Carolina’s Blockbuster NHL Trade Could Upend the East

The Florida Panthers have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for the better part of the past four seasons but last week’s blockbuster NHL trade between Carolina and Colorado may have swung things in the Hurricanes’ direction.

Since 2022, the Panthers have won the President’s Trophy as the top regular-season team in the NHL, have won the Eastern Conference championship twice, and are now trying to defend their Stanley Cup title.

But the Hurricanes, a team which Florida swept in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, just got a lot stronger.

A big trade, in the NHL as well as other professional sports leagues, can change a team’s direction in a hurry.

And the Hurricanes pulled off a monster.

Using the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks as conduit, the Hurricanes and Avalanche pulled off one of the biggest in-season trade deals in NHL history on Friday night.