Insider proposes trade between Flames and Hurricanes.

Neither the Carolina Hurricanes nor the Calgary Flames have had a particularly exciting offseason when it comes to improving their respective rosters, but that may have left both teams in an ideal position to come together to make a trade according to one National Hockey League reporter.

Thanks in large part to a number of trades last season, as well as the trade that sent now former Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, the Flames suddenly find themselves with an abundance of cap space at their disposal. The Flames have over $20 million salary cap dollars to work with, an amount that leaves them in an ideal and unique position to take on devalued assets on bad contracts at very little cost to themselves.

It is for this reason that The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek has recently suggested that the Hurricanes and Flames could be a match when it comes to the Hurricanes unloading such an asset.

From Duhatschek:

I personally would be trying to trade Kotkaniemi to Calgary because the Flames suddenly have the most salary-cap space of any team in the league and can use help down the middle. 

Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi simply hasn't worked out for the Hurricanes and has become somewhat of a cautionary tale when it comes to offer sheets, with the Hurricanes acquiring Kotkaniemi when they extended him an offer sheet while he was under the umbrella of the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Although Duhatschek argues that the Flames could use the help up the middle, I suspect that the Flames would likely want additional assets in this deal in order to take on Kotkaniemi's big contract. The Finnish forward is about to enter just the 3rd year of an 8 year deal he signed with the Hurricanes, one that carries an average annual value and salary cap hit of $4.82 million per season. That would leave the Flames on the hook for Kotkaniemi's deal for 5 years, a risk I don't believe they would take without the Hurricanes sweetening the pot.

That being said, with massive increases expected in the salary cap over the next few seasons, Kotkaniemi's cap hit of $4.82 million could quickly start to look more palatable as the cap continues to rise.

Would you pull the trigger on this deal? If so what should the Hurricanes expect in return if they are selling low on Kotkaniemi? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.