So the up-and-down 2011-2012 'Canes season is (thankfully) coming to a close. From the pain and suffering early to the glimmer of hope toward the end, it was a crazy ride. As a fan, I was suckered in from the get-go and totally engaged in the team's trials and tribulations, which made for some good theater. Thought it might be fun -- from a fan's perspective -- to point-out who were the targets of cheers and jeers all season long.

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So the All Star Game is upon us, and low and behold, only 1 Cane going. Sounds about right; this year has been among the most challenging of any in recent history for fans and players alike. The lack of spending in the pre-season, coupled with Mo talking JR into giving him another chance behind the bench in essence doomed the season before it started. But there is hope: a new coach with new ideas and positive results, two star players (12 & 30) rounding into form, a pleasant surprise on defense (28) and some young guns making good impressions all have me giddy for the rest of this year. Here are the top 10 dreams I have for the remainder of this season:

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Oy vey...lowest of the low standings-wise, Staal in meltdown mode, Cammie giving up more than the occasional softie, other teams flying through the neutral zone. Still, you can see bits and pieces of improvement in overall play and effort, and the powerplay is getting fixed. It's obvious several players can't or won't fix what's wrong in their individual games, and there is no hope for the playoffs as things currently stand. All that would point to major trading in the days after Christmas. So who's going?

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A little positive momentum goes a long way. Thought I'd pass along a completely optimistic viewpoint on winning the remaining schedule, NOT taking into account any strategy, stats, or other messy details about the reality of the situation; no negativity here, just pure hope. GO CANES!!!

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So at this point in the season with the team DESPERATE for a playoff birth, thought it might be good to pause and reflect on the HIGHS of this past season, specifically who are everybody's top 10 Favorite 'Canes of this season. True believers in positive energy bringing positive results, follow my lead here...

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Well, the All Star Game came and went, and the expected run JR had talked about hoping for isn't really materializing. Some good effort, but numerous issues keeping us from moving to the next level. Oh, well. Regardless, many 'Canes have been busting their butts to do what they can to get us into the playoffs since the break. Who is the post-ASG MVP so far? Perceptions differ; what's yours?

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Emotions aside, let's pause a moment to step back and take a look at the 7-game "series" before the all star break and the current 7-game series we're in right now. Based on results, we can see where we are:

Pre-ASB Seven Game Series Results:
Game 1: Lightning @ 'Canes = WIN
Game 2: 'Canes @ Boston = LOSS
Game 3: Boston @ 'Canes = LOSS
Game 4: Rangers @ 'Canes = WIN
Game 5: 'Canes @ Pitt = LOSS
Game 6: Leafs @ 'Canes = WIN
Game 7: 'Canes @ Isles = WIN

'CANES WIN SERIES!!!

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Let's face it -- even if this team does something spectacular in the last two dozen or so games and slides into the playoffs, there's no way we're getting out of the first round. I think now's a good time to break things down into assets and liabilities for next year, which is one where we should have enough young/old talent to make a run.

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Hey Caniacs, one of our fellow bloggers is leaving the community here at Canes Country because he got exasperated at an exchange over the team. I'm posting here to see if everyone would add their well-wishes for him to reconsider. A little background...

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The Captain is fuming this morning. His beloved 'Canes, a combination of gritty over-achievers, outright talent, and youthful energy, are being submarined night in, night out by a porous defense. Our all-star goalie looks like a career AHLer lately, and WE LET A TEAM BELOW US IN THE STANDINGS MOVE UP CLOSER TO OUR PLAYOFF SPOT by absolutely playing like a bunch of pansies in our own end. When will it end? How can it be fixed?

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If I came to you with a roster that included Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Tim Gleason, Brandon Sutter, Erik Cole, Tuomo Ruutu, Jussi Jokinen, and potential rookie of the year candidate Jeff Skinner, would you think that we'd be 18-15-5 with 41 points and chasing the last playoff spot from the outside looking in, would you say that's about right?

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Thought I'd pass along the 10 New Year's Resolutions I'd like the Hurricanes to make for the new year.

10. Stand-up opposing team's forwards at our blueline

9. Move your feet on the power play to free-up shooting lanes

8. Shoot the puck on the power play

7. Stop having coaches say, "I liked our game" after losses -- show some anger to at least make losses seem unacceptable

6. More minutes for Boychuk

more after the jump...

