Latest On Justin Faulk Trade Talks
Though several reports have come out that there is trade on the table between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes revolving around Justin Faulk, the deal still hasn’t been finalized thanks to a no-trade clause and extension talks. An extension hasn’t yet been reached, the Hurricanes defender can block a deal to Anaheim if he chooses, and according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic other teams have now increased their interest in trying and add the offensive-minded Faulk. Those teams include ones that would not require Faulk to waive his 15-team no-trade clause, though LeBrun doesn’t give any indication of who they may be.
With training camp just a few days from opening up across the league, Faulk has become the most talked about non-RFA around. His services would certainly help a number of teams in the league, but currently exists as a pure rental that is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that Faulk would be targeting $6.5-7MM per season on any extension, though he also wrote earlier today that the Ducks “appear willing to make the move without any long-term security at this time.”
At just 27-years old, Faulk represents the kind of player who would normally be extremely coveted on the open market. If he were an unrestricted free agent today, you can bet a number of teams would be knocking on his door trying to bring him in on a long-term deal, which makes the interest in him on the trade market understandable. If a team can acquire him for a reasonable cost a year early and extend him to a contract they believe he’s worth, they don’t have to fight the entire market next summer. That reasonable cost is the biggest question however, as there have been reports that Ondrej Kase would be involved in the deal should the Ducks get it done.
If that’s the kind of asset the Hurricanes would receive, it makes a lot of sense for them to move on from the puck-moving defenseman. Carolina recently added Jake Gardiner who, while being the other handedness, carries a lot of similarities to Faulk in regards to playstyle. They also have one of the deepest defensive units in the league, and could probably remove two names given that Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean look ready to take on increased minutes.
The Hurricanes also have to shed some salary before the season starts, though that could be accomplished in other ways if necessary. The team currently sits at just over $83MM in projected salaries for the 2019-20 season, though that takes 24 players into account, more than you can carry at any one time.
Snapshots: Malkin, Kase, Fiala
Evgeni Malkin has been the target of trade rumors for years now, but after they perked up again following a disappointing 2018-19 season he’s hoping to put them behind him. In an incredible piece that delves into Malkin’s home life and the relationship he has had with teammates (including a spotlight on Phil Kessel) and coaches, Rob Rossi of The Athletic (subscription required) also got an idea of what the big Pittsburgh Penguins forward hopes his future holds:
It’s (a) huge next three years. I still want to play 100 percent — and sign (for) three more years with Pittsburgh.
Malkin’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2022, when he will be 35 (turning 36). That would mean another contract would be of the 35+ variety, adding some risk for the Penguins should Malkin decide to retire at any point during it. While that’s a long way away, you can bet GM Jim Rutherford has already contemplated his actions down the road in regards to the franchise icon.
- With a Justin Faulk trade still being discussed between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes, Sara Civian of The Athletic confirms previous reports that Ondrej Kase would be involved. That news has surprised some other teams around the league according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who reports that Kase was unavailable in trade talks for a long time and suggests his new availability may be linked to health concerns. Kase has never played a full 82-game season in the NHL and actually has just 149 games to his name at this point in his career. Still, the 23-year old forward has shown an ability to score goals at a strong rate and could be a nice addition for the Hurricanes.
- Kevin Fiala remains unsigned, but Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin hopes his talented young forward is in town for training camp when it starts in a few days. Guerin told The Athletic (subscription required) that the team has made a “fair offer” to Fiala and that the 23-year old is now deciding. Fiala came to the Wild from the Nashville Predators last season and put up seven points in 19 games down the stretch, but has shown flashes of top-line offensive potential in the past and could be a huge part of the turnaround in Minnesota.
Anaheim, Carolina Discussing Justin Faulk
When the Carolina Hurricanes signed Jake Gardiner last week, speculation immediately erupted about the future of Justin Faulk. The right-handed Faulk has just one year remaining on his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency and was made expendable—at least on the powerplay—by the depth of the Carolina blueline. Now, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Anaheim Ducks have had discussions with Carolina about the defenseman. Friedman notes that the Ducks are on Faulk’s no-trade list but would also like to work out an extension, and makes it clear that the deal is not done at this point. James Mirtle of The Athletic tweets that Faulk’s 15-team no-trade clause has been “causing issues” for Carolina as they try to move him.
