Last Friday, on the first day of free agency, GM Jim Rutherford told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer this:

Rutherford indicated there is "one of the bigger free agents" who might take a one-year deal with Canes. — Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) July 5, 2013

Obviously the Canes haven’t signed anyone since then, so who could this mystery player be?

Alexander also tweeted that the player is looking at a one-year deal in the $3-3.5 million range. You also have to figure that the player has to be a forward since the Canes already have a logjam on defense after the Mike Komisarek signing.

Some of the “bigger free agents” that are forwards include Jaromir Jagr, Brenden Morrow, Mikhail Grabovski and Damien Brunner

Some on Twitter speculated that the player could be Jagr, but Alexander tweeted that the speculation was not true.

There has also been a lot of talk of Grabovski, who was bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs like Komisarek.

Grabovski is a center looking for top six minutes and that’s not what the Canes have available. However, he could play on the third line with Elias Lindholm and

The Toronto Maple Leafs used a compliance buy-out on Mikhail Grabovski this summer. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Dwyer creating a formidable two-way line.

Morrow would be another good addition as he is a tough player to play against and a leader in the locker room. He could also slot in on the third line helping on defense and potting some goals every now and then.

But perhaps the most interesting player still on the market is Brunner. The 27-year-old is the youngest of the bunch and just played his first season in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings after playing in the Swiss league for most of his life.

With 26 points in 44 games and a strong playoffs, Brunner showed he belongs in the NHL. He’d be a great addition to the Canes’ offense and would be able to move up and down the lineup.

This is all speculation, but chances are the Hurricanes will add a forward sometime in the near future.