Ron Francis made his first trade splash of the offseason on Thursday, acquiring defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was drafted by Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft.
The move cost Carolina a late second-round pick in 2017, which was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline.
The New Jersey-born blueliner fills a big hole on Carolina’s third defensive pairing. Last season featured a rotating mixture of Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Matt Tennyson and Klas Dahlbeck. With Hanifin moving into the top-four next season on a regular basis and the likes of Murphy and Tennyson likely on the way out, the Hurricanes needed a reliable option for the third pairing, and van Riemsdyk is a good fit.