"Initially I was just caught a little bit off guard," Haula said of the trade Wednesday during Da Beauty League, a set of 3-on-3 games featuring NHL players with ties to Minnesota. "I have a lot of good memories and a lot of good friends, and we've enjoyed our time [in Vegas]. But now that I've had a lot of time to let it settle in, I'm really excited for a new challenge and a good Carolina team."
Haula had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 games last season. He injured his knee in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 6 and had season-ending surgery.
"It was awful. It was one of the worst things I've gone through," Haula said. "It was very hard and very long, and it has been long time since I've played in a game. I'm sure it will take me a bit to get going, get back to contact. I haven't had any contact yet since, so I'm going to have to take advantage of training camp so I'm good to go at the start of the year."
Haula played his first four NHL seasons with the Minnesota Wild from 2013-17.
"You're going to a new group and you try to do your part to fit in as well as you can, and that's all you can do," he said. "You want to go in and make some friends and play to the best of your abilities. … It was fun to watch them [last season] and it's always fun to see where fans rally around the team, and hopefully that continues and we can keep producing this year."
