The Carolina Hurricanes have continued to be one of the strongest teams from the East so far this season, holding a 15-5-2 record. Carolina is second in the Metropolitan, behind only the New Jersey Devils, who have played three more games. What can the Hurricanes do at the trade deadline to get past their age-old enemy in the New York Rangers?
Goaltender
This is the Hurricanes most obvious weakness this season, and has been a historical weakness as well. Frederick Anderson is a good goalie on his own, but he has trouble staying healthy, and that has come to fruition once again. Anderson recently had surgery on his knee that will sideline him for 8-12 weeks. Too long for Carolina to wait for him to get healthy again if they're serious about competing for the top spot. Their backup, Pyotr Kochetkov, is now listed day-to-day with a concussion. While Kochetkov's injury doesn't sound serious, it would be well worth it for Carolina to look around the league for a new starter/backup until Anderson comes back. Kochetkov has played well in Anderson's absence, but if the concussion flares up again, Carolina may need to look for goaltenders like the Blues' Jordan Binnington to strengthen their room.
Forward
You can never have too many goal scorers in the NHL, and Carolina has some scoring power, but there is definitely going to be more available. For example, Trevor Zegras would add some scoring ability to the Hurricane's third line, and he could learn from a winning culture like the one Carolina has put together. Martin Necas has had a great season to begin the year, but the only other point per game scorer is Sebastian Aho. Adding a forward like Zegras or really anyone else who might be looking for a new home would boost Carolina's offense even more, making them that much scarier to face in the postseason.
Luxury additions
Looking at the rest of the Hurricane's roster, there doesn't seem to be too much more they need. But, teams that are trying to compete for a Stanley Cup like Carolina are probably more than willing to shake things up if that means getting more talent on the roster. Carolina has had the same core of players for the last few years, but never made it to the Finals. This may be the last season with this core, and head coach Rod Brind'Amour will most likely be making some big decisions at season's end.
The Hurricanes will continue to be competitive, but by adding some more scoring talent on their top lines, better goaltending and perhaps looking for some extra players that they don't need but would improve the roster, will keep them in the hunt. Other teams will be making moves to get better too, including Eastern rivals such as the Devils, Rangers and Capitals. By staying ahead of the game, the Hurricanes can ensure that they will be ready for whoever they face come playoff time.