Courtesy of the News Observer, a Carolina based newspaper:
Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said Thursday that a trade involving veteran defenseman Niclas Wallin was in the works and should be resolved before Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.
“We have a pending trade for him,” Rutherford said. “He has a no-trade (clause in his contract). He has to waive that, and I think at this point in time his agent is working through some things with the other team.
As Fear The Fin reported yesterday, TSN broke the news that Wallin would land in San Jose. No official sources have specified what players, prospects, or picks would be involved going the other way.
That being said, there has been some speculation.
“The guy who writes prospect articles on Sharkspage and is actually a hockey scout in real life, Max Giese, mentioned on HFBoards that Carolina is somewhat enamored with Joslin,” Fear The Fin commenter Tarlinian said. “I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if we saw something like Joslin and Shelley for Wallin.”
David Pollak of Working The Corners also mentioned that the Hurricanes were looking at a young asset to bring to their team.
If Joslin and Shelley are moved for Wallin, that would indicate Marc-Edouard Vlasic is due to be placed on the LTIR, granting them a cap space exception. In this situation, when Vlasic is reactivated, GM Doug Wilson will have to move another player.
Roster players that fit the requirements of being young and clear enough cap space include Devin Setoguchi, Torrey Mitchell, and Joe Pavelski. Common sense indicates Mitchell would be the likely candidate from this pool, leaving the Sharks with seven NHL defenseman on their current roster once Boyle and Vlasic return.
San Jose would also be left with four centers on the roster, those players being Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Manny Malhotra, and Scott Nichol. Barring a call up from the Worcester Sharks, it is possible Manny Malhotra will be bumped off of the second line in order to provide stability in the faceoff circle throughout the lineup, with Ryane Clowe seeing a return to the top six.
Logan Couture, Worcester’s top center, is currently dealing with a shoulder injury and it is uncertain as to when he will return.
Go Sharks.
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