Posts Tagged ‘Carolina Hurricanes’

2010 NHL Offseason: Carolina Hurricanes Position Battles to Watch For

23, Jul 2010

As a summer of surprises around the NHL rolls on, the Carolina Hurricanes have begun to quietly fill out their roster.

All of the Hurricanes’ restricted free agents heading into the offseason have been signed. In addition, 15 players have been inked to one-way contracts for the upcoming season. However, with nearly $12 million left in cap space, Carolina has plenty of room to fill the remaining holes in their depth chart.

Many of the new-look Hurricanes players are also younger than those who were starting in their places last season. Carolina has moved up from the second-oldest team in summer 2009 to the seventh-youngest team in the NHL today. Additionally, only four contract holders for the ‘Canes are above the age of 30 (Erik Cole, Sergei Samsanov, Tom Kostopoulos, and Joe Corvo).

This plethora of prospects translates into a number of position battles as the youngsters fight for their NHL jobs during training camp, which begins September 17th. While that date is nearly two months off, competitions like these are already objects of speculation on the teams that already have determined much of their depth chart.

Position Battle No. 1: Third- and Fourth-Line Center

The first battle to watch for is for the third- and fourth-line center positions. Unless Carolina decides to fill their third-line gap with a free agent such as Kyle Wellwood, Eric Belanger, Dominic Moore, or Brendan Morrison, two prospects could begin the year in Raleigh.

However, the candidates for those two slots are not lacking. Newly-acquired Riley Nash (from Edmonton) and Jon Matsumoto (from Philadelphia), both of whom were traded to Carolina during the draft, will join Zac Dalpe and Patrick Dwyer to fight for those two positions.

Seventh overall draft pick Jeff Skinner may also join the mix if he decides to leave the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this offseason, which could add yet another interesting twist.

All four current candidates have very good chances at making the team, but all four also promote radically different resumes.

Riley Nash, who was 21st overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL Draft, held out at Cornell University without an entry level contract for three seasons, resulting in a loss of patience by youth-lacking Edmonton. Ironically, following his trade to Carolina in late June, Nash signed a three-year deal with the ‘Canes earlier this week.

The Canadian’s time at the collegiate level wasn’t without its benefits, though; Nash logged 102 points in 102 games with the Big Red, and is now making the jump to the NHL comfortably.

Unfortunately, Carolina’s other “new kid in town” may have an even better shot at earning a roster spot. Jon Matsumoto, who signed a two-year deal with Carolina July 1st, already has three seasons under his belt with the Phantoms, the Flyer’s AHL affiliate.

Matsumoto improved on his 20 goals and 24 assists in 2008-2009 with 29 goals and 34 assists last year. He added 10 of those goals on the power play and four more while shorthanded, giving Matsumoto a special teams aspect not seen in any of his “opponents.”

Another great candidate to beat out the others for a roster spot is Patrick Dwyer, the only of the four to have any NHL experience.

Although Dwyer is significantly older than the other three at age 27, he has made a respectable 71 NHL appearances with the Hurricanes, including 58 last season. Dwyer put up seven goals, two of which were game winners, and five assists in those 58 games to go along with just six penalty minutes.

Dwyer made a good impression with the Hurricanes’ staff last season, and may be the most confident going into training camp. Some of that poise may have to do with the fact that the fourth player in consideration, Zac Dalpe, isn’t very likely to make the team.

Dalpe was recently signed to an entry-level deal, but is coming to Carolina directly from his sophomore year at Ohio State University.

While these four prospects are undoubtedly not “opponents,” their fight for two bottom-six forward roster spots over the rest of the summer may be worth keeping an eye on, especially if Skinner joins them soon.

Position Battle No. 2: Fourth Line Left/Right Wing

Erik Cole, Sergei Samsanov, Tom Kostopoulos, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, and Chad LaRose are all definite bets to fill out the top three lines on the left and right sides. Jiri Tlusty, who had six points in 20 games after being acquired from Toronto last Christmas, is also nearly assured due to his new one-way contract.

That still leaves one spot open, though. While prospects such as Jared Staal, Nick Dodge, and Chris Terry may hope to be included, the race for that slot could probably be narrowed down to Zach Boychuk, 20, Jerome Samson, 22, Drayson Bowman, 21, and Oskar Osala, 22.

Boychuk would seem to be the front runner. He made a significant impact at the NHL level last season with nine points and a solid plus-one rating in 31 games. The former 14th overall pick also put up 41 points in 60 combined regular and postseason games with the Albany River Rats.

Samson may be close on Boychuk’s heels, though, as his 78 points were among the best in the AHL last season and earned him a seven-game NHL stint to boot.

Those two could be challenged by Drayson Bowman, who scored his first (and second, for that matter) ever NHL goals in the ‘Canes second-to-last game in the same season as his first ever AHL goal (actually, his first 17 AHL goals).

Osala, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Joe Corvo to the ‘Caps, could very well make the team, too. An impressive 24 goals went beside his name last season at the AHL level, and Osala was deservedly recalled for his third career NHL game on March 10th.

Those four youngsters could make Carolina’s second positional battle even more competitive than their first. But the options don’t stop with the offense; Carolina’s defense is not quite set yet, either. 

Position Battle No. 3: Third Defense Pairing

Albeit having added Joe Corvo and Anton Babchuk to their core of Tim Gleason and Joni Pitkanen on the blue line, the third defensive pairing still has a few questions surrounding it. One-way contract holder Jay Harrison may have the inside track, but prospect standout Jamie McBain, recently re-signed Brett Carson, and former Ranger Bobby Sanguinetti have their reasons to believe as well.

With injury troubles striking Carolina’s defense last season, 28-year-old Jay Harrison transformed from an injury replacement to a regular. He improved his career high for games played in a single season from eight to 38. Harrison wasn’t particularly impressive in those 38 starts, however, posting just one goal, 50 painful penalty minutes, and a minus-eight rating.

Jamie McBain, 21, didn’t see NHL ice until March, but made the most of his opportunity. I rated him the Hurricanes’ best rookie at the end of the season, and he deserved it. McBain had three goals, including a last-second overtime winner in Pittsburgh, seven assists, and a team-best plus-six rating in just 14 games!

Brett Carson didn’t receive a qualifying offer back on June 30th, but he was re-signed as a UFA just days ago by the Hurricanes to a two-way contract. The 24-year-old was fairly consistent in his 54 games played last season, recording 12 points, a plus-five rating, and some clutch defensive plays.

Last but not least (excuse the cliché) is 22-year-old Bobby Sanguinetti. After coming from the Rangers for a 2010 seventh-round choice and Washington’s 2011 second-round pick, Sanguinetti could be ready to make the starting lineup.

The defenseman had 38 points in 61 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL in ‘09-’10, and played well enough to earn his first NHL stint with New York.

In the end, it will come down to how each player performs in training camp before anyone will know which players we’ll see in red and white on opening night in Finland, and which players will be staying for a while with the Hurricanes’ new AHL affiliate, Charlotte.

