Offseason changes could be coming for the Hurricanes plus the latest Golden Knights speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE HURRICANES?
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock believes changes are coming for the Carolina Hurricanes following another disappointing postseason. He pointed out that they have several pending unrestricted free agents and head coach Rod Brind’Amour remains unsigned for next season.
“It’s the end of this group, the one that was on the ice Thursday night,” wrote DeCock. “Change is coming. The Hurricanes will almost certainly still be contenders, but not these contenders. That’s over.”
THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus predicts a stormy future for the Hurricanes. He anticipates “a roster reckoning” could be coming with or without Brind’Amour behind the bench.
Unrestricted free agents include forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen and defensemen Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Tony DeAngelo and Jalen Chatfield. Goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov remain under contract for next season.
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour (NHL Images).
Lazerus believes Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell will have sufficient salary-cap space, trade bait and roster flexibility to pursue a No. 1 goaltender, re-sign Guentzel, and/or pursue another top forward if he chooses.
ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton believes the Hurricanes’ priority should be re-signing Guentzel. He had 25 points in 17 games for them following his trade from Pittsburgh and was a point-per-game performer in the playoffs. She also believes they should invest in a starting goaltender.
TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby believes teams that need a new coach will want to know Brind’Amour’s plans. He thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs are among them.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Glenn Dreyfuss thinks the Seattle Kraken would be among Brind’Amour’s suitors if he doesn’t re-sign with the Hurricanes.
BLEACHER REPORT: The Leafs and Kraken are on Lyle Fitzsimmons’ list of landing spots for Brind’Amour. He also sees him staying in Carolina.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brind’Amour’s future was a hot topic of speculation earlier this month following a report claiming the Hurricanes had pulled their recent contract offer. All sides downplayed the matter, insisting negotiations were ongoing and a deal was close.
Following another disappointing postseason, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon could feel the need for a change behind the bench. GM Don Waddell could share that view. We’ll find out soon enough.
One of those pending UFAs may have played his last for the Hurricanes. Shortly after last night’s game, Pesce’s father shared a now-deleted post on “X” thanking Hurricanes’ fans for their support over the years.
LATEST GOLDEN KNIGHTS SPECULATION
THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger recently looked at who stays and who goes among the Vegas Golden Knights this summer.
Jonathan Marchessault is slated to become a UFA on July 1. He and GM Kelly McCrimmon were publicly optimistic that an agreement on a new contract could be reached. However, there is limited cap space for him and the remainder of the roster.
A cap-clearing trade will be necessary if Marchessault is re-signed.
Granger speculated Zach Whitecloud could be a trade candidate if McCrimmon needs to make a minor subtraction. The 27-year-old defenseman has four years left on his contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million.
Shea Theodore could be shopped if McCrimmon needs to make a bigger change. He’s signed through next season with an AAV of $5.2 million and will be eligible for UFA status next summer. Recently acquired Noah Hanifin plays a similar style to Theodore and carries a $7.35 million cap hit on his new contract.
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen believes freeing up cap space will be a priority for McCrimmon if he intends to re-sign Marchessault and other UFAs. Theodore or goaltender Adin Hill ($4.9 million AAV) could become trade options. He could also try to move a couple of lower-salaried players like Brayden McNabb ($2.85 million) or Nicolas Hague ($2.29 million million
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I was initially dismissive of the Golden Knights using Theodore as a cost-cutting candidate. Giving it more thought, however, it seems the best course of action given his UFA status next summer and the addition of Hanifin.
Theodore would draw considerable interest if McCrimmon put him on the trade block. The puck-moving blueliner has a five-team no-trade list but he should still attract a lot of suitors. He could fetch an affordable return that would help to replenish the Golden Knights’ prospect pipeline or add a promising youngster to their lineup.
McCrimmon could have other plans to clear cap space for Marchessault that don’t involve moving Theodore. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.