Though the Stanley Cup final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers is just a few days away, the National Hockey League offseason is almost here. Despite this, there have been rumors floating about regarding which players will be competing in the upcoming season.
Defenseman Brett Pesce is one such athlete who has attracted a great deal of attention. After being selected in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Hurricanes, Pesce has spent the previous nine seasons in Carolina. The 627-game NHL veteran defenseman is a free agent this summer and might move on. The Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be the teams most interested in acquiring him.
Pesce's skills could be useful to the Predators and Maple Leafs, but terms and costs must be taken into account. A player with his background won't be cheap to add, and he and his camp will probably seek a long-term contract.
Pesce has probably played his final game as a Hurricane, even if the Hurricanes may resign him. Keep in mind, Carolina dangled Pesce in trade negotiations last summer. Regretfully, this is business, and Pesce should be viewed as virtually gone given the surge of free agents the Hurricanes possess—they are even attempting to resign Jake Guentzel—and the fact that defensemen Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo require contract offers.
