NHL Trade Bait

Ray Whitney

Hurricanes

Here are 13 players who could well be packing their bags before next Friday's NHL roster freeze or by the March 3 trade deadline.

Ray Whitney is not the most exciting name to headline the coming action, but Carolina's leading scorer is exactly the type of player who can make a difference for a contender. The 37-year old forward has the speed, experience and scoring touch to step into a top-six role, but he'll have to waive his no-trade clause first. He's reportedly looking for an extension on a deal that expires July 1, but may be willing to let that slip for the right team (say, the Penguins). Now that Ilya Kovalchuk's off the market, the `Canes should be able to extract a first-rounder for his services.