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The Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. In seven years with Rod Brind'Amour as the coach, they have made the playoffs in seven years and the East Final three times. But in those three appearances, they have only won one game. The Hurricanes and general manager Eric Tulsky need to add scoring in NHL free agency. If they do not, it could be another tough playoff run next year.
The Hurricanes did try to add that scorer through a trade this season. They picked up Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche in January. Tulsky tried to extend him, but they could not agree on a contract. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has reported recently that Rantanen was not a fit for Brind'amour's system, which complicated negotiations. They flipped Rantanen to the Stars for Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks. While Stankoven could blossom into that scorer, Carolina's window is right now.
It would be a nightmare if the Hurricanes do not end up with Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Brock Boeser. Those wingers are unrestricted free agents and should command massive salaries this offseason. Carolina has already expressed interest in Marner, trying to flip Rantanen to the Maple Leafs before the Stars deal went through. If all of those players leave their teams, one of them has to land with the Hurricanes.
There are other options, through trades or restricted free agents, to add scoring wingers to the Hurricanes. The Jets could keep Ehlers and part ways with RFA Gabe Vilardi. Could the Canes pull off a trade with the Minnesota Wild for Marco Rossi? There are options, but the easiest path is one of these elite scorers on a long-term deal. Tulsky enters his second offseason on the job with a massive hole to fill.
The Hurricanes are the perfect fit for Mitch Marner
After a nine-year run with his hometown Maple Leafs, Marner is likely leaving in free agency. He becomes the biggest name to hit free agency since Artemi Panarin in 2019 and hits it in the perfect year. The NHL salary cap will take a significant step up for the first time since the pandemic, and every team will have space. Marner could set a new AAV record, besting Leon Draisaitl's $14 million payday, if he starts a bidding war.
The Toronto media targeted Marner with a lot of criticism during his Leafs' tenure. Some of it was deserved, as he did struggle in Game 7s, and the entire team never made the East Final. But he believes in another market, those headlines would never have been published. While the Hurricanes have a solid fan base, the Raleigh media does not have the same reputation.
Even though the Hurricanes have struggled to score, they have a solid group of centers to build around. Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jordan Staal are all solid 200-foot centers. Marner is the guy who can come in and finish for Carolina, which is exactly what they need. And Marner is a solid defender, which is abnormal for wingers and should help him slide into Brind'amour's system.
The Hurricanes have built this team on a lot of great draft picks and team-friendly extensions. Brind'amour has developed the perfect system for these players, but they need one more piece. Every Stanley Cup Champion has an elite goal scorer, and Carolina has not gotten there because they don't have one.
The Hurricanes need Marner. If they don't get him, Ehlers and Boeser are solid fallback options. If all three of them are elsewhere, it could be another tough year for the Hurricanes.
