NHL GM admits he's “still kicking tires and talking to teams.”

For one reason or another National Hockey League general managers have been very open about their plans for the offseason as of late. 

Earlier this week general manager Ken Holland admitted that he was likely going to need a move prior to the start of the regular season due to salary cap constraints, and now another general manager has confessed he's also hopeful he can make a move.

The Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly been in the market for a quality center, and according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti general manager Ron Francis is not ruling out the possibility getting that done prior to the start of the regular season.

"We're still kicking tires and talking to teams on things," Francis said as per NHL.com.

Unsurprisingly Francis did not elaborate on who those teams might be or what "things" they might be discussing. The Hurricanes have been linked as a potential landing spot for Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene, although those rumors appear to have quieted considerably this late into the summer.

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That said the Hurricanes do have some very talented defensive prospects they could give up for a quality center, including former first round draft picks Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean. Conversely they could bump one of those prospects up to the main roster if the opted to deal a proven NHL defenseman like Noah Hanifin, although that seems less likely. 

The Hurricanes have the cap and the depth to make just about any trade for a high-end center work, so it will be very interesting to see if Francis does pull the trigger before the start of the regular season.