The Carolina Hurricanes Won the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 25: Vincent Trocheck #16 of the Carolina Hurricanes in action against the Dallas Stars during a game at PNC Arena on February 25, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

1. Trocheck to Carolina

This trade saw the Carolina Hurricanes acquiring veritable 2C Vincent Trocheck in exchange for F Erik Haula, F Lucas Wallmark, D Chase Priskie, and F Eetu Luostarinen.

At first glance, this looks like a gross overpayment, but let’s slow down and take a closer look.

Erik Haula was a pending UFA this summer, and was more than likely never going to re-sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also just hasn’t been the same since coming back from injury earlier this season. Aside from that, there were rumors swirling recently that Haula had trouble buying in to the Canes’ system, and he and Head Coach Rod Brind’amour had trouble seeing eye-to-eye.

The part of this trade that hurts the most is losing Lucas Wallmark. Wallmark was having a ‘coming out party’ of sorts this year. His effectiveness on both sides of the ice was blossoming, and he was really solidifying himself as a true replacement for Jordan Staal in the coming years.

Wallmark is a pending RFA, however, and would more than likely command a bit more salary than the Carolina Hurricanes would be interested in paying him moving forward, especially with other, more skilled players available on deadline day.

Both Chase Priskie and Eetu Luostarinen will have NHL careers, just not in Carolina. Both of them are about midway down a long logjam of skilled players, so neither of them really had a shot in the Hurricanes’ system, at least for the next few seasons. They’ll both be better off in the Florida Panthers’ organization in terms of getting to an NHL roster sooner rather than later.

This specific trade was a massive win for the Carolina Hurricanes when you break it down piece by piece. I’ve been watching Trocheck his entire NHL career, and have always been secretly hoping the Carolina Hurricanes would find a way to pick him up.

Trocheck is the perfect embodiment of the system Rod Brind’amour is implementing in Carolina. I will even go so far as to say Trocheck will fit in so well here, that he will eventually retire with the Carolina Hurricanes, though not for several years down the road. Buckle in, Caniacs. This was the acquisition of a lifetime for this franchise.

Now, on to the next trade acquisition for the Canes: Sami Vatanen.

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