Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Hurricanes Rumors

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Marcus Kruger To Arizona Coyotes

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Though it’s not often you see a trade go down during the playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes have traded Marcus Kruger and a 2018 third-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Jordan Martinook and a 2018 fourth-round pick. Carolina will also retain 10% of Kruger’s salary in 2018-19.

There are a few things to break down in this trade, not the least of which being that the Hurricanes made the deal despite not having a GM in place. While owner Thomas Dundon continues to search for the next person to lead his hockey club, Don Waddell is operating as interim GM, along with help from his old friend Rick Dudley who was hired recently.

The second is that the Hurricanes won’t really be saving much salary in the swap. Though Kruger carries a $3.08MM cap hit, the actual salary owed to him next season is just $2.3MM. Martinook himself is set to earn $1.8MM, and with the added 10% the two notoriously cheap teams come off spending about the same amount. Instead, from Carolina’s point of view this deal seems to be ridding themselves of a forward that they had no plans on using next season. After all, Kruger had already cleared waivers earlier this season.

That fact is another interesting thing to note in the deal, as Kruger was available to any team earlier this year when the Hurricanes waived and then sent him to the minor leagues. The 27-year old center ended up playing just 48 games for Carolina, scoring six points in the process and generally being ineffective. Some of that might have to do with the hernia that Craig Morgan of AZ Sports reports he recently had surgery on, which had been “nagging him a while.”

If Kruger can return to the 25-point depth center that he once was in Chicago, the Coyotes will have a useful player on their hands that can help the penalty kill and add some experience. If he can’t find that level, they still move their draft pick up a round in exchange for Martinook, who may have not had role with the team next season anyway.

In all, this is a swap of two contracts that didn’t have much of a future in their previous organizations. Perhaps Kruger can find his game again in Arizona alongside former teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson, and maybe Martinook can be a useful depth player. We’ll have to wait to see how the rest of the offseason shakes out to really see what each team had planned.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to break the trade.

Front Office Updates: O’Hearn, Minnesota GM Search, Nill

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes are moving on from a top executive. The team announced today that they would not renew the contract for Assistant GM Chris O’Hearn. O’Hearn had been with the Coyotes for eleven years and was in his third year as AGM. O’Hearn handled much of the legal and administrative operations for Arizona, such as contract negotiations, salary arbitration, and cap management. GM John Chayka will now have to find a replacement or delegate those duties to others in the front office.

  • Perhaps O’Hearn can throw his hat in the ring for the Minnesota Wild GM job. Owner Craig Leipold is certainly expanding his search, adding two new names to the mix alongside Nashville Predators’ AGM Paul Fenton and Columbus Blue Jackets’ AGM Bill Zito. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Boston Bruins’ AGM John Ferguson Jr. interviewed for the position today, while New Jersey Devils’ AGM Tom Fitzgerald will make his case tomorrow. Ferguson Jr. was previously the GM and Vice President of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the mid-2000’s and has entered the potential-GM market in a big way this week, now connected with both Minnesota and the Carolina Hurricanes’ vacancy. Fitzgerald had already dropped out of the Hurricanes’ hunt, citing “bad timing”, but the timing appears to be right for a potential move to Minneapolis. The Wild now have four legitimate candidates for Leipold to choose from and he may not be done yet.
  • Another job search is ongoing in Dallas, as GM Jim Nill has his hands full finding a new head coach. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Nill is considering at least ten different candidates to take over for Ken Hitchcock as the Stars’ new bench boss. That was in response to TSN’s Frank Servalli’s note that University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery is the newest addition to the list. Montgomery has been dominating college hockey over the last five years, leading the Pioneers to a NCAA Tournament berth each year and winning the National Championship last season. Montgomery has been a popular candidate the last couple of years and would be an excellent choice for Dallas.

Poll: Which Open Coaching Job Is Best?

at CDT | by 4 Comments

It was an uncommon year in the NHL with no coaches being fired in-season. Some of the worst teams in the NHL – the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks – had coaches in their first seasons and were willing to reserve judgement at least into a second season. Others, like the Ottawa Senators (confirmed today), Montreal Canadiens, and New York Islanders are willing to wait and see with relatively new staffs.