One thing we do know now is that all three positional battles are certainly going to be worth watching. While I personally would bet, albeit hesitantly, on seeing Dwyer, Matsumoto, Boychuk, Harrison, and McBain beat out the competition and leave Nash, Dalpe, Samson, Bowman, and Sanguinetti in the minor leagues, it’s almost impossible to know who will fill out the bottom lines of the Hurricanes’ roster for the moment.

We’ll just have to wait until the long-awaited NHL preseason comes around before anything is on paper. In the meantime, there are quite a few situations to speculate about.

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes . In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 215 articles and received over 175,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter .

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Matt Karash: Your pick for breakout Cane this year?

23, Jul 2010

It is no secret that the Carolina Hurricanes will be a much younger team this year.

But take a shot at these couple questions without going through the roster in detail (from the current roster)(answers below):

How many Canes are over 30 years old?
How many 32 or older?
Who is the oldest Cane?
Where does Chad Larose rank in terms of age?

The answers are surprising. Gone is everyone…

Matt Karash: Is this the team? Or…?

19, Jul 2010

Toward the front part of free agent season, I suggested that the Canes needed to add 1 veteran defenseman and 1 veteran center to fill out the roster in my opinion. My wild but logical guess that Joe Corvo could come back proved correct. My wild guess at center was Dominic Moore who I believe is still available. But as the summer trickles away and training camp nears, you have to wonder if this…

NHL Free Agency: Carolina Hurricanes Team Report (July 16 Edition)

16, Jul 2010

Despite a period of silence surrounding the Carolina Hurricanes over the past week since they signed Joe Corvo, several minor signings have began to fill out the depth chart for the ‘Canes new minor league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

Carolina’s official website, as well as plenty of other sources, report that 26-year-old defenseman Bryan Rodney, 24-year-old goaltender Justin Pogge, and 24-year-old center Nick Dodge have all been signed to new contracts by the Hurricanes.

All three had become restricted free agents on July 1.

Rodney, the only one of the three to appear with Carolina last season, was inked to a one-year deal that will pay him $525,000 at the NHL level in the upcoming year.

Rodney was a significant part of the Albany River Rats’ defense in both the regular season and playoffs, as well as scoring his first NHL goal and adding 10 assists in 22 games with the Hurricanes.

Former Duck and Maple Leaf prospect Pogge, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Anaheim along with a 2010 fourth round pick for Aaron Ward, was given a one-year NHL entry level contract ($500,000 salary).

Pogge has started five NHL games over his young career (all with Toronto), but played very little with Albany last spring after his acquisition due to an injury. He will now step into an alternating role with Mike Murphy at the goaltending position for Charlotte.

Dodge also received, like Pogge, a one-year NHL entry level deal. Dodge led Albany in plus/minus last season as well as recording 36 points in his full 80-game season.

Despite adding Rodney, Pogge, and Dodge to the lineup, the ‘Canes did lose one of their “prospects” this week. AHL enforcer Tim Conboy, 28, was signed to a one-year, $550,000 salary contract by the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night.

Conboy had played 40 games with the Hurricanes over the past two seasons, logging one point and 61 penalty minutes. Conboy will be remembered, if at all, only for his brutal, bloody, and often incessant brawls at both the NHL and AHL levels.

Despite this plethora of small-talk news, the Hurricanes continue to hold on to their $12.5 million in cap space, the 12th-most in the NHL, according to capgeek.com.

The signings of Corvo and Anton Babchuk earlier in the month helped fill out the Hurricanes most pressing defensive needs going into free agency. However, a third-line center is still on the wish list, although there is plenty of cash to find one.

Former Canuck Kyle Wellwood , 26,  and 32-year-old former Capital Eric Belanger are two names being tossed around as being reportedly contacted by Carolina for that position.

In other news, the Hurricanes announced that Rod Brind’Amour’s No. 17 jersey will be retired on a February 18, 2011, game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ironically, Brind’Amour played much of his early career with the Flyers before established Carolina as a reputable hockey team with his trade to the Hurricanes in 2001.

“Brindy,” as he was affectionately nicknamed, announced his retirement several weeks ago.

Lastly, the Hurricanes’ box office also announced yesterday that their October 1 matinee exhibition game (1:00 p.m. at the RBC Center) against the Atlanta Thrashers will offer free admission for fans .

The ‘Canes are the first team to announce a deal like that for the upcoming preseason, and tickets can be picked up quite a few promotional events over the summer.

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes . In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 210 articles and received over 170,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter .

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Rod Brind’Amour To Have Number Retired by Carolina Hurricanes

16, Jul 2010

Realizing that he would have a greatly diminished role if he continued playing for the Carolina Hurricanes next season, Rod Brind’Amour decided to retire.  I am sure he could have asked GM Jim Rutherford for release from his contract and moved on to another team seeking veteran leadership, but Brind’Amour decided to retire as a Hurricane.

Brind’Amour was always a team first guy and that dedication will be rewarded on February 18 when the Hurricanes raise his No. 17 to the rafters.  

Brind’Amour captained the ‘Canes to their only Stanley Cup Championship in 2006.  His 1484 games played in the NHL ranks his 16th in all-time games played.  During his 20 year career he racked up 1184 points(452 goals, 732 assists).  He leaves the ‘Canes as one of the franchises most prolific players, ranking second in assists (299), third in points (473), and fourth in games played (694).

During his career with the ‘Canes and earlier the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, Brind’Amour was a member of the NHL all-rookie team, as well as a member of the 1998 Canadian Olympic Squad.  Brind’Amour also played in the 1992 All-Star Game and was awarded back-to-back Frank J. Selke trophies in 2006 and 2007 as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

Brind’Amour will move to the front offices of the Hurricanes in an unspecified role for the 2011 season. 

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CAR: Corvo’s Back

8, Jul 2010

as per TSN.ca
Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) – The Carolina Hurricanes have brought back defenceman Joe Corvo with a two-year contract.
The pact will pay Corvo $2 million in 2010-11 and $2.5 million in 2011-12. The veteran blueliner was dealt to the Capitals at last year’s trade deadline for defenseman Brian Pothier, forward Oskar Osala and [...]

NHL Free Agency: Joe “Scorvo” Corvo Returning to Carolina Hurricanes

8, Jul 2010

Joe Corvo is returning to Raleigh.

After being traded to Washington at the 2010 Trade Deadline in a deal that sent a 2011 second rounder (eventually traded to Philadelphia for Jonathan Matsumoto), prospect Oskar Osala (in the AHL), and defenseman Brian Pothier (now a free agent) to Carolina, Corvo is once again coming back to a place where he just might have prospered the most.

The 33-year-old power play specialist was inked to a two-year, $4.5 million contract Wednesday afternoon by the Carolina Hurricanes; perhaps a deal that will finally settle Corvo down for the remainder of his career.

