When Waddell acquired Jordan Martinook from Arizona for Marcus Kruger and a swap of mid-round draft picks, few Carolina Hurricanes fans took notice. After three seasons with the Coyotes, Martinook was not exactly a household name.
Jordan Martinook, a rugged forward who could provide depth on the third or fourth lines, posted 24 and 25 points in his first two seasons but slumped to 15 points with a minus-24 rating in 2017-18, making him practically expendable.
At the time, Martinook’s acquisition did not seem to be the first step toward ending a nine-year playoff drought for the Carolina Hurricanes.