A new rumor has arisen regarding the Hurricanes search for defensemen
In recent times, the Carolina Hurricanes have seen a lot of their blueline suffer. Two of the normal top 7 are out with serious injuries. One of the top four has just seen his traditionally solid performances go through an incredibly rough time and General Manager Don Waddell has said that the team will likely look to reinforce their backend as we approach the trade deadline later this month.
This was all well and good until yesterday when a rumor arose from the Fourth Period, listing three top 4 defensemen that the Carolina Hurricanes have apparently been sniffing around. Now, what is the likelihood any of these actually end up in Raleigh? Well, it’s likely slim to none. Waddell has been very public that it’s likely going to be depth adds. However, these three are still fun to think about.
Waddell has also been very open about saying that subtracting from the active roster is something that the organization doesn’t want to do. With the organization happy enough with the product that is out there on the ice at this point, and that they want to add to make the team stronger and not subtract to make the team a little more fragile at points.
With the Hurricanes already in a position of strength in both the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan division. Another defenseman has been a need for the team this year, possibly as well as some scoring depth. However, this is about the back end not being up to scratch, and the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly looking at external options to fix some of the problems at the back.
So without further ado, let us dive into these three defensemen. We have a left-handed defenseman from Anaheim, a right-handed defenseman from Dallas, and an inaugural member of the Seattle Kraken to talk about. With three big names to talk about, it’s time we start. Which one? I’m not sure as I’m writing this, but you can click the button below to find out.
Hampus Lindholm
We start with a player that currently calls Orange County, California home. The Anaheim Ducks selected Hampus Lindholm. Lindholm was the sixth overall pick of the Ducks back in 2012. With the 28-year-old left-handed defenseman set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and if the Ducks cannot agree to a deal with the player, they could potentially move on from him before the trade deadline.
Of the three defensemen that I’m going to end up talking about here, Lindholm is by far the most complete of the trio. Fantastic in his own zone and a player with no real weakness in his game, Lindholm can play in all situations and plays a 200-foot game. When Hampus Lindholm is at his best, he’s one of the better defensemen in the NHL and completely deserving of his top pairing minutes.
I say when he’s at his best for a reason. Lindholm has issues, and it’s not even that the level of his play fluctuates. It’s that he’s got a long list of injuries in his past. A fantastic player, but he’s got trouble staying in the lineup. In his career, Lindholm has never played a complete 82 game season. He’s come close several times, but he was also a much younger player when he did it. He played 80 in 2015-16.
if you acquire Lindholm (assuming nothing moves off the roster to do it) he’s very likely the 2LD moving forward. He’s just too complete to have on the bottom pair, and it allows you to even have the option of playing defensemen on their offside while some are still out injured. You could also arguably play Lindholm on the top pair and flip 74 to his offside, where he played a little at the end of the 2019-20 season.
To go out and get Lindholm, that’s not going to be cheap. It’s likely going to cost someone like Ryan Suzuki, possibly a Noel Gunler or an Aleksi Heimosalmi and picks. He won’t be cheap, but the Canes have the prospect pool to do this and add to the roster without damaging the future excessively. It’s a very enjoyable situation for the team to be in.
John Klingberg
This is someone the Carolina Hurricanes organization has been linked with for a long time. John Klingberg has been rumored to be potentially on the move from Dallas. As a pending unrestricted free agent, it’s clear to see that Klingberg’s future is likely to be decided by the unrestricted free agency market. There’s a very large chance that his future lies outside the Lone Star State.
Klingberg is one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the entire league. Capable of playing quarterback on a powerplay, there’s not a lot he cannot do with the puck on his stick. A premier offensive defenseman, Klingberg is capable of the same things as most of the leagues’ elite talents in the offensive zone. Sometimes acting like a fourth forward, he’s capable of adding a lot of offense to the lineup.
However, there is a pimple on this player. As a defenseman, you’d want a player to be great in their own end right? Klingberg… he’s noticeable in his own zone and usually it’s not for a good reason. He’s currently playing in a system set up to help the team be more defensive and he’s still showing issues in his own zone which speaks to how badly his defensive game has deteriorated since he made his debut.
The former 2010 5th round draft selection has been rumored to want a move away from Dallas so he can have a chance at the Cup before he decides where he wants to go for his next major paycheck. It’s very likely that his time in Texas is coming to an end and if the Stars want to get something back for him and avoid losing him for nothing, he could be on the trade market.
If the cost for Klingberg was something like Ethan Bear, a prospect like Zion Nystrom, and a 2nd round selection in the draft, it’s probably a price you accept paying for Klingberg. However, Dallas holds the player’s contract still and they are under no obligations to move on from the big Swedish blueliner. However, another puck-mover like Klingberg on the blueline could help the team if they can find a way to cover his defensive frailties.
Mark Giordano
At the time I am writing this, Seattle’s captain has just come off his 1000th career NHL game against the Washington Capitals, and he becomes one of a handful of players to go undrafted and reach that milestone. Mark Giordano has had an extraordinary career for someone that everyone passed over when he was draft eligible. As a Norris winner in 2018-19, he’s had a decorated career with the Calgary Flames and now the Seattle Kraken.
One thing that is missing from Mark Giordano’s resume is Lord Stanley’s cup. With the defenseman having turned 38 in October, time is ticking for the Torontonian to get his name engraved on the most difficult trophy to win in sports. If he wants to leave his new expansion team to go somewhere in an attempt to try and do what he’s never done before, it’s likely the team will try to facilitate a move for the veteran defenseman.
Giordano is a left-shot defenseman, so it’s going to be a little awkward to get him onto the roster in a position of strength, but if the team feels they need an upgrade, they could always move that player out. Giordano is an incredible puck mover and solid at both ends of the ice… stereotypically. Gio is undergoing a down year for his high standards. Now, how much of that is Giordano and how much of that is the Kraken remains to be seen.
Capable of slotting into the top four very comfortably and playing competitive minutes, Giordano is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. At 38 years old, it’s a very real possibility that this is Giordano’s last ride in the hopes of going out and getting his name etched onto the most historic trophy in the sporting world. Carolina is a team that can give him that shot.
To get Giordano shouldn’t be nearly as expensive as the other two guys. As I talked about, he’s 38 and having a down year. You’re looking at maybe a couple of mid-round draft picks, hopefully. If Ron Francis is asking for more than that in Seattle, you probably walk the other way. He’s a nice option to have around, but paying through the nose for him at this point in his career is the wrong thing to do.
Question for Cardiac Cane readers: Which one of these three would you like to see the Canes target and why?
dark. Next.