RALEIGH - With their once promising season crashing down around them, the Carolina Hurricanes are shopping the few tradable assets they have left. Although GM Norm Donovan has steadfastly geared his club towards the future, he asserts that not all veteran players will be moved by the end of the season.
"If you look at guys like Dean McAmmond or Aaron Ward - although they are veteran players they are also under fairly reasonable contracts. I think it would better serve our club if we kept them around for the next few years to help the younger guys than to simply peddle them for mid round picks."
Which is not to say that Donovan won't move such players if the right deal came along. Although he has shown himself to be cautious in his dealings, there is no such thing as an untouchable in Carolina... save perhaps Eric Staal.
More likely to be moved however are the more expendable members of the squad - role-players and depth guys who could be moved for picks, prospects and youth. Most prominent is of course goalie Mike Dunham who has been unspectacular as a starter, but could be a reliable veteran backup for a playoff-bound team. Other names like Bates Bataglia, Craig Adams, Marty Murray and Martin Samuelsson could plug holes in the 3rd or 4th lines.
"We know that a trade might come over the next little while, but we are all professionals," said defender Niclas Wallin, who has strongly suggested that he will test the free agency market in the off-season, "we know the direction the team is headed in the long-term and if a guy doesn't fit, better to trade him somewhere that might better suited."
The Hurricanes, who are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, sit 3rd from the bottom in the Eastern Conference and 10 points out of playoff contention.