Lots of Options

It’s plain and simple. The Carolina Hurricanes have to make the play-offs this year. And, the good news is …they are knocking on the door.

So, with the trade deadline fast approaching, it is not surprising to hear that Jim Rutherford, the Canes GM, is busy trying to make some moves. Reports suggest the Canes were among three teams that had a real shot at Ottawa’s Mike Fisher, moved to Nashville this week. He is exactly what the doctor ordered, a skilled two-way center with size. Rutherford has historically tried to make his major moves well before the deadline, in order to get the players assimilated into the Canes organization as early as possible. You just need to consider the Doug Weight deal, the year the Canes went on to win the Cup. Timing is even more acute this year. If JR plans to take a serious run at the play-offs, he needs to strengthen the team now to improve his play-off chances.

Making the play-offs won’t be easy. The New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Buffalo Sabres are in a virtual dead heat for the final two play-off positions. Buffalo has been on a tear lately and is peaking at just the right time. Based on their current play, you have to think they will take one of the spots. The Rangers, Thrashers, and Canes have been inconsistent, thus creating the opportunity for the others to take the advantage. But, to-date, none of the teams have been able to make a real statement. Rick Dudley, The Thrashers GM, and Glen Sather, the Rangers boss-man, have both been very active trying to land the key pieces they need to make the post-season. As a result, you can expect they will be stronger at the deadline.

So, the Canes will need to make some serious moves to stay in the hunt. Historically, JR has pulled off some real coups at the trade deadline. In 2008, he got Tuomo Ruutu for Andrew Ladd. In 2009, he got Erik Cole back, for oft-injured Justin Williams, and Jussi Jokinen, from Tampa Bay, for spare parts. Last year, he made seven trades and picked up seven draft picks along with a few prospects, clearing out most of the pending UFAs. He lobbied some of those picks into deals at the draft, for Bobby Sanguinetti, a highly regarded D-man in the Ranger organization, and Riley Nash, a former first-rounder of the Edmonton Oilers. Both are expected to fill roster spots on the Hurricanes in the future. So, if history is any indication, expect something major to happen before the deadline.

How is JR approaching the deadline? He gave this indication recently. ““We have two goals,” he said. “One is to make the playoffs and the other is to build this team going forward. Regardless of what we do and how it looks, we’re not going to give up on this year.”

Their needs are clear. They are desperately in need of a quality shutdown D-man. The Canes have quietly assembled a solid defence corps, the only problem being that most are offence first types, like Joe Corvo, Joni Pitkanen, Ian White, and Jamie McBain. This need has been particularly noticeable with the penalty kill unit, currently one of the worst in the league. The lack of a proficient face-off guy has also hurt but a more pressing problem is a top 6 winger. They have not been able to find a winger to join Eric Staal and Erik Cole on the top line, trying a host of players unsuccessfully. They could also use a winger to complement the Ruutu/Skinner combo. It will depend on who is available as to which spot is filled first.

Based on JR’s comment, you might extrapolate that he is trying to move impending UFAs Joni Pitkanen, Chad Larose, and Sergei Samsonov. Of those, Pitkanen would fetch the biggest return and given the likelihood that the Canes do not plan to re-sign him in the off-season and last year’s debacle with Ray Whitney at the deadline, look to the Canes to try and move him now. There is clearly lots of interest for a big minute-munching, offensive D-man, like Joni.
Patrick Dwyer is a lower-cost, more versatile Larose clone, so he is expendable. Samsonov is a clearly a spare part but no one seems interested in him. Rutherford may throw in some draft picks, even a 1^st rounder, and some prospects, such as Rodney, Samson, Bowman, Osala, or even Boychuk, in Charlotte, for the right deal.

Based on history, likely trade partners are Edmonton, Boston, San Jose, Ottawa, Florida, and Toronto, all of which have players of interest to the Canes. Of those, San Jose, Columbus and Boston are all looking for an offensive-minded D-man, like Pitkanen. Edmonton, Ottawa, Florida, and Toronto are looking for prospects to support their rebuilding process. If they move Pitkanen, expect them to acquire a solid replacement in their wheeling and dealing. Recognizing the fiscal challenges of the Hurricanes, and JR’s tendency to try to match cap dollars, who might the Canes be targeting?

For draft picks/prospects:

• Vandermeer/Brule/Penner – Edmonton, although JR denies interest in Penner,
• Komisarek/Kadri – Toronto, not likely due to high cost of Komisarek and injury problems,
• Allen/Weiss/Booth – Florida, has potential as rumors suggest Canes are talking to Florida.

Including Pitkanen/Larose/others:

• M. Stuart/Wheeler – Boston, a package deal would help both teams,
• Setoguchi - San Jose, makes a lot of sense for the Canes, who continue to look closely at the Sharks,
• Tyutin/Filatov/Brassard – Columbus, intriguing depending on the package.

Or might JR surprise us and bring back former’ Canes, as he is want to do, like Kings’ Justin Williams, Florida’s Corey Stillman, or Columbus’ Mike Commodore, who would cost less and could potentially fill the major weaknesses of the team for this year. Only time will tell. No matter what, expect JR to make a splash at the trade deadline.

He always does.

Making their Move!

As we start the new year and hit the midway point in the NHL season, the Carolina Hurricanes find themselves only five points out of a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference. Not bad considering the tough schedule the Canes have faced thus far. However, the Canes now have three games-in-hand on Montreal, in eighth place, and five games-in-hand on Atlanta, in seventh place, who they trail by eight points. So, the play-offs are very clearly in sight.

