The NHL can be a fickle place.
One second, you're a building block, a main cog in the machine viewed as indispensable and a priority for the front office to get signed to a contract extension. The next, you're the subject of trade rumors and that very same front office is planning to potentially ship you, unceremoniously, out of town.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Andrej Sekera and forward Jiri Tlusty, are experiencing this phenomena right now, stuck right in the middle of the league's wishy-washy nature.
According to a recent rumor from TheFourthPeriod.com, the Hurricanes are interested in signing both Sekera and Tlusty to contract extensions. But, barring new deals for each, the team will instead look to ship them out to some corner of the far-flung reaches of the NHL realm, seeking to receive commensurate value in return.
"Two separate league sources confirmed to the TFP the Hurricanes would like to re-sign both players to contract extensions.
"However, if Hurricanes GM Ron Francis is unable to sign Tlusty and/or Sekera to new deals by March, there is a good chance he'll trade them before the deadline."
The league has entered its annual roster freeze, so nothing will happen until after the holidays. But it sounds like Sekera, the team's alternate captain, and Tlusty could be pressured to either sign or see their fates sealed as Hurricanes.
The 28-year-old Sekera is in the final year of a four-year deal which carries a cap hit of $2.75 million. He's a stay-at-home defenseman with limited offensive skill who provides a strong leadership presence and locker room personality.
Tlusty signed a one-year, $2.95 million deal before the season. The 26-year-old Czech is a former first-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who has produced well in the last few seasons after spending the early portion of his career splitting time between the NHL and AHL level. He may never live up to his first-round draft status, but he's a quality player averaging over 30 points in the last three years.
As pending free agents, both Sekera and Tlusty could prove valuable rental commodities for a contender seeking a specific piece.
