Any Trade Now Brings Some Potential To The Hurricanes
By Chris Baker
Talking trade now that Bo Horvat is off the market, the Carolina Hurricanes need to consider a couple of things. First, because Horvat is off the market, there are not very many opportunities the Canes have to completely fleece another team without losing a mainstay on the roster, Secondly, the Carolina Hurricanes are playing like their hair is on fire and their tails are catching.
Any trade now means splitting up a team that at 22-3-3 has the best record in the NHL since December.
Before the transaction sending him packing to the Islanders, it was likely any deal bringing Horvat to Carolina at the very least included Seth Jarvis, or Stefan Noesen, if not both.
Draft picks would need to be considered as well. Perhaps even a “future consideration” situation too. Frankly Carolina could still stand to lose Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Dylan Coghlan.
The question begged with trading either is, are there any deals in which the Hurricanes can negotiate to their benefit that include sending two players that have produced a combined 5 points in five games. Kotkaniemi and Coghlan both have more zeros than anything else in the final account.
What would Carolina need to give up in addition? Not many teams (especially those that have anything the Hurricanes want/need) have a want/need for a 4C and AHL caliber defensemen.
Going into the NHL All-Star Break, the Carolina Hurricanes were one of, if not the next teams in the league. 22-3-3 since December is nothing to scoff. Only one other team is still in single digit losses or has more wins.
Moves close the trade deadline would certainly disrupt line chemistry and team cohesion, so they need to be crafted in a way that not only brings to the team numbers, but someone who will fit in with the team.
As lines like the Hanfield Express, and the Staalwarts (Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal, and Jasper Fast) form, gel, and produce going going into the downhill slide of the season, mixing and matching will not necessarly disrupt the team completely but will take time to produce like before the changes.
Sure Jalen Chatfield and Calvin de Haan continue to play expert defense with different linemates while Jaccob Slavin is injured, but that attests to their (and the play of their new linemates) individual play as much as their pairing as a whole.
Anything that comes with to the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade now has to be take into consideration sluffing off what they Canes do not need, without pulling with what they do. Plus a trade now has the potential to slow down, if ever so slightly, the heat wagon the Hurricanes were on going into the All-Star Break.