THE HURRICANES 2012-2013 DRAFT; KEEPNG THE FORWARD MOMENTUM

THE DOUG ABRAMS MOCK DRAFT WITHOUT MOVING UP:

1 Edmonton Nail Yakupov RW Sarnia (OHL) 5' 10" 175

2 Columbus Filip Forsberg LW Leksands (Allsvenskan) 6'1" 176

3 Montreal Mikhail Grigorenko RW Quebec (QMJHL) 6' 2.5" 183

4 NY Islanders Alex Galchnyuk C Sarnia (OHL) 6'2" 186

5 Toronto Ryan Murray D Everett (WHL) 6'0" 185

6 Anaheim Morgan Reilly D Moose Jaw (WHL) 6'0" 190

7 Minnesota Jacob Trouba D US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 1" 196

8 Carolina Tuevo Teravainen RW Jokerit Helsinki (SM-liiga) 5'10" 157

9 Winnipeg Matthew Dumba D Red Deer (WHL) 5'11' 165

10 Tampa Bay Cody Ceci D Ottawa 67's (OHL) 6' 3" 203

11 Washington Radek Faksa C Kitchener (OHL) 6'2" 183

12 Buffalo Sebastian Collberg RW Frolunda HC (SEL) 5' 11" 174

13 Dallas Brendan Gaunce C Belleville (OHL) 6' 2" 205

14 Calgary Griffin Reinhardt D Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) 6'3.75" 202

15 Ottawa Zemgus Girgensons C Dubuque (USHL) 6' 2.25" 195

16 Florida Pontus Aberg LW Djurgardens IF (SEL) 5' 11" 187

17 San Jose Derrick Pouliot D Portland (WHL) 6' 0" 192

18 Chicago Slater Koekkoek D Peterborough (OHL) 6' 2" 183

19 Tampa Bay Olli Maatta D London (OHL) 6' 2" 198

20 Boston Andrei Vasilevski G Ufa (KHL) 6' 3" 193

21 Pittsburgh Jordan Schmaltz D Green Bay (USHL) 6' 2" 170

22 Vancouver Matt Finn D Guelph (OHL) 6' 0" 195

23 Washington Ludvig Byström D Modo Hockey (SEL) 6'0" 190

24 Los Angeles Brady Skjei D US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 1" 183

25 New Jersey Tom Wilson RW Plymouth (OHL) 6' 4" 194

26 Philadelphia Hampus Lindholm D Rogle BK (Allsvenskan) 6' 3" 185

27 Buffalo Tomas Hertl C Praha Slavia (Czech) 6' 2" 194

28 Phoenix Oscar Dansk G Brynas IF (SEL) 6' 2" 185

29 St. Louis Henrik Samuelsson RW US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 2.1" 192

30 NY Rangers Phillip Di Giuseppe LW Michigan 6' 0" 190

For a comparison, http://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2012/ and http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/ have excellent 2012 NHL Mock Drafts. I used the format of the chart from draftsite because it seemed to be well-organized and easy to read

. THE DOUG ABRAMS MOCK DRAFT WITH HURRICANES MOVING UP:

