Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes Nearly Pulled Off Surprise Center Trade Before Roster Freeze
The Carolina Hurricanes were closer than expected to landing a major upgrade down the middle earlier this season.
The Carolina Hurricanes were closer than expected to landing a major upgrade down the middle earlier this season — and it came at the expense of a familiar name.
On a recent episode of The DFO Rundown, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta revealed that the Los Angeles Kings and Hurricanes held trade discussions involving Phillip Danault before he was ultimately dealt to the Montreal Canadiens. Carolina’s pitch reportedly included former third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Pagnotta says he doesn’t know the full parameters of the deal, but that Kotkaniemi would have been the centerpiece of the trade.
While Kotkaniemi’s $4.82 million cap hit wasn’t a deal-breaker for the Kings, the remaining years on his contract were. They didn’t feel comfortable making the trade with some uncertainty as to how he would fit into their lineup. The Kings ultimately decided to take the draft pick from Montreal.
On the ice, the difference between the two centers isn’t dramatic. This would have been seen as more of a change-of-scenery type trade. Neither has been producing much offensively, and Danault was ready to move on. He noted, “I felt like I had no purpose and that I couldn’t bring anything to the team with what I had. I felt helpless and not important. That’s how I felt at the end.”
Will The Hurricanes Still Try to Trade Kotkaniemi?
The bigger takeaway is Carolina’s willingness to move Kotkaniemi and the fact they might continue to test the waters on a deal that includes him. With Seth Jarvis sidelined week-to-week and the Hurricanes never shy about swinging big, they might include him in some sort of package deal for a bigger name.
If Kotkaniemi’s name is out there, they might be looking to do business as soon as the roster freeze lifts.
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