The trade deadline is upon us shortly and the Carolina Hurricanes are eyeing it much like everyone else. Well somewhat like everyone else I should say. They definitely are looking at ways to improve their team. But they also like the team they have (sometimes at the frustration of fans). However, there is one thing they are very clear they will not do. That is trade a premium for a rental player. Is it right, is it wrong? Everyone has their thoughts. But with that said don’t be surprised if you do not see Adam Henrique or Noah Hanifin (second time around) in a Hurricanes sweater.
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Deadline Could Take an Unexpected Turn
But what this means is Carolina will most likely go one of two ways while also adding cheaper rental pieces. One is they do nothing except add bargain rental pieces like last year. The second is that instead they go somewhat off the board and make a big move or two for key players with term. This type of move is more akin to an offseason move than a deadline one.
This happened in 2020 when they acquired Brady Skjei from the New York Rangers and Vincent Trocheck from the Florida Panthers. Both were during the same trade deadline and both had term left on their deals. It was two moves that most didn’t really see coming. The key for Carolina is that yes, they could use some additional firepower up front, but they also need someone who could fit their style currently and in the future. So, what could that be this year? Let’s look at some off-the-radar moves Carolina could explore at the centre position.
Boone Jenner
The first name on the list is the Captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets Boone Jenner. While there have been some rumblings mentioning his name on the trading block, he is not the most likely name to be moved at the trade deadline. He is the Blue Jackets captain, is 30 years old and has broken the record for most games in a Columbus sweater. While the Blue Jackets are certainly going through a rebuild and could look to move older players in favour of youth and future assets, Jenner could be a good mentor for the upcoming players. Not to mention that Jenner indicated he was not interested in leaving. Jenner is also not a free agent after this season and has two more years left on his deal. But could Carolina pull Jenner from Columbus as they did Trocheck from Florida?
Who is Boone Jenner?
Jenner is truly a team player and a lead-by-example captain through and through. As the Blue Jackets All-Star representative this year, his teammates had nothing but glowing remarks to say about him. He carries that composure on the ice. Statistically, he put up back-to-back seasons the last two with over 20 goals. This was even though he only played 59 and 68 games respectively. This season he has 18 goals and eight assists in 42 games played. Something that Carolina could use as well is that Jenner has no problem playing at the doorstep and scoring goals in tight.
How Jenner Helps Carolina
Is he a Carolina player? Well, let’s look at some advanced analytics. He leads the Blue Jackets in expected goals with 15.4 but also has a 2.6 goals scored above expected. He also has a 53% expected goals percentage, Corsi and Fenwick. While also having 89 hits in 42 games and a 54.6% faceoff win percentage, Jenner’s game is all-around conducive to filling a need for Carolina. Not only does he provide another scoring threat, but he provides the team with a true second-line centre who can provide just as much intangibly as he can tangibly. Then you throw in that he is under contract through 2025-26 at a $3.75 million AAV and you can see the fit in Carolina.
Is there Room to Deal?
While Columbus seems adamant not to trade Jenner for the reasons above, there’s always a price to get the team moving. For a team like Columbus in a full rebuild, Carolina would need to be ready to unload a high pick (or picks) and decent to good prospects. Then maybe even an NHL-ready player. Who that player is could go many ways.
What Might Sway Columbus
While they likely don’t want to subtract much from their current roster, would moving a player on an expiring deal after this year make sense? This may mean Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei. Or do they move the younger Jack Drury in an effort to pry Jenner? Drury has had a great season for Carolina this year, but he will be an RFA after the season. Columbus would be getting a promising younger centre who is NHL-ready in addition to a decent pick and prospect. I’d imagine it would take something like that to get the needle moving for Jenner.
