Sometimes you find that the best trades are the small ones that hardly cost you a thing. In the Hurricanes' case, one such deal came this past March at the trade deadline when they acquired Mark Jankowski from the Predators for a 5th-round pick in 2026.
Jankowski began his career with a ton of promise. A former 1st-rounder, he enjoyed two good seasons with the Calgary Flames, scoring 17 times as a rookie, a career-high he's yet to top, and providing 32 points in his second season, also a personal best. Since then, Jankowski has bounced around, finding his way to Raleigh and making a difference down the stretch.
Last season: 12-5-17 in 60 games (w/ NSH & CAR)/0-1-1 in the playoffs
Beginning the season with the Predators, Jankowski didn't provide a ton of offense. He had brief stints with solid production, but he was largely a depth piece for Nashville. An injury following a fight in mid-January with Minnesota's Ryan Hartman forced him to miss a month. Jankowski was in and out of the lineup once he returned, finishing his time in Nashville with nine points in 41 games.
His addition to the Hurricanes was expected to be minimal, given that the deal was reported well after the deadline and was relatively small. He immediately showed us all by scoring twice in his team debut against Winnipeg. Jankowski added two more six days later in Philly, earning a reputation for scoring in bunches.
Of course, it would've been impossible to score at that pace through the end of the season. After scoring seven goals in ten games, Jankowski added just one more during nine games in April. Still, his eight goals post-trade were more than anyone could've expected, making it one of the best trades of this season's deadline.
Despite this late-season production, Jankowski began the playoffs as a healthy scratch. He saw action late in the New Jersey series, providing an assist in Game 5. An undisclosed injury knocked him out of the Washington series after the opener. Jankowski returned for Game 2 of the conference finals, but he added zero points in four games.
Bold Prediction: Jankowski gets an extended look at 2C before 2026
During my preview for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, I made it clear that I want to see him thrive this season. However, if things start slowly and he doesn't find a way to turn it around, I wouldn't be surprised to see Mark Jankowski be the first to earn a promotion to the second-line center spot.
Let's also be clear that I don't think that's a sustainable solution. While Jankowski's size (6'4") is a major plus, he hasn't been a consistent scorer since playing with the Flames in the late 2010s. He also isn't great in the dot. While he did win more faceoffs than he lost, it was only five more wins than losses (219-214).
Honestly, if it gets to the point that Jankowski has to step into the 2C role, the Canes better be hitting the trade block to find a solution. I don't intend that as a slight toward Jankowski, but he's better suited for a fourth-line role where he can use his size to forecheck. If the Hurricanes can get the type of production they got at the end of the season from him, that's even better.