Trade rumors do not run heavy during the holiday break in the NHL. But, here’s five players that the Carolina Hurricanes could look at.
The Carolina Hurricanes have a host of positive takeaways as we are in the thick of the holiday break. Winning five of the last six games, the Canes gained on some of the teams higher up in the Metropolitan Division, and stayed in clear contention for a wildcard spot.
Whenever the Canes have made a good playoff run, the front office had enough trust in the team to make a big splash in the trade market. In 2006, the Canes brought in players like future NHL Hall of Famers Mark Recchi and Doug Weight. In 2009, the team brought in Patrick O’Sullivan, Jussi Jokinen, and re-acquired Erik Cole. Both Jokinen and Cole were significant contributors for the Canes on offense during the 2009 run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Obviously, in 2006, Recchi and Weight were huge pieces in the Stanley Cup winning squad. Now, Carolina is in contention for a playoff spot in the East and within striking distance of the top teams in the Metro, and it’s only December. One thing that plagued the Canes during this long playoff drought is slow starts.
Seeing head coach Bill Peters lead the team to a 39 point start through 35 games is a welcome sight for this franchise. Peters is still on the hot seat, but showing why he could be a promising option as a head coach. The time is now for general manager Ron Francis to make a move.
With the roster freeze ending soon across the league, some trades could happen very soon. Here’s a look at five players the Carolina Hurricanes could trade for that would make for a Happy Holiday for fans.