The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions for the second time in franchise history, having taken down the Vegas Golden Knights back in June. The confetti has been swept up, the parade is over, and the front office is already back to work. But this offseason hasn’t exactly been a victory lap for the front office.
Carolina’s draft was graded out as a C by most analysts. They traded down multiple times, which suggested the team wasn’t sold on this year’s class. Their big swing in free agency? Trying to land John Carlson via trade for his negotiating rights. That didn’t work. Carlson walked and signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Hurricanes essentially made zero moves when free agency opened on July 1.
So what now? The summer is long, and there’s still time for GM Don Waddell to shake things up. Here are two players who might not be in Carolina much longer.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s time in Carolina feels over
Every time trade talk swirls around the Hurricanes, one name keeps popping up. That’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi. And this summer, it finally feels like something might actually happen.
Kotkaniemi signed with Carolina back in 2021 as a restricted free agent, famously poached from the Montreal Canadiens as a bit of payback for the Sebastian Aho offer sheet drama. Montreal let him go on a one-year deal, and then the Hurricanes handed him an eight-year extension worth $4.82 million per season. It hasn’t worked.
His best season was the first year of that deal, when he put up 43 points. Since then it’s been downhill. This past season was the worst of his career. He played only 42 games, was a healthy scratch more often than not, and scored just nine points. His 11:21 average ice time was a career low. And here’s the thing that really tells the story: Kotkaniemi didn’t play a single shift during Carolina’s entire Stanley Cup run. Not one.
He’s 26 years old. He still has time to turn things around somewhere else. But the Hurricanes aren’t using him, and that cap hit — even half of it — would give them some breathing room. It’s hard to see both sides not wanting a fresh start.
Alexander Nikishin is an asset Carolina could move for a win-now piece
Alexander Nikishin is the kind of defenseman other teams dream about. He’s 24, big, mobile, and already showing flashes of being an impact player at the NHL level. But here’s the thing: Carolina doesn’t need to wait on potential right now. They’re the defending champs. They’re in win-now mode.
Nikishin has been floating around trade rumors all offseason. He was reportedly part of a package the Hurricanes offered for Connor Hellebuyck. The St. Louis Blues have expressed interest. And since Nikishin isn’t eligible for an offer sheet, the only way he leaves is via trade. That gives Carolina some control, but also makes him a valuable bargaining chip.
Nobody is saying the Hurricanes need to move him. He could be a core piece for the next decade. But if trading Nikishin brings back a player who helps them repeat, or clears space for a big free-agent addition, Carolina might just pull the trigger. The front office knows the window is open right now. Sometimes you have to trade tomorrow for today.
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