Hours before the opening of the Carolina Hurricanes 2023-24 season my mind has already jumped to the trade deadline. Normally, Carolina shies away from midseason transactions. The premiums charged by organizations on the outside of a playoff birth are usually higher than similar deals made in the offseason. If Carolina is known for anything around the league it's their boorish mentality when it comes to protecting the franchise's resources. It's hard to expect Carolina's front office to gamble prospects and future draft capital on a player who may or may not end up helping the team make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
At least not until this season. We have long moved past Carolina's underdog era. No one is surprised by Carolina's on-ice preferences. Over the last five years, the Hurricanes organization has transitioned itself from David trying to beat the odds. To becoming a Galaith and the odds on favorite on any given night.
Expectations for the Hurricanes are now higher than they have ever been. Make the Stanley Cup Finals or the season is a bust. Fans in Raleigh are now pondering if their favorite team has a mental block when it comes to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canes have made it to the semi-finals in three out of their last six playoff appearances without notching a single notation in the win column.
Anxiety over the team's performance when playing for the Prince of Whales Trophy is overblown. If you believe Carolina is cursed when it comes to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I would ask you to take a good look at each of the series to learn just how different they were. After you've done that touching grass wouldn't be a bad idea either.
However, I think it's worth asking if Carolina should change its strategy this year. Is it time for the Hurricanes to take a big swing before the trade deadline in an effort to shore up their lineup before they embark on the odyssey of winning a Stanley Cup?
I vote yes. Carolina has the talent to remain a competitive team for many seasons into the future. Though, their window to reward the players who helped bring them back to relevance is mere inches away from the window sill. In my eyes, the Hurricanes' front office needs to do everything in its power to help its core go on a deep run.
This is when you say, 'They haven't even played their first game yet. CALM DOWN!' Which is fair. There are very few things the Hurricanes can do tonight to ensure they're in a great position come playoff time. Anyone who's watched the game for more than a couple of months knows that. At this point, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell just needs to keep a steady hand on the wheel and maintain as much cap space as possible.
"The plan is to see how things go but to remain under the cap," Waddell said this morning to the assembled media in Raleigh. "If you look right now we're accruing cap space every day. If you take that all the way out to the deadline it's about $13 million of cap space. So things are going to happen. It's going to change during the year but certainly that's part of the plan."
You won't be able to acquire a meaningful addition at the trade deadline without significant cap space. At least not without giving up the house to do so. If the Canes want to make a splash at the trade deadline - which they should. - They'll need to keep the salary cap top of mind at all times. Every move affects their budget and the quality of help they'll be able to get their core come March.
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