Once considered a haven for young defensemen, the Anaheim blueline depth has become thinner and thinner over the last few years. The Ducks have watched Shea Theodore, Sami Vatanen and Brandon Montour leave town through various trades, leaving Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson as the lone three defensemen the team can really count on this season. While Brendan Guhle, Josh Mahura and Jacob Larsson provide some interesting upside, adding Faulk would give the team another established name to line up in their top-four every night.
That said, the deal wouldn’t make much sense for Anaheim without the contract extension. The Ducks have turned their focus to the next wave of forwards coming through the system and will be without long-time core pieces like Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler. That young group is exciting and talented, but could very well leave Anaheim chasing in the Pacific Division. Faulk is just 27 however and should be able to contribute at a high level for the next several seasons.
That high level is impressive in this case. Faulk has been one of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the NHL over his career, recording at least 31 points in each of the last six seasons. Though he’s prone to a bad turnover and isn’t a star in his own end, there’s good reason to believe that he could have a lot of success in Anaheim if paired with Lindholm or Fowler.
For Carolina, moving on from their former co-captain made the most sense after Gardiner was acquired. Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce are all signed for at least two seasons, while young Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean look ready to contribute. If the team can add some more offense or future assets in exchange for the expiring Faulk, it will only help them improve their own program that got all the way to the Eastern Conference Final last season.
Eastern Notes: Hurricanes’ Cap Issues, Johnsson, Djoos
After signing defenseman Jake Gardiner to a new four-year, $16.2MM contract, the Carolina Hurricanes have added key depth to their team, but have also now gone beyond the salary cap and are currently sitting about $1.5MM over it. Teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but with the season approaching, the team will have to make some adjustments, according to Hockey News’ Jared Clinton.
While a trade might be the obvious solution for the Hurricanes, the scribe writes the team could send some players down to the AHL to make up the difference in salary, including center Clark Bishop, who played 20 games (and two playoff games) for Carolina last season, as well as recently acquired defenseman Gustav Forsling. The problem is, neither player is waiver-exempt and the team could lose both players to other teams looking for a young center or a defenseman with 122 games of NHL experience.
If the team does want to go the trade rout, the most likely candidate would be Justin Faulk, who will be playing in his final season before hitting unrestricted free agency. However, moving him might be somewhat challenging as Faulk has a 15-team no-trade clause, while another blueliner Dougie Hamilton, does not, making Hamilton a more likely candidate to move.
- Despite a new four-year, $13.6MM contract, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson has high expectations for himself and notes that his goal is to come out of the gate better than he did last year, according to NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. The 24-year-old winger started very slow for Toronto last season, scoring just three points in the first 18 games of the season, before finally breaking out with a hat trick on Nov. 24. He finished his final 55 games with 40 points (18 goals and 22 assists). A better start could mean a better season. “[The slow start last season] is in my mind,” Johnsson said. “I want to have a better start this season than I did last. I’ve tried to be as prepared as I can be. Now I have a full season under my belt and I know what to expect from it. It was a little bit longer summer for me this time, so it was a long time to prepare. I feel like I’m able to be healthy and was able to work on my body and mind. I feel like I’m coming stronger into this season than last.”
- The Washington Capitals have rebuilt their defense as the team has moved out several players including Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, while bringing in Radko Gudas, getting a full season out of Nick Jensen and high expectations for youngster Jonas Siegenthaler. One forgotten player is defenseman Christian Djoos, who many have already penciled in as the Capitals emergency defenseman after struggling returning from a midseason injury. However, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that Djoos, who suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss 24 games during the season, now claims to finally be 100 percent healthy and wants to reclaim his spot on Washington’s defense, but will have to beat out Siegenthaler as well as 2018 first-rounder Alex Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary, the team’s second-rounder in 2018, to do it.
Snapshots: Hurricanes, Krebs, Suzuki, Poehling
Justin Williams has left the door open to return to the Carolina Hurricanes at some point during the upcoming season, but the team can’t rely on that possibility as part of their identity moving forward. For that reason, the team will replace him as captain, at least at some point. “Be perfectly clear on it”, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the Associated Press, “He’s not part of the group. We’re moving on as if he’s not going to be here. If he comes to us in January or February and says, `Maybe I want to come back’… it’s not going to catch us by surprise. He’s earned the right to make that decision”. Veteran forward Jordan Staal echoed the sentiment, saying “as of now, we’re moving on from Willie as our captain and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Of course, Staal was on of two co-captains in Carolina in the season prior to Williams’ arrival, alongside defenseman Justin Faulk. Before that there had been no captain since the departure of the face of the franchise, Eric Staal, in 2016. It doesn’t appear as though these Hurricanes will let the captain role lie dormant in Williams’ wake as they did Staal, but Brind’Amour did say that it may take some time to name a replacement. The younger Staal and Faulk are both strong candidates to take over again. Top young players Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho are also top options. For his part, Staal believes there are actually a number of possible players who can fill the role: ”I think as a core, as a group, we’ve got a lot of good kids and a lot of good leaders. ‘Usually, as a captain, there’s a lot of guys beside him that are helping him out. I think Willie was a great leader, but as a core, I think there were a lot of great guys that showed up every day ready to work.”
