What's Next for the Carolina Hurricanes This Off-Season?
After adding Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting in free agency, the Carolina Hurricanes are still in the rumor mill about Brett Pesce and some more additions.
Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell wasted little time adding to his roster via free agency. He signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov and winger Michael Bunting on July 1, then added gritty depth forward Brendan Lemieux on July 11.
Waddell hasn't made any further additions since. Nevertheless, his Hurricanes continue to feature prominently in the rumor mill.
The Hurricanes are believed to be jockeying with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. The Raleigh News & Observer's Luke DeCock reports Waddell is continuing to monitor the situation. However, acquiring the 33-year-old defenseman and his $11.5-million annual cap hit would require shedding some salary from their blueline.
That's prompted speculation that the Hurricanes could shop Brett Pesce. The 28-year-old blueliner is eligible to become a UFA next July, and it's believed Waddell could trade him if unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension. He carries a $4.025-million cap hit for 2023-24 with a 15-team list of preferred trade destinations.
The Athletic's Shayna Goldman listed the Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers as the five clubs who could (or should) be interested in Pesce. THN Edmonton's Michael DeRosa recently suggested the Oilers offer up their 2024 first-round pick, defenseman Cody Ceci and prospect Carter Savoie.
DeCock noted the Hurricanes attempted to acquire Tony DeAngelo from the Philadelphia Flyers, but the deal was blocked over concerns of salary-cap circumvention. The Flyers have since bought out DeAngelo, but the Hurricanes haven't contacted him, likely due to their signing of Orlov.
The Hurricanes were also interested in Vladimir Tarasenko earlier this month, but that has since cooled off. That could be because he reportedly rejected a multi-year contract offer from them earlier this month.
