The Carolina Hurricanes will focus on what they have …. for now
TSN: Pierre LeBrun says to keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes, who’ll be looking to add. They acquired and flipped Mikko Rantanen last year, tried to trade for Mitch Marner, and they called the Minnesota Wild about Kirill Kaprizov after he turned down their first offer.
“For now, I’m told they don’t see that big name out there on the market after all these big names have signed. They’re going to focus with what they have and they think their lineup is very deep.
When I talk to other teams around the league, they wonder about the goaltending. Is Freddy Anderson going to be healthy enough? And the answer from within Carolina is they believe in him. They think this is the year he’s stays healthy, that he can be the guy that brings them deep and over the hump come playoff time, other people aren’t so sure.”
Drama Always Surrounds the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers were among the teams that inquired about Alex Tuch. The Toronto Maple Leafs would have more of a free agency interest
James Murphy of RG Media: Alex Tuch’s agent went on DFO Rundown last week and said that they’ve been contract negotiations on the back burner. The 29-year-old Tuch is in the final year of his deal that carries a $4.7 million cap hit.
Two sources said last week that the Buffalo Sabres were listening to trade inquiries for Tuch. The first source said that the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers were among the teams that inquired. Another source said that if Tuch were to hit free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs would be interested. He added that he can’t see a trade being worked out for Tuch between the Leafs and Sabres.
With the pressure to make the playoffs, a source said they see this as more of a February/early March trade if they can’t extend him.
NHL Rumors: The Sabres Tax, and Alex Tuch
“I think this is more around the Olympic break (Feb. 6-25), or the NHL Trade Deadline (March 6),” the source opined. “The pressure is on for Adams to make the playoffs so unless they’re completely out of it, he’s not trading away one of his best players and leaders. Plus, Tuch has made it clear he wants to stay. If they’re still in it then and if he’s not signed, Adams could just make him an internal playoff rental. But that won’t stop teams from calling.”
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