Failed Hurricanes Trade for NHL Award Winning Goalie Leaks to the Public

The 2025 NHL trade deadline was incredibly eventful for the entire league, but it was the Carolina Hurricanes at the centre of it all, as they ultimately pulled off the biggest deal, landing Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks for star forward Mikko Rantanen.

Not long after, it was leaked that the team heavily pursued Mitch Marner, but with the Maple Leafs forward possessing a no-trade clause, he used that to shut down what would have been a blockbuster deal.

Now, we know another player they ended up going after, as it has been revealed that the team tried to land former All-Star goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks, but obviously, that one didn't come to fruition either.

It's unclear exactly what the offer was from Carolina and what prevented the deal from being made, but given the overall talent around this 'Canes team, it's easy to see why a duo of Gibson/Pyotr Kochetkov would be appealing to this front office.

With a .908 and a 2.35 GAA on the season, it appears the Hurricanes are confident that Kochetkov can lead them deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, but ultimately if that doesn't happen, it will be hard not to look back on the 'what ifs' as a reason why this Carolina team couldn't get it done in 2024/25.

Whether or not that happens, the 'Canes are expected to have more than $20 million in salary cap space in the summer of 2025, and if they can utilize that properly, there's no reason that their Stanley Cup window couldn't stay open for another few years at the very least.