Carolina Hurricanes NHL Trade Deadline Outlook

Carolina Hurricanes NHL Trade Deadline Outlook

Free Agents and Trade Bait

The only other two pending free agents that may garner interest on the open market is F Kris Versteeg and D John Michael Liles. Given his breakout since coming over from the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season, Kris Versteeg is a particularly intriguing player for cap strapped teams looking to add down the stretch. Moving Liles contract may prove to be fairly difficult based on the cap hit, and modified no-trade clause.

Teams that may be interested in Versteeg as a rental:

Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins

Teams that may be interested in Liles as a rental:

Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals

Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer via NHL Trade Rumors,

“It’s hard to see the Hurricanes and Eric Staal reaching a contract extension that makes sense for both sides. The same can be said for Cam Ward. The Hurricanes only sit a few points out of the playoff race.DeCock thinks it’s time for GM Ron Francis to get whatever he can for Eric Staal, Cam Ward, John-Michael Liles, Kris Versteeg and maybe Jeff Skinner, Jordan Staal or Ryan Murphy.

Even if they have to retain some salary on a pending UFA, getting something is better than nothing. Francis can’t lose Staal or Ward for nothing.”

Ryan Murphy

Proposing to trade the 22-year-old defenseman Ryan Murphy is preposterous. This is a case where over-exposure to your team can be a detrimental. It’s easy to over-value and over-analyze players. As a Leafs/Hurricanes fan who watches Carolina from a distance, Ryan Murphy is getting the Jared Cowen treatment from his days in Ottawa. Expectations were set far too high for Ryan Murphy when he broke into the league as a teenager.

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There isn’t a single defenseman in the entire NHL that’ll tell you they’re the same person or player at 27 that they were at 22. Most blueliners don’t fully round out their game until their mid 20s. There’s always those rare exceptions – Ryan Murphy clearly isn’t one of them. If he needs two or three more years down in Charlotte, so be it.

To even propose the idea of trading him shows the frustration of the fan base. Take it from a Leafs fan, don’t let that frustration cloud logic. Leafs management made the mistake on several occasions of moving players before they had an opportunity to fully develop. Players such as Alex Steen, Tuukka Rask, Jiri Tlusty, among a long list of others comes to mind.

Consider the additions of Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin in 2015-16. Not to mention Haydn Fleury, Roland McKeown, Keegan Lowe, Trevor Carrick, among others in the prospect pool – there’s no point in moving Ryan Murphy. Even with a deep pool of defenseman – Murphy has done nothing but hurt his trade value since his rookie season.

This way, in two-three years, the Carolina Hurricanes can use Ryan Murphy on their blueline, or have the choice the trade him once his game’s developed more and his value rises. It’s not as though the Carolina Hurricanes are winning a Stanley Cup in the next few years, so there’s no rush to move assets.

Next: Rask, Skinner, and J.Staal