While the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is officially underway, trade rumors have not stopped over the last few weeks. The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is under a month away and the free agency period is fast approaching. Furthermore, the re-sign phase will start on July 1 and teams are trying to figure out who will stay or go. Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, there are a plethora of questions surrounding the team. They have a vast number of players who will become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) along with a couple of restricted free agents (RFAs). Usually, it is a good sign of someone coming back the next season if they are an RFA compared to their UFA counterparts. However, that does not seem to be the case for Hurricanes’ forward Martin Necas.
Related: 2 Trade Destinations for Hurricanes’ Martin Necas
Once it was made clear that Necas could be on the trade block, it seems every team in the NHL has “called” Carolina to discuss a possible trade involving the disgruntled Czech winger. It appears he wants more playing time at even strength and on the powerplay. That being said, if the two sides cannot come to a compromise, there is a chance the 25-year-old could be dealt before the 2024-25 season.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on the 32 Thoughts Podcast has stated that the Vancouver Canucks have shown interest a couple of times during the 2023-24 season regarding Necas. There were talks of a possible trade involving Elias Pettersson while more recent “rumors” have been around Filip Hronek. Despite those trade talks, one could involve a Western Canadian team that could help Carolina in multiple facets of moving on from Necas and another forward. Furthermore, it could include strengthening a position and bringing in a winger to replace him for the 2024-25 season. It is a trade that could “fire up” the chances for the Hurricanes to make a deeper playoff run next season.
Stoking the Flames of Trade Talks
A possible trade that could help the Hurricanes for the 2024-25 season involves the Calgary Flames. Rumors have been circulating that they almost dealt goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils. Regarding the Hurricanes, inquiring about a trade could benefit the team not only for the upcoming season but for 2025-26 as well. Markstrom has two years left on a six-year, $36 million deal he signed back in October 2020. He does carry a full no-move clause which he did waive last season in the potential trade to the Devils. His $6 million average annual value (AAV) is higher than what the Hurricanes are paying right now for their tandem in Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. However, goaltending was an issue for the team throughout the 2023-24 season where at one point no one had over a .900 save percentage (SV%).
Adding Markstrom for two seasons could give them an understanding of where they will be at the goaltending position through the 2025-26 season. Andersen is set to become a UFA after the 2024-25 season, so Markstrom could fill a need a year earlier than expected if Carolina adds him to the roster. If they do, it could lead to them trading Andersen and his $3.4 million cap hit to make room for Markstrom’s $6 million.
Markstrom during the 2023-24 season finished with a 23-23-2 record with a 2.78 goals-against average (GAA) and a .905 SV% in 48 starts for the Flames. It was a bounce-back season for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy finalist after a tough 2022-23 season where he finished with a sub-.900 SV%. When it comes to the 34-year-old Swedish netminder, he is capable of being a bonified starter in the net for the majority of the league and even someone who could be a 1A in a tandem with a rising star in Kochetkov. CapFriendly has him scouted as a 90-grade, 1A netminder who can still take a bulk of the minutes.
Related: 3 Trade Destinations for Flames’ Jacob Markstrom
What works for the Hurricanes is that both Markstrom and Andersen are the same age, but they can have control of the current Flames netminder for the 2024-25 season along with 2025-26. Two years of where they do not have to worry about the goaltending situation and getting someone like Markstrom could help bring a slight upgrade to the position during the regular season and the playoffs. Nothing against Andersen who went on a seven-game winning streak for Carolina after missing over 40 games due to a blood clotting issue. However, if a slight upgrade in the net can help the Hurricanes get over the hump, maybe trading for Markstrom, who has an additional year of term, could be something the team can look into for the now and the future. Along with getting Markstrom, the Hurricanes could acquire another player who could replace Necas if he is dealt to the Flames. Furthermore, adding him could alleviate Carolina from a contract that they might not want to keep past the 2024-25 season.
Trade One 88 for Another 88
The replacement for Necas could bring flexibility to the Hurricanes roster. Along with Markstrom, they could look to add Toronto, ON native and winger Andrew Mangiapane to the deal. Mangiapane is in the last year of his three-year, $17.4 million deal that he signed in August 2022. It does have an eight-team no-trade list which might not have the Hurricanes on it. However, if they are, he could waive it like Brent Burns did before the 2022-23 season. He finished the 2023-24 season with 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games for the Flames while having a plus-7 on the year.
