Over the past few days, we've looked at players whom the Carolina Hurricanes might consider drafting. From goaltenders to perfect fits to potential projects, there's no shortage of routes the Canes' front office can go with their first-round pick this season. Every option should be on the table, especially when their pick is at the back end of the round.
In researching for the draft, I'm not sure there are any players that I'm particularly partial to or impartial to the team selecting. Draft picks are not guarantees. They're nothing more than potential pieces that could blossom into something incredible with time. While selecting a player is a great moment, there's one more option that needs to be discussed.
With the 29th pick, the Carolina Hurricanes select...
No one, because I believe, like many Caniacs, that the Hurricanes will trade this pick either before the draft or shortly before they're on the clock. It's common knowledge that the Canes' front office loves having draft capital. This year, they have shockingly little of it. The team doesn't have picks in the second or fifth rounds, though they own two picks in the sixth.
In total, the Hurricanes have six picks, owning their picks in the first (#29), fourth (#125), sixth (#189), and seventh (#221) rounds, and Tampa Bay's picks in the third (#87) and sixth (#183) rounds. I would be shocked if the team didn't end the draft having made at least eight or nine selections. That's often how it seems to go for the Canes.
There's are a few directions they can go
The flashy thing to do with the 29th pick is to pair it with other assets to land a big fish on the trade market. One name that's been thrown around is Jason Robertson, though Dallas seems content to hang onto him after making a few moves recently. Another potential fit is Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson to fortify the right side of the defense.
There's a distinct chance this pick will be used to trade back into the second round while adding an additional pick. It's a tried-and-true move that the team has utilized twice in the last four drafts. In 2021 and 2024, the Canes traded the 27th pick to acquire a pair of second-round picks. Among the four players selected were Scott Morrow (40th in 2021) and Nikita Artamonov (51st in 2024).
The Hurricanes have only made a pick in the first round once in the last four years. Along with their trade backs in 2021 and 2024, the team sent its 2022 first-round pick to Montreal as compensation for Jesperi Kotkaniemi's offer sheet. The only selection they've made was in 2023 when they selected Bradly Nadeau with the 30th pick.
Regardless of the direction the front office takes with the draft, Friday and Saturday are going to be intense and electric. The draft is the first of two big events over the next several days, with free agency lingering on Tuesday. It's arguably three of the biggest days of the year, and the Carolina Hurricanes sit poised to be major players in the action.