NHL Trade rumors: could the Penguins and Hurricanes be partners in the near future?

When it comes to the National Hockey League and excelling as a General Manager, it feels like the best thing you can do to give yourself the best chances -- take advantage when a team is acting dumb and/or desperate. The Carolina Hurricanes may very well be doing both of these things.

If what Bob McKenzie said here is both accurate and true, it could make for a wild summer, and the Penguins should undoubtedly throw their hat in the ring and see what kind of deals they could make.

Tom Dundon has already shown that he is a very hands-on owner and his GM in place, Don Waddell, was responsible for the Atlanta Thrashers teardown of a team that through its best years featured Marian Hossa, Dany Heatley, and Ilya Kovalchuk at different times. Not a great start for them.

If you’re Jim Rutherford, you should be all over this situation with a few possibles ideas in mind. You could have an option where you pump the tires of 2-time Stanley Cup winner Conor Sheary, with a notable Stanley Cup Final OT game-winning-goal to move out from under that contract and target a defenseman like Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, or Jaccob Slavin.

If you’re looking more at forward depth, there are plenty of options available there as well — players such as Jeff Skinner, Teuvo Teravainen, or Elias Lindholm.

Regardless which route the Penguins want to go with this, it’s a no-brainer to get Don Waddell on the phone until he gives in and helps make the Penguins better during his Carolina Hurricanes teardown.