NHL Network: The panel talks about the Carolina Hurricanes and their one area of need.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Mike Johnson: “One of the strongest teams in the league. They don’t really need much, but the Carolina Hurricanes, who are absolutely rolling right now. They clearly have a need, a second-line center.
They were hoping that Jesperi Kotkaniemi would be able to fill it, it just hasn’t happened to the degree that they were hoping it would happen this year. So if you can bump him out of there and upgrade at your second-line spot, you don’t need a first-line guy, (Sebastian) Aho is absolutely that. You don’t need a third-line guy, (Jordan) Staal and (Jesper) Fast, those guys are locked in. But a second-line guy who can support.
Obviously, Jonathan Toews, his track record speaks for itself. He’s having a pretty good year in Chicago. He would fit in nicely there.
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Ryan O’Reilly is not having a great year in St. Louis but he’s been really good throughout his career, would also do the trick.
And of course, the absolute wildcard for me, I don’t even know if this guy’s available. I’m saying it over and over again.
Host (??): “We heard the rumors.”
Johnson: “But he is a captain of a team. Is a pending UFA on an expiring contract. Any other player in that situation there would be a conversation, well why are not signing him? If you’re not signing Dylan Larkin, then you probably need to trade him. So, Dylan Larkin, the best of those three players today.
But any of those three guys, if they get them, especially Larkin into Carolina, Carolina to me becomes the Stanley Cup favorite. Because their path right? Boston would have to go through Tampa-Toronto, so it’s a little more difficult.
So I think Carolina, they have such a solid, deep lineup, but that one spot, it’s glaring. It’s like obvious, if they can fill it, that would be
Jamison Coyle: “A couple captains to fill it.”
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Johnson: “All three of them.”
Coyle: “I know.”
Steve Konroyd :”The other thing too, all those guys, they’re not huge players. They’re beefy, they’ve got some size. They’re over 200 pounds and that’s one thing I think Carolina lacks upfront, especially their top line. They need a little more size up front. So I like that.
