The Hurricanes currently sit holding a wild card spot for the playoffs with 11 games remaining in the inaugural BEARD Hockey season.
The trade deadline came and went and not even GM Jay Williams knew if he should be a seller or a buyer.
A week before the deadline, a deal was made to bring in Veteran Star centerman Ryan Getzlaf as playoff hopes were high. Ryan had immediate success with the Canes, posting 15 points (8G,7A) in 16 games, with a hat trick in his fourth game with the team.
Even with this addition, the Canes still sat with an unstable grasp on a playoff spot. Williams was expected to possibly move out players such as Getzlaf, Seabrook, Chara, all expected free agents this summer to focus on the future with the playoff outlook this season not very stable.
On deadline day, GM Williams surprised most when instead of moving out talent, he decided to bolster the teams defense by bringing in another pending UFA in Deryk Engelland.
That brings us to today, where the Canes still hold a shaky grasp on a playoff spot. Battling for a spot in the playoffs is thought to come down to the last games of the season for the East, where outside of the Florida Panthers, all East teams can still realistically make the dance.
Hopefully for the Canes management, the team can secure one of these spots as they stand to lose Getzlaf, Seabrook, and Chara this off season, leaving multiple big holes in the lineup.
On the bright side, if the Canes do miss the playoffs this year, they are still structured to make another run next season. A full season with Carey Price in the lineup should give the Canes a better start than they had this year with Rinne.
The fans are all hopeful for a playoff spot for their Carolina Hurricanes. Can the Canes deliver? Only time will tell.
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