Mangiapane could be a solid replacement for Necas while being able to play on either wing for the Hurricanes. Necas is an RFA this offseason who is looking for over $6 million AAV with five or six years of term. While he is three years older than Necas, Mangiapane could bring in a scoring touch that he has had over the last three seasons. He had a career year in 2021-22 where he tallied 35 goals and 55 points in 82 games. Furthermore, the last three seasons have seen him eclipse 40 points and close to over 15 goals in the process. Like Necas, a change of scenery could help Mangiapane thrive in a different system along with seeing him play in the top-six more often. Plus, he could see an uptick in time on ice (TOI) that saw him only get 16 minutes last season on a struggling Flames team. Given more minutes on a better team like the Hurricanes, who’s to say we don’t see Mangiapane hit 50-plus points again and around 20-25 goals?
Related: Flames Weekly: Point Streak Snapped, Mangiapane, Vladar, & More
Adding Mangiapane along with Markstrom would give the Hurricanes a solid replacement for Necas with a chance to extend him for a couple of more seasons. Regarding Markstrom, it gives a slight upgrade at the goaltending position while giving Carolina another year of term. While it is clear that Necas is a part of the deal, there is one other player who will have to go with him to Calgary to make this trade worth it.
Moving on From Kotkaniemi
The other Hurricanes player who would have to be a part of the deal is Finnish forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi. He had a tough season where he only tallied 12 goals and 27 points in 79 games, and in the 2024 NHL Playoffs, he had one point in 11 games. He will be entering the third year of his eight-year, $38.56 million deal that he signed in March 2022. This is the season for the Hurricanes to possibly trade Kotkaniemi as his 10-team no-trade clause kicks in for the 2025-26 season. The 23-year-old Finnish center did have a career season in 2022-23 where he had 18 goals and 43 points in 82 games. However, the 2023-24 season was not a good one for him. What does not help is that his $4.82 million AAV gives his numbers a glaring indicator that he is not living up to his contract.
Regressing to under 30 points in two of the three seasons with the Hurricanes is not something that makes his AAV stomachable. He’s had only one 40-plus point season since his rookie season in 2018-19. While he is young and still three seasons away from his prime, his contract is one Carolina might need to move on from sooner rather than later.
Related: Flames Could Look to Trade for Kotkaniemi This Offseason
Moving on from him in a deal that mainly involves Necas could be a two-birds, one-stone move for Carolina. Trading away a frustrated Necas while getting rid of the Kotkaniemi deal could give them flexibility for the next few seasons with so many UFA/RFA players coming up. Some would say moving on from a 25 and 23-year-old would make the team somewhat younger. However, the Stanley Cup window is now, and waiting for Kotkaniemi to find his 40-plus point form or Necas to stay consistent is something that has moved the timeline up quicker than expected. If Necas is not happy, maybe a change of scenery will be beneficial for him and the team. Furthermore, getting flexibility from the removal of the Kotkaniemi contract will help the Hurricanes in the present and future. That being said, what could a deal with all of these players look like that benefits both the Hurricanes and Flames?
Trade Scenario
After all of that, it’s clear that Markstrom and Mangiapane would be coming to the Hurricanes with the return being Necas and Kotkaniemi. However, there will be draft picks involved to make it a fair deal with a light brush of sweetener in the trade to make it possible. Here is what the Flames and Hurricanes trade could look like:
Calgary Flames receive:
- RW, Martin Necas (RFA rights)
- C, Jesperi Kotkaniemi (six years left, $4.82 million AAV)
- 2024 2nd Round Pick (Carolina)
- 2025 4th Round Pick (Carolina)
Carolina Hurricanes receive:
- G, Jacob Markstrom (two years left, $6 million AAV)
- LW/RW, Andrew Mangiapane (one year left, $5.8 million AAV)
- 2024 2nd Round Pick (via Dallas Stars)
- 2025 Conditional 3rd Round Pick (Calgary)
A simple pick swap could wash out the value in that aspect since Carolina does not have a 3rd round pick in 2025 but a 2nd and 4th works well with acquiring the Flames’ 2nd via the Stars. Furthermore, Necas is highly sought after so a conditional 3rd could be even with a 4th in the same year depending on what conditions are added to the trade. What makes the trade interesting and doable is the almost even swap of Mangiapane and Kotkaniemi’s AAV, despite one having one year left compared to six. All in all, it is a deal that could potentially work for both sides. Calgary ends up getting one guy they have been interested in while re-tooling with a 23-year-old forward who plays center.
Regarding the Hurricanes, as mentioned earlier, it gives them an upgrade in the net along with replacing Necas on the wing. There could be more added if need be, but it is a trade that could work for both teams.
Offseason Coming Fast
We are less than a month away from the NHL Draft and the start of the next “NHL season” on July 1 which features the re-sign phase and free agency. It’ll be interesting to see what the Hurricanes will do with their current roster while trying to re-sign upcoming RFAs and UFAs. If there is a deal in place that includes the players mentioned in this piece, it is one to be considered if you’re the Flames and Hurricanes. Let us at The Hockey Writers know what you think of the deal in the comments.
