When the 3 pm trade deadline passed Wednesday afternoon, it appeared that the Hurricanes 2009-2010 team would remain relatively intact. Two hours later, the promises of a day filled with trades had come true.
There was one thing missing however.
Over the past two months, Ray Whitney’s name had surfaced in several trade rumors and his picture was featured on the NHL’s website under the trade deadline section. However, at the end of the day Ray Whitney will remain a Carolina Hurricane.
Whitney’s name was rumored with several different teams, but as the day progressed the possibility of him getting traded seem to dwindle. He was rumored to go anywhere from Boston, to Pittsburgh (nixed late Tuesday night when they acquired Alex Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs), and most likely to Los Angles to play for the Kings. Whitney exercised his no-trade clause for a deal to the Kings in early February and reportedly nothing came in GM Jim Rutherford Wednesday that was worth considering.
While Whitney will get ready to lace up against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at the RBC Center, five of his teammates will not.
Early in the day Rutherford got his feet wet by sending veteran defenseman Aaron Ward to the Anaheim Ducks for goaltending prospect Justin Pogge as well as a fourth-round pick in either the 2010 or the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (it’s the Hurricanes choice of when to use it). Ward admitted to not playing well in the first part of the season, but said he felt his play had turned around when the new year came in. Pogge, 23, played in seven NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008-09, and has a career NHL record of 1-4-1 with a 4.35 goals-against average. He has spent the 2009-10 season with San Antonio of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting a 12-7-3 record with a 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. In 165 career AHL games with Toronto and San Antonio, Pogge has earned a record of 83-63-14, with a 2.69 goals-against average.
Minutes later the Canes sent gritty forward Scott Walker to the Washington Capitals for a seventh round pick in the upcoming draft. While this may not seem like much for a player as proven as Walker, it makes sense as the fan favorite has dealt with numerous injuries this season. The Capitals feature proven scorers but have lacked a player as hard nosed as Walker for many years.
Then the deadline came to an end. 3 pm passed and all was quiet.
Hurricanes fans might remember last season when the deadline passed, yet the Canes dealt Justin Williams in exchange for Erik Cole in a three-team trade. As long as the paperwork is passed through to the NHL office before 3:00 the trades still count, so numerous trades get announced after the actual deadline all the time.
Around 4:15 pm rumors began to surface regarding defenseman Joe Corvo. Shortly after, Corvo was gone to the join Walker in Washington. The return for the valuable, hard-shooting player was profitable. The Canes received veteran defenseman Brian Pothier, Finnish prospect Oskar Osala, and a second round pick in 2011. Pothier, 32, has played in 41 games for the Capitals this season, totaling four goals and seven assists. His plus-12 plus/minus rating currantly ranks him first on the time in that category. Osala, 22, has scored 15 goals and earned 14 assists in 53 games this season with the American Hockey League-leading Hershey Bears. The Vaasa, Finland, native began his North American professional career last season, registering 23 goals and 14 assists (37 points) in 75 regular-season games with Hershey. He has appeared in two games with the Capitals, both coming last season.
The rumors then turned toward fellow defenseman Andrew Alberts and future unrestricted free agent Stephane Yelle. Alberts quickly went to the Vancouver Canucks for a third round draft pick and Yelle quickly followed suit. The surprising Colorado Avalanche offered prospect Cedric LaLonde-McNicoll and their sixth round pick for Yelle and Canes prospect Harrison Reed. LaLonde-McNicoll, 21, is in his first full professional season, spending most of the season with Lake Erie of the AHL. He has totaled five goals and eight assists in 45 games with the Monsters on the AHL level, and has also played four games with Charlotte of the ECHL, totaling four points (1g, 3a).
Then the day was done. Rutherford left his office having just accomplished the busiest trading day of his long career as general manager. His deals give Hurricanes fans hope for, not only the future, but for the present as well. He managed to avoid trading a pivotal piece of the team and still received four 2010 draft picks and another pick for 2011. Along with the picks the Hurricanes received three promising prospects and an NHL-ready defenseman.
While time will tell on the draft picks and prospects, one thing is for sure. The Hurricanes have good reason to hold their heads up high based on a promising future and a realistic chance to make a strong run at the playoffs this season still.
