The Hurricanes missed on Connor Hellebuyck, but Eric Tulsky is still circling big fish like Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson.
“Whether it's Edvinsson, whether it's Larkin, whether it's somebody else, they're always there when it comes to the big fish that are available,” David Pagnotta said Friday on The Sheet.
He doesn't see the Hellebuyck miss as the trigger. The motivation is simpler: “wanting to put another ring on one of their fingers.”
The reigning champions had a fair offer on the table for months, according to Pierre LeBrun, then watched the Devils swoop in. Losing him to a Metro rival stings.
The crease explains the urgency. Pyotr Kochetkov sits at .899, and Brandon Bussi is at .865.
Everything else is humming. Carolina is 8-1-1 over its last 10 and 6-1-1 on the road.
Sebastian Aho leads the way with 16 points. Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss in Edmonton barely dented the momentum.
Eric Tulsky's Hurricanes circle two targets in Detroit
Both names sit with the Red Wings. Larkin wants out, and Full Press Hockey reported Carolina is among the teams on his list with the assets to get a deal done.
The 30-year-old has five points through eight games and carries an $8,700,000 cap hit.
Edvinsson is a different kind of swing. The 6-foot-6 defenseman had 25 points last season and is only 23.
Pagnotta also floated a scenario this week with Alexander Nikishin heading to Detroit. The Canes clearly have pieces Detroit would want.
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Carolina hunts trades like a fisherman who just lost the trophy marlin at the side of the boat. He doesn't head home. He baits another hook.
But chasing skaters while the crease sits under .900 is a bad bet. Tulsky should fix the net first, and worry about the shiny names after.
Rod Brind'Amour's group visits St. Louis on Saturday, then hosts Boston on Tuesday.
The Canes visit Detroit on December 31. By then, one of those big fish could be wearing Carolina colors, or Tulsky could still be standing on the dock.
Should the Hurricanes trade for Dylan Larkin before fixing their goaltending?
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