Carolina Hurricanes
Why they make sense: Erik Karlsson would be a big upgrade for the Hurricanes. That said… they don’t make sense. There is no feasible trade the Hurricanes should offer for Karlsson. This has nothing to with number 65. It has more to do with Carolina.
Why there is no feasible trade: If the Hurricanes are investing a ton of assets into anything, it must be towards a franchise center. Adding Karlsson to their blueline wouldn’t make the impact that adding a top center would to their forward core.
The Hurricanes already have a pretty good defensive core. Between Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk, and Noah Hanifin, with more help on the way, Carolina doesn’t need Karlsson nearly as badly as they need someone like John Tavares.
But wait: There is one feasible way the Hurricanes could help accommodate a Karlsson trade – take on Bobby Ryan’s albatross contract. This would include the forward having to waive his no-movement clause.
But if the Senators insist on including Ryan in any trade for Karlsson, Carolina is in a very good position to act as a third party and take on Ryan. They’ve used their cap space to their advantage in the past, using Bryan Bickell as a vehicle for getting Teuvo Teravainen. If the Canes are smart, they’ll do it again here.