For most of the season, the Canes have been inconsistent, but recently they have shown signs that they are starting to round into form. This is consistent with past seasons. The Hurricanes always seem to step it up in the second half. With road wins in Toronto (4-3) and Ottawa (4-0), along with a resounding 6-3 shellacking of the New Jersey Devils at home, the Canes moved to 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, second only to Tampa Bay in the Conference, during that period. Cam Ward has been the catalyst, brilliant between the pipes on many nights. His .926 save percentage ranks third overall in the NHL. Of course, Eric Staal has played a key role as you would expect. Nothing new there. The captain is averaging a point-a-game, with 37 points in 37 games. Several others have been instrumental in the Canes surge, including Tuomo Ruutu, Jussi Jokinen, Joe Corvo, Patrick Dwyer, Jamie McBain, and Canes rookie phenom, Jeff Skinner, who continues to surprise. Skinner now leads all NHL rookies in scoring with 28 points in 37 games, and is showing no signs of letting up. In fact, a recent switch to center has him on a current tear. Just check out some of his video highlights and watch this young man, just 18 years-old, in action.

Recent additions, defenceman Ian White (Calgary), along with role players, Troy Bodie and Ryan Carter (Anaheim), have been significant upgrades from their predecessors. Add to that the pending return of Jiri Tlusty, and the emergence of prize rookies, Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe, and it starts to get interesting. And, it doesn't end there. The Hurricanes have plenty of depth in the farm with talented youngsters Drayson Bowman, Oscar Osala, Jon Matsumoto, and Bryan Rodney, all chomping at the bit to get their chance.

However, despite a more favorable second half schedule, the Canes are still missing a few key pieces needed to assure a play-off berth in the tough Eastern Conference. With Pitkanen, Corvo, McBain and White, the Canes can create lots of offence from the backline. Keeping pucks out of the net is another matter. They desperately need a veteran shutdown defenceman to take the heat off Tim Gleason. Jay Harrison has been an acceptable fill-in, but he isn't the man. And, the Canes never did fill their need for an elite forward, a go-to guy for Eric Staal. Currently, Staal is the only legitimate first liner on the Canes. Jussi Jokinen has had success at times but other than Jussi, it has been slim pickins'.

If the Hurricanes continue to climb back into the fray in January, expect some moves from Jim Rutherford, the Canes GM, as we approach the trade deadline. Historically, JR has been very active when the Canes are close and a few moves can make the difference. So, if JR can once again weave some of his magic and is able to parlay the likes of Samsonov, Cole, Larose, and Harrison, into meaningful assets, this could be a very interesting season for Canes fans, indeed.

So, the question is...who should JR try to acquire at the deadline? The floor is open.

A Fresh Start! - Canes Preview 2010-2011

As we fast approach the start of the 2010-2011 season, I wanted to take a look ahead at what we might expect this year from our Carolina Hurricanes. If you are a die-hard Carolina Hurricanes fan like me, last year is clearly a year you want to put behind you. The Canes were 2-8-3 in October and never recovered. Ouch! A decision had been made by Jim Rutherford (JR), the Canes' President and GM, to stick primarily with the veteran-laden team that took the Canes to the division finals in 2008-2009. He felt the only missing link was more toughness on the blueline and to that end, added Aaron Ward in a trade with Boston and Andrew Alberts, a UFA from the Philadelphia Flyers. The team moved away from the attack style that Peter Laviolette had initiated and which had resulted in much success, led by an aggressive, offensive-minded defence corps, to a team with a "D" which had trouble getting out of their own zone, let alone drive the attack.

The good news is that JR got the message loud-and-clear. It was time this team had a major re-work. Add to this the current financial situation and Peter Karmanos' interest to sell-off a major portion of the team, and it was clear that austerity measures were needed. He commenced the work of cleaning house at the trade deadline, moving defencemen Aaron Ward, an unmitigated disaster, Niclas Wallin, tough but slow afoot, Andrew Alberts, average at-best, and Joe Corvo, a decent defenseman but pending UFA. In return, he acquired youngsters Justin Pogge, a former Canadian Junior Goalie-of-the-Year, and Oscar Osala, a talented Finn, plus a couple of 2nd round draft picks. He also moved out forwards Stephane Yelle, a spare part, Matt Cullen, a strong contributor but pending UFA, and Scott Walker, a likeable guy but a player who didn't figure in the Canes' future plans. All good moves. Unfortunately, he was unable to succesfully move Ray Whitney to LA, where he had a deal in the works for a 1st rounder plus. Whitney subsequently signed with Phoenix.

So, JR had some significant rebuilding to do. First order of business was to deal with Rod Brind'Amour, who had slipped to the 4th line and was a shadow of his former self last year. Mission accomplished when Rod retired from active duty and accepted a coaching position with the Canes. Next was the draft, where JR surprised many by picking Jeff Skinner, a 70-goal scorer in the OHL last year, including 20 goals in 20 play-off games. Early returns on Skinner have been very positive. He has a spot to lose, with the Canes needing more offence up-front. JR also made a couple of shrewd deals on the draft floor, acquiring former first rounders, Bobby Sanguinetti from the Rangers, who is enjoying a strong camp and oozes offence, and Riley Nash, from the Oilers, a Ron Francis favorite with plenty of upside, both for 2nd round picks acquired at the trade deadline. JR loves to acquire former first rounders and has been successful a number of times in the past, including current stalwarts Ruutu and Gleason.

