With 25 games remaining in the Carolina Hurricanes' season, they find themselves in an all too familiar position. The team is currently three points outside of a playoff spot, (with a game or two in hand on the teams ahead of them), and that is certainly not a place they want to be when the season is over.
With the trade deadline approaching quickly when hockey resumes later in February, (March 5th), the team needs to make some tough decisions and they need to make them soon.
Obviously, they are too close to a playoff spot to throw in the towel completely and consider themselves to be outright sellers. But on the other hand, they do not want to waste assets, (draft picks and/or prospects), to obtain a player, and then still not make the playoffs.
Are they better off doing nothing?
The Hurricanes also have other issues to consider. They have three goalies on the roster and something has to give there. They also have players with big contracts, (Cam Ward and Tuomo Ruutu), who are not performing up to those contracts.
So the team could look to move those contracts in hopes of freeing up future cap space.
The Hurricanes have certainly been in the rumor mill and it appears they have been trying to do something. There are several players available who could help the team, but at what cost?
Some of the forwards most likely available are: Steve Ott, Matt Moulson, Thomas Vanek, Marcel Goc, Brad Boyes, Lee Stempniak, Mike Cammalleri, Ales Hemsky, and David Legwand.
The Canes could use help in a lot of ways, but especially on the powerplay.
Should the team look to dump a couple of their big salaries and be sellers? Or should they push all in and look to bring in a player or two to help them down the stretch?
Packpride will be speaking more about this later in the week and we will be having a contest, so look for that a bit later.
During the Olympic break if we do not have an article published, we will have an open discussion thread for the day. Feel free to converse about anything.