- On ability alone, Peyton Krebs should not have been the No. 17 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The talented young forward out of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice (formerly Kootenay) was talked about as a possible top-five and certainly top-ten pick last season. However, Krebs tore his Achilles tendon during off-season training prior to the draft and teams became fearful of how it might affect his development. Krebs tumbled down the draft board until the Vegas Golden Knights felt his skill was too attractive to pass up. It seems the team already has a plan in place to best manage the injury as well. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger received word from GM Kelly McCrimmon that Krebs will remain in Las Vegas under the supervision of the team’s medical staff and conditioning team for as long as the Knights deem necessary. The club wants to keep a close eye on their new top prospect’s progress rather than send him back to junior and hope for the best. In fact, Krebs will not re-join the ice until he is game-ready. Early expectations were that Krebs could miss the entire 2019-20 season, so it could be that he doesn’t return to WHL action until this time next year. But if that’s what it takes to ensure that Krebs’ injury doesn’t further set his development back by taking the ice too soon, both team and player should be amenable to the arrangement.
- Rookies Nick Suzuki and Ryan Poehling are undoubtedly aiming to make the Montreal Canadiens roster out of training camp. Both are high draft picks with considerable skill who should be ready for the highest level. However, head coach Joel Bouchard of the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, feels they should at least begin the year in the minors. He tells Sportsnet’s Eric Engels that, while his main objective is to graduate players to the NHL, he thinks the duo could benefit from a stint in the AHL and has spoken to both about the possibility. Bouchard lays out the difference between the two levels and why two players that Montreal hopes will be core forwards at some point may be better off starting in Laval, especially in a season where the Canadiens feel they can be playoff contenders:
The NHL is a performance league, it’s not a development league. We’re not making decisions for the same reasons. For Claude (Julien), everything is about now… Claude can’t do what we do. He doesn’t have the time. I put players in situations where they’re 100 per cent going to fail, face-offs on their wrong side just so they can learn. Claude can’t do that. It’s not like I’m doing it all the time like I want to lose the game… but at the end of the day, it’s about development.
Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Burdasov, Russell, Sutter
The Vegas Golden Knights have had a quiet offseason so far this year after a busy couple of years. Many were shocked to see the expansion team already being capped out, loaded down with plenty of talented veterans on what was supposed to be a young roster. Instead, Vegas has built a team that can contend immediately and many have projected Vegas to capture the Western Conference. Despite having little maneuvering room in which they had to cast off a number of players, including Erik Haula, Colin Miller and Nikita Gusev, next season could be a whole different story.
Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson writes that Vegas should have quite a bit of cap room next season once again once several contracts are off the books, including Cody Eakin, Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden amongst others. With a number of prospects ready to move into the Golden Knights’ lineup in a year, the team might have quite a bit of cap available, upwards of $6-9MM of available cap room (depending on moves made from now until July 1, 2020). That could free up enough room to acquire a significant free agent next season to target a number of free agents, especially on defense, including players like Tyson Barrie, Jared Spurgeon, Justin Schultz or Justin Faulk.
- In his Sunday column, Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that he doubts that the Edmonton Oilers will go after Russian forward Anton Burdasov who has expressed recent interest in coming to the NHL this season with Edmonton supposedly being one of the three primary suitors for the 28-year-old. Burdasov is coming off a career-high 19 goals and tied his career-high in points in the KHL last season. However, Leavins adds that Burdasov is neither a playmaker or a good skater, which likely wouldn’t interest the Oilers too much as Edmonton is looking for players to increase their speed and are able to play next to their top two centers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
- Sticking with the Oilers, Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that the Edmonton Oilers intend to shift defenseman Kris Russell back to his natural left side next season. Russell has been playing on the right side with the team as a top-four option, but assistant coach Jim Playfair said he wants Russell to move back to the left, while the team wants Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson to pair together this year. Russell likely will be asked to take a third-pairing role, which should allow a one of the team’s younger players to step into the open top-four role on the right side. Several players are likely expected to battle for the open spot, including Matt Benning, Joel Persson, Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard.
