The news broke midday Tuesday when the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes pulled the trigger on a move that helped solidify the depth of both organizations.

Joey Keane, a right-handed defenceman putting up an all-star season in Hartford, was locked in the AHL due to the relative strength of the Rangers’ right side on defence. Down south, Julien Gauthier lived a parallel story; he was headed for waiver eligibility with no immediate prospects of cracking the Hurricanes forward group — losing him for nothing became a real possibility for the organization.

The situation of the two prospects, in addition to the injury to one of the Hurricanes top defenceman, Dougie Hamilton, made New York and Carolina great business partners. In the Keane-Gauthier exchange, the Hurricanes received ano