Apparently Rod Brind'Amour is leaving the Carolina Hurricanes for the Seattle Kraken job that recently opened up. At least that is what the rumor mill would have you believe. No one wants to believe it could happen, but we all have to keep it mind that no matter how much we DON'T want it to happen, it could.
Everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown out as a valid reason Brind'Amour wouldn't leave the Hurricanes. From "he's been here since he was traded." to "why would he leave Raleigh for Seattle" are all good reasons to stay with a club he has taken to the NHL playoffs six years in a row, winning the division in 5 of those.
But could Rod Brind'Amour leave the Carolina Hurricanes. Ab-so-freakin-lutely.
This is a business first and a sport second after all. Anyone sailing in the waters of professional sports knows the currents can shift with a breeze despite the wants and wishes of those onboard.
A veritable cornucopia of reasons exist for Rod Brind'Amour to leave the Hurricanes, not the least of which is the money. But that would be reason number one. If the Kraken were to offer up a kingly sum of money, you cannot tell me second thoughts would not cross Brind'Amour's mind.
Conditions in Seattle might also factor into a move to the left coast for Rod Brind'Amour as well.
Seattle was well out of the wild card hunt, finished with a losing record, and just 81 points this season. After making the playoffs last year the team was relegated to wrapping up the season with no shot of the post season pretty early this year. They were not terrible, but you could say they weren't not terrible.
What team does that sound like? The Carolina Hurricanes come to mind.
There is absolutely no need to relive the horrid times in the Hurricanes franchise before Rod Brind'Amour. But we would be remiss for not drawing some similarities between the Hurricanes of that dark era and the Seattle Kraken of today.
For a guy is preaches the gospel of looking to the next challenge, it could be mighty appealing to see a team in need of solid leadership.
Would a boatload of money and the chance to take yet another team to the top be enough for Rod Brind'Amour to decamp the coziness of Carolina? You have to, in your right mind, know he would. Is there a single Carolina Hurricanes fan want that to happen? I would say they are not even Canes fans if they do.
But if Lane Kiffin can leave Tennessee after naming his son Knox, Babe Ruth can be traded for a new stadium, and Wayne Gretzky can be traded to the St. Louis Blues by the team that stole him away from Edmonton , than you had best hedge your bets Rod Brind'Amour can leave.
So switching gears away from the hypothetical, and back to a more reasonable frame of mind; what is likely to happen with Brind'Amours contract when it ends?
My guess is, one of two things happens.
One option, which is the most likely, is for Hurricanes GM Don Waddell to field the team for next season, then sit down with Brind'Amour and talk extension. It is what has to happen, and the route most likely taken. The team after all is who plays the game.
Perhaps the most unorthodox approach, and the one most likely to seal the deal for the players, is to sit down with the coach first.
Rod Brind'Amour's players, for the most part, love him. He is able to get the best out of them, even Tony DeAngelo, and they get the best out of him. If Waddell is able to walk to the table with Rod Brind'Amour's contract sewn up, he has a huge bargaining chip in his pocket.
No one wants to see Rod Brind'Amour behind the bench anywhere but here in Raleigh for the Carolina Hurricanes, but as sports history has shown things change for a variety of reasons. How GM Don Waddell handles the post season can, and will be critical to all of us hoping beyond hope that Ron Brind'Amour stays in Raleigh.