With the Dallas Stars’ thrilling overtime win on Saturday, the NHL off-season has been delayed by at least two days. But it is coming soon with the 2020 NHL Draft and start of the free agent frenzy replacing the usual start of the NHL season in early October.
The Hurricanes are still a young team with room to grow and improve from within. And with consecutive playoff appearances now in the rearview mirror, the team can legitimately claim to be in the top half of the NHL. The team also enters the off-season much closer to the salary cap than it has been historically with challenges potentially looming for next summer when the team must re-sign Andrei Svechnikov and either re-sign or replace Dougie Hamilton.
With no desperate urgency to improve externally and not a ton of budget to play with, the Hurricanes enter the off-season without a critical need to do anything. If the team brought back exactly the same team to start the 2020-21 season, that would not be a problem. But at the same time, there is still room to improve, and Don Waddell has proven to be very active in the off-season. As such, the potential is definitely there for the Hurricanes to make a move or two with the aim of upgrading and taking another step up the NHL power rankings.
Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a potential shopping list for the Hurricanes
1) A scoring wing
If there is one thing that is a bit closer to a need than a nice to have, it is probably the addition of a scoring wing. Don Waddell made a move to add a second line center in adding Vincent Trocheck at the trade deadline. Though Trocheck’s start in a Canes jersey was a bit slow, he will be given time to fulfill the role for which he was acquired. And in general, the Hurricanes would figure to be set at center at least for now. As far as forwards go, the potential upgrade would be to add a finishing forward. Nino Niederreiter has not been enough of that since a hot start when he was acquired by trade. Ryan Dzingel had flashes but underperformed reasonable goal scoring targets. And in general, the Hurricanes were light on finishing at wing past Svechnikov. Because of salary cap challenges pending for 2021-22, the team needs to be careful what it takes on in salary, but I think this is the one position where the team would be willing to commit some salary longer-term for the right player.
2) A goalie upgrade
I did a whole series on the numerous options that could be upgrades in net. I am on record as believing that the current tandem plus Nedeljkovic is good enough. But if an upgrade can be had in a buyer’s market, I would at least consider it.
3) Salary relief
In addition to considering an addition or two, I think Waddell will also use the busy season to try to broker a bigger deal that unloads a player whose salary is greater than his current role. The two biggest candidates would be Jake Gardiner and Nino Niederreiter. Gardiner is an interesting situation. He is only a couple years removed from being a capable top 4 defenseman who could generate offense and play on the power play. After a tough first half in 2019-20 but a reasonable recovery, is it possible teams needing defense would take on the modest risk of his contract for the potential upside? With Gardiner seemingly at least fifth if not sixth on the blue line depth chart and scheduled to make $4 million for three more years, I have to imagine that Waddell will try to pull off another sideways trade as he did with Victor Rask, Scott Darling and Marcus Kruger. Niederreiter’s contract would be harder to move and likely fits in the category of contract where you have to pay a team in futures to take on his contract, but maybe he fits into a bigger deal with enough salary changing hands.
As aside, I really think the type of deal that could make most sense this summer is if Waddell can find a one-for-one deal that trades Gardiner for a similarly priced, similarly maybe underperforming forward with upside.
4) AHL/NHL fringe depth on the blue line
Especially if the Hurricanes can move Gardiner, I think Waddell could be in the market for a defenseman or two who can be signed to two-way contracts and slotted at the AHL level but with NHL experience and potential to provide deep depth on the blue line.
What say you Canes fans?
1) What are your thoughts on this potential off-season shopping list? Is there anything that you would add?
2) Which, if any, of these would you prioritize?
3) Who has options for a possible sideways trade that moves Jake Gardiner for a similarly priced, similar caliber forward?
Go Canes!
Given the uncertainty of what next season will look like, I think the cost cutting and salary relief is going to be higher priority than usual. Gardiner was so bad in the first half of the year, I’m not sure other teams will trade for him without Canes either retaining salary or sending a pick or prospect with him.
The cost to obtain a legit top 6 winger is going to be so high, I really doubt Canes can make a trade or sign a UFA. Particularly with the economic uncertainty of next season.
I second that, I think the team will stay quiet until more is certain about the season. I would expect offloading of salary if the opportunity comes up.
Sadly, Pit has already signed its awful d-men for the season so even Rutherford is not going to be available to take Gardner’s contract.
The Wings have already taken Mark Staal’s contract (and he had only one year remaining) + a second round pick, something the Canes probably wouldn’t have minded.
One winger that could fit, even if it is a risky signing is Andreas Athanasiou.
Currently his demands/arbitration number is 3 mill. He had a phenominal year in 2018/2019 but a bit of a down year last season when he was traded from the Wings to the Oilers. Now the word on Hockeybuzz is that the Oilers want to trade his contract again.
The guy isn’t perfect, but he is fast, has a great shot, has room to grow and 3 million is well within the reach of the club (if we’re talking salary cap at least).
I think the Oilers are also looking for a backup goalie so there is the chance of trading Reimer, retaining a good portion of his cap (his actual salary is much lower) to give Oilers a year of good backup goaltending on the affordable.
That is the kind of signing I would risk, I’d rather have a young guy who hasn’t quite put it together and could use guidance from a hall of fame player-turned-coach over an old bugger who knows best but whose body no longer matches his experience (e.g. Gramlund).
First, I disagree that it is okay to stand pat. I fall back on what was written in “The Battle of Alberta” – you want a roster of change of about 25% annually to mix it up and keep things competitive. With a lack of competition for roles, player become complacent (Nino of late??). And then you have players who come in hungry to prove themselves with a new organization (old Nino, Geekie). If you stand pat you miss one of the primary motivations to improving a team. Example – how Dzingel stepped up after being benched. There was someone taking his place and he something to prove.
I think the flat cap will affect things and I would not be surprised if we have a team salary cap as well. Ticket revenues will be way down – if there even are any – and we know how little TD likes to spend money unnecessarily.
1. I think we need one more scoring threat on the 2nd or 3rd lines. Maybe that is a re-ignited Dzingel so we don’t have to trade or spend money?
2. I think the team will prioritize salary relief. And I would agree with that if we can dump certain contracts – that will offer up a lot more flexibility as long as we replace it wisely.
I really don’t think the team will run with 3 goalies for very long (if at all). I expect movement there – but nothing is really cap/salary friendly given Ned’s low contract and Reimer’s contract structure.
I have to think we will pick up some depth.
3. I just don’t see a team saying, “oh that Gardiner guy had a rough season last year – hey! let’s trade our mistake for their mistake!”. I can see Gardiner being traded as a salary dump – but I don’t think I can say the same for Nino.
I tend to agree with raleigh that some level of roster turnover is needed and/or required for all but the very elite teams. 25% seems high given our current roster but who know what GMDW has brewing – it’s generally been for the good.
Here’s something to think about that’s a little counter-intuitive: given that many teams are going to be Cap-constrained AND cash-constrained by owner-imposed budgets, if you were an UFA this season, would you want to sign long-term this year offseason or maybe wait until the league economics settle and then go long-term in a year or two? I would think some of them may be thinking about this question.
In other words, there may be a great UFA that would normally be a lock for a 7x10M+ deal under normal circumstances that may get significantly less because of the existing Covid economics. Might a player like that consider signing short-term and then revisit the issue in a year or two?
Is it possible that a team that’s close, say a team like CAR, could entice a player like Taylor Hall to sign for 1-yr at $8-9M to kick the can down the road a year? Or a Granlund, a Hoffman, or even a Holtby?
It wouldn’t surprise me to see something like this happen somewhere. Why couldn’t it be here?