The Carolina Hurricanes upgraded their goalie situation early this offseason by signing former Chicago Blackhawks back-up, Scott Darling.
While this move brings a lot of promise to future of the franchise, it leaves Carolina legend Cam Ward in a bit of a spot.
Cam Ward has one year left on his contract with the Hurricanes where they are set to pay him $3.5 million in the 2017 season. That price is fairly high for a 33-year-old who played his best hockey over five years ago.
Ward is an icon and will be remembered as the greatest goalie in franchise history for the foreseeable future, but the inevitability of age has caught up with him.
The front office will no doubt want to expel Ward’s salary from their books, so a trade is the most likely outcome. Ward still has the ability to be a starting goalie in the NHL, despite his play and age. He offers an experienced player in between the pipes and there are several teams in the league looking for a player on the level such as Ward.
Here are three potential teams the Hurricanes could deal Ward to.
Dallas Stars
The Stars displayed abysmal defense this season on their way to allowing 3.17 goals a game in the 2016 season.
The defense was a sore sight as well, but most of Dallas’ defensive woes can be placed on their net-minders. Goaltending was the reason for their departure from the 2016 playoffs and it was certainly the reason for their 34-37-11 record.
Both of the starters from this past season are not the options management will be looking for, making Cam Ward a savior. Ward is not an elite goalie anymore, but he is miles ahead of the players on Dallas’ roster. The Stars have two first round picks in the upcoming draft, with a pick in every following round as well.
The Hurricanes could easily find a suitor for Cam Ward in the Dallas Stars, and the thought of another dreadful season might be enough evidence to convince them to trade some draft picks for a new goaltender.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers were one of the most exciting teams in the NHL this season, bursting onto the hockey scene with the help from Connor McDavid.
In addition to McDavid’s magic, a huge factor in Edmonton’s success was the play of their goalie, Cam Talbot. The former backup of goalie legend Henrick Lundqvist, Talbot showed collectiveness and poise in net this season, proving to be just as productive a starter as his teacher.
Despite his brilliance, Talbot played an NHL-high 73 games, far exceeding the limits of an average goalie in the NHL. They still managed to make it to a Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks, but Talbot’s fatigue was easy to see.
A solid backup goalie might be the last piece Edmonton needs to take over the West, and Ward would be exactly what they are looking for. With so many young players still on rookie contracts, the Oilers have cap space to spare, taking the negative out of Ward’s pricetag. In addition, with Ward only having one year remaining on his contract, this could be the short-term solution the Oilers need until they find a permanent backup.
The Oilers hold eight draft picks this year, including two third-round picks and two fifth- round picks. The thought of having a reliable and consistent backup might be enough to convince Edmonton to part with some of their picks.
New York Islanders
The Islanders have managed to have one of the most potent offenses in hockey the past few seasons, but poor goalkeeping has kept them from advancing further than the second round of the playoffs.
Jaroslav Halak has proved to be inconsistent for the Islanders while fellow starter Thomas Griess will be a free agent soon. A very talented roster is going to waste without a solid goalkeeper and something needs to change.
They only have five draft picks this year, meaning this trade would need to be more player based. Ward is worth any solid forward or defenseman, which would allow Carolina to beef up some weak spots on the roster.
Ward has also been playing against the Islanders his whole career so the divisional rivals have plenty of first-hand experience of his skill. Ward could provide New York with enough wins to make the playoffs and give the offense a chance to win games.
New York also has a plethora of players that Carolina could go for, making this deal a low-risk option for the Hurricanes. General manager Ron Francis is focused on trying to direct Ward’s cap hit elsewhere, and New York might be the perfect place.