July 1, 2010. Coming off a disappointing year to follow up their run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2009, the Carolina Hurricanes were beginning the transition to a youth movement. That included letting go of several veteran players, including Ray Whitney, a top-six forward, leader and holdover from two of the team’s best playoff runs.
The Canes allowed Whitney to walk in free agency, and the veteran playmaker signed a two year deal with the Arizona (then Phoenix) Coyotes at a $3 million AAV. But what if the Canes had decided to keep Whitney around as a shepherd for their rebuild.