The Carolina Hurricanes have been in the Stanley Cup conversation for a few years now. Who's at risk to be traded, and who's untouchable in their run for the top prize?

We’re still a couple of months away from regular-season NHL hockey, but there’s little letup when it comes to the professional pressure players, coaches and GMs feel every day. That’s what this THN.com hot seat series is focused on, continuing today with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Moving in alphabetical order of teams, we’re pointing out individuals who are on some form of the hot seat. One player, GM or coach will be on the hot seat itself, positioning them as a person under considerable pressure to produce above-average results this coming season or find themselves in the doghouse and possibly moving on from their current organization. A second individual is placed on the warm seat – a label that puts them in a position where, though a trade or firing isn’t imminent for them, there’s still a possibility that person’s time with his current team ends sometime next season. A third person will go on the “cold” seat, classifying them as someone who's staying with their current franchise for the long term.

Hurricanes’ Hot Seat: Brett Pesce, D

The Hurricanes have been critical darlings for a while now, but don’t fool yourself into believing they’re all operating clear and easy when it comes to pressure. 

The guy whose name continues to be whispered in trade rumors is veteran blueliner Pesce, a 28-year-old blueliner entering the final season of his contract and likely to get a notable raise on his 2023-24 salary of $4.025 million. With Carolina investing $7.75 million for each of the next two seasons in top D-man Dmitry Orlov, and with other talented defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns locked up for two more years, Pesce is being projected as a high-end cost Hurricanes management can’t absorb.

This is not a negative comment on Pesce’s ability. It’s the business of the game that’s inserting itself into this employment equation. He’s in the prime of his career and probably aiming for a salary in the $6-million to $7-million range. Some defense-needing team will pay that gladly, but it likely won’t be Carolina that pays that amount. For that reason – and until such time as he lays rumors to rest and signs a new contract with the Canes – Pesce will be on the hot seat. He’s playing for a big payday, but if he does play well, he’ll be pricing himself outside Carolina’s budget at the end of the season.

Hurricanes’ Warm Seat: Frederik Andersen, G

Andersen had health issues last season that limited him to 34 games, but his individual numbers sagged from the 2021-22 campaign – most notably, his save percentage fell from .922 to .903. His playoff performance was better (.927 SP), but the bottom line for him was evident in the fact he took a $900,000 salary cut (from $4.5 million to $3.4 million) to return to the team for 2023-24. 

The 33-year-old is running out of time to win a Stanley Cup. If he falters or gets injured again, Andersen will be at a crossroads with the Hurricanes, and he could be dealt for a different veteran. Pyotr Kochetkov is also waiting for a full-time NHL spot as well.

Andersen’s new contract is a two-year deal, and he does have a modified no-trade clause, but he can still be traded to one of 17 NHL teams. The last thing the Canes want is to have to turn to 34-year-old Antti Raanta come playoff time, but if there’s a way to bring in a more reliable, experienced netminder, Carolina GM Don Waddell won’t hesitate to exchange Andersen for someone new. This is a zero-sum business, and Andersen needs to establish himself as a cornerstone part of the Hurricanes’ blueprint for success.

Hurricanes’ Cold Seat: Brent Burns, D

He’s now 38 years old, but Burns is showing no signs of slowing down, posting a defense corps-best 18 goals, 43 assists and 61 points while averaging a team-high 23:13 of ice time per game. Last season was his first as a Hurricane, and he is under contract for two more years. Nobody expects Waddell to deal Burns, who continues to provide a physical edge Carolina needs as it tries to ascend through the post-season.

Burns has delivered as advertised, and he will be a foundational member of the Canes, likely through the end of his career. The only thing that’s evaded him is a Cup championship, and it would be foolish to presume he won’t achieve that goal.