Carolina Hurricanes' Biggest Needs and Best Trade Fits at the Trade Deadline

"We hope to be fairly active."

So said Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, via Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, about his team's outlook for the upcoming trade rush prior to the March 2 NHL deadline.

Indeed, Francis has three sought-after upcoming free agents to exchange for future assets, an overpaid but resurgent goaltender to unload and a turbo-speed rebuild to initiate. And he has less than two weeks to do it.

Francis and the 'Canes—18 points out of the playoffs and clear sellers to the rest of the league—will be seeking the usual assortment of early-round draft picks, upper-tier prospects and maybe a young yet established NHLer or two.

Considering the assets they're currently shopping, finding possible trade partners should hardly be difficult, but the art of deadline-restricted negotiation will give Francis one of his first major tests as a GM.

What are the Hurricanes' biggest needs? Which teams or players could potentially fill those holes or desires? A breakdown falls on the coming slides.

What's the Need

The 'Canes will have eight picks in June's NHL draft—two in the sixth round and one in every other round. 

As the franchise seeks to reload its prospect base for the years ahead, the option that allows for the most choice and often proves the simplest to acquire is the method of hoarding first-round selections. The rebuild-crazed Buffalo Sabres already have three (and climbing); the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers both have two each.

Francis and the 'Canes will certainly attempt to join the club of teams with multiple early picks.

Possible Fits

Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman holds the first-round picks of two top Eastern Conference contenders: his own Lightning and the New York Rangers. Neither selection is likely to fall inside the top 20 overall, but the 'Canes may find acquiring one of Yzerman's pair the easiest path to getting a second first-round pick. 

Conveniently, both Sportsnet's Mike Johnston and Sports Illustrated's Allan Muir think Yzerman could have his eyes on Carolina defenseman Andrej Sekera, for whom the 'Canes are currently asking for a first-round pick.

As far as the Sekera sweepstakes go, however, the Los Angeles Kings may well be in the driver's seat. They, too, hold a first-round pick.

What's the Need

If the 'Canes unload Jiri Tlusty and (eventually) Alexander Semin and ultimately hope to get Elias Lindholm and Eric Staal back into center roles, they'll become just as weak and shallow on the wings as they are strong and deep down the middle.

Perennial elite teams such as Pittsburgh and Anaheim have, in recent years, excelled offensively primarily through moving young wingers onto top lines with established stars and watching the new wingers' point totals pile up. The 'Canes are a team well-designed to employ this same strategy, but they just need the right players to do it.

Possible Fits

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported earlier this week that the New York Rangers have strong interest in Andrej Sekera.

The Blueshirts don't have a first-round pick, but they do have Anthony Duclair, a 2013 third-round pick who has emerged as a legitimate A-grade prospect in recent seasons. Duclair has recorded 117 points in 74 games in the QMJHL since the start of 2013-14 and has played 18 games for the Rangers so far. He'd instantly become the most promising young winger, with the possible exception of Lindholm, in the 'Canes ranks.

Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet (h/t Josh Gold-Smith of The Score), the Dallas Stars are also inquiring about Sekera. 2013 first-rounder Jason Dickinson, a 6'2" left wing, hasn't exploded in quite the same fashion as Duclair over recent years, but he could win over Ron Francis' heart if paired with an additional asset.

What's the Need

As discussed on the previous slide, the 'Canes are certainly needier on the wings than they are at center.

The team's rebuilding situation, however, is non-drastic enough that Francis may opt for NHL youth rather than prospect youth. After all, this is a franchise that will mostly likely enter 2015-16 with renewed playoff hopes, and acquiring players who could actually contribute to that campaign next year might be preferred.

Possible Fits

Undrafted Montreal Canadiens rookie Jiri Sekac, 22, has performed impressively against the 'Canes twice this year and had an all-around solid first season for the Habs, scoring 16 points in 48 games.

He plays the same position (left wing), hails from the same country (Czech Republic) and even has the same first name as Jiri Tlusty, 26, whom the Canadiens have shown interest in, according to Sportsnet's Damien Cox.

Elsewhere, Ron Francis would certainly love to get his paws on Penguins winger Beau Bennett, 23, a former 20th overall pick in 2010 who has yet to break into the NHL full time. He still boasts a highly enticing skill set and could become a major game-changer for the less-stacked Carolina offense.

Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford is looking for a secondary scorer, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune, and Tlusty, historically a finisher who plays well with superior teammates, fits the bill perfectly. Former mentor Rutherford and apprentice Francis could have a good match here.

What's the Need

More of a risk worth taking than a need, the 'Canes have the cap space and the historical resume to justify adding a discounted player in need of a change of scenery.

It used to be a team staple—Jussi Jokinen, Sergei Samsonov, Joe Corvo and even the aforementioned Jiri Tlusty all simply played better in Carolina than anywhere else. The club has slipped away from the reputation in recent years, but there's always time to return to old habits.

Potential Fits

Cody Hodgson of the Buffalo Sabres and Viktor Stalberg of the Nashville Predators have both had productive seasons in the past but are about to get run of out town at their current teams.

Hodgson, a 40-point scorer in each of his last two full seasons, sports eight points and a minus-21 rating and has been a healthy scratch for the Sabres frequently as of late. Meanwhile, Stalberg, a former 22-goal scorer, has done virtually nothing since being signed by Nashville last summer and was just assigned to the AHL.

The pair of forwards carry $4.25 million and $3.0 million cap hits through 2018 and 2016, respectively, per Spotrac. If Francis can get the current owner of one of those players to retain a large portion of salary, he could land a upside-laden producer for virtually nothing.