Remembering The Biggest Trade Deadlines in Hurricanes History: Post-Lockout Success
By Ben Huffman
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.