Almost all of the big dominoes have fallen in the NHL offseason, but Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene is still awaiting a new jersey in mid-July after a year of heavy trade rumors.

The Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Predators have all been reported as players in the Duchene sweepstakes. The team that's in the best position to acquire the dynamic forward, however, is actually the Carolina Hurricanes, thanks to what they can offer Colorado, their cap situation, and a surprisingly excellent roster fit.

Dealing from depth

It's no secret that the Avalanche are seeking help on the blue line in return for Duchene, and the Hurricanes might have more trade bait on the back end than any team in the NHL. Here's how their defense is expected to shape up next year:

And thanks to their organizational depth, Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis may not have to touch this group to get Duchene.

Slavin, 23, and Faulk, 25, certainly don't appear to be going anywhere, and Hanifin, a former No. 5 overall pick, is just 20 years old. It's doubtful Francis would give up such a promising young defenseman, but stranger things have happened.

While Dahlbeck doesn't have much trade value, Pesce and the recently acquired Van Riemsdyk could be appetizing to Avs general manager Joe Sakic.

Still, he'd demand more for a talent like Duchene - and luckily, Carolina's farm system is a factory for promising defensemen.

Jake Bean (selected 13th overall in 2016) and Haydn Fleury (seventh overall in 2014) are blue-chip defense prospects. Roland McKeown, a second-round pick in 2014 by the Kings (later acquired by Carolina in the Andrej Sekera trade) also projects to be a solid NHL D-man. Since the Hurricanes already have a young defense corps already in place, Francis can seemingly afford to deal these three.

Room to maneuver

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Not only do the 'Canes have the pieces to make a trade happen, but with $17 million in cap space for the coming season, they could easily afford Duchene's $6-million hit.

Things could get a bit trickier in 2018-19, the last year of his current contract. Cap Friendly projects Carolina will have just over $30 million in cap space, but Hanifin, Dahlbeck, Van Riemsdyk, Pesce, Elias Lindholm, and Joakim Nordstrom will all be restricted free agents. However, Hanifin, Pesce, and Lindholm are likely the only ones in line for big paydays, so Duchene's salary should be affordable.

The one thing Carolina's missing

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The 'Canes are also the perfect roster fit - contrary to what many might think, they're poised to win now.

The addition of Scott Darling filled a huge need between the pipes. Carolina had the league's fifth-worst save percentage last year, despite allowing the fifth-fewest shots and an average amount of scoring chances. Though Darling's never started more than 27 games in an NHL season, in his worst statistical campaign, he posted a .915 save percentage - already a substantial improvement for the Hurricanes, whose team mark has hovered just over .900 since 2014-15.

With a solution in the crease, the continued development of their young defensemen, and an exceptionally deep crop of talented forwards, Carolina's only remaining need is a true No. 1 center. Duchene can be that go-to guy. Here's how their forwards could line up if they acquire him:

As you can see, this lineup would be awfully dangerous. Duchene's presence would give the Hurricanes one of the NHL's deeper offenses, and make them a legitimate contender in the stacked Metropolitan Division.

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