- In his quest to get back to full health, Vancouver Canucks veteran forward Brandon Sutter is trying to use Pilates for the first time in his 11-year career to get back into shape. “I started doing Pilates this summer which was awesome,” the 30-year-old Sutter said Wednesday following an off-season skills and conditioning skate. “A whole different thing than I’ve done before and now that I’ve started it, I wish I would have done it 10 years ago because it has helped a lot,” said the 30-year-old Sutter. “It’s all functional movement and based on the inner thigh and core. It’s just very specific for exactly what I need and now that I’ve done it, in the future I’ll do it more and spend less time lifting weights.” Sutter was expected to play a significant role for the team last season, but injuries derailed his season and he appeared in just 26 games, scoring just four goals. The hope is that using Pilates might keep him healthy for a full season and he can play a big role as a bottom-line leader this year.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)
Potential Bonuses:
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K
With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.
Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)
There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.
Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.
The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.
Two Years Remaining
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)
The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.
Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.
Three Years Remaining
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)
The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.
His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.
One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.
Buyouts
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
None
Still To Sign
F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)
One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.
While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.
Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal
Looking Ahead
The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Calvin De Haan
The long-running rumor that the Carolina Hurricanes would trade one of their talented defensemen has finally come to fruition. Except it’s not Justin Faulk, not Dougie Hamilton, not Jaccob Slavin or Brett Pesce. No, instead it is their most recent blue line addition, last summer’s free agent signing Calvin de Haan. After just one season in Raleigh, de Haan is on his way to Chicago, his new team announced. Accompanying him to the Blackhawks is prospect forward Aleksi Saarela and the return heading to Carolina is yet another defenseman, Gustav Forsling, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.
This is not a swap that anyone could have reasonably predicted. The Hurricanes, who have had a logjam on the blue line for several years, finally move a defenseman, but yet again add another defenseman in return. Many were puzzled when Carolina first signed de Haan to a four-year, $18.2MM contract last summer given their existing depth on defense. Now they move him less than twelve months later and add another left-handed defenseman, albeit younger and much cheaper, to essentially take on the same spot in the organizational depth chart. Forsling, 23, played in at least 38 NHL games in each of the past three seasons, but remains a work in progress. Unlike de Haan, Forsling will have to fight for his starts against the likes of Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury, so in a way the ‘Canes have at least changed their defensive dynamic. Forsling is a restricted free agent, but lacks arbitration rights and also much of a case that he is worth anything more than a short-term, low-value contract for now.
The second piece coming to Carolina is also intriguing and that is 26-year-old goaltender Anton Forsberg. The Hurricanes’ 2018-19 tandem of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney are both unrestricted free agents and recent reports suggest that neither is expected to return. Scott Darling still remains under contract despite rumors that he would be bought out this summer and could be in play again next season. Promising prospect Alex Nedeljkovic, a restricted free agent, is also due an opportunity at this stage in his young career. The acquisition of Forsberg is odd, as the Hurricanes still need a starting goalie and he is not the answer. Forsberg did not make an NHL appearance last season for Chicago and fell down the team’s depth chart and struggled with the full-time backup role in 2017-18. At this point in his career, Forsberg – who is also a restricted free agent – is little more than a third-string depth option, making that three such players for the ‘Canes now and no real NHL options in net.
So, the strangest part of this trade is not that the Hurricanes added a defenseman and goalie that they did not need, but that they seemingly gave de Haan and Saarela away. Were this any other team, this trade would be viewed as a salary dump, with de Haan’s $4.55MM cap hit and a sweetener, Saarela, heading to a team for a couple middling pieces and cap relief. However, the Hurricanes are currently below the salary cap floor and are facing no financial constraints. Unless this is a precursor to Carolina adding $15MM+ in free agent signings or trade acquisitions, the team did not need to move de Haan for cap relief. Keep an eye out for the Hurricanes in the coming weeks.
