RALEIGH - With four defensemen under contract for next season and a desire to upgrade their blue line, the Carolina Hurricanes could be big players when the NHL's free-agent market opens today.

If they had any money to spend, that is.

The Hurricanes may be looking for fourth-line size and toughness on the free-agent market after their trade for Darcy Hordichuk's rights fizzled, but their quest to add a defenseman will probably have to wait.

With 10 forwards fighting for spots on the top three lines and $44 million in salaries already on the payroll, the Canes are almost certainly going to have to trade a forward before they can go after the defenseman they desperately need.

"I don't think we'll be very active," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "Certainly there are some players there that we could consider, but I think in order to balance our team out to add the type of player we'd like to add on defense, it'd be more apt to be done through trade."

Restricted free agent Dennis Seidenberg would fill one of the openings on Carolina's defense, but Rutherford has been outspoken in his desire to add a top-tier, offensive-minded defenseman to the team.

There are plenty of those available today, from blue-chip veterans such as Brian Campbell and Wade Redden to younger options such as Ron Hainsey.

Campbell and Redden are each likely to command upwards of $6 million a season. That's out of Carolina's price range. The question is whether the Canes would go into the $4 million range (or beyond) in a bidding war for Hainsey or a similar player.

If history is any guide, the Hurricanes are likely to make a small move today, if any, with bigger moves more likely down the road.

Last year, on the opening day of free agency, the Hurricanes signed former Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders center Jeff Hamilton to a two-year, $1.6 million contract. After a hot start, Hamilton ended up in the minors. The Canes bought out the final year of his contract last week.

Hamilton was Carolina's third-line center for about two weeks, until the Canes made a deal July 17 with the New York Rangers to bring back center Matt Cullen. The Canes also had a deal in place to trade Niclas Wallin for a younger defenseman, but Wallin exercised his no-trade clause.

Today also is the first day the Hurricanes can officially open negotiations on a contract extension for Eric Staal, who will make $5 million this season in the final year of his contract.

While Staal will be a restricted free agent next summer, a new contract for him is on the Canes' agenda, if not right away.

"We want to get through this period of time with the players getting ready for next year, for this season, and the sooner we get that done we can maybe look at [Staal] a little more seriously," Rutherford said.