As the Carolina Hurricanes' staff, coaches, and players spend their time with the Stanley Cup, business has been pretty slow in Raleigh. They've made one signing in free agency and done a little housekeeping with players under team control, but nothing has happened to move the needle much for the group as they look to make a big move.
General Manager Eric Tulsky isn't one to keep quiet, and there's no doubt that he's trying to find someone who will improve an already strong team. What that move is remains to be seen. While a trade is the most likely avenue, another that could be explored is a familiar one for most Hurricanes fans and would certainly send shockwaves through the NHL.
We've seen two offer sheets this offseason. New Jersey started it by offering one to Utah's Barrett Hayton on July 1. This largely flew under the radar because two days later, the Flyers offered Anaheim's Leo Carlsson a five-year, $90 million offer sheet, which would make him the highest-paid player in the league. Both were matched, but not without the latter situation getting tense.
The Hurricanes are no strangers to offer sheet drama. They've been in the middle of several famous debacles. Sergei Fedorov was the original one, but recent sagas with Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi have shown the Canes aren't afraid to ruffle a few feathers. While I'm not suggesting they make a move out of spite, nor do I think such a situation exists, an offer sheet could happen again.
With many of the remaining restricted free agents applying for salary arbitration before the July 5th deadline, the pool for offer sheets has shrunk significantly, but it's not dried out just yet. There are a few tantalizing options for the Hurricanes to pursue. Some of them are more realistic than others. I would love for them to go after Connor Bedard, but that would mean barking up the wrong tree.
The Hurricanes are intrigued by a Red Wings defenseman
A slightly more reasonable option for the Canes to pursue, and a player they're reportedly interested in, is Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast earlier in the week that Carolina has shown interest in him, especially if they trade Alexander Nikishin. It presents a dilemma for the Canes, though one that likely doesn't end in their favor.
Edvinsson, 23, is a left-shot defender who has played the last two full seasons in Detroit after spending most of the two seasons prior with AHL Grand Rapids. He scored a career-high nine goals last season while finishing with 25 points in 72 games. Edvinsson is huge, standing 6'6". He uses that frame to block shots (148, third on the team) and kill penalties (1:35 TOI per game).
Among the litany of reasons why this would inevitably fail is the fact that Detroit has more than enough cap space to match any offer that the Hurricanes throw at Edvinsson. A contract for Edvinsson likely won't be the most expensive in the world, though the Carlsson situation has reset the market on contracts, so this could really get out of hand. Still, Detroit can match it.
Of course, there is also the option for the Canes to trade for Edvinsson instead of giving him an offer sheet. Detroit probably isn't too keen on this idea, especially with the other big mess they have on their hands with Dylan Larkin. I'm almost curious if a Nikishin-for-Edvinsson swap makes sense, though I gather that the Canes want more for their defenseman.
I remain adamant in my thought that the Hurricanes are going to do something big at some point this offseason. I think that this would qualify, but I'm not sure that this is what they're going for. I struggle to see a path to Raleigh for Edvinsson without Detroit interfering, so this might just be a pipe dream. Still, it adds a little intrigue to an otherwise boring July for the Hurricanes.
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