But, Rutherford wasn't done there. Seeing the need to bolster the defence and bring in more offence, he re-signed Anton Babchuk, a player who should have been here all along, and signed Joe Corvo, to a two-year hometown discount deal, around 2.0M per season. You have to like the Corvo deal - traded to Washington for a 2nd round pick and Oscar Osala at the deadline, and then brought back for less money. JR, you are one shrewd horse trader! All the more impressive given the financial constraints levied on him by Karmanos. He took a while, but finally closed the deal with Brett Carson, a promising blueliner with size and moxy, who ended the season plus five in 54 games played with the Canes. With Carson, it was a two-way contract adding to the Canes flexibility this season. And, then, the piece de resistance! When local boy Patrick O'Sullivan, a former consensus first-rounder and 22-goal scorer with the Kings a a few years ago, showed interest, Rutherford pounced on him, and got his name on the dotted line for a paltry 500K, a two-way contract at that! Sure, he had a tough season in Edmonton last year, but who didn't. He can play, make no mistake about it, and as so many others like O'Sullivan have done with the Canes, he will thrive in North Carolina.

Any way you shake it, you have to like where this team is going. I can't remember the closet being this full of young talent since I started following the Canes several years ago. Led by elite players, Eric Staal, and Cam Ward, the Canes will compete every night. Add to them the supporting cast of D-men Joni Pitkanen, a horse and the league leader in on-ice time per game last season, and Tim Gleason, who impressed all with his gutsy Olympics performance and just gets better each time out, as well as forwards Jussi Jokinen, a versatile forward and 30-goal scorer, Tuomo Ruutu, a workhorse with huge potential, and Brandon Sutter, who topped 20 goals in only his second season, and there's reason for optimism. Other veterans who could play a key role are Erik Cole, Chad Larose, and Sergie Samsonov. All stumbled badly last year, but have the talent to contribute much-needed offence. Cole could surprise. What about Jiri Tlusty, another former first-rounder, who Paul Maurice has high praise for? He earned a one-way contract and could be a factor. He's big and skilled. Expect big things this season from Jamie McBain, the Wisconsin phenom, who had an impressive 10 points in just fourteen games last year (+6), and Drayson Bowman, a slick offensive winger, who impressed in a Canes uniform in his nine game audition last year and has shown strong defensive acumen in camp. Another player to watch is Zac Dalpe, an Ohio State grad, who has the size and skills to make the move to the Canes now and scored six goals in only nine games with Albany in the AHL. He's all but assured a spot on the roster. Bryan Rodney, Jay Harrison, Zach Boychuk, Osala, Riley, and Jared Staal, a virtual steal from Phoenix, all provide depth.

So, what should we expect to see opening day? Sure, there are still questions to be answered on the starting line-up, but it will probably look something like this.

Forwards

O'Sullivan/Staal/Cole

Bowman/Sutter/Ruutu

Skinner/Jokinen/Larose

Tlusty/Dalpe/Kostopoulos

Dwyer, Samsonov (injured)

Defence

Gleason/McBain

Pitkanen/Corvo

Carson/Babchuk

Sanguinetti

Goalies

Ward, Peters

My Prediction: The Canes will be the surprise team in the NHL this year. Get ready!

Decisions, Decisions!

As we fast approach the trade deadline, Jim Rutherford (JR) is being very tight-lipped about his plans. But, then again, that's his normal style, isn't it? Things are really starting to heat up. "I'm getting inquiries on more players than I expected," he was recently quoted as saying. The big question is "Will the Canes still be sellers?" After all, they have rattled off five straight wins and have won nine of their last eleven. They now find themselves only nine points out of a play-off berth.

So, what would you do, knowing that the rebuild process is well underway, but a play-off berth is still possible?

The changes started earlier this year, with the Canes elevating Brandon Sutter, Patrick Dwyer, and Brett Carson, to the big team from the Albany River Rats. They have all contributed and will be regulars going forward. Sutter has been a revelation, with fourteen goals already this year. Then, the Canes traded 2009 first round pick, Phillipe Paradis, to Toronto for former first rounder, Jiri Tlusty. Niclas Wallin, the "secret weapon", a huge favorite of the Caniac nation, was shipped to San Jose for a 2nd round pick in 2010, and Matt Cullen, another fan favorite, was sent to Ottawa for D-man Alexandre Picard and another 2nd round pick in 2010. So, that's where we are right now.

Based on these moves, you have to figure that JR will stick to his re-tooling plan, to change fully half of the team prior to next season as he has previously gone on record as saying. At the top of the list will be dealing with the UFAs. He has to move them now, if he wants any return, as he did with Cullen and Wallin. The Canes have some outstanding building blocks in Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Brandon Sutter, Tuomo Ruutu, Joni Pitkanen, Jussi Jokinen. and Tim Gleason. They also have some talented prospects in the aforementioned Brett Carson, Patrick Dwyer and Jiri Tlusty, as well as Albany farmhands Zack Boychuk, Justin Peters, and Drayson Bowman, not to mention Ohio State star, Zac Dalpe, and, my personal favorite, former Wisconson phenom, Jamie McBain. You might want to include Alexandre Picard, if he can recapture his game in Carolina as so many others have. Add to that veterans Erik Cole, Sergei Samsonov, Tom Kostopoulos, and Andrew Alberts, who has quietly had a solid season, (leads the team with +6) and you're well on your way. You can expect Rod Bind'Amour to retire at season's end, clearing much-needed cash and a center spot on next year's roster.

The Canes need more size and scoring in the forward ranks and will probably need another D-man, assuming both A. Ward and Corvo go this week, unless of course, Anton Babchuk (remember him?) returns from the KHL, where he is having a break-out season. Stranger things have happened!

