Not to put a damper on all the good feelings engendered by Rod Brind’Amour’s great speech tonight and all the pomp and circumstance that went with it, but Ian White’s departure should raise a red flag for Hurricanes fans along with that No. 17 banner.

A second-round pick and a prospect is undeniably a great return for an impending unrestricted free agent like White, there’s no question about that. But it’s the kind of deal a team makes when the playoffs are out of the picture, not from the eighth spot.

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenserman Ian White to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the Sharks' second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

White, 26, came to the Canes in a November trade with the Calgary Flames. He played 39 games with Carolina, totaling no goals and 10 assists.

White's name first surfaced in trade speculation Wednesday and he was a healthy scratch that night in the road game against the New Jersey Devils. He practiced with the Canes on Thursday and was at the morning skate today at the RecZone.

All Ian White can do for now is keep doing what he's been doing.

Show up, practice, work hard, prepare to play. But whether the defenseman will be playing for the Canes or another team is still to be determined.

White was one of nine players on the ice today at the RecZone for an optional workout. General manager Jim Rutherford said Wednesday that the Canes were considering a trade offer for White, but White and Rutherford apparently have not discussed the situation and White remains in the dark.

PITTSBURGH — Having arrived in town late Thursday night from Calgary, defenseman Ian White began introducing himself to some of his new teammates today on the bus to the morning skate at the Consol Energy Center.

One of them was Joni Pitkanen, who will be paired tonight with White against the Penguins for the first time and said it should be an easy fit with his new defensive partner.

"I know that he's a really good player and I'm excited to play with him," Pitkanen said after the skate. "I've played against him the past few years. Everybody in this league is so good, it's pretty easy to play with anyone."

Ian White’s minus-10 is not an indication of his ability to play defense; it’s a reflection of the underachieving team he played on as much as anything.

At his best, he’s a useful two-way defenseman despite his size -- he’s listed at 5-foot-10 -- and he played two full seasons under Paul Maurice with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so both player and coach should know what they’re getting into.