The Carolina Hurricanes will have a direct phone line to Columbus

The Florida Panthers are just two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. This means the Carolina Hurricanes and the rest of the NHL are that much closer to postseason chaos. The Canes are expected to have a busy summer as 13 players will need new contracts from the organization.

Younger players who are restricted free agents will be passed through the trade rumor mill until the pen is printed on new contracts. Martin Necas has already been the subject of NHL trade rumors, and rightfully so.

Will Raleigh be getting more calls from Columbus than usual?

Recent general manager Don Waddell has now taken the helm of the Columbus Blue Jackets and will be busy putting his stamp on this roster this summer. Leaving so many players in Carolina unsigned must make him play as the Carolina players want and may be available.

Certainly, Canes management must have sensed a change in Waddell, but that doesn’t stop Waddell from knowing not only about the players in the organization, but also about the franchise’s thinking about those players. This will certainly give him an advantage in selecting players lower on his priority list.

Interim CEO Eric Tulsky has worked closely with Waddell for a decade and is able to get his feet wet in the retail market with a trusted friend in Waddell. Whether it’s prudent or not, one of the 13 players unsigned this summer will inevitably find a new one in Ohio.

Whether it’s ethical or not, let’s hope Don has enough soft space that Karolina and Tuslky don’t cheat the rookie GM. I’m sure seasoned general managers around the league are circling Tulski like sharks in water.

The almost inevitable Necasa trade may have been the beginning or end of the Tulski era. This is a move that will certainly need to be made first and prior to the upcoming NHL draft.