Here's How a Busy Wednesday in the Hockey World Affects the Carolina Hurricanes
By Ben Huffman
It felt like the big news kept flowing all day on Wednesday, and while the Hurricanes didn't make any large moves, some of their fellow combatants in the Metropolitan Division did. Every move one of the other seven teams makes affects the Canes indirectly. With two trades and a waiver claim to discuss, the division saw some interesting developments.
Jacob Markstrom is a New Jersey Devil
The biggest surprise of the day was the news that the Calgary Flames were sending goalie Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey. Markstrom, 34, had a decent bounce-back season last year and is two years removed from finishing second in the Vezina race. It helps to sure up one of the biggest spots of need for New Jersey. The Devils had a rough season, with their goaltending being a major reason for it, finishing near the bottom of the league in goals allowed.
This is an immediate upgrade for the Devils. The Flames received defenseman Kevin Bahl and a top-ten protected first-round pick next season. Calgary also agreed to eat 31.25 percent of his cap hit for the next two seasons. Markstrom in New Jersey means another incredibly tough goalie for the Canes to face. He has been solid against the Canes during his career, going 7-4-1 with a 2.36 GAA and a .924 save percentage. He also has two career shutouts against Carolina, including a 43-save performance in a 1-0 overtime win in 2019 with Vancouver.
Los Angeles and Washington Go 1-for-1
The Pierre-Luc Dubois saga added another odd chapter on Wednesday as the former top pick was sent to Washington in exchange for goalie Darcy Kuemper. Dubois was traded to the Kings by the Jets last summer and signed an eight-year extension prior to the move. The trade proved to be a major miss for the Kings. Dubois managed just 40 points in a full season in Los Angeles, failing to live up to the contract he'd signed. The season wasn't much kinder to Kuemper, who lost his starting job with the Capitals to Charlie Lindgren.
Dubois will get a chance to play alongside Alex Ovechkin as he pursues Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. He'll likely be asked to step into a Top 6 role with the Capitals, who lack a bonafide top-line center. This role is going to come with high expectations to turn his play around. This move also seems to imply that the Capitals are sticking with Lindgren between the pipes next season. The Capitals were already a fringe team, so it'll be interesting to see how this trade moves the needle.
Barclay Goodrow Returns to San Jose
In non-trade-related news, the New York Rangers placed Barclay Goodrow on waivers on Tuesday in a move to free some cap space. On Wednesday, the San Jose Sharks decided to claim Goodrow, bringing him back to San Jose after playing the first six seasons of his career there. His defining moment was his series-winning overtime goal against Vegas in 2019. The Sharks traded Goodrow to Tampa Bay in 2020, where he'd be part of Tampa's back-to-back Stanley Cup campaigns before signing a six-year deal with the Rangers in 2021.
Goodrow didn't perform well during the regular season, scoring just 12 points in 80 games. He was much better in the playoffs, scoring six goals and eight points in 16 games, including a pair of goals in the second round against the Canes. The Sharks claiming Goodrow means the Rangers get out of this without giving up anything. In fact, it gives them more cap space to go out and get another player to terrorize the Canes.
Jaccob Slavin Extension Update
It was also a very good day for the Hurricanes. Along with the press conference welcoming Eric Tulsky as the permanent general manager of the team, Elliotte Friedman reported that Jaccob Slavin's expected extension could be for eight years with a $6.5 million cap hit. While nothing is confirmed or likely will be confirmed until he's eligible to sign his extension on July 1, this is very good news for Canes fans.
The two-time Lady Byng winner has become one of the most reliable defensive defensemen in the league over the years. Slavin is a fixture on one of the best penalty kills in the league and is called upon to face the opponent's best every game. Not only is he incredible on the ice, but Slavin has become a big face for the team off the ice and in the community. Any contract to keep him in Raleigh for any time is a win in my book.