Carolina Hurricanes: Exploring a trade for Alex DeBrincat

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff recently put out an article talking about the most likely pieces to be traded ahead of this summer. Number one on that list was Chicago Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat. Seravalli mentioned it wasn’t “if” DeBrincat was moved, it was a case of “when”. Would it be this summer or would it be at next season’s trade deadline? Either way, that doesn’t matter for Carolina.

Given the Canes’ desperate need for goal-scoring help, DeBrincat seems like someone that would be an ideal fit for the Hurricanes moving forward. At just 24 years old, the Farmington Hills, Michigan native has been one of the most consistent goal scorers of the last few seasons. Barring a down year in 2019-20, DeBrincat has never failed to score less than 20 and has been on a 40-goal pace in 3 of the last 4 years.

With stats like that, why would Chicago move on from the 2016 second-round draft pick? Well, Chicago is in the depths of a deep rebuild throughout the organization and DeBrincat is their most valuable piece at this moment in time. They could get multiple high-end pieces for someone who puts up 4 goals a year and has another year left on his contract at $6.4 million while being a restricted free agent at the end of it.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that DeBrincat isn’t going to come for scraps like the Canes have managed to move out to get other key contributors. This is going to be a deal where Carolina would likely have to sell from the pipeline as well as a player off the main roster. My guess would be Martin Necas, Ryan Suzuki, 2023 1st, and someone like Scott Morrow. It’s a lot to pay, but look at what you’re getting back in the form of Alex DeBrincat.

Now, the point that will likely bite the Canes is that, as I mentioned, DeBrincat is a restricted free agent at the end of his contract. To qualify him, they would need to offer him a one-year deal worth nine million dollars. You can likely get him extended long-term for a similar number anyway, but we know that the Canes don’t like signing long-term deals for most guys.

Question for Cardiac Cane Readers: Should the Canes try and get Alex DeBrincat?