Brad Treliving could have his eyes on an underrated power forward this summer
The Carolina Hurricanes have a slew of free agents to extend, and since they won't be able to keep them all, the Leafs should consider a move for Jordan Martinook.
Carolina's situation is something to keep an eye on because they have just a shade under 24 million dollars in projected cap space but have players like Jack Drury, Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei among others to potentially extend or re-sign.
In other words, it can't be done. The Hurricanes will have to pick and choose who they value the most and while some of the aforementioned names are RFAs, it really doesn't help their plot that they are some of their most important offensive pieces. Players like Martinook will slip through the cracks and walk into free agency and that's when Brad Treliving and company should strike while the iron is hot.
Martinook was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes and spent the first 6 years of his career within the organization. Treliving had been with the Coyotes from 2007-08 to 2013-14 as the assistant general manager - and incidentally the general manager of the AHL affiliate. He was there for the first 2 years of Martinook's career and saw him firsthand as a member of the Portland Pirates where he scored 23 goals and 49 points in 120 games played.
Martinook was then traded to Carolina in the summer of 2018 and has steadily grown into his role as a top-9 player with some pop. He scored 15 goals in 2018-19, 13 goals and 34 points in 2022-23, and 14 goals and 32 points in 2023-24. Over the last 2 years, he's seen 15:08 ATOI, has 142 hits to 67 blocks, a great 77:38 takeaway to giveaway ratio, and has played an essential role on the Hurricanes fantastic penalty kill. He has also worn the "A" on his jersey since his arrival in Carolina, further proving his worth on and off the ice.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old is coming off a 3-year contract that was worth 5.4 million dollars. He will certainly get a modest raise from his 1.8 million AAV but based on his role, his locker room presence, and his proclivity to provide tertiary scoring, he will be worth every penny. It's not a fancy signing, it won't be breaking news either but it will provide the Leafs with the necessary grit and grind that the roster severely lacks.
Source for stats: Hockey DB - Jordan Martinook Bio & Statistics
| POLL | ||
JUIN 16 | 187 ANSWERS Brad Treliving could have his eyes on an underrated power forward this summer Is Jordan Martinook a good fit for the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes, he's perfect for the bottom-6 | 100 | 53.5 % |
| No, it won't make that much of a difference | 87 | 46.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