So, what deals should we look for prior to the deadline? JR has made it clear that he is looking for high draft picks and prospects who can contribute now, so don't expect any household names to be heading our way. Here's my wish list.

Ray Whitney - LA - Deal is on the table, but fading - 1st rounder in 2010 & prospect (Moller,Elkins?)

Pittsburgh - 1st rounder & prospect or Tyler Kennedy & 2nd rounder

Buffalo - 1st rounder & prospect (Justin Jokinen?)

Boston - (with A. Ward) - Blake Wheeler is available

Joe Corvo - Phoenix - 2nd rounder or top prospect (Boedker, Jared Staal?)

Phoenix (with Larose) - Wouldn't Peter Mueller look good in a Canes jersey?

Aaron Ward - Boston - 2nd round pick

Vancouver - 2nd round pick

Chad Larose - Philadelphia - Ville Leino is interesting

Stephane Yelle - late round pick

Scott Walker - Nashville - 4th or 5th round pick in 2010 draft

Manny Legace - late round pick

Bryan Rodney, Jay Harrison - Both have slipped in the eyes of Canes management and could be packaged in a deal.

This is an exciting time to be a Carolina Hurricanes fan. A new era is being ushered in. The Canes don't plan to sit on the outside looking-in for long. One thing's for sure. There is nobody more astute than Jim Rutherford at wheeling and dealing. You can bet he'll get maximum return for his assets. he's made a habit of it. Look at some of his past deadline deals:

Andrew Ladd to Chicago for Tuomo Ruutu (A win for the Canes)

Josef Melichar and Wade Brookbank to Tampa for Jussi Jokinen (Are you kidding me?)

Danny Richmond to Chicago for Anton Babchuk (Danny who?)

Kevyn Adams to Phoenix for Dennis Seidenberg (Love to the the"berg" back next year!)

And who knows, we may even see Matt Cullen back next year!

This will be very interesting! Join me as I follow all of the Canes trade activity at http://twitter.com/CanesTR.

Baby Steps!

Remember the 1991 movie, "What about Bob?" It's a hilarious comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray. Murray plays a nutcase and Dreyfuss his psychiatrist. Anyway, the story is about Dreyfuss trying to rehabilitate Murray, before he drives him crazy, and the technique he used was called "baby steps".

Well, that's what I think JR (Jim Rutherford) and the Canes need to do right now, take baby steps.

First step was to stop the bleeding. After five straight losses, the Canes finally hit the win column yesterday afternoon with a 5-3 home win against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The game was not the best effort by the Canes this year by any stretch, but they got it done. Perhaps most noteworthy was the success of the Canes #1 line; Eric Staal, Ray Whitney & Erik Cole. Cole potted three goals (doubled his season's output to six) and was effective throughout the game. Ray Whitney played one of his best games of the season, with a 3-point effort, including the tying goal, just 20 seconds after Vancouver had taken an early 1-0 lead. And, Eric Staal looked like he is starting to round into form, playing with energy and determination. If this line can start to produce on a regular basis, as it has in the past, the Canes fortunes will most assuredly improve.

I was impressed again with Matt Cullen, who has been one of the few Canes to bring it every night this year, and extended his personal point scoring streak to five games, with an assist. Brandon Sutter also continued to impress, playing over fifteen minutes and ending at 55% in the face-off circle, another solid, if unspectacular, performance by him. Unfortunately, his linemates, Chad Larose and Tom Kotsopoulos, are better suited to the fourth line and limit the offensive contribution for this line. Not sure what's happened to Larose, but his lack of confidence is obvious right now. Nonetheless, they work hard every shift. Although Sergei Samsonov scored a pretty goal in the 2nd period, I don't see a longterm future for him as a Cane. He plays too much on the periphery.

The fourth line, comprising Rod Brind'Amour, Stephan Yelle and Scott Walker, (nicknamed the "geritol" line) is long on experience and effort, but at $6.0M plus, is clearly the biggest ticket fourth line in the league and frankly, can't be justified given the Canes woeful performance to-date. The defensive corps got it done by committee. Nothing spectacular, but good enough for the win. This is an area the Canes will have to overhaul before next season. Manny Legace was solid in net again for the Canes, but the good news is that Cam Ward is set to return this week. 'Nuff said!

Jussi Jokinen, one of the more effective Canes this year, was a late scratch, but when he returns to the line-up, the Canes will be able to re-jig their lines. And, hopefully, we'll see newly-acquired Jiri Tlusty in a Canes uniform soon. The challenge remains for JR to shed the team of some of the "tired" veterans to make way for the new wave. I have to wonder if he has another deal, like the Tlusty deal, looming to strengthen the D. That would help immensely, particularly with Joe Corvo on the shelf for most of the season. Tlusty figures to be part of the re-build along with River Rats' Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, Jamie McBain, and Brett Carson. We will probably see all of them at some point this year.

So, some of the pieces are coming together. Both Brandon Sutter and Bryan Rodney have shown they are ready for the "show". Although Rodney was returned to Albany after the game for more seasoning, he has impressed me with his on-ice demeanor. And, you can expect JR to grab another young stud or two at the trade deadline.

Like I said before, it's all about "baby steps."

Things are looking up!

If you have followed the last couple of games for the Hurricanes, you have to be cautiously optimistic that the Canes are finally over the early season jitters that led to fourteen games without a win.

There have been a number of things to feel good about. Clearly, their confidence is returning and it shows in their overall play. The offence has finally started to come-to-life and Manny Legace has been a calming influence in goal.