Entering the first full month without regular season activity, the season is over for all but eight teams. Yet, only two coaches have been fired: the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault and the Calgary Flames’ Glen Gulutzan. The Dallas Stars’ Ken Hitchcock retired and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters opted out. Peters then quickly took the Flames job and what is left are just three coaching openings in the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes, under new ownership, are still looking for a GM and likely will wait to make a decision on a head coach until after that initial decision has been made. However, for those free agent coaches, the ’Canes do offer an attractive mix of long-term depth and talent on defense, youth and skill on offense, a solid prospect pipeline, and mass amounts of cap space to get better. However, Carolina lacks two of the hardest things to find in hockey: a legitimate starting goaltender and a bona fide #1 star center. Any coach who is excited about the team’s potential has to look at Peters’ inability to turn it into wins and wonder if the few pieces missing in Carolina are the most important ones.

It took a late season collapse for the Dallas Stars to miss the postseason this year. The team has three superstars in Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg and a handful of very good players behind them like goalie Ben Bishop, defensemen Marc Methot and Esa Lindell, and forwards Alexander Radulov and Radek Faksa. They also have the potential for a quick turnaround if Jason Spezza and Martin Hanzal can bounce back. Beyond that group though, the team is lacking in depth on the roster and there doesn’t appear to be real game-changing talent in the pipeline either outside of Miro Heiskanen. They’re also right at the top of the salary cap limit. The Stars have the appearance of a team that is close to being a contender, but may not be able to get much better than they already are.

The New York Rangers are this year’s rebuild option for a coaching candidate. After trading away both impending free agents and core players at the deadline, the Rangers are left with a young-top nine that bring energy and skill but lacks experience and top-end talent and defense corps with veteran leadership surrounded by youth and potential but also lacking any high-end ability. However, they still have an all-world goalie in Henrik Lundqvist and are now loaded with prospects at every position and a wealth of draft picks. The Rangers may not look like much now but have a lot to offer down the road.

So, if you were a top head coach candidate with no particular style preference, which team would you choose?

Which Open Coaching Job Would You Take?
New York Rangers 45.78% (369 votes)
Dallas Stars 32.13% (259 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes 11.79% (95 votes)
Stay where you are and wait for a better option 10.30% (83 votes)
Total Votes: 806

Carolina Names Rick Dudley Senior VP, Hockey Operations

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes are still looking for a new general manager, but today added an experienced voice into the front office. Rick Dudley has been named Senior Vice President, Hockey Operations, leaving his post as an assistant GM with the Montreal Canadiens.

Dudley has been around the NHL for several decades, first as a player and then as a coach and executive. With a deep scouting background, he’s served as GM of four different franchises, and worked closely with Carolina interim GM Don Waddell in Atlanta. Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon praised this experience in the press release announcing the hiring:

Rick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our management group. He has been a part of building championship teams on every level of professional hockey, and will play an important role in helping us build a winner in Raleigh.

Working with the Canadiens since 2012, Dudley will undertake a new challenge in Carolina where there currently is no permanent GM or head coach. With that in mind, bringing on an experienced scout and manager ahead of the upcoming draft can only benefit the Hurricanes. The team moved up in the draft lottery to second overall, and needs to make sure they select a star talent that can help their group in the short term.

Carolina Hurricanes Officially Terminate Ron Francis’ Contract

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that they have officially terminated the contract of President of Hockey Operations Ron Francis, who had previously been moved out of his role as General Manager. Joe Nieuwendyk, pro scout and advisor for the team, has also resigned.

Francis had recently been asked to work from home according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, a clear sign that the team no longer wanted his presence associated with the team. It’s an unfortunate end for someone who was a Hurricanes legend when he played, but has failed to bring any playoff success to the team during his tenure in the front office.

The Hurricanes haven’t made the postseason since 2008-09, and finished with no more than 87 points in each of the seven seasons since Francis was hired as Director of Hockey Operations.

Despite those struggles, many would point to the relatively young roster and full prospect pipeline as positives for the Hurricanes and Francis, though at some point that needs to translate into on-ice success. New owner Thomas Dundon is currently conducting a search for the team’s next GM, and will now be able to tempt them with the second-overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Francis is now free to find another role somewhere around the league, and if he wants them there will likely be several opportunities. Likewise, Nieuwendyk still commands plenty of respect in the hockey world and could land on his feet somewhere despite the struggles he had when GM of the Dallas Stars.

