The February 29th trade deadline is fast approaching. What are the Carolina Hurricanes going to do, or not do? Well we’re here to tell you. Or at least make these predictions.
The trade world was quiet up until a few days ago, when it was announced that the Winnipeg Jets had re-signed their big defenseman, Dustin Byfuglien, to a 5-year, $38 million contract. Next up were the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, in a huge nine-player deal that saw Leafs’ Captain, Dion Phaneuf, and his remaining 5 years at $7 milllion per, pack his bags for Ottawa.
More hurricanes: Hurricanes in the Community: Noah Hanifin
The rumors and ‘reports’ continue to fly around the web and on the Twitter-verse about who’s going to be next, and what each team needs to add or subtract. Everyone has an opinion and a set of predictions.
Here are ours:
Eric Staal and Cam Ward will stay put in Carolina.
On Tuesday we got new Hurricane intelligence from one of the sport’s most respected journalists and authorities, Bob McKenzie of TSN. He posted on Twitter that the agent for both players and Ron Francis met with no movement either way.
Rick Curran, agent for Eric Staal (and Cam Ward), met with CAR GM Ron Francis today but it's status quo, as in all options remain on table.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 9, 2016
Then he went on to make one of the points we wanted to drive home too.
As long as CAR remains in battle for playoff spot, difficult to chart a course vis a vis future of Staal et al.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 9, 2016
If there are no serious discussions happening between the players and the team, then it can only mean a few things. First, that the team isn’t getting very much interest in the players from other teams, so there’s nothing to talk about. Second, the players, who have no-trade clauses in their contracts, have declined to waive them. Or third, both sides want to stay together, and there isn’t any reason to hold serious contract negotiations in the middle of the trade window.
If, and it’s a BIG if, Francis wanted to deal either player, why would Staal or Ward agree to waive their clauses? Why would they want to be traded as rentals? Go to a team with no agreement after the season, and hope that their performance over the last few years gets them a payday? If there’s no interest right now from teams who could get them cheap, why would there be any when the season is over.
Carolina Hurricanes
Fresh blood for the Playoff run.
Okay. “Fresh Blood” is probably the wrong term to use when discussing Andrew Ladd (30), P.A. Parenteau (32) and Roman Polak (29). They aren’t yet in the upper realms of age-less like Jaromir Jagr, but they’re not Noah Hanifins either. They do, however, all bring a couple things to the table for Francis and the Canes if they are going to make a playoff run.
Ladd and Parenteau bring some scoring depth that the Canes are looking for, and need, from all four lines. Although they don’t set scoring records, they are consistent and steady 15-20 goal-scorers. Parenteau would add another, and much-needed, specialty-teams veteran to the roster. And as Hurricanes fans know, Ladd has a little edge to him, and doesn’t mind the dirty areas on the ice.
Roman Polak is just a big guy. Yes, he’s a steady, stay-at-home defenseman, and a right-handed shot, which is rare to find these days, so he won’t hurt your efforts when he’s on the ice. Where he would shine for the Canes, though, is his 237 lb frame.
He knows how to clear the front of the net, which Cam and Eddie sorely need. He doesn’t mind getting down and blocking shots, which is never a bad thing. And finally, he adds that heft, that muscle, that the Hurricanes have been missing for a very long time. We aren’t saying he is, or we need, an enforcer. It would be nice, though, to know he’s there when we need to make a point with the opposition.
Deadline day will show that Francis knows how to hold ’em.
The Canes have ten games between now and deadline day. We predict that, while the rest of the NHL is focused on who’s getting who, and why their General Manager is the “dumbest” or “smartest” ever, Ron Francis will “Hold ’em”. He’ll keep what he’s got, add a piece or two that could help in March, April and beyond, and see Coach Peters’ system finally take hold every night.
The Carolina Hurricanes, whom everyone wrote off at the start of the season, will finish the month of February 7-2-1. They will be solidly in the eastern conference playoff picture, and on their way to making the naysayers eat crow. Oh, and the attendance numbers will be improving along with the record.
Next: Top Targets for General Manager Ron Francis
There you have them. Our predictions for the remainder of the trade deadline window. They are based on solid guesswork and wild speculation, so they are destined to come true. We hope that you disagree with us vehemently, and take to the social media links below to tells us why we are so wrong.
Go Canes!