Joel Eriksson Ek
To go in a more unlikely but arguably higher shooting target direction, the Hurricanes could press hard for Joel Eriksson Ek from the Minnesota Wild. Eriksson Ek has really blossomed into Minnesota’s top-line centre and also has no problem playing a game that fits Carolina’s style. There were some rumours earlier about the Vancouver Canucks possibly being interested in the Swedish centre but with the Wild pushing for a playoff spot now, their willingness to move Eriksson Ek is likely low.
Who is Joel Eriksson Ek?
Eriksson Ek is another player who would bolster Carolina’s depth down the middle and provide them with an offensive threat who is also a defensive expert. This player fits both the true second-line centre role for the team and the added offensive punch. But he also comes with top-level defensive responsibility qualities. He seems like a player who could be Rod Brind’Amour‘s own version of…well…Rod Brind’Amour in many ways. Eriksson Ek is having a career year in goals with 28 in 59 games played. By reference, he would be the leading scorer on the Hurricanes at this point.
He leads the Wild in not only goals, but also expected goals at 31.4 as well as expected goals per 60 minutes played at 1.55, and shots on goal per 60 minutes played at 10.72. Not to mention his expected goals percentage is at 55.6% while his Corsi and Fenwick are both 55%. His 133 hits are third on the Wild while notably, he has a team-leading 30 takeaways compared to only ten giveaways. This includes only three giveaways in the defensive zone. While some players see their goal-scoring go up due to increased shooting percentages, Eriksson Ek’s goals scored above expected are actually -3.4.
How Eriksson Ek Helps Carolina
Eriksson Ek is really a no frills player. He isn’t necessarily going to dazzle you on the highlight reel but he gets the job done. Defensively, he would add to Carolina’s already suffocating 5v5 style and highly-rated penalty kill. But offensively, he can forecheck relentlessly and provides a very strong net-front presence who isn’t afraid to take a beating. He plays that pest-type role and could fit well between Michael Bunting and Martin Necas. At 6’3″ and 207 lbs., his determination makes him just as deadly as his skill. This is a player that could move Carolina from one level to another.
And once again, he is a player with term. Eriksson Ek has five more years on his deal with a $5.25 million AAV. This could be a very good player and a very good deal for Carolina now and in the future.
Is there Room to Deal?
Maybe even more so than Columbus with Jenner, the Wild do not want to part ways with Joel Eriksson Ek. He is driving them up front and has been working wonders with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. But as mentioned above, everything has a price. Even Gretzky was traded.
But another tricky thing about Minnesota is that they are in a position where unlike Columbus they are not sellers. At least not yet. As of Wednesday night, they were six points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand on the Nashville Predators. But they have been fairly hot of late and it has made the for sale sign shine a little dimmer.
But if you look back at Carolina’s trade for Trocheck, Florida at the time was only a few points out of a playoff position but made the move. In return, they got two NHL-ready players, an AHL older prospect-level player and another prospect. Trocheck at the time was 26 and Eriksson Ek right now is 27. With the emergence of Marco Rossi down the middle for the Wild, could they see Eriksson Ek as an opportunity to retool on the fly? Carolina would have to provide a similar framework mentioned above in the Jenner trade but with probably higher value and more focus on NHL-ready players.
What Might Sway Minnesota
It may take a player like Pesce or Skjei going back to the Wild to get things started. Skjei might be a good fit here. He is a Minnesota native and could instantly slot into their top four, and maybe top two. In addition, they are probably looking at another centre going back. This could once again be Drury or maybe Jesperi Kotkaniemi. While Kotkaniemi is still struggling to find his game, the question with him is if Carolina is ready to cut ties or not.
The other potential is a player on the cusp of being NHL-ready like Ryan Suzuki or Vasiliy Ponomarev. Then you throw in picks and prospects, probably a good one not named Alexander Nikishin. While it seems unlikely, you never really know what’s going on in General Managers’ minds. Is this a trade that would be easy for Carolina? No. But is it one worth pushing for? Maybe so. He is not a true rental and is a player who would fit in the team’s current winning window.
Main Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
