Caniacs, free agency is almost upon us. The Carolina Hurricanes need some help at the center position this offseason. We take a look at three potential dark horses that can be great additions to the Hurricanes.
The center position is always one worth mentioning for the Carolina Hurricanes. Outside of Jordan Staal and Lucas Wallmark there really wasn’t a true center on the roster who started the 2018-19 season. The Hurricanes at the very least need to look for a fourth line center and see if Martin Necas could break into the NHL lineup.
In terms of free agency, fans will be looking at the next potential superstar their team can get. But sometimes the depth moves a team makes can make all of the difference. For example, Petr Mrazek last year was a depth signing as Scott Darling was going in as the starter. Mrazek bet on himself on a one-year deal to prove to the NHL that he can still be a good on the NHL level. He did exactly that and now has an opportunity for a pay raise in this coming free agency.
These under the radar guys always have something to prove. They take these one-year, low salary contracts in order to prove to others they still have it. And teams like the Hurricanes can benefit greatly from this. This allows younger players to further develop in the system.
The Hurricanes do need to explore the center position greatly this offseason and they addressed it through the draft with Ryan Suzuki, but he likely won’t be on next season’s NHL roster. The team also acquired Erik Haula from the Vegas Golden Knights to help bolster the position.The trade doesn’t negate the Hurricanes looking to improve more at the position.
So, let’s look at some free agents that could be worth looking at for the Hurricanes on a cap friendly deal.