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Seeing what Sid the Kid is doing this year, and seeing what he's done over the course of his career, it's clear he's the best player in the league and Pitt's superstar. Our own superstar, Eric Staal, is no slouch, but something is keeping him back from joining Crosby as one of the top 5 players in this league. What is it? He's got the physical tools, experience, hockey sense, and overall skills. The year we won the Cup he was an absolute beast. Why, then, can't he shine year-in, year-out?

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So in many of the 'Canes losses this season, they have looked really, really bad. Even in some wins, they look awful at times, pulling-out victory due to some tremendous individual efforts. Many posts on multiple subjects keep going back to coaching as one of the causes to the team's crazy lack of continuity and flow on the ice. So maybe we should start by thinking about whether to make any coaching changes, or if any are in fact needed at all?

Many other threads after losses seem to be split pretty much 50/50 as to what ails the 'Canes on nights when...well...they resemble the Toronto Marlies more than the Carolina Hurricanes, four seasons removed from a Stanley Cup and recently in the ECF. (Can you believe it was only four years ago we won the Cup? Seems like so long ago...) Anyways, I was curious: if we were given the option of improving the team under current financial constraints to take a step beyond the sub-.500 status we currently enjoy, would it make a bigger splash now AND long-term to (a) switch the coaching or (b) switch the players?

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So this is from hockeybuzz.com, but regardless, hearing this makes me wonder:

The Hurricanes Looking to Make a Major Move...

Sources tell me the Canes are one of the few teams out there aggressively looking to make a "significant change." I would not be shocked to see a Canes deal involving a major player in the next few days here..

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Really liked this Sports Illustrated piece on the new Tampa Bay Lightning coach. Seems he is taking an innovative approach to changing things up with his players' shifts. Proof will be in the pudding long-term, but hopefully other coaches will see the positives of trying new things to help teams develop a new identity rather than just keep banging heads against a wall and hoping for the best:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_farber/10/19/guy.boucher.lightning/index.html

Sports Illustrated Lightning article

So every time I watch/listen to post-game pressers at the RBC, our local media talks with Coach Mo about the game and the action on the ice, but nobody seems to ask the detailed questions that would speak to whether or not Mo knows what he's doing. If I had a microphone in his face, here are the five questions I would ask Mo:

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So it's early in this young season, time to start ripping our defense...kidding! kinda...

Thought it might be good for INITIAL reactions to the 'Canes defensive corps thus far. Knowing full well that we have a few solid dudes in Charlotte to swing up here, I'm not sure we need to trade for a veteran blueliner, but I do question how the current fellas are doing on this road trip.

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In one of the strings about the recent Vancouver/Carolina game, someone asked if it is too early to hit the panic button. Since we are fans, and our opinions matter not to the lives of the 'Canes organization, I would say it is indeed an appropriate time -- again, from a fan's perspective -- to hit the panic button.

Specifically, the team that started last season 0-128 had a lot of the same problems we're seeing early this season -- lack of execution on passes, horrific defense, no semblance of an offensive gameplan, and a butt-ugly power play.

So if one was to hit the panic button, what would that entail?

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So in other posts, people have been judging our talent, figuring out where we are going to land in the standings, etc. This is all great, especially to get to know the younger talent. But which players are the team "wildcards" whose performances will dictate where we land come next spring? We know what's expected of Staal/Ward/Gleason and some of the other steady eddies, but which players with previous up/down seasons need to show up?

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So back when Peter Laviolette was mired in the "he's lost the team" slump here in Raleigh, people were clamoring for change. And change came in the form of retread Paul Maurice. The team responded to the change, and fought their way all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, quite a ride. Next season, that same exact team TANKED in a big bad way, for a number of reasons. The veterans were sent packing, hungry youth were brought up, other teams started playing their backup goaltenders and taking nights off, and we won a handful of games to finish strong.

Let's say for the sake of argument that this year's team -- laden with unproven, untested youth -- flops out of the gate. How badly do we have to do before realistic calls for a coaching change need to start hitting the mainstream airwaves? How short a leash does Mo get with these youngsters? Do we cut him any more slack than previous years?

Okay, so we brought Corvo back at a discount, and we're trying to trim more salary. If we were going to be cup contenders this year, I'd say keep both Pitkanen and Corvo, but since this is a rebuilding year (or two) why keep both? When it comes down to it, both are pretty much interchangeable; do we need two offensively minded d-men? Or do we need to start developing our young draftees on defense by giving them playing time? I'm thinking we keep Gleason/Corvo on the top pairing, have McBain/Babchuck on second, then Seringuetti (sp?) and Harrison as the third, with a lot more shuffling coming up from Charlotte. We could use the Pitkanen trade for a few draft picks/salary dump, or we could pick up a decent young scorer to compliment the second or third lines. Thoughts?