What a game against the Leafs! The Canes showed their resiliency, much like the play-offs last year, and pulled out some last minute heroics to earn the two points in a must-win game. It was great to see the Canes tough it out and not give-up when the Leafs' Ian White scored with less than thirty seconds remaining. It would have been easy to close up the tent. But, they didn't. And it was great to see Erik Cole finally contribute offensively. Many nights this season, Cole has been persona non grata. Absolutely invisible. With Eric Staal still on-the-shelf, it is up to players like Cole and Ray Whitney, to step-up and fill the void. Tuomo Ruutu certainly did his part. How about this performance - four assists, seven hits, the game winning goal in the shoot-out, and a plus-three on the night. Not a bad night's work, wouldn't you say? Jussi Jokinen also played a solid game for the Canes, scoring yet another shoot-out goal. Both he and linemate Matt Cullen were plus-two, giving that line a composite plus-seven in this game.

And how about Tim Gleason! This was Tim's first two-goal game in the bigs as he was effective at both ends of the rink, loggong almost five minutes of powerplay time, and ending at a plus-one in over 24 minutes total playing time. Defence partner Joe Corvo logged over thirty-three minutes and also ended at a plus-one. These guys are really starting to come around.

A couple of other things caught my attention. Manny Legace, although somewhat inconsistent in regulation time, was outstanding in the shoot-out when he had to be. And Brandon Sutter just continues to do it all, playing a solid twenty three minutes in this one. I don't think anyone would have expected the level of improvement he's shown thus far. The Canes game with Southeast conference rival Tampa Bay was perhaps their best outing of the year. They outperformed the Lightning in virtually all aspects of the game and came out with a well-deserved 3-1 victory. Manny Legace had a strong outing, continues to fill in admirably for injured Cam Ward and has given the rest of the Canes the confidence to play their game.

The line of Cullen-Ruutu-Jokinen is clearly the Canes best right now. Both Ruutu and Jokinen scored key goals for the Canes and Cullen played a solid sixteen minutes of plus hockey. It was also encouraging to see Chad Larose finally get the monkey off his back with his first goal this season, scoring the insurance goal with just over four minutes remaining to seal-the-deal.

But, this night belonged to Joni Pitkanen. He played an outstanding game, leading countless rushes for the Canes, firing six shots, while playing over 23 minutes of plus-one hockey. His impact on the offence is huge and changes the dynamic of this team in a major way. Interestingly, he was partnered with Niclas Wallin, who I thought played his best game of the season. The Pitkanen-Wallin pair along with the resurgent Corvo-Gleason tandem gives the Canes two solid defence pairs. Improvement is still needed on the third pairing and hopefully, the Canes will have some more options when Staal returns. Bryan Rodney's return would help.

Speaking of Staal. He has returned to practise and should be ready in about a week. That will make things interesting for the Canes. With Brandon Sutter improving every game and with Matt Cullen starting to hit stride, the Canes should be set a center. You have to believe that Staal will be re-united with Ray Whitney and Erik Cole to form the top trio and the Cullen-Ruutu-Jokinen troika will line-up number two. That will leave Sutter to head the third unit, most likely with Sergei Samsonov manning the left side. Chad Larose probably earned the right wing following his strong showing against Tampa.

I guess the million-dollar question these days is what to do with Rod Brind'amour. He is a shadow of his former self and, other than his solid face-off contribution (56%), he has been largely ineffective with a team-high minus 18 on the season and a meagre two goals. His ice-time continues to decline and his role diminish. So, what are the Canes options? Continue to play him on the fourth line, move him to the wing on the third line, trade him (no way that will happen), or simply ask him to hang them up. This is a tough one for sure. There's no question that when Brindy is playing his game, he is a key cog in this Canes machine. But how long can the Canes wait? This situation will be an interesting one to watch in the days and weeks to come.

Next up for the Canes, a brief two-game western tour, with Dallas kicking-it-off tomorrow night.

Can you believe this?

Well, with the loss to the Islanders in overtime on Friday night, the Canes have now gone a staggering fourteen games without a win. That's right, fourteen, count 'em.

Hard to believe, isn't it...particularly when you realize that much of the team that went to the conference finals last year is back.

Jim Rutherford (JR) surely must be scratching his head right now. His thinking in the off-season was clear. Sign all of the free agents form last year's team and add a few key pieces to take the team to the next level. He inked Jussi Jokinen, a revelation in the play-offs, Chad Larose, who had a break-out season and strong play-off, and Erik Cole, who had a point-a-game run after rejoining the Canes from the Oilers at the trade deadline, all to long-term contracts. He added newcomer forwards, Stephane Yelle, and Chris Kotsopoulos, seemingly both upgrades to our fourth line. He then added solid defensive defensemen Aaron Ward, another returnee to the Canes, and Andrew Alberts, a mobile D with size. The thought being that the biggest reason we failed against Pittsburgh was our lack of toughness on the D. Pittsburgh's shutdown pair of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi were instrumental in the Pens win. So, why not try a similar approach. After all, our guys were totally ineffective against the Pens' Malkin and Crosby.

But in doing so, he let some key offensive guys go, Frantisek Kaberle, Dennis Seidenberg, and Anton Babchuk. Seidenberg was a horse on the D, averaging well over twenty minutes a game most nights, and all Babchuk did was score sixteen goals, eighth best in the league for a defenseman. You are probably thinking, “how could a few changes on the D make such a difference?” Ward and Alberts aren't that bad are they? Heck, every game we watched the Bruins play, Ward played great alongside his partner, Zdeno Chara. And, all reports were that Alberts had a solid turnaround season with the Flyers.

