The Carolina Hurricanes turned out to be one of the teams in on former LA Kings forward Phillip Danault. With trade rumors swirling around the 32-year-old center, the Kings shipped Danault to the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick.
The move came hours before the NHL’s Christmas trade freeze. But before the Canadiens could set up a reunion with Danault, the Hurricanes made their pitch. According to insider David Pagnotta, Carolina offered a former Canadien.
The Fourth Period’s editor-in-chief stated:
“They turned down another offer by Carolina for Phil Danault that included Jesperi Kotkaniemi; I don’t think it was the money that was an issue, it was more term.”
So, a couple of things to unpack here. Kotkaniemi, a former third-overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft, hasn’t really lived up to the hype. He landed in Carolina via an offer sheet back in 2021. He signed a one-year deal worth $6.1 million.
Then, the Hurricanes backed up the Brinks truck for Kotkaniemi. They signed him to an eight-year deal worth $38.56 million. His $4.82 million cap hit wouldn’t be so bad if he actually produced up to expectations.
Unfortunately, Kotkaniemi has just two goals in 19 games this season. That’s the second thing that scared the living you-know-what out of the LA Kings. Kotkaniemi still has four more seasons at said cap hit. As a result, the Kings passed on the Hurricanes’ offer.
It was too bad for the Hurricanes. They could have landed a solid defensive center while moving out an onerous deal. Given the way Kotkaniemi’s contract has aged, it looks like an untradeable one.
Hurricanes Remain on the Prowl
Rumors involving the Hurricanes shouldn’t surprise anyone. Carolina has been actively trying to land just about every big fish potentially available. The Canes were reportedly in on Quinn Hughes earlier this month.
Last season, they took a huge swing at Mikko Rantanen. Unfortunately, the club had to move on from him. They also pursued Mitch Marner, and have kicked the tires on the top players moved over the last couple of seasons.
The Hurricanes view themselves as legit Stanley Cup contenders and will be looking to add whatever pieces they can heading into this year’s trade deadline.
Carolina Could Act Sooner Rather than Later
The official trade deadline will be in early March. But the Hurricanes, along with other NHL clubs, may move before then. The next trade freeze will come into effect ahead of the Olympic break in early February.
As such, the speculation involving every NHL club, not just the Hurricanes, posits that teams will move by then. If that’s indeed the case, the Hurricanes could move sooner rather than later.
It will be interesting to see what happens in January. Just about every team in the league believes it still has a chance at a playoff spot. So, the trade market may heat up mid-January as teams potentially fall out of contention.
While the New Year may start quietly, the next few weeks could reveal some intriguing moves. So, Hurricanes fans should keep an eye on rumors.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Hurricanes Offered this Forward for Danault, per Insider appeared first on Heavy Sports.