1 Edmonton Nail Yakupov RW Sarnia (OHL) 5' 10" 175

2 Columbus Filip Forsberg LW Leksands (Allsvenskan) 6'1" 176

3 Montreal Mikhail Grigorenko RW Quebec (QMJHL) 6' 2.5" 183

4 Carolina Alex Galchnyuk C Sarnia (OHL) 6'2" 186

5 Toronto Ryan Murray D Everett (WHL) 6'0" 185

6 Anaheim Morgan Reilly D Moose Jaw (WHL) 6'0 190

7 Minnesota Jacob Trouba D US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 1" 196

8 NY Islanders Tuevo Teravainen RW Jokerit Helsinki (SM-liiga) 5'10" 157

9 Winnipeg Matthew Dumba D Red Deer (WHL) 5'11" 165

10 Tampa Bay Cody Ceci D Ottawa 67's (OHL) 6' 3" 203

11 Washington Radek Faksa C Kitchener (OHL) 6'2" 183

12 Buffalo Sebastian Collberg RW Frolunda HC (SEL) 5' 11" 174

13 Dallas Brendan Gaunce C Belleville (OHL) 6' 2" 205

14 Calgary Griffin Reinhardt D Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) 6'3.75" 202

15 Ottawa Zemgus Girgensons C Dubuque (USHL) 6' 2.25" 195

16 Florida Pontus Aberg LW Djurgardens IF (SEL) 5' 11" 187

17 San Jose Derrick Pouliot D Portland (WHL) 6' 0" 192

18 Chicago Slater Koekkoek D Peterborough (OHL) 6' 2" 183

19 Tampa Bay Olli Maatta D London (OHL) 6' 2" 198

20 Boston Andrei Vasilevski G Ufa (KHL) 6' 3" 193

21 Pittsburgh Jordan Schmaltz D Green Bay (USHL) 6' 2" 170

22 Vancouver Matt Finn D Guelph (OHL) 6' 0" 195

23 Washington Ludvig Byström D Modo Hockey (SEL) 6'0" 190

24 Los Angeles Brady Skjei D US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 1" 183

25 New Jersey Tom Wilson RW Plymouth (OHL) 6' 4" 194

26 Philadelphia Hampus Lindholm D Rogle BK (Allsvenskan) 6' 3" 185

27 Buffalo Tomas Hertl C Praha Slavia (Czech) 6' 2" 194

28 Phoenix Oscar Dansk G Brynas IF (SEL) 6' 2" 185

29 St. Louis Henrik Samuelsson RW US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6' 2.1" 192

30 NY Rangers Phillip Di Giuseppe LW Michigan 6' 0" 190

The obvious prize of the forward UFA class is Parise. He is going to be pursued seriously by almost all thirty teams. At least twenty-five of the thirty NHL teams will be able to make a presentation that might be persuasive to Parise. I think Detroit and New Jersey have the inside track. I don't see Parise moving anyplace other than a team that proves to him it is committed to winning a Stanley Cup and that has the resources to put together a consistent top six team. Of course, any team that gets Parise is that much closer to being a top six tier team. For the Hurricanes, one key to signing Parise is moving up in the draft. The message needs to be the there is a new day with the Hurricanes; and that the Hurricanes organization is serious about adding more elite talent. Another key is signing Allen. The pieces need to be in place such that Parise can analyze the Hurricanes with him and see a team that will be a playoff team. It is insufficient, I believe, for Parise to look at the Hurricanes and conclude, if all things go just right, the Hurricanes will make the playoffs in 2012-2013.

It might also take signing another defenseman UFA in addition to Allen to make that kind of statement. As I look at the situation, I tend to believe Jordan Staal is more within reach. The Hurricanes could potentially make a trade for Jordan Staal mid-season if the Penguins conclude either Jordan Staal is going to UFA status and that they cannot afford to re-sign him. With the Penguins, Jordan Staal will be the third line center. With the Hurricanes, Jordan Staal will be paired with Skinner and/or Ruutu. Jim Rutherford may well have to pay a king's ransom for Jordan Staal, but he is worth what it takes.

One intriguing player who is reaching UFA status is Dustin Penner. He has been much maligned by commentators, coaches, and fans; but in the second-half of 2011-2012, he began playing much better. He has been a force in the playoffs. He will have to take a dramatic pay cut in 2012-2013; but Carolina is a very good fit for him. For the right price, the Hurricanes would do well to add him. To add a big, hard-hitting fourth line player, the Hurricanes ought to consider Shawn Thorton and/or Steve Bernier. Thorton was healthy scratched by Boston for the final game, which I did not understand. Bernier has been doing an excellent job for New Jersey. I thought the Hurricanes should have signed him in 2011-2012. Taylor Pyatt is another big-bodied, physical UFA who could help the fourth line and who could easily work his way to the third line.

Rebuilding the Hurricanes the Right Way

Last night's loss to Winnipeg in overtime was merely the last nail in the season's coffin. The season was over in November, 2011. Hockey miracles occur once a generation at best; and other than a hockey miracle, the Hurricanes were doomed to being a non-playoff team before the season was a quarter over. There is no reason for despair as far as I am concerned because now the Hurricanes organization is rebuilding the Hurricanes team and organization the right way.