But here's the problem. This team was built by Pater Laviolette. His style was to push offence from the D. The forwards were small by comparison to other teams, but fast and aggressive. With the defence adding significantly to the offence, the system worked. Sure, they needed a course correction when Paul Maurice took over the reins, but that was only a minor tweak. The D really drove the offence. Now, that dimension is no longer there and the team is struggling.

Add to this, the loss of Ray Whitney, Eric Staal, and Cam Ward, for extended periods, and you're in a world of hurt. No wonder the Canes are struggling.

I guess it's easy to look back and second guess JR's moves this past summer. I promoted a number of different moves on my blog, which may have helped. I wanted Babchuk and Seidenberg back. I also considered Alberts, who was a low-cost depth signing, so that made sense. On the other hand, Aaron Ward just didn't make sense. Too old and too slow. I wanted a running mate for Staal, but that was outside of our budget range. So then, I was looking at Manny Molhotra to take the third line center spot, we got Stephane Yelle, recently put on waivers. I suggested Maxim Afinogenov. We didn't sign any offensive forwards. He signed with Atlanta for peanuts and has looked great. (17 points in 17 games!) Ok, what's done is done. We can't change that.

So, what should JR do? He can't fire Paul Maurice again. That would be too weird. Plus, I don't think that will change much. I still have faith in our coaching staff. Ron Francis, Tommy Rowe, Tom Barasso, and Kevin McCarthy are a solid group for sure. So what can he do, then? Trades of any significance are almost impossible under the current economic conditions. He has virtually no cap room, so that makes it even tougher. So, his hands are tied.

He made a good move in signing Manny Legace as a short-term replacement for the injured Cam Ward. Unfortunately, Michael Leighton has just not shown the ability to step in on a regular basis. Of course, success in the NHL starts with good goaltending, so the lack of consistent play from our goalies has been a key contributor to our troubles. A combination of a healthy Cam Ward when he returns, and Manny Legace should fix that.

Now, what to do on the D. I think they have taken a step in the right direction with the recent recall of Bryan Rodney. He is a definite improvement and is adding that offensive dimension, we so desperately need. It's a good time to audition more of the young talent in the system. Brett Carson looked ready last year and he would bring size, mobility, and more offence to the D. Probably want to leave Wisconsin phenom, Jamie McBain, in Albany for now, but he may be a consideration later in the year. And, on the front side, Brandon Sutter has been a great addition, thus far, and Zach Boychuk looked good in his short tour earlier this month.

Players like Aaron Ward, Stephane Yelle, Scott Walker, and Rod Brind'Amour, would be great play-off guys but they aren't what we need right now. Perhaps we will be able to move some of them, along with a Ray Whitney or Joe Corvo, at trade deadline time. I think the oft-rumored Whitney to Montreal for the Kostitsyn brothers deal would be a step in the right direction, but I doubt it will happen. We need to give the younger players the opportunity to get their feet wet in the bigs. So, here's the line-up I would like to see on the Canes when Staal and Ward return, barring any deals.

Ruuutu-Staal-Cole

Whitney-Cullen-Larose

Samsonov-Sutter-Jokinen

Kotsopoulos-Brind'Amour-Walker

Gleason-Corvo

Pitkanen -Carson

Alberts-Rodney

Ward-Legace

It is only a matter of time before the Canes win a game. And, who knows, with some renewed confidence, they may even start to compete again. But the reality is, with the team twelve points out of eighth place already, the Canes are unlikely to make the play-offs this year, and need to start looking at the future.

Looks like it is going to be a long season.

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So far, so good!

Well, if you are a Hurricanes fan, you probably feel the same way I do about the work of Jim Rutherford (JR) and his staff, thus far...So far, so good! But you are probably also wondering what JR has up his sleeve to add some much-needed offence to the front lines.

Historically, JR has tended to focus on getting his own free agents under contract and and otherwise would lay very low in the early days of free agency. He wanted to wait for the price to come down before jumping in. This year that was his plan, again. In fact, he was very clear that he had no plans to sign other players or make any trades until late in the summer or around training camp time, once the Canes had determined the positions they would need to fill. 

And, initially, it looked like JR was going to stick to the script. His first order of business was to sign RFA Jussi Jokinen to a multi-year deal. Jussi was a revelation in the play-offs and a versatile player that the Canes wanted to return. JR then turned his attention to his UFAs. Dennis Seidenberg seemingly decided to move on and with prospects Rodney, Carson, and McBain in the wings, no problem. But what about Erik Cole and Chad Larose? Much to his chagrin, he was unable to get either signed before July 1st and so both decided to test the free agent waters. However, undaunted, JR stood his ground and was able to get both signed to long-term deals at close to the budget he had allocated for them. A good start! 

Meanwhile, he continued his efforts to get remaining RFAs Tuomo Ruutu and Anton Babchuk under contract. This has not been as easy as first anticipated. JR tendered qualifying offers to both, but neither player accepted the offer. Ruutu finally accepted a three-year deal avoiding arbitration just prior to the August 1 deadline. That was a great signing. Ruutu is a critical member of the team and is just coming into his own. He is a future building block for the franchise and wasn't going anywhere. 

And, it gets better. JR surprised all of his by signing big winger Tom Kotsopoulos to a multi-year deal. He was one of the top hitters on the Canadians, is an outstanding penalty killer, and plays with emotion, a real fan favorite. He brings it every night!  He gives the Canes much-needed size on the wing and will chip in with some offense on occasion, too. A major improvement over Ryan Bayda, in my mind.

