Viewing the Carolina Hurricanes boards lately, I saw a topic on the trade and I was surprised to see how many people did not like this trade.  I can see why you would not like it as a Hurricanes' fan as Cole was there for the '02 cup run, won the cup with the team in '06, and went through the thick and thin with the team for six years.

What I have to say may not please Hurricanes' fans, but I have to say it anyways. Get over it.

I keep seeing that Cole has potential and is a great player.  Well, he no longer has potential folks.  He is into his 30's and in his prime.  If he hasn't reached his full potential by now, he never will.

I've also took the time to view the Oilers' boards and even the Flyers' boards which is who he used to play for.  They've described Pitkanen as a player who is soft, has an attitude problem, and was made look good by other players around him.

So now that you think I'm not getting anywhere, I'll show you where I'm going.

Cole's Pros

• Speedy - Draws lots of penalties
• Physical - Not afraid to use his body

Cole's Cons

• Seems to take plays off at times
• Hasn't reached expectations

Pitkanen's Pros

• Offensive minded defenseman and moves the puck well
• Can get back if he needs to

Pitkanen's Cons

• Soft
• Has had an attitude at times

Reasons why Canes received better Deal

• Cole is still not at his prime and is in his prime.
• Cole is getting older and will be losing touch soon.
• Pitkanen is young and has tremendous upside still left.
• Pitkanen will be kept in check by close friend Ruutu (both are from Finland).
• Canes upgraded their defense tremendously and didn't lose anything with their offense as Ruutu can handle Erik Cole's role.
• Pitkanen, unlike Cole, still has potential.

As you can above, there are more than just a couple reasons why the Canes got a better deal.  Now we still have to see how things go for both players, but right off the bat the Canes got what they needed by not really losing anything.  The Canes got themselves another strong player who will be a dominant No. 1 defenseman in the near future.

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