After being drafted in the fourth round, 83rd overall, by the Kings in 1997, at the age of 19, Corvo didn’t even begin play for Los Angeles until the 2002-2003 season. However, the American defenseman blossomed there, progressing from 50 games and 12 points in ‘02-’03 to 72 games and 25 points in ‘03-’04 and, finally, following the lockout, 81 games and an impressive 40 points.

Although Los Angeles never made the playoffs in any of his three seasons there, Corvo still racked up 27 goals from the blue line, including nine with a man-advantage, and an solid plus-25 rating.

Following the 2005-’06 season, Corvo was signed by the Ottawa Senators, where he continued to improve. Although his goal production (14 to eight) and point production (40 to 37) both dropped, Corvo found a role as a true defenseman with the Senators in his first year there, and also had his first postseason experience, posting nine points and a plus-four rating during Ottawa’s three playoff series.

After putting up six goals (one on the power play), 21 assists, and a plus-13 rating in just 51 games during the 2007-’08 season, Corvo was surprisingly sent to Carolina along with RW Patrick Eaves in exchange for LW Cory Stillman and D Mike Commodore. Interestingly enough, of the four players involved in that trade, all of them were no longer with the ‘Canes or ‘Sens for a point this spring, with Corvo in Washington, Eaves in Detroit, Stillman in Florida, and Commodore in Columbus.

Quickly, Carolina found out what Corvo can do. Although the ‘Canes fell short of the playoffs in ‘07-’08, Corvo recorded five power play goals and two more even-strength tallies in just 23 games down the stretch, as well as 14 assists and a plus-four rating. Raleigh had begun to fall in love with Corvo’s fast skating, production from the point, and top-pairing-worthy defensive support.

However, he was just getting started with the Hurricanes. In the 2008-2009 season, Corvo had one of the best seasons of his career despite having a negative plus-minus rating for the first time. In addition to developing back in his own end, Corvo added 14 goals (eight power play) and 24 assists, as well as tying his career low in penalty minutes for a full season with just 18.

Furthermore, almost half of Corvo’s goals were game winners, including this particularly memorable one (No. 10 on video), earning him the “Scorvo” nickname for the first (but certainly not last) time.

Corvo went on to add seven more points in 18 playoff games.

After an injury sidelined him for much of last year, keeping him to just 34 appearances and 12 points (with four man-advantage goals, on the contrary) with Carolina, the specialist was sent to the Capitals to become Mike Green’s partner in Washington’s push for the Stanley Cup.

Unfortunately for the Caps, neither of those plans worked out. Corvo played some of his worst hockey with Washington, posting six points and a minus-four rating in 18 regular season games before earning just two points, another minus-four rating, and four PIM in one seven-game playoff series, the full extent of the Capitals’ postseason appearance.

Meanwhile, 34-year-old defenseman Brian Pothier, who was traded to Carolina as Corvo’s counterpart, was almost as fruitless with the Hurricanes as Corvo was with the Capitals. Pothier put up just one goal and three assists in 20 games to go along with a plus-minus rating eight notches into the negatives.

…And so, with the Hurricanes lacking much defensive support beyond Tim Gleason, Joni Pitkanen, and Jamie McBain, Corvo once again was brought in. He will make $2 million this year and then his usual $2.5 million next year, but, the way the Hurricanes perform with Corvo at the helm, will probably play like he’s getting paid much more than that.

Corvo will also, as he did before, give Carolina some much-needed man-advantage support, where the ‘Canes were 22nd (16.9 percent) last season and 18th (18.7 percent) the year before.

Expect to see the blueliner join the top pairing with Tim Gleason at first, but be switched around to play with plenty of other partners in the ‘Canes youthful new-look defense. Corvo may also see a role in penalty killing, where Carolina also has struggled, killing off just 80.4 percent of penalties last season, ranking 19th.

Additionally, Corvo’s signing is almost certainly cutting all ties between Carolina and Pothier. The question remains whether Washington is looking to pull a similar stunt that the ‘Canes did yesterday with Corvo, but, either way, Pothier was most definitely a more expensive, older, and less consistent option than Raleigh’s beloved Joe “Scorvo” Corvo.

In the end, it was always true that Corvo had earned his keep with the Hurricanes. And, by golly, it’s good to have ol’ “Scorvo” back.

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 210 articles and received over 160,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter .

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

2010 NHL Draft Analysis: Carolina Hurricanes

3, Jul 2010

The Carolina Hurricanes are a roller coaster ride of a team. One year they surprise the hockey world and make it deep into the playoffs, and have even won a Stanley Cup. Then the next year they can’t even make the playoffs or find themselves going home early.

Certainly the Canes would like to stabilize this trend, and settle into a team that competes year round, ever year.

The Hurricanes have unloaded some players this past season, and would look to fill the gaps through the draft.

With the first pick, seventh overall, the Carolina Hurricanes selected Jeff Skinner. Skinner was either going to go high or slip low, and the Canes decided to go with the former.

Skinner isn’t a big player, but he is a good skater, and he has even better offensive potential. With 70 goals in 84 games, 20 of which were scored in 20 games in the playoffs. Skinner is a very gifted forward.

Skinner will likely remain with the Rangers next season in hopes he can develop even more, and hopefully add some size, but it seems at this point that the Hurricanes made a very smart choice taking Skinner early.

With the Canes second round pick, they selected offensive defenseman Justin Faulk from the US U-18 program.

Faulk recorded 21 goals this past season and added another 12 assists.

Faulk has a blast from the point, which means he best used in a powerplay role, but he can also lay the body out and play that physical game that allows him to play the penalty kill as well.

Faulk will attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth next season.

Carolina went back to the States for another defender from the Minnesota high school system. Alt brings more of a defensive game to the club, but he can also play up front. Alt recorded 15 points in only 22 games played.

Alt is a big body who skates well, and he can hit. Carolina could use a more intimidating presence from the back end, and Mark Alt could be that person.

Alt will lace them up for the University of Minnesota next season.

Defence was the theme of the day for Carolina as they took blue-liner Danny Biega from Harvard of the NCAA.

Biega plays a much more defensive game than the other two picked. He is a decent size, but not huge. Biega is a quick skater, and an under-rated puck mover. A solid stay-at-home guy is what the Canes need, and that is what they get in Biega.

The next defenseman taken by the Canes was Austin Levi from the Plymouth Whalers. Levi, again, is smaller player, but he plays a grind-it-out, duke-it-out kind of game. Levi is not going to get you a lot of points, but he may bring an intimidating element to the game.

The second and last forward selected by the Canes was Justin Shugg. Shugg had very good numbers with the Windsor Spitfires. With 79 points, including 39 goals in 67 games, it seems like he could be a good offensive player in the NHL.

However, his stats should be taken with a grain of salt as he was on a very good Spits team that won two consecutive Memorial Cups. His stats may be his skill, but they could also be good because he was on an exceptional team.

With the sixth round selection the Canes selected their last defenceman of the day—Tyler Stahl of the Chilliwack Bruins. Stahl is the not an offensive player, what he brings is extra toughness. Another guy that can hit and fight, but play steady in his own end.

Carolina has added a couple players like this through the draft, so it clearly shows what direction the team wants to head in.

Finally, with the seventh selection, they selected a goalie out of Denmark. Frederik Andersen has had a very good career thus far in Denmark. He was named the league’s MVP this past season, he has won the Danish Championship in both division one and two, and he has won several medals at the worlds.

Andersen could be a rare type of player that steps up from the seventh round, and finds himself making the team. Andersen will likely join the Canes’ AHL affiliate next year, which will really show how good he is.

 

Grades:

Offence: B+   Skinner is the reason the grade is as high as it is. Skinner is a great offensive talent, and could very well be a solid NHL player; however, after this the talent gets a lot thinner up front. Shugg may be a good player, but it is yet to be seen if he can put up similar numbers on a bad team.

Defence: A-   The Canes picked up a lot of defensive prospects, but a lot of them play a similar style of game. One or two may eventually make the lineup but a more spread out talent base would have been preferential.

Goaltending: B+   Andersen may be a dark horse prospect, his numbers are certainly good, he has had a lot of winning experience, but it’s not at an extremely high level of competition. A stint in the AHL should prove a lot.

Overall: B+   The Canes did well. They certainly picked up a lot of much-needed defensive prospects, and a couple potential offensive stars; however, a couple more players up front would have been nice.

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Matt Karash: Expect quiet especially early

30, Jun 2010

I will dedicate a separate blog to Rod Brind’Amour once the smoke clears on the free agent frenzy and after allowing a little while for anyone checking in sporadically to figure out that I am busy at my blogger’s keyboard again after a busy front part of summer.

All reports suggest that the Canes will be quiet during the free agent frenzy especially the front end when the big dollars are flying…

Puck On The ‘Net: Free Agency Looms

28, Jun 2010

Everyone took a collective sigh and day of rest on Sunday following the draft. Now action is heating up for the free agency period. No doubt that action will boil over on July 1st.

Here’s a few thoughts on this year’s thin free agency class:
Ilya Kovalchuk – There have been reports that Kovalchuk has been asking for a significant pay raise as high as to the $8-10 million range. I’m sorry, but I

2010 NHL Draft Results: Carolina Hurricanes Analysis and Recap

27, Jun 2010

We knew that the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was going to be a busy one for the Carolina Hurricanes, who held a league-high 11 draft picks going in.

And, when it was all said and done, through picks and trades and hours of negotiating, the Hurricanes can come away from Los Angeles with high hopes for the future.

General Manager Jim Rutherford had a busy weekend, as the Hurricanes were the seventh team up in the first round Friday night and then continued to have selections all through Saturday as well.

Despite having the option of going with Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley, both of whom were expected to go earlier and both of whom could be a great addition to the ‘Canes’ needy defensive unit, the Hurricanes decided to go with center Jeff Skinner with the seventh pick.

Center is another position of need for Carolina, and Skinner will also provide an incredible goal-scoring threat. The 19-year-old had 50 goals (along with 40 assists) this past season with the Kitchener Rangers and then added 20 more in the playoffs, even though his opponents included players like Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall (ever heard of them?).

Skinner plans to spend one more season with Kitchener before coming into the Hurricanes organization.

Directly following Skinner’s selection, Rutherford claims to have offered the deal of all three second-round picks to several teams to try to get ahold of Fowler or Gormley, but no team agreed before the two were finally taken with the 12th and 13th picks.

After a not-very-long night’s sleep, Carolina was back at it the next day. With the 37th overall choice, the ‘Canes added their first of many defenseman to be drafted throughout the day, Justin Faulk.

The American blue liner developed into a premiere powerplay defenseman with the U.S. U-18 National Development Program this season, scoring 14 man-advantage goals in 60 games this year (along with seven more even strength tallies). Faulk has decent size at 6′0″, 196 lbs., and should continue to grow and learn as he attends Minnesota-Duluth next year.

Soon after, Carolina made their first trade of the day, sending the 19th pick of the second round to Edmonton in exchange for Riley Nash. Nash, another center, has recorded a whopping 102 points in just 102 games the past three seasons at Cornell. However, hopefully for the Hurricanes, he is considering leaving to play in the ‘Canes organization this next season.

Soon after, once again, the Hurricanes finished up a crazy opening hour by picking defender Mark Alt with the 53rd overall choice.

Alt may have been a bit of a steal with a final prospect rank of 37th, but it could be a long time before we see him again as he’s just entering his freshman year of college. However, Alt has shown a lot of dedication to hockey, including turning down a football scholarship at Iowa to play hockey at the University of Minnesota.

Fourteen selections later, another defenseman came off the board in Danny Biega. Biega, a freshman, along with his two brothers, played hockey at Harvard last season and may be able to join the Hurricanes in as little as two years.

Late in the third round, Carolina went with yet another blue liner, Austin Levi. Levi may have been a bit of a reach (ranked 156th), but apparently the Hurricanes must see something in him that says he’ll develop quickly playing with talent the caliber that there is in the OHL (although Levi only recorded 12 points in 60 games last season).

In the mid-fourth round, the ‘Canes may have gotten away with their biggest steal of the day in left winger Justin Shugg. Shugg was a projected second round pick, but he fell quite a distance despite finishing up the ‘09-’10 year second in points on the Windsor Spitfires (behind Taylor Hall).

Shugg showed off a lot of his potential this season, netting 39 goals along with 40 assists in just 67 appearances, and should be able to join Carolina soon.

Carolina continued a streak of smart moves by dealing the 157th overall choice along with Washington’s 2011 second round choice to the New York Rangers for 22-year-old defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti.

Sanguinetti, entering the last year of a two-way contract, made his five-game NHL debut last season, in addition to finishing his second consecutive almost-full season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The American should be able to provide some more experienced depth to the Charlotte Checkers as well as have the talent to be a useful injury fill-in on the Hurricanes squad.

Moments later, Carolina added their sixth and final defenseman of the day (about time!), Tyler Stahl, at 167th overall. Stahl, ranked 116th, uses his 6′1″ size to crush, crumble, and cream opponents, but his offensive production could use some consistency, as his point total fell from 40 to just six over the past two years.

In the seventh round, Carolina made their last actual selection of a long and exciting day, taking massive Danish goalie Fredrik Anderson. The intimidating 6′4″, 210 lb. netminder was the starting goalkeeper for Denmark in the 2010 World Junior Championships, and is moving on to a more challenging Swedish Elite League for the upcoming year.

Lastly, the Hurricanes closed out the day with yet another transaction, sending the nearly-worthless 206th overall choice to Philadelphia for relatively-productive 23-year-old center Jonathan Matsumoto. Matsumoto has improved his goal total with the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms dramatically over the past four seasons, from two tallies in 2006 to 20 in 2007 to 29 in 2008 to a creditable 30 this past year.

Expect Matsumoto to make his career NHL debut this season, but to also play a role on both the NHL and AHL squads as the Hurricanes try to develop him into a solid fourth- or third-line center acquired for almost nothing.