FYI, from Paul Branecky at CH.com:

Now that the initial free agency frenzy has subsided, the Hurricanes have begun to enter the fray in hopes of adding depth to their defensive unit.

Although the Canes would like to obtain at least one blue liner in any scenario, options are being explored as to what type of player that might be.

”There are two things we’re considering,” said General Manager Jim Rutherford.  “Do we get a top-four defenseman and take some pressure of Jamie McBain in his first full season at the NHL level, or do we leave McBain in the top four and go with someone in our third pairing?  A lot of that decision will depend on who is available.”

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Hey so we have a bunch of draft picks, we're shedding over-the-hill veterans, and have a new captain who doesn't seem to particularly do well under coach mo's style. why not take this opportunity to revamp the coaching ranks as well as clean house player-wise? make francis OR rowe head coach, bring daniels up from charlotte, shove mo into the front office. if we're rebuilding, then heck, let's rebuild. or how about this? make mo the coach of the Checkers, bring daniels onto the staff here. fyi, feels good to see "mo must go" up in lights, making the season get here so much faster...

Okay, so wait a minute before flaming...He's from kinda/sorta that area, right? He's a Canadian National Team Gold Medal hero, right? And he's a 50/50 player for the 'Canes game in, game out w/regard to effort, right? Listen, like it or not we're in rebuilding mode. We have little-to-no chance of winning the Cup next year, but we have a plethora of great young talent who need LEADERSHIP from veterans with lunch box mentality, which Staal does not have. The Oilers would LOVE to get someone like Staal on their roster, and getting the top pick in the draft would give us the next Crosby to play with Sutter. We could then use Staal's salary savings to re-sign Whitney, make HIM the captain (or Gleason), then have Sutter and whomever we draft no. 1 to learn their work habits from Gleason/Whitney/Sutter. Long-term, better option than the status quo...

If there is one thing this season has taught us, it's that there are A LOT of young players from Albany who can play in the NHL. That, plus whatever we get via the draft, means that some roster spots will have to be opened next season. Who, then, will be dealt/retire/leaving via other methods next year? Who SHOULD leave, and who WILL leave? Here are my top picks for getting out of town, bottom to top in terms of likelihood to leave:

5. Chad LaRose - as much of a fan favorite as he is, there are just too many teams he does not match-up well against due to his size. During these games his forechecking is non-existent and brings-down his entire line. That said, his speed and ability to score could net a decent return in trade to help replenish the stock in the system, especially since the Checkers will need to make a big splash in Charlotte. JR will be hard-pressed to let him go, though. Traded for 3 prospects.

4. Erik Cole - speed, positioning still decent, but not for a top two line guy. His finishing and hand-eye skills are waaaaay off nowadays, and when he acts like a checking forward he gets hurt. Still, his name could garner some picks or prospects. Traded for 1 pick, 2 prospects.

3. Ray Whitney - not much time left on the clock for The Wizard. Will he holdout for a ton of money that JR does not have? Will he eye a playoff contender to finish his career on a quest for the cup? I just don't think we'll be able to keep him here. Leaves as free agent.

2. Manny Legace - as big a help as he was this season when Cam got hurt and Leighton lost his touch, I think the writing is on the wall with Justin Peters coming on strong. Leaves as free agent.

1. Rod Brind'amour - the elephant in the room all season long. The coaches love him, the players love him, the fans...well, most love the prior version circa 2006. His body just gave out on him, there's nothing left in the tank. Retires.

Here's mine: Brindy, A. Ward, and Whitney to Penguins for Jordan Staal, with Whitney coming back next season.

Second version could be Pitkanen to Pens for Jordan Staal and 2 second-round picks, then Whitney as a rental to Boston for a first rounder.

I've heard people sounding-off on how we need to keep Pitkanen, which I'm not sure I agree with based solely on his ability to get us major trade material. If we are truly in rebuilding mode, we can't pick and choose and do it half-assed, we need to go all out.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Not that this should come as a surprise, but Elliot published an incomplete, glossed-over article on the 'Canes on CNNSI recently: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/darren_eliot/01/25/season.changes/index.html

He gets the basics right, then wonders allowed about how Brindy might have felt (without asking him) and fails to mention how well Staal is playing since the change, our record since, or the months of behind-the-scenes planning that went into the decision.

All that said, nice to see the 'Canes get some international coverage...