As the trade deadline appears on the horizon, names are fluttering around the Carolina Hurricanes like warm up pucks.
Who do the Canes get? Who do they give up?
One name that might just be a far reach, but could be a potentially great move is Tucson Roadrunner Forward Michael Carcone.
Carcone has potential (his drive to be an NHLer, his explosive scoring, his fearlessness, and his potentially cheap asking price) to be a great addition to Carolina.
But with that potential are some drawbacks (penalty minutes, and ability to fit Carolina’s style) making a trade a little more risky.
Still it is worth a look.
If you are not familiar with Carcone’s story, here is a brief history. After remaining undrafted into the National Hockey League, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract (which he negotiated himself) as an undrafted free agent with Vancouver in 2016.
Since then he has been traded, called up, sent down, and loaned around the AHL and NHL. He landed in Tucson after the AHL Milwaukee Admirals decided to loan him to the Roadrunners during the 2021-22 season.
Currently he has a two year deal with Tucson that also allows him to be called up to Arizona.
Sticking around the AHL and NHL since 2016, especially after not being drafted, shows Carcone has the grit. He could be a great addition to the Canes in the light of Jordan Martinook. He is out there every night making things happen where he can.
Everywhere Carcone has numbers. Really good ones even. But let’s focus the current season.
For the Roadrunners, Carcone has lit the lamp 23 times. Plus he has 4 with Arizona. 27 goals is four more than Sebastian Aho, who leads Carolina with 23. With 11 PPG in AHL play, he could also add a spark to Carolina’s specialty teams.
At 42 assists on the year (in both the AHL and NHL) he would be Carolina’s leading assistant by 15. Brett Burns, the Hurricanes assist leader, has 27.
Michael Carcone would also add some scrap to a Hurricanes team that has more than once left me asking “But who’s going to drop the gloves on that guy?”
I know fighting is on it’s way out of the NHL and is far more prevalent in the AHL, but Carcone will fight when needed. Carolina’s adding someone who’s bark matches his bite would keep the Hurricanes from getting pushed around as much.
We do not have to look much past the 6-2 loss to New York on February 11th for an example of Carolina’s need to defend themselves if things get chippy.
Finally, Carolina might be able to bring Michael Carcone to Raleigh for a song. Carolina could pull off a trade without giving up a bigger named player. Every deal mentioned in the currently trade hullabaloo sends a roster player packing, but Carcone might just come for someone the Canes do not need, and a little money.
Or an outright buy out of his contract. Certainly Carolina has the cap space, so why not buy a little spark.
With Carcone’s great numbers and his hard charging style comes a penalty magnet. In 21 games during the 2021-22 season with Arizona he served 14 penalty minutes, which is roughly more than a penalty a night.
In Tucson his 21-22 number hit 62 in 48 games. Quick math tells you that’s still one a night. This year, with some refining he has dropped that to 2 for the 9 games he’s made with Arizona but sits at 63 in 41 games with Tucson. So much time in the box is certainly not the Carolina way, and cause for pause.
Carcone is a bit of a fire brand making him a potential rubbing point for the Hurricanes. It is possible he smooths out into a hustle guy like Jordan Martinook and Jalen Chatfield. But is Carolina the grindstone that rounds of the edges?
It’s proven the Canes have a chemistry not easily tinkered with. Someone with too much or not of “it” might mess with the balance already created. No one is worth that.
Also, despite his eagerness to be in the NHL, you have to wonder if his outrageous numbers in the AHL would translate into NHL numbers. As we have seen, Carolina has plenty of great AHL talent that does not always produce NHL numbers.
Think Dylan Coghlin and maybe Jack Drury.
In his time on NHL ice, Carcone’s numbers are not as stellar but noticeable. During the 2021-22 season, he played in 21 games, scored 6 goals, and helped on 4. This year, in 9 games Carcone has 2 goals and an assist, and sits a +3. It could be that Carcone is an AHL great, and that is all. He has such little NHL ice time to know.
Depending on what Carolina would give up, Michael Carcone might not be worth the move.
He has serious numbers, but his asking price might not be a value for the Canes. Certainly, a deal could be reached where both Arizona and Carolina get what they need, but is that deal something either team wants to pull the trigger on?
No hockey team doesn’t need a raw goal scorer, so the Coyotes could just as easily put up an asking price Carolina is not willing to pay.
To paraphrase the great philosopher Lizzo “If the juice is worth the squeeze” Carolina could make out like gangbusters with Michael Carcone.
He has explosive scoring ability, a fearlessness that Carolina needs, and could potentially be added on the cheap.
However, he might not fit with the current Carolina Hurricanes style of play, and his rough edges might be more work than Rod Brind’Amour wants to expend. All that being said, it could be that Michael Carcone is suiting up in Raleigh for the right price.