Breaking: Micheal Ferland absent from practice on Sunday.

We have a very interesting development to report this afternoon, it may be nothing but it may also be the precursor to something much bigger.

According to a a report from The Athletic's Sara Civian the Carolina Hurricanes are without forward Micheal Ferland in practice this morning. Now normally a player missing practice would not necessarily be newsworthy however given both the current time of year as well as the context surrounding Ferland more than a few eyebrows have shot up inquisitively this morning. 

Ferland has of course been the subject of rampant trade speculation as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, allowing him to move forward as a unrestricted free agent as of July 1st. There has been no indication that the Hurricanes are willing to meet what will undoubtedly be a significant contract demand from Ferland and as a result he has been one of the hottest names on just about every single insider trade bait list around the National Hockey League.

Additionally Ferland is having one hell of a season for himself, especially as of late, not only producing at an impressive clip with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in his first 40 games but also adding his intangibles to the game as well. To put it bluntly Ferland has shown both a willingness to drop the gloves this season as well as a serious ability to lay a beat down on numerous opponents when challenged physically. It's not the least bit difficult to imagine a world in which a large number of playoff contenders would like to add both his veteran savvy as well as the grit that he brings to the line up.

That being said Ferland's absence is not an indication that he has been traded this morning, it is fully possible that he is either injured or merely taking a maintenance day in order to recover from the grueling play style that he has shown himself willing to engage in all season. That being said it seems a matter of when Ferland will be traded and not if, unless things change drastically in negotiations with Carolina, so it wouldn't be surprising if this was a precaution to keep him healthy for that eventuality either.

Update: Ferland is reportedly ill and will be a game time decision according to head coach Rob Brind'Amour. Take that as you will.

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