Regardless of the Hurricanes’ motivations, this is a great deal for the Blackhawks. De Haan is a solid two-way defenseman who may only contribute moderate offensive numbers, but plays a shutdown defensive game and can move the puck. By no means is his salary an over-payment, as de Haan is an elite shot blocker, a strong physical presence, and a man-down asset. If there is one notable weakness to de Haan, it is that he is injury prone and is in fact currently sidelined following shoulder surgery and unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. Nevertheless, he is still a great defender when healthy. Saarela, seemingly an add-on, recorded 54 points in 69 AHL games last season and was even better in the postseason, adding 15 points in 17 games for the Calder Cup-winning Charlotte Checkers. Saarela is poised to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later and Chicago could wind up with a nice future scoring winger in the 22-year-old restricted free agent.
Latest on Justin Faulk
4:32: NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports that Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said the report of a potential deal with Carolina for Faulk was not true. “No. We haven’t had any discussions about him.”
Saturday, 4:15: The Athletic’s Sara Civian reports that talks have picked up and that the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals are discussing a deal that involve Faulk as part of a package that could include the rights and signing to Quinnipiac University defenseman Chase Priskie. Civian also points out later that a third team could be involved as it’s more likely that Priskie would go to Carolina, but with Washington’s cap issues, acquiring Faulk and his $4.83MM salary doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Regardless, it could mean that a deal is getting closer.
Friday: Deja vu all over again. The Carolina Hurricanes are shopping Justin Faulk according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic after a meeting this morning regarding a potential extension did not go well. These are almost exactly the same circumstances that occurred last year before the Hurricanes traded Elias Lindholm to the Calgary Flames. Faulk has one year remaining on his current contract and carries a $4.83MM cap hit.
Faulk’s name has been in the rumor mill for years thanks to his reasonable contract and divisive playing style. While he is an effective offensive weapon that has registered at least 30 points in each of the last six seasons, many have also criticized his play on the defensive side of the puck. Still, right-handed defensemen who can run a powerplay and log more than 22 minutes a night don’t come around very often and the Hurricanes are likely getting plenty of interest in the 27-year old. The fact that Carolina has been looking to upgrade their forward ranks for some time should only fuel these talks, as will the presence of both Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce on the Hurricanes roster, outstanding right-handed defensmen in their own rights.
It is important to note that the Hurricanes also have four selections in the first two rounds this weekend and plenty of prospect capital to pull off a bigger acquisition if they go down that path. The team has finally gotten to the point of playoff contention and likely doesn’t want to give up their place in the Eastern Conference power rankings.
One thing that might be slowing down any Carolina acquisitions however is the pending contract status of restricted free agent Sebastian Aho, who is in line for an enormous raise. Not only did Aho set career highs in almost every offensive category—30 goals and 83 points will do that—he also proved that he could be a full-time option at center, making his next contract even more lucrative. While Carolina doesn’t exactly operate as a cap ceiling team, they do need to worry about their overall budget for next season and the uncertainty of Aho’s deal and the goaltending position makes it difficult.
Increased Interest In Carolina Defenders As Draft Approaches
The Carolina Hurricanes have had a surplus of good young defensemen for years now. Just about every time a team was looking for help on the blue line, the Hurricanes were linked as a possible trade target. That’s what happens when you have potentially eight top-four options in the organization (including Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean), all 28 or younger. Now, even after the group finally came together and showed what they could do in the playoffs, the Hurricanes are still being targeted as a team that might want to move one of their defensemen. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Carolina GM Don Waddell is “getting calls left and right” on their right-handed group, especially Brett Pesce who the Hurricanes do not want to trade.
One possibility however is Justin Faulk, whose representatives the Hurricanes will meet with at the draft in Vancouver to have some initial discussions about an extension. Faulk, 27, is heading into the final year of his current deal and is an obvious option for the Hurricanes to trade if they wanted to move someone from the back end. Still, the team has made it clear that they would like to extend him if possible, something they certainly have the cap space to do if they choose. Even with a new contract due for Sebastian Aho the Hurricanes will have tons of room to do whatever they want this summer, as long as owner Tom Dundon approves the spending.
Seravalli points out that a similar meeting to speak about extension numbers took place last year for Carolina, that time with Elias Lindholm‘s camp. It didn’t go well and Lindholm was traded to the Calgary Flames the next day. A few weeks after that, Lindholm signed a six-year extension with the Flames at a cap hit of $4.85MM and then proceeded to break out offensively while playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
The Hurricanes are in a prime position as the draft approaches. The team found success on the ice this season, but still have four picks in the first two rounds and plenty of cap space to play with. Add in an overflowing prospect pool and more quality NHL defensemen than they can ice on any given night, and Waddell could have the rest of the league eating out of the palm of his hand on Friday night.