Poverty Canes Are Too Cheap To Pay Brett Pesce
The Carolina Hurricanes insist on being a poverty franchise. It’s part of the reason why I placed a curse on them the first go around. Fun fact… did you know the Hurricanes are basically paying no one? TWO players on the entire roster are signed beyond next season and one was a spite contract. I’m not even making that up. Here, look for yourself. To make matters worse, now Carolina is basically low balling stud defenseman Brett Pesce and are refusing to pay him fair market value.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has reported that the Hurricanes plan to trade Pesce if they can’t get him to agree to a lowball contract:
“If the Hurricanes have their way, they’re not trading Brett Pesce, they’re signing him to an extension. And those talks continue with his camp,” wrote LeBrun on Insider Trading on Thursday. “But I think the Hurricanes are also pretty resolute that if they can’t extend Brett Pesce, they will move him this summer to get max value on the asset with a year left on his contract.”
Pesce, 28, is one of the best defensive defensemen in the entire sport. Since 2018-19, Pesce ranks 26th among defensemen in goals above replacement, per Evolving-Hockey. The Tarrytown New York native also set a career high in points with 30 this past season. That’s while also being a serious minutes eater skating over 22 minutes per night a year ago. Pesce also blocked 110 shots and notched an excellent CF% rating of 58.23 according to Natural Stat Trick.
I’m sorry but this is a pathetic look by the Hurricanes. Carolina enters the offseason with just over $24 million in projected cap space too. They have the money to keep Pesce but will likely do what they always do. Vincent Trocheck and Dougie Hamilton are two examples of good players they just let walk for nothing instead of paying. Why are they acting like such a poverty franchise?
It looks like the Oilers and Sabres are two potential suitors if Pesce gets moved.
