The Carolina Hurricanes have been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference for the last 5 seasons, but have not been able to get over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Final.
Injuries have played their part, unlucky bounces have had their hand in it, and if the winner was crowned due to analytics then the Hurricanes would be champions.
After taking care of the New York Islanders in 6 games in the first round, they pulled off a gentleman’s sweep against the New Jersey Devils, but were swept by the Florida Panthers. Andrei Svechnikov was out for more than half the season, Max Pacioretty barely got on the ice this year, but they still had Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, and Frederik Andersen, among others.
Rod Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes were in every single game of the series, they were dumbfounded to have been swept, and they dominated the Panthers at times, however a sweep is a sweep at the end of the day and now they have to get back to the drawing board.
This time around, it might be different for Don Waddell and company as they might have to make changes with several important contracts expiring within the next 12 months.
This summer they have forwards Max Pacioretty, Ondrej Kase, Jesper Fast, Jordan Staal, Derek Stepan, Paul Stastny, and Mackenzie MacEachern as pending UFAs as well as Calvin De Haan, Jake Gardiner, and Shayne Gostisbehere on defense, and Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta in goal. Dylan Coghlan, Maxime Lajoie, and Jesse Puljujarvi represent their pending RFAs.
However, not only are they fixated on this summer but they also have to keep an eye on the following offseason because Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook, Stefan Noesen, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, and Jalen Chatfield represent the pending UFAs with Martin Necas, Jack Drury, Seth Jarvis, and Ryan Suzuki as pending RFAs. They only have Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Andrei Svechnikov, Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, and Pyotr Kochetkov signed through the 2024-25 season.
Many people have suggested a change is needed in Carolina, and after 5 consecutive seasons where they have always found a way to lose in either the second or third round, maybe it’s time for the Philadelphia Flyers to circle them like vultures and strike when the time is ripe.
Daniel Brière has mentioned it several times but he doesn’t want this to be a long rebuild and he believes that if he can execute the right moves in time, the rebuild could be a little shorter than most believe.
Enter: Martin Necas and the Hurricanes.
The Flyers are starving for centremen, they are looking for young NHL-seasoned players who will seamlessly fit in with their core players, and aren’t necessarily looking for 18-19 year olds as the return package for some of their trade chips.
The Hurricanes were one of many suitors for Kevin Hayes and apparently still remain in the hunt but there isn’t a single trade package surrounding Hayes and Necas without the Flyers shelling out better assets.
The Hurricanes would look at Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov as return pieces for sure. Based on age, contract, term, and fit, they would make the most sense and there is a belief that the end is near for both players in Philadelphia. Many have speculated that for the rebuild to go through seamlessly, the Flyers need to cut bait from at least one, maybe both, of their core veterans. Just based on verbiage, it seems like the Flyers are more intent on keeping Konecny.
Trading Provorov is a tough pill to swallow because of what he represented and still represents for the team. He is far and wide their best defenseman and there is a steep drop-off after him. Cam York is still far too young to usher in as the Flyers’ top defenseman, but he would be if Provorov was booted, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen would be prove to be 2nd and 3rd-best afterwards, and then Tony DeAngelo and Nick Seeler would round out the table. The main issue is that you can’t trade either Sanheim or Ristolainen based on their term and cap hits. DeAngelo and Seeler seem like prime trade candidates but wouldn’t push the needle in a deal like this – also considering the fact that DeAngelo came from Carolina to begin with.
The Flyers lack a lot of things right now, but scoring might be at the top of that list. Travis Konecny was a wonder last season when he was in the lineup and one would have to imagine he is only going to get better. He has led the team in points 3 separate times and with the impending returns of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, they could finally provide the Flyers a legitimate scoring line. Konecny was also the heartbeat of the team, his fiery play is hard to replicate, and there haven’t been as many – or any – bumps in the road between player and team compared to Provorov.
Teams are always willing to pay a premium for a defenseman with term and a change of scenery could do him well. Emil Andrae, Ronnie Attard, and Egor Zamula are waiting in the wings, but it would still leave a massive hole in the lineup. Nevertheless, to acquire quality, you have to give back quality and the Hurricanes might be more inclined to acquire a defenseman than a forward.
Aho, Teravainen, Svechnikov, Jarvis, and Drury would represent a solid top-6 group. The Canes and Staal would like a contract extension pulled off this summer, Martinook and Noesen provided good depth scoring, and Ryan Suzuki and Vasili Ponomarev are seasoned AHL scorers ready to jump into the NHL lineup.
Slavin and Pesce are criminally underrated, Burns was fantastic yet again but is turning 39 years old, Skjei had an underrated season, and Chatfield represents a solid depth option for the bottom pairing. Slavin and Burns are the only ones signed for 2+ years and adding Provorov would make that 3. Pesce is going to get paid handsomely next summer, if they want to keep Skjei he’ll want a modest raise as well, and that’s not accounting the raise for Aho and signing Staal, Noesen, and Martinook. They also have to focus on players like Drury and Jarvis coming off their rookie contracts, while needing to solidify their net with a starting goaltender to split time with Kochetkov.
Necas led the Hurricanes in points this season with 71 points in 82 games, Aho was right behind him with 67 points in 75 games, Burns with 61 in 82, Svechnikov with 55 in 64, and Kotkaniemi with 43 in 82. The Hurricanes love building from their defense and adding Provorov into the fray with Slavin, Burns, Pesce, and Skjei would give them the best defensive corps in the league. We’ve seen what Provorov can do with a legitimate partner and he’ll have his choice of the litter in Carolina.
Necas will also want to get a raise from his current $3 million cap hit. The 24-year-old centre would fit perfectly in Philadelphia, he would instantly round out the top-6 if and when Sean Couturier returns, he’ll be able to run the power play, and his age reflects that of Owen Tippett (24), Morgan Frost (24), and Joel Farabee (23). The Flyers are thin down the middle and Necas coming in would allow Noah Cates to thrive as the third-line centre.
In acquiring Provorov (turning 27 in January), he would be one of their younger defensemen with Burns turning 39 and the trio of Slavin, Pesce, and Skjei turning 29. if the rebuild is to take 3-4 years and with Provorov’s contract running out in 2, it would be hard to see him sticking around mid-rebuild. There’s a much better chance that Konecny would and since this team is also being built around John Tortorella, his fixation on the forward could keep him around long-term. The offense for the Flyers has been putrid for years but if they can finally go out and acquire a legitimate scoring centre, they will have finally solved a piece of the puzzle.
I have always wanted to see Provorov succeed as the number one defenseman, but for one reason or another it never panned out the way either player or team had hoped for. The last 3 years in particular have been rough for everybody wearing the Orange and Black and the relationship between player and team seemed rather fractured. Chuck Fletcher is now gone and Daniel Brière and Keith Jones are here for the long haul, so maybe that changes things a little bit. Jones mentioned how he wants to build a defense like the Hurricanes’.
However, if a 24-year-old scoring centre is indeed available, you exhaust the assets to acquire him. He is a pending RFA next summer which could be slightly worrisome, however that could also drive the price down by a smidge. At the end of the day, to acquire Necas, the Flyers will have to dole out either Provorov or Konecny and maybe another asset.
Is it worth it? Would you do it? Would the Hurricanes be interested?
They are rumoured to want change and this would represent those thoughts and feelings, while also expediting the rebuild for the Flyers by trading away an asset that has been on the block for years on end.
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