In a surprising turn of events, rumors began circulating earlier this week that the Carolina Hurricanes could consider trading defenseman Brett Pesce this offseason. The rumors were most likely partially fueled by Pesce’s decision to get new representation in Judd Moldaver earlier this month as well as the news of the eight-year, $50 million contract Damon Severson received in a sign-and-trade deal that allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire the 28-year-old defenseman from the New Jersey Devils. Then the rumors were ignited when TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Hurricanes would be open to moving Pesce if the two sides can’t agree on a contract extension in the near future.
LeBrun also reported that the Buffalo Sabres were one of the teams who have expressed interest in Pesce. Another team rumored to have expressed interest in him is the Edmonton Oilers.
I believe it would be a critical mistake if the Hurricanes’ front office, led by general manager Don Waddell, are unable to agree on an extension with Pesce. The 28-year-old who was drafted by the Hurricanes in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft is coming off a career-best season in which he finished with 30 points and led the team in blocked shots with 110 on the season. It’s important to note that LeBrun did clarify that the Hurricanes would prefer to sign Pesce to an extension rather than trade him.
Hurricanes Don’t Need to Alter Core
While there is a definite need for the Hurricanes to make a move this offseason to bolster the offense and add an elite finisher to the team, the last thing Waddell and company would like to do is have mass changes to the core group following a season in which they won the Metropolitan Division and made it to the Eastern Conference Final. I especially think this holds true for the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Pesce who has been a key asset to the Hurricanes’ defense that has been their identity under head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
The Hurricanes have had a ton of success over the past five years with Brind’Amour at the helm, in large part due to the impressive play of their defense during that time, which has been led by an elite blue line. Veteran netminders Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta have both produced at career-best levels during their time in Raleigh thanks to the quality of defense in front of them. If the organization allowed some of those key pieces from the blue line to go elsewhere, the Hurricanes’ defense could experience struggles as they adjust, which could lead to some identity issues in Raleigh.
Pesce Deserves Long-Term Deal
Pesce currently has one year remaining on his six-year, $25.15 million contract, so he’s more than due for a large increase in pay following his strong play throughout the first five years of that deal. He shares a lot of similarities to Severson including age and production, so I would assume that he’s looking for something in the ballpark of that eight-year, $50 million contract. I believe the concern that the Hurricanes could be weighing right now is the length of the deal rather than the amount of money or average annual value (AAV) on the deal.
However, despite his gritty and tough nature of play, Pesce has missed a very limited amount of action throughout his career and is coming off a season in which he played in all 82 games. While I understand signing a defenseman to a deal that runs through their mid-30s can seem risky, I don’t believe there’s evidence to support choosing not to sign him to a long-term deal of 7-8 years.
At the end of the day, I think the Hurricanes realize that Pesce is due for a considerable increase in pay and know that it’s in their best interest moving forward to make sure he is a part of the future in Raleigh.
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