Oh how Vegas would have loved the news the Canes got the other day with newly acquired Max Pacioretty sidelined for 6 months after undergoing surgery. With Pacioretty out long-term and the loss of Nino Niederreiter to free agency, the Canes are suddenly in need of a top/middle six forward.
Enter Alex Kerfoot. Coming off of a 51 point campaign with the Leafs and entering the final year of his deal, Kerfoot could slot in anywhere in the Canes' middle six. Playing wing or center, along with the penalty kill and secondary powerplay unit, Kerfoot is the type of versatile forward the Canes lost in Niederreiter. At a cap hit of $3.5M for the season, it may seem like a stretch, but everyone knows that Canes owner Tom Dundon likes to save money and Kerfoot is only being paid $750K in actual cash this season.
Both teams will have to find a way to make money work, as both are over the cap currently. The Canes will have 8 NHL defensemen when former Leaf Jake Gardiner is activated from LTIR. The Leafs, as Dubas said, are in the market for a right-handed defenseman. Perhaps Ethan Bear? He would fit well on the right side with the Leafs and even open up the possibility of moving Justin Holl.
