When Jake Gardiner was signed, there was speculation that it could lead to the end of Justin Faulk’s time in Carolina. The Hurricanes are over the cap and already have a very strong but crowded blue line.
Now it's looking more realistic than ever that Faulk could be moved.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted today that the Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks have been “intensely” discussing a trade involving Faulk. He added that the Ducks are interested in re-signing Faulk to an extension. One potential holdup is that Faulk does have a partial no-trade clause that includes Anaheim, according to Friedman.
Believe the Hurricanes have a deal in place with Anaheim for Faulk. Anaheim is not listed among his 15 preapproved teams, so it’s in Faulk’s hands now. Hurricanes have had a longstanding interest in Ondrej Kase, would be surprised if he isn’t involved.
Luke DeCock added that the Hurricanes have “longstanding interest” in Ducks forward Ondrej Kase and believes he would be involved in the deal. While we don't know the likelihood of the deal actually happening, with Kase, the Hurricanes would get a 23-year-old right winger to replace Justin Williams who could be around long-term and could potentially produce over 50 points per year. If this is the case, this deal could turn out to be a big win for the Hurricanes.
Moving Faulk would mean the Hurricanes likely shift to a top-four of two pairings split between a left and right shot defender in each. It would also mean there’s more room for the likes of Gustav Forsling, Haydn Fleury and even Jake Bean to get playing time on the third pair with Trevor van Riemsdyk.
With Faulk on an expiring contract and likely to be moving on from Carolina at season’s end anyways, a trade seems like the most realistic way to go with Faulk. Whether the deal happens remains to be seen but some sort of a Faulk for Kase trade would be a win for the Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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