But that's not all. He then went out and signed hulking 6'4" defenseman, Andrew Alberts, to a modest two-year contract. He was on my wish list and gives the Canes a much-needed no-nonsense, shutdown type of defenseman, a critical missing link in our play-off run last year. Pencil him in as a solid number five or six d-man. He may even chip in with a little offence, too. Our only concern with Andrew was his concussion problems a few years ago, but hopefully that's now a thing of the past.

And in a surprise move that caught most of us off-guard, he traded underachieving forward, Patrick Eaves, to the Bruins for former Cane, Aaron Ward. I have mixed emotions about this deal. Sure, Ward was a key piece in the Canes run to the cup a few years back and he was strong alongside Zdeno Chara on the Bruins D last year, but he is in the waning years of his career. I would have much preferred if the Canes had re-signed Dennis Seidenberg to a long term contract.. Dennis was outstanding alongside Joni Pitkanen in the play-offs last year and was just coming into his own. I suspect JR's plan is to give the youngsters a shot at filling one of the D-spots and was looking for a short term fix in Ward.

He has also managed to finally shed the Canes of Frantisek Kaberle, buying out his contract, and improve the Canes bench strength, flying under the radar to sign former gritty Coyote winger Steven Goertzen, 6"2" and 215 lbs, and huge 6'4" defenseman, former Leaf, Jay Harrison, to the mix. Either can come up to the big club in a pinch. I guess JR wasn't kidding about making the Canes bigger, eh?

OK, so what about Babchuk? He is still sitting in limbo. Anton started to live up to some of the promise last year, after being drafted in the first round by the Hawks in 2005. His offensive game really took shape in the second half and with sixteen goals on the season, he was among the league leaders for defensemen in that category. Sure, he is still rough around the edges but I thought he made great strides last year, particularly when he was partnered with Joni Pitkanen. But JR didn't seem to pay much notice to that. He has elected not to negotiate with the player and has not budged from his initial qualifying offer of $1.0 million, the same amount that Anton earned last year.  To me, this just doesn't make sense. Clearly, Anton is worth more. So, why not pay him.

This is not the first time that JR and Anton have locked horns. But. I'm sure it will be the last. JR is clearly done with Anton and is working on packaging Anton in a deal for either a capable low-cost forward or high round draft pick. Gee, I wonder what would happen if Anton had a change of heart and came back and accepted the qualifying offer. That would make things very interesting. Personally, I would love to see Anton teamed with Andrew Alberts on the third pairing. That would give us another balanced pair, with excellent size. Apparently, according to JR, this will be resolved soon. I vote we keep Anton.

So, what's next?

I still think the Canes should look at Manny Molhotra. The longer he remains unsigned, the more likely he would fit into our budget. He would be an awesome fourth line center and would allow us to leave Brandon Sutter on the farm for another year of much-needed seasoning. Any of Blair Betts, Dominic Moore, or Andy Hilbert could also fill that 4th line center spot nicely. The Canes has also been rumored to be interested in Rob Neidermeyer, a strong defensive center/winger, who remains unsigned. He brings size and experience and scored fourteen goals last year, a good-offensive showing for him. What about Maxim Afinogenov. Now rumored to be heading to the KHL, he could be a steal if he finds his game, again.  And, how about Nicholai Zherdev. Apparently, no one is rushing to sign him, now that he is a UFA. He is the type of player who would probably flourish with the Hurricanes. A Ruutu, Staal, Zherdev combo would be amazing. Finally, Christian Backman, a longtime favorite of JR, is still available and would be an interesting addition to the defensive corps. He brings size and offence to the mix.

Notwithstanding that, I still think the first order of business is to deal with Babchuk. That means packaging Anton for the best possible return. There have been lots of rumors of potentially interested parties. Vancouver and the Rangers were specifically cited in a Babchuk interview recently, as interested teams. It would be great if the Canes could add a forward to the mix and secure a potential top six side-kick for Staal. It would be even better if they could shed some additional salary along the way, such as Walker or even Samsonov, but that is very unlikely.

JR has lots of options. Here are some possibles:

Babchuk for a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick (most likely)

Babchuk for Bernier (VCR) (I like this one a lot!)

Babchuk for Mayorov (interesting prospect) or Chimera (Columbus) (They're looking for an offensive D-man)

So, not including a Babchuk trade or free agent signing, this is what the Canes line-up will look like come training camp.

Ruutu - Staal - Cole, Whitney - Cullen - Larose, Samsonov - Brind 'Amour - Walker

Goertzen - Jokinen - Kotsopoulos

Gleason - Corvo, Pitkanen - Ward, Alberts - Wallin

Ward - Leighton

And you still have Ryan, Carson, Rodney, McBain, Sutter, Bowman, and Boychuk, battling for spots.

It's a solid line-up, for sure, but not strong enough to battle for the big prize. The offensive contributions from Babchuk, Seidenberg and Kaberle on the D-corps, will be sorely missed. Hopefully, JR still has a move or two up his sleeve. 

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Thanks Mr. Rutherford, I’ll take it from here!

If you grew up on hockey like I did, you’ve probably dreamt at some time of being General Manager of an NHL team, particularly at this time of year.

The June draft and free agency mayhem are upon us once more. So, what the heck! Let’s have a go at it. Let’s make the decisions on which free agents stay or go, what trades we are going to make, and who we are going to draft this year. 

