Keenan goes dealing

Hurricanes roster

Mike Keenan was named the coach of the Canucks in November. The team initially responded well to him and went unbeaten for seven of eight games.

Vancouver has, however, regressed since and is buried in the bottom of the Western Conference with an 11-23-6 record.

In a separate deal Carolina sent defenseman Jeff Brown to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional 1999 draft pick. The Hurricanes will receive a fourth-round pick in next June's draft that becomes a third-round selection if Brown signs a new contract with Toronto.

Brown missed all but one game last season due to a back injury. He is in the final year of a contract that made him the third-highest paid player on Carolina at $2.1 million.

"Due to our current depth and the fact that Jeff was not going to sign another contract at the conclusion of the season, it was the right time to make this trade," said Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford.