Hurricanes Eye Big Trade In Push to Get Over Cup Slump

The Carolina Hurricanes are positioning themselves for a big push this season, aiming to convert consistent playoff appearances into a Stanley Cup. Michael Russo of The Athletic revealed in a recent post that both the owner and the GM are looking at every available option this season, ready to take a big swing if the opportunity presents itself.

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The Hurricanes are no strangers to taking big swings. Russo revealed that they went hard after Jake Guentzel before trading for Mikko Rantanen last season. This summer, the Hurricanes reportedly reached out to the Minnesota Wild about Kirill Kaprizov, before he ultimately signed a monster deal to stay put. With the NHL’s best regular-season points percentage and after reaching the Eastern Conference Final three times in seven seasons, the franchise is tired of getting close but not finishing the job.

“We’ve been a great team for five years now, and it hasn’t been good enough yet,” GM Eric Tulsky told The Athletic. “We’re always looking for ways to get better—through practice, player development, and smart acquisitions. Contentment isn’t part of our vocabulary.”

Hurricanes Looking To Add This Season

Carolina’s roster features productive stars like Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, while new acquisition Nikolaj Ehlers seems to be fitting in well. What they’re missing is a bona fide superstar. Russo writes, “There’s no doubt owner Tom Dundon is motivated to add a star to the fold.” “We’re always looking to get better,” Tulsky added. “We’re going to look at everything that comes up, whether something gets labeled as big-game hunting or sort of more routine moves.”

Could this season finally be the one where Carolina adds that big piece that stays and contributes during the playoffs? It’s clear the team will be looking.

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