Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu is one of the bigger names out on the trade rumor mill and it was believed that the Hurricanes were listening to offers for the heavy right winger.
Leave it to Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford to make things a bit more interesting though by meeting with Ruutu to discuss what his future holds. Chip Alexander of the News & Observer hears from Rutherford about whether or not he’ll be dealing Ruutu.
“I want to talk to him about where he’s at, this season and in the future,” Rutherford said. “We’ll talk about that and see where it goes. We’re closing in on the (NHL) trade deadline, so we need to make a decision.
“I’ve had casual conversations with his agent the past month or so. The next step is to meet with (Ruutu) and make a decision on what direction would be the best for everyone.”
Rutherford has already gone against his old ways this year when he re-signed Tim Gleason mid-season signing him to a four-year $16 million extension, something which he’s never done before.
With that signing fresh in our memory, the possibility that Ruutu might stick in Carolina seems strong. Then again, the cynic in me thinks this might just be news to help get teams looking to acquire Ruutu to up the ante.