHL Oshawa, where he leads the team with 1.83 points per game and ranks second in the league behind 2025 first-overall contender Michael Misa. He’s a top-50 prospect in the league and easily the best in the Colorado system.
But Ritchie could still need AHL adjustment time when he turns pro for good next season, and even if he doesn’t, he may be better suited for a bottom-six role out of the gate. Colorado needs a stopgap, and while they were searching for a longer-term fit in Miller, they could also look for short-term upgrades on Mittelstadt. Unfortunately, the options available to them for an in-season boost on the trade market are increasingly slim.
The only seemingly available unquestionable upgrades over Mittelstadt are the Islanders’ Brock Nelson and the Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly. There are issues with both. Despite a rash of injuries, the Isles’ recent hot streak makes it feasible for them to hold onto their pending UFA. At the same time, O’Reilly’s first tenure in Colorado ended 10 years ago with a publicly unpleasant contract saga. Nashville is treating O’Reilly like he has a no-movement clause despite not holding one in his contract, and whether the 2019 playoff MVP would be open to a return to Colorado is uncertain.
Other options available down the middle include Ryan Donato, Yanni Gourde, and Scott Laughton, but all carry risk. The latter two would be two-way upgrades over Mittelstadt, but they produce points at a lesser rate than his, which would exacerbate the Avs’ depth-scoring problem. Donato is clicking at a career-best 0.63 points per game rate with the Blackhawks but is untested in extended top-six minutes, especially at center. There’s also the Sabres’ Dylan Cozens, but he carries question marks similar to Mittelstadt’s when they acquired the latter from Buffalo at last year’s deadline.
A Mittelstadt move would likely be a separate transaction instead of Colorado leveraging him as part of an upgrade package. According to Friedman, the Devils, Maple Leafs, and Senators have “poked around” about his availability, but talks haven’t progressed past an initial stage.
Blackhawks Activate Craig Smith From Injured Reserve, Assign Two To AHL
6:20 PM: The team announced that Smith has officially been activated off IR. They decided to make a pair of corresponding moves, sending Dach and Levshunov back to AHL Rockford.
11:22 AM: Blackhawks winger Craig Smith will return to the lineup Wednesday against the Oilers, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports. Chicago has a full active roster and will need to make a corresponding transaction to activate him from injured reserve.
Smith, 35, has missed the last 11 games with a lingering back injury that also held him out for eight games in December. The 958-game veteran is nonetheless chugging along as a serviceable fourth-liner in the Windy City, posting six goals and five assists for 11 points in 30 games when healthy while averaging 11:41 per game, his highest usage in three years.
Signed to a one-year, $1MM deal over the summer, Smith has spent nearly all of his time as the team’s fourth-line right winger with Pat Maroon on the left side and either Ryan Donato or Lukas Reichel down the middle. The latter is Chicago’s second-most-common line combination this season, and for good reason. They’ve controlled 50.4% of expected goals together, per MoneyPuck, one of three of nine Blackhawks forward lines with over 60 minutes together to be in the black.
He’ll return to that role against Edmonton, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720 reports. 22-year-old rookie Colton Dach, who has a goal and three assists through his first 13 NHL games, will come out of the lineup. Smith has also suited up on the Hawks’ second power-play unit at times, although only one of his 11 points have come with the man advantage.
Reassigning Dach is one of the multiple transactions the Blackhawks can make to open up a roster spot for Smith. The other likely option is demoting 2024 second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov, who the club recalled for “development purposes” on Monday but isn’t expected to see any game action.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 2/5/25
Use this link to view the transcript for today’s PHR Live Chat with Josh Erickson.