With Don Waddell re-signed, Jason Muzzatti in as the new goalie coach, and the roster largely set for training camp next month, let’s take a look at a few players who could find themselves dangled as trade bait by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Aside from training camp performances and the unknown future of Justin Williams, there’s not much going on for Hurricanes fans to chew on. Yes, the team unveiled a new road jersey on August 20th, but it’s safe to assume that most of the big roster moves have been completed.
Most of us are okay with that. The forward depth looks good and, even with the loss of Calvin de Haan to Chicago and Trevor van Riemsdyk recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, the defense remains a strength.
The biggest question mark, from a positional standpoint, is goaltending. Can Petr Mrazek replicate last year’s performance? Can either James Reimer or Alex Nedeljkovic (or a combination of both) provide adequate backup performances?
The combination of training camp and the preseason will provide some clarity to the roster we’ll see on opening night; however, what if players underachieve during the season? What if new additions like Erik Haula or Ryan Dzingel fail to find chemistry with their new teammates? What if the goaltending folds?
Should any of those undesirable situations come to fruition and the Hurricanes struggle to tread water, GM Don Waddell will have moveable assets to trade. Bear in mind that I am not advocating for any of these players to be traded. Some choices might make sense to you while others may not, but we’re here to have fun, so put on your speculation goggles and let’s go.