The Hurricanes haven't faded from the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, but GM Ron Francis can't be fooled into thinking his team is a Stanley Cup contender. The time is right to move on from captain Eric Staal. Francis should trade goalie Cam Ward if he can, but that's going to be difficult to do because of his $6.3 million salary cap charge and the low demand for veteran goalies on expiring contracts.
Five key forwards in play
Mikkel Boedker, Arizona Coyotes
Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames
Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg Jets
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Dale Weise, Montreal Canadiens
Ladd, a left wing with Cup-winning experience, would be an ideal fit with the Blackhawks and Panthers. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, a team mostly built by Panthers GM Dale Tallon. Familiarity is not a problem. It would take some cap finagling by Bowman to get it done, but he should be the Blackhawks' target. Tallon should be looking into him too because he could help the Panthers in the scoring department, a big need if they want to succeed in the playoffs.
Staal is another target for the Blackhawks and Panthers. It's also fair to wonder if the New York Rangers have an interest, and if so if they'd be able to make it work cap-wise. The former is likely true; the latter is more difficult.
If the Coyotes are going to be sellers, Boedker is the key. He's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and it doesn't look like anything is happening on the contract front between him and the Coyotes. The same holds true for Hudler and the Flames.
Weise is one of those players in Montreal that could be on another team next season. The Canadiens have fallen so far this season that a playoff berth seems unlikely. If GM Marc Bergevin can get value for Weise, he needs to do it.
Five key defensemen in play
Tom Gilbert, Montreal Canadiens
Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks
Nikita Nikitin, Edmonton Oilers
Kris Russell, Calgary Flames
Justin Schultz, Edmonton Oilers
Hamhuis and Russell could be fits with the Kings. It's fair if Kings GM Dean Lombardi hesitates because he missed on Andrej Sekera last season after giving the Hurricanes a first-round draft pick and a prospect for him shortly before the deadline. However, the Kings need to bolster their defense with a player who has experience and can play in a top-four role. Hamhuis and Russell, who have expiring contracts after this season, fit the mold.
Schultz is different because he'll be a restricted free agent after the season, giving the team that acquires him some control. That opens the door for the Oilers to look across the League, not just into contenders. There's a lot of chatter about how Schultz could benefit from getting out of Edmonton. There is some merit to that because he has played for five coaches in four seasons and hasn't been a favorite of current coach Todd McLellan, who made him a healthy scratch recently. The price for Schultz will be interesting.