When the Hurricanes dealt captain Giorgio Estephan and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner at the trade deadline, the move didn’t exactly scream “we’re a contender.” However, at the time, management assured the team’s fan base they weren’t giving in.
“I saw a headline that said, ‘Hurricanes continue to sell off’ — that one caught my attention,” Hurricanes’ general manager Peter Anholt said in a press conference on Jan. 10. “Because it couldn’t be further from the truth. We feel we’ve got the people in our dressing room to continue to compete.”
READ MORE: Hurricanes trade captain and goaltender in blockbuster deal
So far, in the first five games since the deal, those comments from Anholt have been backed up by his team’s play. The ‘Canes have picked up four wins and have points in all five games since the Western Hockey League trade deadline passed.
“I’m not overly surprised,” Anholt said on Thursday. “I think the guys that we brought in are good players and what I really like is some of our other guys have taken charge. That’s what you need when you make trades… I think [Jordy] Bellerive’s play has really taken off. He was playing well before, but he’s taken a whole different step.”
The ‘Canes’ GM is right. The new captain has been great, putting up eight points in the past five games. But he’s also being aided by the work of the Hurricanes’ new acquisitions.
Rookie Logan Barlage, acquired in the Estephan/Skinner trade, has four points since being acquired and scored a shootout winner in his first game with the ‘Canes when they played against Red Deer. The 2016 4th overall pick is supposed to be an important piece for the team’s future, but he’s already making an impact.
READ MORE: Former Lethbridge Hurricanes coach leading amazing minor hockey run
In the same trade, the ‘Canes swapped goaltenders with Swift Current, picking up Logan Flodell. The veteran goaltender has been steady for the Hurricanes, winning all four games he’s started.
Of the players acquired around the trade deadline, no one has made a bigger offensive impact than overager Brad Morrison. The Prince George product has nine points in five games since joining the ‘Canes. At times he’s made spectacular plays and his vision is paying off for his linemates.
“He really is talented, he can be a bit of a high-risk player, but he likes to make plays,” Anholt said. “He finds the open guy, and someone like Jordy (Bellerive) and (Zane) Franklin, the way they shoot it, they know that if they get open they can get the puck.
“We knew he was a really, really talented player when we acquired him. That being said, sometimes you don’t know totally until you get them into your lineup”
The ‘Canes’ new acquisitions are fitting in beautifully, but it is worth noting the team’s wins haven’t come against elite competition. None of the Hurricanes’ four victories have come against a team with a winning record.
Regardless, the ‘Canes are getting results against the teams put in front of them and in the midst of a five-game road trip, the hope is they can continue to strengthen bonds formed in the locker room.
“When you’re on the road and you’ve got a roommate in your room with you, you’re always together, eating meals together. So it’s a pretty good way to bond,” Kisio said. “Especially when you’re winning on the road — it’s a good way to bond.”
The ‘Canes hope they can keep rolling. Their next two games are in Prince George on Friday and Saturday.
Comments