Currently Don Waddell is operating the Hurricanes as interim GM, and just last night there was a report that no one was close to taking the job. Several high profile candidates have removed their names from consideration, and it’s clear that Dundon will not rush into a decision. Meanwhile, the team is also looking for a head coach after Bill Peters exercised his out clause recently to take a job with the Calgary Flames.

Carolina is one of the most interesting teams to watch this summer, as there are plenty of decisions to be made on the future of the team and how to get back to the playoffs. With Jeff Skinner just a year away from free agency and several high profile restricted free agents looking for new deals, the team could look drastically different in relatively short order.

Young Talent Fills Finland’s World Championship Roster

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Finland has announced their final roster for the upcoming World Championship, and it is filled with young NHL talent. The Dallas Stars will be quite pleased with the results, as both Miro Heiskanen and Julius Honka will be present on defense. The entire group is as follows:

Affiliated NHL organization in parenthesis

Goaltenders:

Ville Husso (St. Louis Blues)
Eero Kilpelainen
Harri Sateri (Florida Panthers)

Defensemen:

Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Julius Honka (Dallas Stars)
Niko Mikkola (St. Louis Blues)
Markus Nutivaara (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Tommi Kivisto
Miika Koivisto
Ville Pokka (Ottawa Senators)
Juuso Riikola

Forwards:

Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Marko Anttila
Mikael Granlund (Minnesota Wild)
Pekka Jormakka
Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Sakari Manninen
Saku Maenalanen
Mika Niemi
Olli Palola
Janne Pesonen
Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche)
Veli-Matti Savinainen
Antti Suomela
Teuvo Teravainen (Carolina Hurricanes)

Heiskanen’s presence on the team is especially noteworthy given that he is only 18 years old still, and made it over other top young players like Olli Juolevi. The third pick in the 2017 draft, Heiskanen is an incredibly mobile two-way defender that should be an impact player in the NHL before long. The Stars will watch to see if he and Honka get any time together and can start to build chemistry, as the pair could be used together for years to come.

For Rantanen, a good performance at the Worlds would be just another feather in his cap for the 2017-18 season. After scoring 20 goals last season on a dreadful Colorado team, he and Nathan MacKinnon formed one of the league’s most dangerous duos this season and racked up the accolades. Rantanen finished with 84 points, a huge total for a 21-year old winger still learning how to best use his big frame in the NHL.

Early Notes: Team Canada, Carolina, Browne

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Team Canada has announced their on-ice leadership group for the upcoming World Championships, with Connor McDavid named team captain. Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly will serve as alternates for what has turned out to be an impressive roster. It will be O’Reilly’s third time wearing an “A” for the squad.

McDavid previously served as captain of Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, but has never worn a “C” for Canada previously in any major tournament. His presence makes the Canadians a favorite to take home the gold for the third time in four years, but he’ll have to get through some stiff competition. The tournament begins this Friday in Denmark.

  • Last night during the Winnipeg Jets-Nashville Predators game, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Steve Greeley will not be taking the Carolina Hurricanes GM job. That means Don Waddell will continue to lead the club for the time being, as there are “no plans to hire anyone in the near term.” Greeley, an assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres, was considered the front-runner for a job that has already had several high profile names remove themselves from consideration. Whoever does take the job will get the opportunity to select second in the upcoming draft, after Carolina moved up nine spots in the recent draft lottery.
  • Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender hockey player in North America, has decided to retire from the NWHL to complete his physical transition. Just 25 years old, Browne is a two-time NWHL Champion, most recently winning with the Metropolitan Riveters. In a long exclusive piece for The Athletic, Corey Masisak (subscription required) details just how Browne came to his decision to leave hockey and the impact he’s leaving behind.

John Ferguson Jr. On Carolina's Shortlist For GM

at CDT | by 4 Comments

  • While there hasn’t been much talk lately regarding Carolina’s vacant GM post, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes have a shortlist of four candidates for the position and Bruins executive John Ferguson Jr. is on that list. The former Toronto GM has been with Boston for the last two years and also spent time in San Jose but last worked as a general manager back in 2007-08.  With their victory in the Draft Lottery, it will be interesting to see if that position becomes more attractive to candidates in the weeks to come.

