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Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates a goal with the bench during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Lenovo Center on Feb. 3, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Seconds after the puck drifted across the goal line behind Ottawa goalie James Reimer — after Seth Jarvis removed himself from the dog pile at the top of the crease in which Reimer was also entangled — Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and his teammates gathered briefly to celebrate Aho’s 20th goal of the season, before skating single file toward the Canes’ bench.
Each player on the ice tapped hands with each player on the bench, customary for many teams following a goal.
Aho’s goal tied the Hurricanes’ game against the Senators at Lenovo Center on Tuesday at a goal apiece. Two Seth Jarvis goals, a snipe from captain Jordan Staal and 27 saves from Brandon Bussi helped the Canes defeat the Senators, 4-3.
The Hurricanes play again on the road Thursday at the New York Rangers, but Tuesday’s matchup was the last at Lenovo Center until Feb. 26, on the back side of 2026 Olympic Games.
And it’s fair to wonder how many of those players with whom Aho tapped hands Tuesday will be on that same bench the next time the Finnish forward scores a goal in Raleigh.
Aho, of course, isn’t going anywhere, except to Italy to represent Finland in the Olympics. And Jarvis, snubbed for a spot on Team Canada, will most certainly be back after whatever sojourn he decides to take over the next couple of weeks.
But others on the bench and on the Canes’ full roster? It depends what general manager Eric Tulsky, owner Tom Dundon and head coach Rod Brind’Amour decide the team needs to make an all-in run at the Stanley Cup — again.
NHL trade deadline looms after Olympic break
The NHL’s trade deadline this season — March 6 — feels like it’s a bit later than normal due to the two-week Olympic break. By then, the Hurricanes will have played 61 games, with just 21 remaining in the regular season. There is also a roster freeze during the Olympic break, meaning teams cannot make player transactions during that time.
But with those constraints in mind, some teams have already started tweaking their rosters.
The first big moves came simultaneously in December, with Minnesota acquiring star defender Quinn Hughes from Vancouver, and Edmonton swapping starting goalies with Pittsburgh. Since then, Vegas added defender Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, the Islanders added forward Ondrej Palat form the New Jersey Devils, and the San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks
The Hurricanes have made a series of minor moves, shifting players most likely to play the remainder of this season in the American Hockey League or in the ECHL. But in almost every corner of the Internet, rumblings about the Hurricanes being “in on” other players — high-impact players — continue to surface.
Elias Pettersson of Vancouver. Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Old friend Vincent Trochek, also of the Rangers. Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington, also of the Blues.
Search any of those names — and a few others — with “Hurricanes,” and a treasure trove of possibilities pops up. There is most definitely smoke. But is there fire?
Probably. Tulsky has said many times the Canes are always kicking the tires on possibilities, that it never hurts to answer the phone, or make a call. But the cost has often not matched the return, and in most cases, Carolina (or another team) has taken a pass on the possible deal.
The Canes did swing big and succeed a year ago, landing star forward Mikko Rantanen (and Taylor Hall, by the way) for an outgoing package that included Martin Necas and Jack Drury.
We know how that turned out — Hall is still here, Rantanen is not, and Logan Stankoven and K’Andre Miller have since arrived as fruits of that trade tree.
But the Canes took that swing. They’ve proven unafraid to do so in recent years.
What big trade could the Canes cook up?
Signs point to the Hurricanes again making a good-sized move before March 6. They have cap space. They have specific roster needs — a high-end center, stability in goal — and they have a stable of young, talented players and some good draft picks to deal. The Canes also have a glut of NHL-ready players on their roster and a few with Chicago in the AHL, should they need a roster player or two to complete a deal.
But deals of that nature don’t come cheap. Fervent fans who expect to acquire a star player while shedding struggling assets are continually disappointed during deadline dealings like this. In 2025, it took a top-line forward and a solid grinder and special teams ace, along with draft picks, to take a chance on Rantanen. Dealing from a position of weakness on the negotiating front — when teams already know what you want and need — can drive prices higher.
But the Hurricanes will almost assuredly need to do something, whether external or internal, to keep pace with other teams who will almost assuredly also do something.
The Hurricanes have played well in 2026. After Tuesday night’s win over the Senators, the Canes are 11-3-3 since the acorn dropped in Raleigh.
Through 56 games, the Canes are 35-15-6 (76 points). They are in first place by a healthy margin in the Metropolitan Division. They are at least tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with Tampa Bay, and trail only the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche (81 points) for the NHL lead.
Jarvis, who had a pair of goals Tuesday, is on a heater. Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho are, too. The “Kids and (the) Hall” line are constantly buzzing around and making things happen. Staal, Jordan Martinook and (insert player here) continue to make life difficult for opposing players, and of late, Nikolaj Ehlers alongside the Jordans has added more offense to that group’s repertoire.
Bussi, with his win Tuesday, is 22-3-1 on the season, and Frederik Andersen has a chance to recharge and find his game as he and Ehlers represent Denmark at the Olympics.
The biggest pieces are there. Who all is along for the ride 30 days from now remains to be seen.
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Justin Pelletier
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