The trade deadline is this Friday at 3 pm, signaling the last chance teams have to make trades that will impact their chances of competing for the Stanley Cup, or for the first pick in the draft if you're tanking. The Hurricanes are in the former situation, so they're expected to be active up until the deadline. If there's a player available, some variation of "Carolina is linked" follows closely.
It's important to remember that just because the Hurricanes are "linked" to a player doesn't mean they're actively engaged in trade talks. It could be as simple as the Canes' front office calling to see what it would take. However, there are a few players who've been linked to them quite a bit over the last several weeks. Those are the ones you have to pay the closest attention to.
There are a lot of centers who could be in play
Obviously, the most smoke has surrounded the Hurricanes' involvement in the center market, seeing as many feel it's their greatest spot to fill. Logan Stankoven might have a thing or two to say about that with how well he has played since returning from the break. However, if the Canes have the chance to bring in a legitimate center to play behind Sebastian Aho, they should take it.
Of course, the Hurricanes aren't the only team being linked to certain players. Nazem Kadri is seen as one of the top available names, and Colorado appears to be making a push. Robert Thomas' chances of being traded have improved dramatically, and Buffalo is getting very aggressive to acquire him. Elias Pettersson is someone the Canes have been very interested in, and so too has Detroit.
There seem to be two names that keep coming up, depending on who you listen to. The first is Thomas' teammate and St. Louis' captain, Brayden Schenn. He's not someone whose numbers will leap off the page. He has just 12 goals and 25 points in 60 games this season, but Schenn has a history of being a consistent 50-point scorer in his role, with a Stanley Cup to boot.
The other is Vincent Trocheck, who everyone in Raleigh is already very familiar with. In terms of a fit, there is little argument that Trocheck is among the best, contributing on both special teams and winning a ton of draws. We saw that first-hand during the Winter Olympics. I think Trocheck works well for the system, though the remaining amount on his deal and his age could be a factor.
Other rumblings beyond the centers
While the Hurricanes might require a center, it doesn't mean that it's the only position they're looking to improve. The Canes have been linked to several others all over the ice, from wingers to defensemen to goalies. While I find it less likely that they'll go this route, you have to keep everything on the table.
Truthfully, the talks of the Hurricanes going after a winger have largely been limited to their inquiring about Vancouver's Evander Kane, who they'll meet tonight. While there's no doubt that Kane brings an edge to the team, this doesn't feel like a direction the team needs or should take at the deadline, from both a personnel and personality perspective.
While there is no indication that the Canes have considered trading for a goalie, it hasn't stopped speculation that they could consider it, with Brandon Bussi's lack of experience and Frederik Andersen's lackluster numbers this season. Pittsburgh's Stuart Skinner, who has already been traded once this season, has been listed as a potential target.
There might be a little more credence to the rumors surrounding the Canes looking for another defenseman. The team already has seven solid guys on the roster, and there's a handful in Chicago who've earned minutes with the team this season. It can never hurt to have another defenseman, though you'd have to question how they would make it work with an already loaded group.
Mario Ferraro is a name that has been mentioned, but the team already has plenty of left-shot defenders. That's why defensemen like Tyler Myers or Dougie Hamilton would make more sense as righties. The Canes sent a scout to the Devils' game on Tuesday, and Hamilton scored a goal for New Jersey. All options are clearly available.