-Gabriel Dorris-

In a recent interview, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell gave his word on the Cane’s plan at the deadline. His conclusion? We’re fine at goal and defense, but he might consider adding a forward if a name he likes comes along.

It makes sense. After a rough start to the season, Pyotr Kochetkov has turned the .878 sv% he held through October and November last year into a respectable .905 on the season by averaging nearly .920 since then, and Spencer Martin has also played well since being picked up on waivers. In terms of defense, the Canes’ top six core is probably the strongest in the league on paper, and 7th defenseman Tony DeAngelo has looked solid coming in after injuries recently.

Waddell also said in the above-mentioned interview that if we’re giving up serious assets, it’s going to be for somebody with term. With all that in mind, who makes sense for the Canes at the deadline?

Pavel Buchnevich, STL

Buchnevich is a reliable point scorer, with 43 in 53 games this year, and can play both wings. His contract also goes another season after this one at a reasonable price, and if Teuvo Teravainen does depart this summer, he’d be a great replacement. The Canes could desperately use a top-line winger as well, as even though Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas could both easily fulfill that role, they’ve found perfect fits on other lines, forcing Jesper Fast to take that spot on the wing; and don’t get me wrong, Fast is a solid player, but generally he’s always been a bottom 6 grinder, better at preventing goals than scoring them himself.

The only reason I don’t find this all that likely is the fact that as of late, the Blues have been playing solid hockey. They’ve even climbed up to the WC2 playoff spot in the West. This makes it unclear if Buch is even on the market at all, and if he is, would the price for a nearly PPG winger be one Waddell is willing to pay? Still, if the Blues go on a losing streak and any of the Kraken, Flames, Preds, or Wild pass them by the deadline, consider this a player to look out for.

Potential deal: Carolina 2024 1st, Carolina 2024 2nd (PHI), and Vasily Ponomarev for Pavel Buchnevich– A deal that gives the Blues two high-round picks and a player likely to crack the NHL next year with top 6 potential would be worth considering for a team that expects to be mediocre for another year or two. Still, what the Blues would likely want out of this deal is a D-man prospect with top-4 potential (Scott Morrow) and anyone the Canes have who fits this is likely off-limits (Scott Morrow).

Jason Zucker, ARI

Despite how it may have seemed just a few weeks ago, a 10-game losing streak has quickly turned the Coyotes playoff hopes from nice to nada. This has turned them into very probable sellers, and despite being a rental, Jason Zucker seems like somebody who could fit on this Canes team. He’s been a 30-50-point scorer pretty consistently throughout his career and could slot into a bottom-six slot for the Canes pretty easily. Specifically, the idea of a Zucker-Staal-Jarvis line is interesting to me. All three players have grit, but Staal can win faceoffs to get the Canes possession in the O-zone, and from there Zucker and Jarvis could become a legit threat.

I also don’t see Zucker being very expensive. As a middle 6 winger on an expiring contract, something that the league is not short on, I could see the Canes swooping in as other teams in need of offensive help go for players like Vladimir Tarasenko or Jake Guentzel, allowing the Canes to steal Zucker at an affordable price. After all, we saw the same thing happen last year, when Jakob Chychrun took attention away from Shayne Gostisbehere.

Potential deal: Carolina 2024 2nd (PHI) and Carolina 2024 6th for Jason Zucker– I think this is a pretty fair deal, and one I could see both sides accepting. Arizona gets some futures, and Carolina gets a solid middle-six winger. Zucker just isn’t valuable enough to command a 1st rounder or a good prospect, which is why I could see Waddell making this deal, even if it would be for a rental.

Scott Laughton, PHI

Scott Laughton is a center with respectable faceoff stats, decent defensive play, decent playmaking abilities, and a contract running at a reasonable price until 2026. To me, he seems a lot like Jordan Staal with slightly better offense and worse everything else. He also kills penalties well, although, with Sebastian Aho and Staal on the Canes, there’s a chance he wouldn’t break onto either PKing unit.

Laughton could really fit onto any of the Canes’ four lines, and even though he is a natural center, he can play both wings too. This and his sound defensive play make him perfect for Rod Blend’amour. Honestly, I think Laughton is probably the guy on this list Don would be most likely to trade for if there was no competition, but with multiple other teams in on him, there’s a chance Waddell is simply outbid. There’s also a chance that the Flyers, currently in a playoff spot, simply don’t sell.

He also has filthy hands if we end up going to another shootout

But if he isn’t, a potential deal could look like this: Carolina 2024 2nd (PHI), Carolina 2024 4th, and Simon Forsmark– Forsmark is still probably a few years from an NHL debut, but he’d be a solid addition to a prospect pool heavily lacking in defensemen, with real NHL potential. He’s having a solid season in the SHL playing heavy minutes this year, and has 18 points in 44 games to go along with it. The two mid-round picks would be a bonus. Laughton probably won’t command a 1st, considering his career high in points is 43, but if he does, it isn’t going to be from the Canes.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA

Bjorkstrand, like Laughton, is under contract for the next two years after this season. He’s also under a higher cap hit of 5.4 million a year, but he earns it with his scoring touch. Throughout his entire career, Bjorkstrand has been relatively consistent as a 40-60 point player. This year is no exception, as his 41 points in 55 games would slot him in as 3rd on the Canes, and his 13 goals would also be top 5 on the team.

Overall, Bjorkstrand would be solid as a better scorer than Laughton or Zucker at a cheaper price than Guentzel, and his defensive play is exceptional for a winger. He could fit on any of the Cane’s four lines, and would be excellent in Rod’s system. The real question here is how much the Kraken would want for Bjorkstrand, or whether they’d even be willing to sell him. Currently, just outside of a playoff spot, a lot comes down to how Seattle plays over the next two weeks.

Potential deal: Carolina 2024 1st and Carolina 2024 3rd for Oliver Bjorkstrand– A player as good as Bjorkstrand is signed for several more years is going to command a serious cost, and I’m inclined to believe that cost will include a 1st. The Kraken want to be good soon, and the type of players drafted in mid and late rounds often take several years to pan out even when they do. The Kraken likely want a prospect who can make the NHL within three years or less. I don’t see anyone in the Canes system who isn’t off-limits the Kraken would prefer to this first either.