“Thanks Mr. Rutherford, I’ll take it from here!” 

Based on the second half and play-off performance by the Canes last season, we probably don’t need to do much. Let's go down the list and see what we’ve got to work with.

Goaltending:

Cam Ward is a lock for years to come. Michael Leighton showed signs of being a solid back-up and will get better. With Justin Peters in Albany and junior sensation, Mike Murphy, under contract, nothing to do there.

Defence:

Joe Corvo, Joni Pitkanen, and Tim Gleason are key building blocks for the future. I would keep Nic Wallin for his last contract year. Newcomers Bryan Rodney, Brett Carson, and Jamie McBain all deserve a real shot at making the team. That’s a good start!

Frank Kaberle and is $2.2M has to go. Try to deal him for a late round draft pick or buy out his contract. A bonus would be if he signs in the KHL, as rumored, but don’t hold your breath on that one. Dennis Seidenberg, now an unrestricted free agent, wants too much money so he might have to go. That would be too bad. I think Denis is very under-rated on the Canes blue and played a key roll in their success this year. That leaves restricted free agent, Anton Babchuk. An intriguing thought is to package Babchuk in a major deal. With sixteen goals this year, he is very desirable for teams looking to strengthen their power-play.  If he goes, sign Seidenberg. 

The Canes biggest need on the blueline is for a tough stay-at-home mobile defencemen, a real shutdown guy.  UFAs include Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill, Andrew Alberts, and Greg Zanon .   I like Scuderi and have for a long time. I know the Pens want to keep him but make a strong play for him. I'd sign him for about 2.5M on a long term deal. 

I like a defence of Corvo-Gleason, Pitkanen-Scuderi, Wallin-Babchuk/Seidenberg, with the kids in reserve. 

Center:

Eric Staal, Matt Cullen, and Rod Brind'Amour are your top three. Roddy has to have a comeback year or the Canes won’t go far next year.  I’d look to sign a free agent as depth, say Manny Malhotra, Blair Betts or Dominic Moore. I really like Malhotra, big, solid defensively, and growing offensively and reasonably priced. And, you still have Darren Sutter in the wings, but I’d prefer to see him playing big minutes in Albany. 

Left Wing:

Sergei Samsonov and Ray Whitney are locks. Sign Tuomo Ruutu, RFA, to a long term deal. Bring up Drayson Bowman to challenge on the fourth line. He’s ready. Sign Ryan Bayda, a UFA, to a $600k per, two-year deal. He is a solid 11th or 12th forward and good depth. 

Right Wing:

Sign Erik Cole, if the price is right, and Chad Larose, both UFAs to long term deals. You can make a strong case for lower dollars right now.  Cole had a brutal play-off offensively and, the big question surrounding Larose is, was his season a fluke. I don’t think so. If Cole can’t happen, look at a free agent signing or make a deal for a big, scoring forward.  I would sign Jussi Jokinen, RFA, to a long term deal and play him on right wing. He can always cover at center, if needed. Patrick Eaves is an intriguing winger. I still think he will be a top six player.  He could find his scoring touch and move up the depth chart. In any case, he is a solid fourth liner. Package Scott Walker in a major deal or move him for a mid-round draft pick or prospect to clear some salary. Tim Conboy is around for insurance and toughness. 

These forward lines will work, although I’m still concerned about team size and we lack a solid number two goal scorer, unless Cole steps up:

Ruutu-Staal-Cole

Whitney-Cullen-Larose

Samsonov-Brind’Amour-Jokinen

Bowman-Malhotra-Eaves

So, after all of that, not much would change with the Canes. Tie up the key free agents, add a player or two, and give some of your young talent a shot at the show. And, you're good-to go! 

Here are some interesting Unrestricted Free Agents I would target:

Center – one of Manny Malhotra, Blair Betts, Dominic Moore

Right Wing –Erik Cole or major fee agent signing

Left Wing – one of Chad Larose, Kyle Calder, Vernon Fiddler

Defence – One of Rob Suderi, Hal Gill, Andrew Alberts, Greg Zanon 

Another option is to make a major deal or major free agent signing to shake things up! 

How about this?

Cole, Babchuk, and 1^st round pick to Ottawa for Danny Heatley. Would be great but forget it, too much action around Heatley. 

Or this?

Walker, Babchuk, and 1^st round pick to Nashville for Alexander Radulov. Not sure if Radulov is returning this year, but wow! 

Or this?

Babchuk to Atlanta for Colby Armstrong. Was impressive alongside Sydney Crosby  in Pittsburgh. Thrashers need defensemen. 

Or this?

Babchuk to the Capitals for Shaone Morrison. There’s your shutdown D-man. 

Or this?

Babchuk and Larose to Toronto for Alexie Ponikarovsky. Burke would move him in the right package.

Major Free agents:

Hossa, Gaborik, Sykora, Antropov, or Gionta. Price will be too high for Hossa and Gaborik, but both would look amazing in a Canes uniform. Sykora would be an excellent signing and possible. Antropov would also be a great option. He’s big and talented and would be a perfect compliment to Staal. Gionta is intriguing, but small in stature. Maybe not major but how about Maxim Afinogenov? He could be a steal right now. He’s underperformed his last few years, but scored 23 goals in 56 games (61 points!) a few years ago. 

As far as the draft goes, I would love to see the Canes grab Carter Ashton or Landon Ferraro in the first round. Both have great hockey bloodlines, good size, and would look good in a Canes uniform down the road. But, let’s leave this up to Tony MacDonald, Director of Amateur scouting. 

So, what do you think, J.R.?