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Carolina Hurricanes: 5 players would benefit from a change of scenery in Raleigh

By Andrew Miller

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 03: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers checks to see if his stick broke after a shot in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on December 3, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 03: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers checks to see if his stick broke after a shot in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on December 3, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 03: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers checks to see if his stick broke after a shot in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on December 3, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 03: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers checks to see if his stick broke after a shot in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on December 3, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Further into playoff contention than they’ve been in the past seven seasons, through mid-February, the Carolina Hurricanes can still make a Deadline splash.

The NHL always has players that will score 20, 30, and sometimes even 40 goals each season when they’re expected to be in a secondary scorer role for the year. That leads to some extra intrigue when franchises start to shop around for answers to their contention questions during the NHL Trade Deadline. The Carolina Hurricanes, and general manager Ron Francis, are likely to fall under that category as the final push to the playoffs begins.

In February 2018, this thinking is not going to be an exception. With the scoring finally rising on a nightly basis across the league, the time is now to nab an underrated natural goal scorer before they become an even hotter commodity in free agency.

Unexpectedly rough seasons from teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Ottawa Senators have also opened doors to new trade ideas. And, with the way that the trade market trends in general now, even contenders can move valuable pieces, if the return is even or better.

Landing a player familiar with the Metro, with success against this division in the past, is a great way to look for the Canes, or any other team in the brink of contention in the same group. And, the Canes have something unique building that makes Raleigh an attractive destination for possible trade targets.

Players that need a change of scenery normally qualifies as someone who is either in a bad situation and performing well despite that, or having an unusual slump this season. Sometimes a fresh new attitude and work ethic is all that’s needed to revitalize an NHL player’s career.

The methodology used by the Canes, under Francis, is going to get a lot of exposure in the coming weeks. With the Deadline just eight days away, Carolina needs to make a move fast.

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