3 trades the Carolina Hurricanes need to make this offseason
By Mike Zawisza
Carolina Hurricanes: Trade for depth in the middle six
This isn’t the sexiest of moves, but the Hurricanes are a pretty top-heavy team on offense. The line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen is one of the most exciting and potent in the league. The combination of skill, youth, creativity and a willingness to try something new makes them a threat to score each time they’re on the ice.
However, beyond those three, the Hurricanes didn’t have a single forward with more than 36 points this season. In fact, injured defenseman Dougie Hamilton outscored all other Carolina players despite playing nearly 20 games less.
The Hurricanes would be well served adding a player like James van Riemsdyk to the middle of their lineup. JVR carries a hefty $7 million cap hit, but adds proven scoring wherever he goes. The big winger is a lock for 25 goals each season and has even flirted with the 40-goal mark in recent seasons, despite playing mostly in a second and third line role with the Maple Leafs and Flyers.
While JVR certainly adds a net-front presence on the power play, he has actually done most of his damage at even-strength throughout his career. Paired alongside the emerging talent of Martin Necas in the middle of the Carolina lineup, JVR to the Canes seems like a reasonable match.
Given that the Flyers are contenders themselves, it’s debatable whether or not they’d trade a pure scorer like JVR. However, with the Seattle expansion on the way next year, Philly may be in the market of clearing out extemporaneous contracts.
If JVR isn’t your speed, Kyle Palmieri presents another option for the Hurricanes. He’ll be heading into 2020-21 on an expiring contract and has sneakily recorded five-straight seasons of 24 or more goals with one of the league’s worst teams. If the Canes are weary of adding a long-term contract given the amount of young talent on their team, Palmieri provides the goal scoring of a second line winger at a fraction of the price.