Scheduled to begin their season with a December 4 clash with Sydney Sixers, the Hurricanes are waiting on a Cricket Australia contract embargo to announce "four or five" signings.

The embargo has been put in place to keep teams from being disadvantaged should the league implement an overseas player draft for the first time.

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If 29-year-old Handscomb finds his way onto Tasmanian books, the Hurricanes could have as many as five wicket-keeping options - including Matthew Wade, Tim Paine, Ben McDermott and Jake Doran - on their list.

"That's interesting - that's speculation," Griffith said of rumours linking the Hurricanes to Handscomb, who has represented Australia in all three formats.

"I suppose with us I can understand where the speculation comes from with George [Bailey] coming off, but we'll be speaking to a lot of different players.

"We've had discussions with a lot of players and he's one of them.

"If we were looking for middle-order batters and he's potentially available and he's played for Australia and made a BBL hundred, we'd be stupid if we didn't talk to him but at this stage it's purely just a chat."

Griffith said he was unsure whether England quick Jofra Archer would return to the Hurricanes after starring in season 2017-18 and 2018-19.

The Barbados-born 25-year-old made headlines earlier this month for breaching biosecurity protocols ahead of a West Indies Test, but remains a chance of joining a Hurricanes bowling line-up led by Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis.

"At this stage this England series is on so we'd be pretty silly to sign someone that's going to be playing cricket overseas for that period," Griffith said.

"But who knows in the current environment, if that series gets shifted we'll receive a lot of flexibility with our season this year and who knows with the IPL coming whether that pushes things back.

"We're really open to different options."

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