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Tomorrow the National Hockey Leagues version of Christmas will take place. Teams in the playoff hunt (or teams who are very close to a playoff spot) typically become “buyers” this time of year. These teams will usually end up trading away prospects and/or draft picks to the teams who sit at the bottom of the rankings (the “sellers”) and in return the buyers pick up better than average NHL players they feel will add something to the current makeup of their team.

The Carolina Hurricanes were labeled sellers as early as December. Their most valuable trade assets were forward Tuomo Ruutu and defenseman Tim Gleason who had their fates all but sealed. Tim Gleason was going to end being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers and Tuomo Ruutu could have ended up on a few different teams (Detroit seemed to be one of the front runners.) But that didn’t end up happening, in a move that surprised many, the Carolina Hurricanes ended up resigning Ruutu and Gleason to four year deals.

By choosing to keep Gleason and Ruutu the Hurricanes, in effect, closed the door on picking up any more high round draft picks or top rated prospects this season. It also opened the option for the Hurricanes to try and resign fellow Unrestricted Free Agents Bryan Allen and Jaroslav Spacek. Both players bring something that makes them worthwhile to keep around.

Jaroslav Spacek came in with very low expectations from fans, but after 25 games with the Hurricanes, he has 3 goals and 6 assists and is a plus one. The 38 year old defenseman has over 850 NHL games over the course of his career and that veteran experience is certainly a benefit not only to the team each night but to 24 year old Jamie McBain and 19 year old Justin Faulk who usually end up getting paired with him. Of course Rutherford will gauge how interested Spacek is when presented with the idea of staying with the team (former teammate and now head coach Kirk Muller will likely also try to apply the pressure) but Spacek will also be given the option of going to a contender if that opportunity should arise.

Bryan Allen is the second oldest blueliner (behind Spacek) at 31 years old, but compared to most of the Hurricane defensive crop he’s having one of the better seasons. Averaging 19:12 minutes per game he is only one of three defensemen to have a positive plus – minus record. He’s ranked 9th in the league for blocked shots and (I said this at the time the Hurricane acquired him) the 6’5’’ 226lbs defenseman fits the physical mold of the type of defenseman the Hurricanes need (and if the trade him don’t have a ready replacement for.)

According to Chip Alexander, who covers the Hurricanes for the Raleigh News & Observer, General Manager Jim Rutherford spoke with Allen’s agent today about possibly resigning and said that it “wasn’t going to happen.” Now things could change between now and the end of tomorrow, and Rutherford has been wrong on these things before (Jussi Jokinen wasn’t originally supposed to stick around), but if Allen does get traded I think we will see Spacek stay (and vice versa.)

I’ll be available all day tomorrow and will have an blog post up where you can comment on trade happening throughout the day, I’ll include my thoughts and bring you the latest Hurricane news.

Your call: Which players will the Hurricanes end up trading?

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