If you happened to turn your phone off for the day to cleanse yourself from social media, you picked the wrong day. The news came flying from all angles, some of it involving the Hurricanes, like Cam Abbott's exit in Chicago and Joel Nystrom's extension. However, the biggest moves involved trades, one of which featured some interest from the Canes on multiple fronts.
To begin the day, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers made a highly anticipated goalie trade, with Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner, among others, swapping sweaters. The move was one that had been rumored for weeks, finally coming to fruition. In a smaller deal, the Oilers also added Spencer Stastny from the Nashville Predators.
The big news in the early evening hours was a massive blockbuster. The Vancouver Canucks traded captain and star defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for the package of Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and Minnesota's 2026 1st round pick. It's a move that is going to send shockwaves through the league, especially the Central Division, which is already pretty tight.
Both of these trades impact the Hurricanes, both directly and indirectly, and that's what we're here to talk about. While the Canes didn't add anyone to their roster with either of these moves, they still have to face these teams, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on the schedule four times this season. Here are my takeaways from a chaotic day in the hockey world.
The goalie swap adds more intrigue to an already tight Metro race
There are some goalie situations in the Metropolitan Division that seem pretty set. The Rangers have Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. Washington has Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, once he's healthy again. The Islanders can roll with Ilya Sorokin. The Canes' goaltenders are kind of a mess, even with NHL record-holder Brandon Bussi on their roster.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were in an interesting spot. They traded for Arturs Silovs during the offseason to be their backup after helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Trophy last season. Tristan Jarry hadn't quite looked like himself since being an All-Star in 2021-22, struggling with injuries and inconsistent play.
Inconsistency has been a thorn in Stuart Skinner's side, too, even as he helped backstop the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. He lost his spot in the net during the most recent run to Calvin Pickard. That doesn't negate the experience he's had in the postseason, which Jarry sorely lacks by comparison.
While Jarry's numbers are better than Skinner's, albeit in a smaller sample size due to injuries, it's hard not to like this trade for the Penguins. They get the younger goalie with postseason experience, a veteran defenseman in Brett Kulak, and a 2nd round pick in 2029. Of course, to bring it back to the Hurricanes, there's the thought of facing him, potentially, four more times this season.
In four starts against the Hurricanes, Skinner is 2-1-1 with a .908 save percentage and a 3.30 GAA. He's already faced the Canes once this season, stopping 33 shots in an OT victory for the Oilers. The Canes have yet to face the Penguins, doing so for the first time on December 30. With the division race already jammed, the Penguins have added a new wrinkle as they try to recapture their glory.
The Hurricanes come out "winners" of the Hughes trade by default
For starters, the Hurricanes' interest in Quinn Hughes was a no-brainer. While their chances of acquiring him felt infinitesimal, it makes perfect sense that the front office would give the Canucks a call about one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Anyone with half a brain would do the same, especially as a team that is known for being "in" on every available player.
The Hurricanes were reported to be one of six teams to make an offer for Hughes, joining Minnesota, Detroit, New Jersey, Washington, and Philadelphia. While the details of the Canes' offer are unknown at the moment, it's probably safe to say that they were likely near the bottom of the group, especially knowing the final package the Canucks received.
You'll notice something about many of the teams listed above. Five of the six teams were in the Eastern Conference, with two others being in the Canes' division. New Jersey was seen as one of the front-runners with his brothers already on the Devils, and his former head coach, Rick Tocchet, is the bench boss for the Flyers. It would've made sense for him to be moved to either team.
Fortunately, the only Western Conference team on the list is the one that landed him, leading everyone else in the East to breathe a sigh of relief when one of their fellow teams didn't. That's why I see the Hurricanes, and every other interested team that didn't get him, as "winners" of the trade. It pushes back the start of the eventual arms race amongst these teams to a later date.
Without an extension added to the deal, it could only be a matter of time before Quinn Hughes joins his brothers in New Jersey in 2027 if nothing is ironed out. That's a concern for the future. Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they've already faced the Wild twice this season, meaning they wouldn't face him until next season, while the Canucks could look even more depleted when they meet in March.