All in all, with players the caliber of Skinner, Faulk, Nash, Alt, Biega, Levi, Shugg, Sanguinetti, Stahl, Anderson, and Matsumoto added to the organization in just the time period of two days, you could say it was a hectic, eventful, and tiring weekend.

But it was also a productive one. Rutherford made away with several players who should’ve been taken rounds sooner, and also grabbed a few who had been picked out of a mediocre crowd as a player with some potential that few others saw.

Really, only time can tell how the draft class of 2010 will change the Carolina Hurricanes’ future. For now, though, here is a first-impression glanceover of the ‘Canes 11 new additions.

 

Best Player – C Jeff Skinner (7th)

When a team only has one first round pick, it’s usually almost certain that whoever they choose will be the most talented player they took that draft. However, for Carolina, that’s even more true.

Skinner, as described, is a natural goal-scorer, not a playmaker (although he can most certainly do that, as well). The ‘Canes need these types more than ever, actually, as only three players out of the 21 players who played more than 20 games this year tallied more goals than assists (Brandon Sutter 21-19, Erik Cole 11-5, Patrick Dwyer 7-5).

Skinner also fits Rutherford’s usual strategy of picking faster-developing players, namely forwards, in the first round, as he expects to be able to play at the NHL level as early as 2011-2012. Center is also a needy spot that could use someone like Skinner soon, as only Staal and Sutter have secured spots at that position so far.

While Skinner’s choice over several other plays definitely stirred up controversy, in the end, it looks like he truly was the right way to go.

 

Smartest Choice

This is a unanimous decision, at least from my point of view. The Philadelphia Flyers put up a horrendous draft…why not just make it worse for them in the seventh round?

Carolina pulled a brilliant deal off to get Matsumoto. A young 30-goal scorer (albeit in the AHL) for the 206th overall pick (i.e. Ricard Blidstrand)?! Rutherford will jump all over that any day…or, as much as he can jump at age 61!

In fact, Matsumoto himself was the 79th overall choice in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, making that trade alone a 127-pick upgrade for Carolina. Not to mention, Matsumoto is already nearly ready for the NHL.

Even if Matsumoto makes only 20 or so appearances this year, this deal will still end up being quite a rip-off in Carolina’s favor.

 

Worst Choice – D Austin Levi (85th)

Although Rutherford makes very few mistakes, the selection of Whalers defenseman Austin Levi with the 85th overall choice may have been one.

First of all, Levi was a 71-spot reach, as he was ranked well lower than his 85th overall selection spot at 156th. Levi also won’t end up being a crucial hole-filler, either, with five other newly-drafted defenders also in the draft class along with him.

Levi also has yet to show signs of potential to become a strong powerplay defenseman, nor has he shown signs of knowing how to fulfill the advantages that having a height of 6′3″ gives a player. Levi may have been partially a partnership choice, given that he’s currently playing for a team owned by Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos, but his selection is still not a smart one in many eyes.

 

Most Potential - LW Justin Shugg (105th)

Winger Justin Shugg, when he’s ready, will come to Carolina with the experience of playing with other talented, NHL-ready prospects…and will soon discover that he’s one of them, too.

Shugg’s choice at 105th made him a low-risk, high-potential pick from the beginning, and may show that during his last one or two seasons with the Spitfires. Shugg (hopefully) will find a niche as a premiere winger ready to take the spots left by aging left wingers Ray Whitney and Sergei Samsonov, two holes that may need to be filled by the ‘Canes deep left winger prospect reserves.

Expect Shugg’s two-round fall in the draft to end up being a gift to Carolina that just keeps on giving.

 

Biggest Issue Solved – Holes at Center and Defense

The gaping holes at defenseman and center weren’t just solved…they were completely revitalized!

Of the Hurricanes’ 11 new players, six were defensemen and three more were centers, giving Carolina suddenly plenty of options for those two units.

With the promotion of defensive prospects like Jamie McBain, Brett Carson, Jay Harrison, and Bryan Rodney to contend for NHL jobs, Carolina was in desperate need of replacements to keep the flow of youthful defensemen steady.

Issue solved, as the selections of Justin Faulk, Mark Alt, Danny Biega, Austin Levi, Bobby Sanguinetti, and Tyler Stahl will soon start filling in those gaps.

With Rod Brind’Amour’s likely retirement or buyout and the instability of growing-older “prospects” such as Patrick Dwyer and Michael Ryan, center was also an area parched of choices.

Issue solved, as Matsumoto’s immediate help and then Skinner and Nash’s soon-to-come skill set will easily provide enough options to fill in the gaps in the lower portion of the depth chart.

 

Biggest Question: What will the ‘Canes do with so many prospect goalies?

With the naming of Fredrik Anderson in the seventh round, the Hurricanes pool of backup goalies grew from four (Justin Peters, Manny Legace, Justin Pogge, and Mike Murphy) to five.

Rutherford and coach Paul Maurice have long been contemplating whether Legace (age 39) or Peters (age 24) will be the backup for franchise cornerstone Cam Ward next season. However, with so many others still at the AHL level, there are more questions than just that.

Rotating them is certainly an option, but a trade would also perhaps get more return in a more needy position. However, we do know that this summer is going to require some tough choices regarding the Hurricanes increasingly-large goaltending corps.

 

Now, with the Hurricanes staff returning to Raleigh, they can feel confident about a strong weekend at the NHL Draft. But questions still remain, and several will need answering before the July 1st free agent market opening.

Will Rod Brind’Amour’s or Sergei Samsanov’s contracts be bought out?

Will we re-sign RFA prospects like Alexander Picard, Brett Carson, and Justin Peters? What about UFA veterans like Brian Pothier and Ray Whitney?

How will the goaltender situation work out? How active will the ‘Canes be in landing a few free agents?

And, last but not least, when will we get these answers?

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes . In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 205 articles and received over 150,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

2010 NHL Draft: Mark Alt, Son of Former Hawkeye John Alt, Drafted By Carolina

27, Jun 2010

A member of Iowa football’s extended family was drafted in the 2010 NHL draft over the weekend.

Mark Alt, son of former Iowa Hawkeyes and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman John Alt, was drafted with the No. 53 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The younger Alt passed on a football scholarship at the University of Iowa to instead lace up his skates for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and try his luck in the NHL. Pro scouts had him labeled as the one of the best skater prospects in the draft. 

“We think his upside is pretty significant,” said Tony MacDonald, the Carolina Hurricanes’ director of amateur scouting.

After the customary two or three years of college hockey, the Canes are hoping that Alt will shake off the bad habits typical of high school prospects before playing full time in the NHL.

“He’s got a good shot and is aggressive—he’s the type of colt I want to ride if I were a coach,” stated NHL Central Scouting’s Jack Barzee.

Alt played quarterback at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Minnesota, where he led the Raiders to the Class 5A state championship. He was offered a chance to grayshirt for the Hawkeyes, where his dad played college football.

His true love, however, is hockey.  

