One of many storylines heading into the 2024 offseason was the variety of gamers on the buying and selling block. Though a couple of gamers have already been moved to new golf equipment, Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets has nonetheless not discovered a brand new dwelling. Hoping to alter that, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported yesterday that the Carolina Hurricanes are pushing closely for Ehlers’ companies.
Carolina’s curiosity comes as no shock with the workforce shedding Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen on the free-agent market in solely every week. Buying a participant of Ehlers’ caliber might assist soften the blow for the Hurricanes as they appear to proceed their dominance within the NHL’s Metropolitan Division through the common season. Carolina would additionally current a pure commerce associate for Winnipeg as they’ve a change-of-scenery candidate, as properly.
The probability of Carolina transferring on from ahead Martin Necas has definitely dissipated over the past a number of days because the Hurricanes could also be higher served by signing the restricted free agent to contract with the quantity of depth they misplaced up entrance. Nonetheless, if Carolina remains to be trying to commerce Necas, a one-for-one swap with the Jets would possibly take advantage of sense. Assuming that each gamers are prepared to debate an extension as part of the deal — a commerce involving Ehlers for Necas is likely to be the simplest path ahead for either side.
Ehlers’ fashion of play would match seamlessly in Carolina as he has one of many higher possession video games within the league. All through his tenure in Winnipeg relationship again to the 2015-16 NHL season, Ehlers has scored 201 targets and 457 factors in 605 video games whereas averaging a CorsiFor proportion of 57.6 over that stretch. The largest criticism of Ehlers’ recreation, and concurrently for the Hurricanes, is his lack of efficiency through the postseason as he’s solely scored 4 targets and 14 factors in 37 playoff contests.