Erik Haula Is Now The First Player To Ever Get Eliminated In The Playoffs By The Same Team 3 Years In A Row While Playing For 3 Different Teams
Erik Haula has turned into a bit of a suitcase over the past few seasons. Don't get me wrong, being a suitcase in the NHL means that you're still better at playing hockey than 99.3% of the world population. But after spending his first 4 seasons in Minnesota and then a full season with Vegas, Erik Haula has been on 5 different teams over the past 4 years.
One of those teams was the Carolina Hurricanes. He was traded from Vegas to Carolina a few days after the 2019 Draft. Haula played 41 games with Carolina but ended up getting traded at the deadline that year to Florida. Then COVID shut the world down for a bit, and then he ended up signing with the Nashville Predators during the shortened 2020-21 season. Ever since then…
Erik Haula and the Nashville Predators were eliminated in 6 games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Then he signed a two-year deal with the Boston Bruins later that summer…
Erik Haula and the Boston Bruins were eliminated in 7 games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He was traded to the New Jersey Devils later that summer…
Erik Haula and the New Jersey Devils were eliminated in 5 games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2nd round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
3 straight seasons having his season come to an end by the hands of the Canes. A feat which nobody in the history of the NHL has ever accomplished before. Not even Wayne Gretzky.
Think about how many guys have come through the NHL. The greatest hockey players to ever lace up a pair of skates. Generations and generations of legends. None of them have ever been able to do what Erik Haula has done over the past 3 seasons. I mean that has to be worth something, right?
Speaking of worth, Erik Haula is set to become a free agent this summer. If I were him, I'd take whatever the league minimum is these days to sign back with Carolina again. Only thing you have to worry about there would be the Hurricanes not even making the playoffs next season and essentially eliminating themselves. But as the late great Kevin Durant once said, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".