Hurricanes Acquire Dadonov from Panthers in Four-Player Trade

The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that they have acquired right wing Evgeni Dadonov and left wing A.J. Jenks from the Florida Panthers in exchange for center Jonathan Matsumoto and left wing Mattias Lindstrom. In 15 games this season with the Panthers, Dadonov has two goals and one assist for three points. He has also appeared in 22 games with San Antonio and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points. Jenks has appeared in 27 games with San Antonio and Charlotte, scoring no points. He also has three goals and three assists for six points in 13 games with Cincinnati of the ECHL. In 44 games with Charlotte and San Antonio, Matsumoto has 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points, while Lindstrom has two assists in 21 games with Tingsryds AIF of the Swedish Elite League.

For the Hurricanes, Dadonov is the key player in this transaction. He has shown flashes of brilliance at the NHL level, but was never very consistent with the Panthers. He has plenty of scoring upside and some puck-control skill, so the change of scenery might do him some good. However, if Dadonov is unable to improve his game, it's possible he could head back to his native Russia in the off-season. Jenks has a little offensive upside, but for now, he will remain in the minors to improve his overall game. For the Panthers, Lindstrom is the key player in the deal. He has some offensive upside and could see some NHL action down the road. Matsumoto gives the team some depth at center, and could see some time in the NHL if injuries continue to mount for the Panthers.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Defenseman Babchuk, Center Matusmoto

The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Thursday that they have re-signed defenseman Anton Babchuk to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million and center Jonathan Matsumoto to a two-year, two-way contract. The financial terms of Matusmoto's deal were not disclosed. In 49 games last season with Omsk of the KHL, Babchuk had nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points. Matusmoto, who was acquired at the 2010 Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers, had 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points in 80 games with Adirondack of the AHL. Babchuk is not a bad signing for the Hurricanes, as he has lots of offensive skill and a good shot. Matsumoto is just a depth signing, as he is likely to spend most of next season in the minors, where he will provide lots of goal-scoring skill for the team's AHL affiliate in Albany.

Hurricanes Make Several Trades at 2010 Entry Draft

The second day of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was very busy for the Carolina Hurricanes, as they made three trades throughout the course of the day. The Hurricanes acquired center Riley Nash from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a second round pick in 2010, defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti from the New York Rangers for a sixth round pick in 2010 and a second round pick in 2011, and center Jonathan Matsumoto from the Philadelphia Flyers for a seventh round pick in 2010. Nash, a former first round pick of the Oilers, had 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 31 games with Cornell University last season. Sanguinetti, a former first round pick of the Rangers, appeared in five games last season with New York, scoring no points. He also played in 61 games with Hartford of the AHL, scoring nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points. Matsumoto appeared in 80 games with Adirondack of the AHL, scoring 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points. These aren't bad depth signings for the Hurricanes. Nash is a decent two-way center who is good on the faceoff and plays with plenty of grit. Sanguinetti has lots of offensive skill and is decent on the power play, while Matsumoto has good offensive instincts and has proven that he can score at lower levels. Matsumoto will likely spend most of next season in the minors, but if Nash and Sanguinetti are impressive enough at training camp, they could secure spots on the team next season.