“It’s a good position to be in, to have interest from programs that are among the best in college hockey and college football,” Mark’s father John told the Star Tribune. “I have nothing but good things to say about Iowa football, obviously, but it’s not my decision.”

The elder Alt was a tight end converted to offensive tackle for the Hawkeyes. As an offensive line coach under Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz turned Alt into an AP First Team All-Big Ten selection who was drafted in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Anyone aspiring to be an offensive lineman in the NFL could not get a better instructor than Kirk Ferentz,” Alt once proclaimed.

Alt played 13 seasons at left tackle for the Chiefs and was the 32nd member inducted into Kansas City’s Hall of Fame.

With any luck, his son will play in the NHL as long as Alt played in the NFL.

Picture courtesy of Vintageminnesotahockey.com.

 

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

The Hockey Guys Mock Draft

23, Jun 2010

The Hockey Guys Mock Draft

NHL 2010 Season Schedule Released: Carolina Hurricanes Glance-Over

22, Jun 2010

Well over three months before the first puck drops to start the 2010-2011 NHL Season, the National Hockey League has already released the schedule.

The original statistics are just the same as before: the season begins near the beginning of October, and will end mid-April. Each of the 30 teams plays 82 games: six against each other team in their division, four against each other team in the conference but not in their division, two games against three other teams from the other conference, and one game against 12 other teams from the other conference.

The upcoming year will, however, expand on several interesting events that have grown popular over the last few seasons.

The NHL Premiere, where teams play back-to-back games in a European city to begin the season, has expanded to six teams for the 2010 edition.

Minnesota and Carolina will open the year at noon (Eastern Time) in Helsinki, Finland on October 7, then play again on the 8th. San Jose and Columbus will play on the 8th and 9th in Stockholm, Sweden, and then Boston and Phoenix will face each other on the 9th and 10th in Prague, Czech Republic.

From the seventh to the 27th, each team will also, in turn, hold their home opener. Toronto, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Edmonton will be the first four to do so; Carolina will be the last.

As it has been for three years now, New Years Day 2011 will also be the date of the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, when Pittsburgh hosts Washington. Canada will also get their share of outdoor hockey during the February 20th Heritage Classic, when Calgary hosts Montreal.

As the third and final major event of the season, the 2010 NHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition will be hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on January 29th and 30th.

As you read over the highlights for the next autumn and winter in the scorching heat of late June, one team seems to be continuously popping up.

That would be the Carolina Hurricanes, who, after playing their first-ever game against a European opponent on an October 4th exhibition against SKA St. Petersburg (KHL), will take part in the season opener in Finland, return to North America only to stay away from home until October 27th due to the N.C. State Fair, and then host the All-Star Game at the RBC Center in late January.

It’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

Between those key dates, the day-to-day schedule for the Hurricanes also holds plenty of interesting notes and patterns.

Early October will be a time full of many openers for the ‘Canes. After their trip to Finland, they’ll return for their North American opener in Ottawa on October 14. Carolina will make their United States 2010-2011 debut five days later in San Jose, and then finally have their home opener on the 27th after a four-game West Coast run visiting the Canucks, Sharks, Kings, and Coyotes.

October will finish up its 10 games with a back-to-back, taking the ‘Canes to Madison Square Garden on the 29th and then back to Raleigh to host the Penguins on the 30th. The month actually will be one of the quieter ones. October’s 10 games are the least of any full month, compared to 14 in November, January, and March.

November will open up with a bang just two nights later as Carolina travels to Philadelphia to take on the defending Eastern Conference Champions. On the 3rd, the ‘Canes will begin a stretch where they’ll have seven of ten games in the RBC Center, including a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals when they host Edmonton on the 9th.

The beginning of December will also bring a strange stretch of three consecutive back-to-backs, which also encompasses a five-game road trip following a game against Colorado in Raleigh on Dec. 3rd. In that stretch will be a road date in Nashville, the final Western Conference team (along with Minnesota and Dallas) that Carolina will play twice.

The trip finishes up in Atlanta for the first meeting of six between the Thrashers and Hurricanes, beginning the annual rivalry.

Carolina will have three games Christmas week, visiting Tampa Bay on the 20th, hosting Montreal on the 23rd, and then staying home for Washington on the 26th. Following yet another of the 21 back-to-backs the Hurricanes will play in over the course of the season, the ‘Canes will then kick off 2011 with a game against the Devils in Raleigh on January 1st.

A January 13th game in Buffalo will make the Sabres the last of the 14 other Eastern Conference teams to begin their four-game season series with the Hurricanes. The two teams will play each other three times in March and April.

Boston will visit the Carolinas on January 18th for the back end of a home-and-home between the two opponents, the last of five matinee games over the course of the year.

Following the five-day All-Star Game break, once the excitement of the event dies down in Raleigh, the ‘Canes will finish their first four-game series of the season, playing the Bruins again on February 1st. From the 8th to the 16th, the ‘Canes will embark on yet another five-game road swing, visiting Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and New Jersey twice.

Once they return from that “vacation,” the Hurricanes will have their longest homestand of the season (four games) to get back to normal. The Flyers, Rangers, Pens, and most notably the Devils will be the opponents. The game against New Jersey on the 19th will be the third game between the two sides in just 11 days, and will also finish out the season series.

Just before the trade deadline, the Hurricanes will get their one and only try in Chicago to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks, who did fall to the ‘Canes 4-2 in their one hookup last season.

On March 11th, Carolina will resume their interrupted six-game set with the Capitals, who they met four times in the fall but had not played since the day after Christmas. A similar situation will be brought into play on the 22nd, when the ‘Canes host the Senators for the first (and last) time since Dec. 29th, despite meeting them three times in late 2010.

For the final 12 games of the year, including the match with Ottawa, eight of them will be in the RBC Center, hopefully giving the Hurricanes a convenient chance to finish strong. The middle six games will also be the second of two stretches of three straight back-to-back matches, including the final game against rival Washington on March 29th.

After hosting the Red Wings for the first time in almost three calendar years, Carolina will play the 81st and 82nd games of their 82-game regular season with a inner-division back-to-back, playing in Atlanta on April 8th and then hosting the Lightning on April 9th.

No matter the event, we already know that the 2010-2011 NHL Season is going to be a very interesting one for the Carolina Hurricanes. The matter now is, who’s going to be on the roster once we get there?

Photo Credit: NHL.com

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes . In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 205 articles and received over 145,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Five Things the Carolina Hurricanes Must Accomplish At the 2010 NHL Draft

21, Jun 2010

After a disappointing season for any hockey team, the next offseason usually includes a complete roster assessment, a youth movement, and a strong emphasis on putting together an excellent draft class.

That list of priorities fit the Carolina Hurricanes plan almost perfectly this summer. Just one season removed from an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals, the ‘Canes struggled mightily this season, and were unable to recover from a dreadful autumn, despite several bright moments throughout the spring.

However, there is still hope for the Hurricanes. This will certainly be a vital summer in terms of the decisions made for the team moving forward. And any changing of the guard will likely begin the night of June 25, when the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft is conducted in Los Angeles.

