Remembering The Biggest Trade Deadlines in Hurricanes History: Starting From Scratch

The "Dark Days" continued for the organization, signaling one of the most remarkable shifts in franchise history with several star players being moved.

Carolina Hurricanes v New York Rangers
Carolina Hurricanes v New York Rangers | Al Bello/GettyImages
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2017

Ron Hainsey
Carolina Hurricanes v San Jose Sharks | Rocky W. Widner/NHL/GettyImages

After the whirlwind that was the 2016 deadline, 2017 was far less emotional. The Canes were still active but not on the same level as the year before. They made three deals in the lead-up to the deadline. The first was a throwaway trade. The Canes sent Keegan Lowe to Montreal for Philip Samuelsson. Neither played for the teams they were traded to, though Lowe made his NHL debut with Edmonton the following year.

As for the trades that mattered, the first came about a week before the deadline as the Canes traded veteran Ron Hainsey to the Penguins for Danny Kristo and a 2017 2nd Round pick. To that point in his career, Hainsey had never played postseason hockey, meaning he'd get his first taste of it with Pittsburgh. After just three points in the regular season, Hainsey scored eight points in the postseason as the Penguins won their second straight Stanley Cup. Kristo never played for the Hurricanes, while the pick they acquired went to Vegas for Trevor van Riemsdyk and a late-round pick.

A few days before the deadline, the Canes made their final trade, shipping Viktor Stalberg to the Ottawa Senators for a 3rd Round pick in 2017. Stalberg managed just four points in 18 games to finish the season before adding two assists in 17 postseason games as the Senators were eliminated by Hainsey and the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canes traded the pick they'd received, 90th overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Scott Darling. While he'd been great in his role in Chicago, Darling couldn't translate that in Raleigh. He posted a .887 save percentage and a 3.20 GAA in 51 games before being traded to Florida for James Reimer.

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