NHL Trade Rumors: Hurricanes Recent Signing Turned Down More Money To Sign In Carolina

The Carolina Hurricanes have been building for a few years now, to the point where many expect them to be a genuine Stanley Cup contender in 2022/23, and the addition of veteran Paul Stasny to the team for $1.5 million is an example of a great, but under the radar signing that helps teams take the next step. There were plenty of teams interested in Stasny, including the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights, and according to Elliot Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: the podcast, Stasny turned down more money from Vegas to head to Carolina.

Stasny played in Las Vegas from 2018-2020, before being traded back to the Winnipeg Jets, and with such pressure on their salary cap, poor goal tending and a very tough Western Conference, it's understandable that he would take less money to join a genuine contender like the Hurricanes. Stasny, a 16-year veteran in the NHL has earned an estimated $84 million over the course of his career, and at 36-years old, it's clear now that he can prioritize winning a Stanley Cup.

Stasny has had a long and fruitful NHL career, racking up 284 goals and 800 points over his career with 5 NHL teams, and given the moves that Carolina made this off-season, they have a very good chance of taking out the Eastern Conference in 2022, after coming up short against the New York Rangers a season ago. Stasny, along with new addition Brent Burns will add a veteran presence that this lineup needs, and if both can be productive, this will be a fun, competitive team to watch yet again in 2022/23. 

Photo Credit: Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports