The Carolina Hurricanes were particularly quiet on Friday, getting only one player, Nick Deslauriers, an hour before the deadline. However, by the final minutes of the deadline, it was noted that they were working with the New York Rangers in an effort to bring back Vincent Trocheck.old north state'.
The deal had fallen through by three, and Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky soon joined the media, where he called the price too high for this season. Now, one of the top NHL insiders, Elliotte Friedman, has revealed that he may have heard about the heavy demand for Trocheck.
On Monday, Friedman joined Sportsnet's The Fan Hockey Show to discuss his perspective on the trade deadline. One of the first topics they discussed was Rangers' price tag for the 32-year-old centreman.
"I will say this, I talked to another team that was on Trocheck," he said. "They told me the Rangers were looking for a first-rounder, a player off your roster, and a legitimate prospect. That was a lot, and they decided not to pay it.
"I heard that's what was asked. I don't know what Carolina was willing to do, but [Tulsky] Just said 'Hey, this is too much for us'."
Really Overpriced Trading Deadline
Realistically, a first-round pick, roster players and quality prospects aren't a particularly high price for someone to fill the top-six center role. However, if the price tag for Carolina had remained the same as it was for the team referenced by Friedman, the Rangers may have been eyeing specific players or prospects that the Hurricanes were unwilling to part with.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the top name on the trade block, while Alexander Nikishin was rumored to be the name available at the right price: a superstar-level player with a good contract. With that in mind, Kotkaniemi would likely be the only roster player the Hurricanes would be willing to trade for Trocheck, and the Rangers would likely be considering other players instead.
Later on in the show, Friedman said he believed the Hurricanes looked at other players who could fill that role, but ultimately came up with nothing.
Many believed that Robert Thomas could have been a fit for Carolina, but Friedman also pointed out that if a deal had been attempted, the price the Buffalo Sabers would have paid the St. Louis Blues would have 'devastated' the Rochester Americans, adding that they would have had to trade for AHL vets to fill out their roster.
Considering what the Hurricanes had to lose, it seems like a conservative deadline approach may be better than it initially seemed.