Eastern Notes: Carolina GM Search, Simmonds, Islanders

at CDT | by 10 Comments

With just a 9.9 percent chance to finish in the top three, the Carolina Hurricanes beat the odds Saturday when they moved up from a team with the 11th-worst record in the league and were awarded the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft. While that gives the franchise lots of new options that they weren’t expecting, it also makes their general manager and coaching openings much more attractive, according to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer.

The general manager position, which has been open since the team transitioned former general manager Ron Francis to President of Hockey Operations on Mar. 7, was not a popular destination after new owner Tom Dundon ousted Francis and multiple candidates declined to interview, forcing to team to announce they would wait until the offseason to address their needs. On top of that, the team then lost head coach Bill Peters when he triggered an out-clause in his contract and took the head coaching position with the Calgary Flames.

However, Alexander writes both openings are now more intriguing with the No. 2 pick as adding an impact player immediately after they take the job is always a positive. Adding a winger like Andrei Svechnikov could change the team dramatically as he would likely be the No. 1 overall pick if Rasmus Dahlin not been there.

  • NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer writes the Philadelphia Flyers have a lot of work ahead of them this offseason. To start with, the team must depend on the continued development of their youth, including Nolan Patrick, Travis Konecny, Oskar Lindblom, Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin. However, general manager Ron Hextall intends to make many roster changes to improve the team with the idea of adding more speed, especially to the special teams. Hextall, who is known for making offseason trades, is likely to be active again on the trade market and could attempt to move winger Wayne Simmonds. While Simmonds has said he wants to stay, the team could get a good return as the 30-year-old will enter the final year of a reasonable $3.975MM deal. With plenty of youth in their system working their way up, it would seem unlikely the Flyers would extend his contract.
  • With two picks in the lottery, the New York Islanders have multiple options in front of them, writes Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required). While the team could use the 11th and 12th picks in the 2018 NHL Draft to trade down and pick up a top forward, the team could also stay where they are and rebuild the team’s prospect pool, which isn’t as strong as it once was. The scribe also adds that the team could use one of the picks in a package to acquire a veteran defenseman who could help fix their leaky blueline.

 

Draft Notes: Mock Draft, Rangers, Canadiens, Sabres

at CDT | by 13 Comments

Now that the lottery portion of the 2018 NHL draft has clarified, TSN’s Craig Button has already released his first mock draft. No surprise, the Buffalo Sabres are projected to take defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The Carolina Hurricanes are projected to take winger Andrei Svechnikov at No. 2, who Button compares to Marian Hossa and who could walk in and join Carolina immediately next season, aiding their struggling offense.

Wingers Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk are targeted to be taken at No. 3 and No. 4 by the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, respectively, while the Arizona Coyotes are projected to select defenseman Quinn Hughes with the fifth pick, rounding out the top five.

  • While there is no shot at getting Dahlin, the New York Rangers have made it clear they want to move up in this year’s draft. With the eighth-worst record in the NHL this past season, the team moved back a spot in Saturday’s draft lottery. The Rangers have the ninth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, but have after tearing down their team at the trade deadline, the team has quite a few assets to offer a team willing to trade down. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes the team is focusing on two teams, including the Ottawa Senators and Arizona Coyotes, two former trade partners, as potential landing spots at No. 4 and No. 5. While it’s considered to be a deep draft and the Rangers would get a quality player at No. 9, there is said to be a drop off around No. 4 or No. 5. The Rangers not only have the ninth-overall pick, but also have two other first-round picks, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins’ first-rounders, which could fall anywhere between 24 and 31. They also have two second and two third-round picks.
  • The Montreal Canadiens might also be a trade possibility for teams looking to move up. While the team had a couple of extra hours to imagine winning the lottery when they were among the top three first announced Saturday, the team ended up at No. 3. While there are plenty of high-quality wingers that would be available to the team, it doesn’t really help with the team’s top need, which is a big center, writes Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. One interesting option would be if the Canadiens trade down or just reach for center Joe Veleno from the Drummondville Voltiguers of the QMJHL and was coached by Dominique Ducharme, who was just hired by Canadiens as an assistant coach. Cowan compares this situation to the 2016 draft when the Columbus Blue Jackets shocked everyone when they took Pierre-Luc Dubois with the third-overall pick, although no one is complaining now.
  • An interesting note from the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, the Buffalo Sabres won the lottery twice Saturday. They initially won the No. 1 pick and then again won the No. 3 pick. The No. 3 pick was then was redrawn, which allowed the Montreal Canadiens to move up.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top