NHL Rumors: Hurricanes Interested In Canucks' Miller

The Carolina Hurricanes have really been making the rounds checking in on any potential center they can add at the trade deadline for their playoff run. They are serious contenders and have a glaring hole on their second line at center. Seeing as Max Pacioretty is out for the remainder of the season, they have a lot of cap space to work with.

Elliotte Freidman said that the Hurricanes have interest in JT Miller, but it likely won't lead to anything. Seeing how the Vancouver Canucks are trying to retool, moving someone they prematurely committed to long-term could free up a good amount of cap space to work with. Miller is signed for seven more years at $8 million AAV and his new contract that has a no-trade clause attached doesn't kick in until the summer.

With the Hurricanes in desperate need for an impactful centerman, not only for this season, but down the line, something could realistically happen. But in order for the Hurricanes to make a deal like this, there would be a high chance they would need Jesperi Kotkaniemi to be headed back to Vancouver. He has split time between the second and fourth line at center and just hasn't been the player the Hurricanes had hoped he would. He is overpaid and signed for seven more years at $4.82 million AAV. It would help offset the cost and allow the Canucks to move on from a so-called "prick" in the locker room.

The Hurricanes would have no problem adding someone like that as they regularly bring in players with attitude problems or who may have problems in the dressing room like Tony DeAngelo and Dougie Hamilton. More would have to be sent the Canucks way if a deal were to happen, but as Friedman said, it's unlikely.