The ‘Canes won’t be left out of the fun for long, either. Their first pick comes just seventh overall in the order. The decisions will also continue the next day, as the Hurricanes hold a league-high 11 draft picks (at one point, there were even 12), including three in the second round and two in the third.

However, this plethora of selections is not without plenty of holes to fill, as well. There is, without a doubt, an abundance of youth-lacking positions on the ‘Canes squad. In addition, there is also always the option of trading away picks for established prospects, as already occured in a brilliant deal sending a fifth-round pick to Phoenix for Jared Staal.

Despite all of the speculation and activity, we all know the weekend of June 25 and 26 will be a critical time for the Carolina franchise’s future. It won’t be just when the next Hurricane walks up to the podium with the seventh pick, either.

Each and every player chosen could end up as the next franchise centerpiece, or just a complete waste of a pick.

The draft class as a whole will also be examined time and time again by staff, players, fans, and writers like myself. There will be an ample supply of chances for the team to pick up one individual, but it’s really the group together that could “make or break” the Hurricanes farm system, the future of the team.

Meanwhile, the real truth to it all is that the ‘Canes really just need to focus on solving their needs going into July’s free agent season.

Here are five things that Carolina desperately needs to have accomplished when they look back at the synopsis of this year’s selections.

 

Replenish the Defense

With the recent youth movement at the NHL level, the Hurricanes farm system defensive corps are getting left in the dust.

Given the departure of regulars such as Jamie McBain, Brett Carson, Bryan Rodney, and Jay Harrison to contend for a spot at the top level, the AHL defensive unit could use a major boost to keep the supply of NHL-ready ‘D-men’ steady.

The prime focus, in terms of adding new defensive prospects, is on that seventh overall pick. But time must be spent on the now-Charlotte Checker’s blue line unit throughout all seven rounds.

In the best situation, at least five of the 11 selections should be spent on defense, especially given the slow development of defensive prospects.

 

Find a New Jamie McBain

For this hole in the farm system to be filled, at least during this season’s draft, the Hurricanes would likely need to devote their one top-ten overall selection to the cause.

Jamie McBain may just be the Canes best-looking prospect-turned-NHLer. The 22-year-old defenseman was in just his first year at the AHL level this year. But after racking up 40 points and a plus-8 rating from the blue line, McBain was called up for his first appearance in Raleigh.

He was even more spectacular there, putting up a stunning 10 points and a plus-6 rating in just 14 appearances.

However, his transition [hopefully] into a defensive centerpiece for the Hurricanes has also added to Carolina’s shortage of defenseman in the minor leagues.

One of the “Big Three” defenseman in the draft, an elite trio consisting of the likes of Cam Fowler, Eric Gudbranson, and Brandon Gormley, would be the best bet to replace McBain.

Unfortunately for Carolina, many experts have all three of those prospects falling in the top five selections, leaving the ‘Canes out of the fun at the seventh slot.

Unless at least two teams from a group including the Panthers, Blue Jackets, Islanders, and Lightning decide to instead pursue another talented forward like Brett Connolly, Ryan Johansen, or Jeff Skinner, fate may not be on the Hurricanes side.

This leaves either trading up a few picks or reaching down to grab a second-tier defenseman, such as Mike Pysyk or Dylan McIlrath.

These two options could prove difficult to pull off (or to swallow, that is). However, no matter the situation, it could prove absolutely crucial to find a new player with McBain’s potential to keep the Charlotte defense looking alive.

 

Pick Up A Fast-Learning Center

Besides the defense, center is also another position in need. Behind captain Eric Staal and 2010-breakout prospect Brandon Sutter, who has now deservedly found a solid spot on the NHL roster, no one else can spark Carolina.

Rod Brind’Amour is all set to retire, or be bought out (preferably the first option), and Pat Dwyer is completely unproven. A fast-learning center who can quickly take over the third line position will definitely be an overlooked yet vital priority for the Hurricanes this summer.

Additionally, this may be the alternative option for the Hurricanes first rounder. There are several worthy players who could be worth using the seventh overall pick on, Alexander Burmistrov, Ryan Johansen, and Mikael Granlund just to name a few.

If a center isn’t taken there, one of the three second round choices would then become the next option. But unless Rutherford and his staff can find a hidden steal all the way back down there, a couple of picks may be worth trading away for a late first round pick to solve this need.

 

Trade For Already-Developed Prospects

With such a wealth of choices, the Hurricanes may also want to consider dealing some of them away to more needy teams in return for already- or partially-developed prospects, a strategy that has worked well for them in the past.

There are four NHL teams with only four or five selections and no first round choice: Dallas, San Jose, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.

All four of those teams also have their fair share of prospects who could be worthy finds for the Hurricanes, including players such as Jamie Benn, James Neal, Jason Demers, and Alexander Vasyunov.

Carolina proved to be completly open to this tactic when they traded for Jared Staal. Hopefully, they will continue to employ this strategy throughout the draft, as players who’ve already shown they have the potential to grow into solid performers are always welcome.

 

Stick With the Philosophy

Above all else, the Hurricanes must stick with the philosophy that has produced caliber players like Eric Staal, Erik Cole, Cam Ward, Jack Johnson (who was soon traded for Tim Gleason), Brandon Sutter, and Zach Boychuk in Los Angeles. It’s these type of moves that have led the Hurricanes to three Conference Finals in the past nine seasons.

General Manager Jim Rutherford and his staff have always been known for just making sure to pick the best (or one of the best) players on the board, rather than reaching to all areas of the draft plan, to find the player to fill the gap they specified with that pick. It sounds like a good idea, and it has proved to be one time and time again.

The ‘Canes, for now, are holding more picks than any other team, and those selections are spread out over the entire draft, as well. Only six selections will be made before Carolina has their first opportunity “on the clock”, and there will be only four more selections remaining from any team after the ‘Canes make their last choice in the seventh round.

Some of those choices may be dealt for existing players, and some of them may end up with a player that many will question. The players suddenly heading to Charlotte, N.C., may never have heard of each other, may never have been to North Carolina, and may not even speak English.

Young hockey prodigies from the far corners of the globe, from Iceland to Canada to Ukraine, may soon be united under the red and black of their new Hurricanes jersey. Each one will play a different position with a different style, have different expectations, and will wear a different number.

But, as a whole, hopefully each and every one will have a place in the future of the franchise. Some will work out, and, naturally, some won’t. Nevertheless, on June 27, when the whole Caniac nation looks back on all of the headlines that just came out of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, it seems pretty likely that most everyone would be content if the ‘Canes can solve these issues and fill in these holes outlined above.

And then, there’s always the case of the next Alexander Ovechkin.

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 200 articles and received over 140,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Steven Hindle: How the Value of a Draft Pick Has Changed – PART 2

15, Jun 2010

Slowly but Surely, the Value of a Top Tier Pick Becomes Apparent

Yesterday, I posted PART 1 in “How the Value of a Draft Pick Has Changed” in which I detailed the trade activity, primarily involving first or second round picks, in the final 5 years leading up to the dispute between owners and players which saw the NHL experience its second lockout in a decade.

