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2025-26 NHL Miscellaneous Thread

Helly would be cool, but since Jordan Staal isn't going to be this effective within a season or two, the biggest want (for me) is Larkin. That deal makes the most sense for the team.
 
Did they really mean Nikishin and not Ghost on that Hellebuyck trade proposal? They also apparently forgot Bussi exists?

Also on that Nico Hischier proposal...umm...that is WAY too light to realistically get Nico Hischier.
 
I read those proposals, and just shook my head. Half were written by someone who doesn't know this team. I saw one, that almost made sense.
Clearly

On the Trocheck deal, Noel Gunler just signed a 2 year deal with Djurgarden in Sweden.

Also on the Bowen deal, Ville Koivunen was traded to Pittsburgh in the Guentzel deal. It’s hard to take that one seriously when ESPN screws up the basics that badly.
 
One thing Tulsky is a master at is the "right out of left field where did that one come from" trade...he might be working on that when he stops coming up with genius ideas like taking the Cup to Rex Hospital on Father's Day to let the new Dads celebrate...
 
The Trocheck ship has sailed. I don't see that happening. Kyrou wasn't on anyone's radar. He's got better points than Svech, but already making over $8m. Is one bad productivity season a fluke, or a trend? I don't see them going after Hellebuyck. Not at that price.
 
The Oilers extended dman Connor Murphy, 5 years/$4.1 million AAV. He has a full NMC in the first 3 years and a 16 team approved trade list in the last 2 years. He’ll be 38 when the contract ends.
 
Here is a trade post floating around the socials this AM...

ESPN
+4
The top six potential trade targets for the Hurricanes during the 2026 offseason, along with the realistic trade offers required to secure them, are outlined below:
1. Jordan Kyrou (RW – St. Louis Blues)
The Fit: Kyrou represents a highly sought-after dynamic sniper. He is coming off an offensive down year (18 goals in 72 games), which lowers his acquisition cost despite his cost-controlled $8.125M AAV contract through 2031. He provides the lethal power-play weapon Carolina has been missing.

YouTube
·legorocks99
+2
The Offer: Jesperi Kotkaniemi + 2026 1st-Round Pick + Bradly Nadeau. St. Louis wants a fresh start, and taking a flyer on a young center like Kotkaniemi alongside top assets meets their high-end draft capital demands.

Yahoo Sports
+2
2. Dylan Larkin (C – Detroit Red Wings)
The Fit: Larkin sent shockwaves through the league by requesting a trade out of Detroit. As a premium top-six center in his prime, he would give the Hurricanes unmatched down-the-middle strength to reinforce Sebastian Aho.

Yahoo Sports
+1
The Offer: 2026 1st-Round Pick + 2027 1st-Round Pick + Bradley Nadeau +Roman Seeley + Jesperi Kotkaniemi (for salary cap matching). To beat out top suitors like Florida or Minnesota, Carolina must present a massive package overflowing with high-end draft capital and defensive prospects.

The New York Times
3. Vincent Trocheck (C – New York Rangers)
The Fit: Trocheck is a former Hurricane who fits Rod Brind'Amour's heavy, high-forecheck system seamlessly. He provides premier right-handed faceoff capabilities and intense playoff grit. The Rangers are actively managing their trade board and look to free up flexibility.

The New York Times
+1
The Offer: 2027 1st-Round Pick + Noel Gunler. Because Trocheck is 32 and carries a $5.625M cap hit through 2029, the Rangers won't command a historic haul, but they will want a guaranteed future first-rounder and an NHL-adjacent prospect.

The New York Times
4. Connor Hellebuyck (G – Winnipeg Jets)
The Fit: Complacency is the enemy of a dynasty, and the Hurricanes could look to solidify an undeniable, Vezina-caliber tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov as Frederik Andersen hits unrestricted free agency. Hellebuyck gives Carolina immediate lockdown security to repeat as champions.

The Offer:
Gotisbehere + Bradly Nadeau ++ 2026 1st-Round Pick. Giving a player like Nadeau and Defenseman Gotisbehere but it is the exact tier of elite young talent Winnipeg demands to part with their superstar goalie.

ESPN
5. Bowen Byram (D – Buffalo Sabres)
The Fit: Byram's name has resurfaced heavily on the summer trade blocks. He is a young, hyper-mobile puck-moving defenseman who can ease the potential transition if Carolina chooses to weaponize Nikishin or move other pieces on the blue line.

The Offer: 2026 1st-Round Pick + Ville Koivunen + 2027 3rd-Round Pick. Buffalo is seeking high-end scoring wingers or high draft picks, making Carolina's draft assets a perfect platform to start negotiations.

6. Nico Hischier (C – New Jersey Devils)
The Fit: Hischier has officially entered the 2026 summer trade rumor mill as a premier target. He is one of the league's top multi-cat, two-way centers, playing exactly the style of hockey that Brind’Amour demands from his roster.

The Offer: 2026 1st-Round Pick + 2028 1st-Round Pick (via Dallas) + Ryan Suzuki + Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Prising a captain away requires overpaying with multiple first-round picks and NHL-ready youth.
I mean, these are just from randos on the internet. Even more random than us, apparently. I’m not even reading that mess.

It’s tough to get in front of Tulsky’s thinking because he’s just not that predictable, but I could see him looking to make at least one structural change this summer. Areas where I think he might look …

Goal … yeah, they hit the luck lottery this year but they’ve also crapped out in that lottery before. I like Buss as a backup/tandem. I like Kooch as a backup/tandem. Both of them are paid at that level. I don’t trust Freddie at all. I could see a move for another more veteran guy, depending on who pops up. Markstrom? Maybe. Ullmark if he wants out of Ottawa also, and who could blame him? Maybe. Hellebuyck? Sure, if the price isn’t too stupid. The only thing I’d discount is signing Bob to a UFA deal because the money and term would be too dumb.

Top 6 … again, I can see Carolina taking a swing at either a scoring wing or a power wing. There are a lot of possibilities, so … yeah.

Checking Center … I think the Canes are happy with the Aho/Stankoven look, even if I might think about Larkin as an option to get one of them back to the wing. Personally, I think finding a Plan B for Staal’s eventually age curve is something that would be a lot easier to address. I don’t think Trocheck or Hischier fit the profile here or in the Top 9, but it wouldn’t shock me to see Tulsky take a swing at a “fit” player since nobody on the roster can carry Staal’s duties if he starts to slip into late career Brind’Amour territory. There’s a reason Tulsky was in on Phil Danault when he moved to Montreal, and this is it.

Defense … personally, I think the D group is set through next year, but you might have to backfill if Nikishin or somebody else gets included as out-going in another deal. In which case, think RD. Either a guy who can step in with Slavin in heavy rotation or just a more garden variety 3rd pair go to ride with Ghost.
 
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Really only 2 moves needed....Hellebuyck and Larkin. Too easy. Make it happen :ROFLMAO:
Sure. Easy peasy

Seriously, I think the Canes have the powder for one big swing. And Tulsky hasn’t been acting like a guy who’s done taking swings. If anything, this Cup win seems to have put a little more swagger in his step.
 
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