Remembering The Biggest Trade Deadlines in Hurricanes History: Post-Lockout Success
The 2004-05 lockout brought about a lot of changes for the league, helping the Canes reach new heights in the organization's history almost immediately.
2006
After making a lot of trades and signings before the season, the 2005-06 Hurricanes were on a path of destruction. They'd already acquired Doug Weight in January, but one hit threatened to ruin their momentum. In the midst of an incredible season, Erik Cole was crushed into the boards by Brooks Orpik in a March 4 win over the Penguins. The hit knocked him out for the rest of the regular season with a broken neck. Less than a week later, they made a move.
A few days before the trade deadline, the Hurricanes brought in Mark Recchi from the Penguins for two prospects and a 2007 2nd Round pick. Recchi brought an abundance of playoff experience with him, and it was on full display during his short stint with the team. While he only scored seven points in 20 games as the Canes won another division title, Recchi scored 16 points in 25 games during the postseason, including six points in the Stanley Cup Final to earn his second Stanley Cup. Neither Krystofer Kolanos nor Niklas Nordgren panned out for Pittsburgh, and they never used the pick they received, trading it to San Jose. It eventually landed with Washington, and the player selected never developed into anything.
2007
After reaching the peak of the NHL mountain, the honeymoon ended early for the Hurricanes the following season. They weren't able to replicate their success, leading them into a dogfight in the second half. At the deadline, they were scratching and clawing to crack the Top 8. They brought back Josef Vasicek from Nashville after trading him to the Predators during the offseason.
Vasicek played 38 games with Nashville before his return to Raleigh, in which he scored nine points in 25 games. In exchange, they sent Eric Belanger, who they'd acquired from Los Angeles in September. Belanger was traded to Atlanta the next day, where he recorded 15 points in 24 games.
Their second move was the acquisition of Anson Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 5th Round pick in 2008. Carter had been playing well for Columbus, but he managed just one goal in ten games in Raleigh. The only saving grace is that Columbus' pick didn't accomplish much either. Neither trade had its desired effect as the Canes stumbled down the stretch, finishing four points outside of a playoff spot and failing to defend their crown.
2008
The script was nearly identical during the 2007-08 season for the Hurricanes. They hovered around .500 entering February and didn't wait until the deadline to pull the trigger on a deal. The team started the deadline early by sending pending free agents Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore, both members of the 2006 Cup team, to the Ottawa Senators for Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves.
Stillman jumped in and immediately improved an already strong Senators team. He scored 19 points in 24 games, while Commodore was limited to two assists in 26 contests. Unfortunately, their time in Ottawa came to a quick end, getting swept in the 1st Round by the Penguins as they scored two points each. Both signed elsewhere during free agency. For the Canes, Corvo recorded 21 points in 23 games, including a hat trick against this former team in March. Eaves was less productive, scoring five points in 11 games.
Two weeks later, the Canes made another big trade, sending former 4th overall pick Andrew Ladd to the Blackhawks for Tuomo Ruutu. While he was still young, Ladd hadn't quite lived up to the hype of a former top pick. It wasn't the flashiest move, but it ended up being beneficial for both teams. Ladd blossomed in Chicago, scoring 12 points in 20 games to finish the season before putting together a career year in 2008-09. Ruutu stuck around Raleigh for a while. He scored 11 points in 17 games in 2008 before playing five and a half more seasons with the Hurricanes, scoring 216 points during his tenure.
The Canes went on a huge run to push for the division, sitting tied atop the Southeast with Washington going into the final game. After dropping a 4-3 decision at home to the Florida Panthers, Washington went on to win their finale, winning the division and knocking the Canes out of the playoffs. Despite the result, the two trades the organization made set them up for success the following year.
2009
Entering the trade deadline in 2009, the Hurricanes were far back in their division but were in the conversation to take an at-large spot. On deadline day, the team made a huge three-team deal with the Oilers and Kings. The first step was the Hurricanes trading Justin Williams to the Kings for Patrick O'Sullivan and a 2009 2nd Round pick. The Canes turned around and flipped O'Sullivan and a different 2nd Round pick in 2009 to the Oilers for Erik Cole and a 2009 5th Round pick.
Cole had just been traded in the offseason to the Oilers for Joni Pitkanen. Of the three players involved in the deal, Cole made the biggest impact immediately, scoring 15 points in 17 games. Williams might not have done much for the Kings to end the 2008-09 season, but he would go on to play six full seasons in Los Angeles, winning two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe. O'Sullivan had been playing well for the Kings at the time of the trade, and he scored 34 points for the Oilers the following season, but his fall-off was steep as he signed internationally in 2012.
The draft picks weren't as glamorous. The Canes used the 51st pick to select Brian Dumoulin. He wouldn't ever suit up for the Canes, being used as part of the trade that brought Jordan Staal to Raleigh in 2012. Dumoulin has gone on to become a solid defenseman, currently playing for the Kraken. The 5th Round pick was used on Matt Kennedy, who never made it to the NHL. The Oilers never used the 2nd Round pick they received from the Canes, trading it the same day to Buffalo for Ales Kotalik. The pick eventually landed with Toronto, who selected Jesse Blacker 58th overall.
The Canes went on a run at the end of the season, winning nine straight games to qualify for the playoffs. Their 2009 run is one of the most iconic in organization history, featuring Game 7 wins over the Devils and Bruins before being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Penguins.
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