Although the first locko…

Steven Hindle: How the Value of a Draft Pick Has Changed

14, Jun 2010

Trading Draft Picks Isn’t As Simple As It Used To Be

In an attempt to decipher how the value of a draft pick has changed in recent years thanks to the implementation of the salary cap, I have taken it upon myself to conduct some rather unscientific research on the matter.

Although nothing is clear upon first glance, through the course of this piece I will hopefully be able to show you ho…

NHLHS Mock Draft: With the Number Seven Pick…

14, Jun 2010

NHLHS Mock Draft is our latest feature where we collectively predict the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The draft is a crapshoot and we will be wrong… …but we thought it would be fun to try.

With the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes select…

Brandon Gormley
For the [...]

The Hockey Guys

12, Jun 2010

The Cup may have been hoisted but, Hockey fans who are having a hard time coping with the lack of hockey now that the season is over need to look no further.
We got your fix right here.

We go live tomorrow with our 2009-2010 NHL season wrap-up show.
Be sure to tune in live with us tomorrow [...]

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Rumors: Could Chad LaRose Be on The Move?

8, Jun 2010

As the 2010 NHL Entry Draft grows closer, talks of trades have also begun to heat up. For the Carolina Hurricanes, this is especially true, as their offseason priorities include more than just dealing with their array of free agents.

One player that many, including myself, think could be an inviting and likely exchange possibility is 28-year-old right wing Chad LaRose. He has become a decent low-line player for the Hurricanes and it appears that a move may be a smart idea for Carolina.

“Rosey”, as LaRose is known by many ‘Canes fans, will be entering his sixth year in the NHL, but has yet to jump into the production rate he was expected to have. In his five years with the Hurricanes, which began in their Stanley Cup season of 2005-2006, LaRose has yet to break the 20-goal plateau in any season, and has only recorded more than 30 points once (he had 31 in 2008-’09).

This year, LaRose struggled even more, suffering two different injuries which limited him only 56 games. Furthermore, in the end, he only tacked on 11 goals and 17 assists, not to mention several crucial defensive blunders in key games and an eventual minus-2 rating (a career low).

Thankfully, “Rosey” still seems to have at least some upside in terms of trade value. His career plus-15 rating, penalty killing and shorthanded value (LaRose has recorded six shorthanded goals in the past four years), and cheerful, team-first attitude add some ”beef” to his trade resume.

LaRose also boasts 39 games of postseason experience, where he has 12 points total, as well as playing a big role in a couple last-minute moments in the ’08-’09 playoffs. Lastly, no. 59 did manage to finish the season on several strong notes, picking up an impressive three goals and five assists in the last week (three games) of the season.

However, despite these upsides, he’s severely overpaid. LaRose received $1.5 million this season and registered an extensive $1.7 million cap hit. Furthermore, he’s scheduled to get an even bigger paycheck next year, racking in a whopping $1.9 million…if his production stays the same, that’s over $67,000 per point.

That would also put LaRose as the eighth-highest paid player on the Hurricanes, despite playing on the bottom two lines the entire season. Meanwhile, prospect Brandon Sutter would be making over $1 million less yet almost doubling “Rosey” in goals this year and being seven years younger.

This pro-and-con player profile formulates for an intriguing collection of trade possibilities, and his low-level name recognition might end up making any transaction he’s involved in become more of a package deal. Here’s a few teams I’ve picked out who might be interested in acquiring LaRose’s services despite the salary hit, and who they might send to Carolina in exchange (teams are listed alphabetically, not in order of likeliness).

 

Boston Bruins

Boston seems one of the most worthy candidates to get involved in a deal with Carolina.

First of all, the Bruins currently hold the second overall selection in the draft, a pick the Hurricanes would love to trade up from their seventh slot to get. In addition, Carolina also holds four second rounders, a bounty that may have a few picks traded away before they get to choosing a player with them.

With Marc Recchi on a severe down-slope and probably at the end of his career this summer, and Miroslav Satan becoming a UFA on July 1st and being perhaps too old to re-sign, the Bruins appear to have a shortage of right wingers.

A deal sending LaRose and the ‘Canes seventh overall choice along with one of the second round picks or an almost-NHL-ready prospect like Jiri Tlusty or Patrick Dwyer (or even perhaps several of those) may be enough to acquire the second overall pick.

 

Dallas Stars

A deal with Dallas may be in reverse fashion as the trade with Boston would be, at least in the ‘Canes point of view. The Stars seem like they might be a candidate to try to trade up from their currently-11th slot to the Hurricanes 7th place and go after a legitimate top-ten player.

Along with the trade of first rounders, Carolina might also be able to send LaRose and perhaps a physical forward like Tom Kostopoulos. This may be enough to buy away rookie standout Jamie Benn, who had 22 goals and 19 assists last year at age 20, as well as free up a lot of cap space.

If Benn is too valuable for Dallas to part with, 20-year-old defensive prospect Philip Larsen may also be worth considering, as he had one assist and a plus-1 rating in two NHL games last year as well as holding on to years of experience as the top ‘D’-man for Swedish junior team Frolunda HC Goteburg.

 

Edmonton Oilers

A more simple possibility could be a deal that sends LaRose to Edmonton. As long as the first overall pick doesn’t get involved, 25-year-old center Robert Nilsson may be targeted, as the Hurricanes are looking for mid-aged centers.

With Nilsson scheduled to earn a bit more than LaRose this year, the salary differences could make up for the production variation between the two. Additionally, for any further balancing, late-round picks could be added in from both sides to equal the scale.

 

St. Louis Blues

Lastly, the Blues may also make a push for several of the Hurricanes mid-aged talents. With Keith Tkachuk retiring and probably Paul Kariya as well, they could be in a market for Carolina forwards like LaRose as well as Sergei Samsonov.

Furthermore, St. Louis also appears to have the space for those extensive contracts, as they may be looking at a complete roster makeover in which almost all of their current player are left to walk into the free agent market.

Young defenseman and mid-round picks may be the bounty exchange coming into Raleigh, as players that have already reached the NHL level at a young age is exactly what the Hurricanes need. Roman Polak or Jonas Junland are both options, and may be accompanied by one of the Blues third or fourth round picks.

 

Although the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, or St. Louis Blues all appear to me to be among the best candidates to be involved in a trade for Chad LaRose, when you’re not looking for simple one-for-one deals, pretty much every team is on the market.

Certainly, LaRose isn’t the ‘Canes only trading option. However, he is one of the main ones, and if the Hurricanes can tack on a few more players that aren’t working out, a simple trade may turn into the biggest off season problem-solver both franchises involved.

If you have any ideas, corrections, or opinions, feel free to comment. Perhaps even your team might end up being the most interested!

 

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report’s featured columnist and community leader for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes as well as an avid follower of many other sports. In his 21 months so far with the site, he has written over 200 articles and received over 140,000 total reads.

Visit his profile to read more.

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