GETTING THE RIGHT COACHING STAFF

The firing of Paul Maurice and the replacement of Maurice with Muller is a crossroads, transitional decision for the Hurricanes organization. Muller is the right man, at the right time, for the right reasons. Players know that Muller has all the requisite skills needed to take a team to the Stanley Cup. He has credence in a way that Maurice never could have. Muller's message of personal accountability and his insights into way to best use players to emphasize their strengths while de-emphasizing their areas of weakness already produced results. Adding John Mclean was another significant move for the Hurricanes organization. McLean has the ability to manage forward lines in a way Maurice could not and would not. I want to be clear, I do not think Maurice is an awful coach. I think Maurice's flaws were magnified by the fact he was with a team that was never going to be built the way he needs a team to play to make the playoffs under his mindset. Muller and McLean see the game as it unfolds. They see the reality of a particular game with the ebbs and flows; and they respond to the game itself. This flexibility of mind and clarity of perception is a tremendous advantage for the Hurricanes. I also think Brind'Amour brings an important skill set and perception of the game. I look forward to Brind'Amour having more input next season.

GETTING OFF THE STARVATION DIET AS FAR AS SALARY BUDGET

The Hurricanes organization for whatever reason was on a starvation diet in 2012-2013 for salary. The Hurricanes clearly needed an elite forward to go with Staal. Instead, on the budget the Hurricanes organization authorized, Jim Rutherford wound up with Ponikarovsky and Stewart. Ponikarovsky's skills fit best on the third line on a grinding, methodical, frankly mostly boring, team identity. He's in the right role for New Jersey. Stewart has not developed his game sufficiently to play on the first line. I still think Stewart has the skills to be a top six forward; and given some patience and more hard work on his part, he'll continue to improve. Stewart was not at the time and is not now an NHL All-Star. Staal deserves a wing who is already an NHL All-star caliber player. From what is being written and said, the Hurricanes organization is prepared to spend more money on salary and is prepared to go after first tier UFAs or to make trades to bring in an elite talent.

FIXING WHAT IS BROKEN WHILE NOT BREAKING WHAT IS WORKING

The Hurricanes organization and coaches have done an excellent job since Muller has arrived of fixing what is broken while avoiding undermining things that are working well. Ditching Kaberle was a huge step forward. Kaberle's signing was a mistake. I am convinced if Jim Rutherford has traded for James Neal for example, and never uttered the work Kaberle, Maurice would never have been fired. The single best moment for the future of the Hurricanes this year was signing Muller. The second best moment was trading Kaberle. The Hurricanes started putting players, and especially forwards, in positions and roles in which they could succeed. The third line of Nodl/Sutter/Dwyer and with Nodl's injury, Bowman/Sutter/Dwyer has been a very successful defensive line. Skinner/Jokinen/Ruutu has been and will continue to be a very successful second line. Ruutu's return from injury has been less than spectacular; but he's a beastly player who will continue to be a critical part of the Hurricanes for years to come. Tlusty and Staal have been quite successful as a duo on the first line. The fourth line continues to need some work; but the pieces are in place. Defensively, the Gleason/Allen, Pitkanen/McBain, Faulk/Harrison pairings have fit together well. Next season, even if another elite defenseman is not added, Ryan Murphy will likely make the Hurricanes roster. Dumoulin probably will be pushing for a spot by mid-season, assuming he is signed after his hockey season ends. Sanguinetti has been on a scoring tear. Joslin has worked hard to stay on the ice; and he is likely to be looked at hard as a defenseman in the pre-season.

SPECIFIC STEPS AND THOUGHTS TO IMPROVE THE TEAM

By far and away the best step the Hurricanes could take is to sign Parise to a long-term deal, assuming he goes to free agency. It would be a next era for the Hurricanes organization to do so. Failing that, the Hurricanes have somewhat limited options. They need to avoid trading away their first round pick in 2012. They have some assets they could move in the form of prospects, but those prospects have some more potential than NHL performance at this point. There are some possibilities, however, that would require painful choices. I have identified the following players as players who could and likely would be future stars for the Hurricanes: (1) Johansen; (2) Couturier; (3) Zibanejad; (4) Connolly; (5) Van Reimsdyk; and (6) Armia. Peter Mueller is an RFA this season and due to his injuries and concussion history, he is likely to be available at a reasonable cost. Mueller is more risky, but given his elite skills, he's probably worth the risk. Trading up to draft Galchenyuk is a step Jim Rutherford should seriously consider. There are three potential elite forwards in this season's draft: Yakupov, Girgorenko, and Galchenyuk. If Galchenyuk had not hurt his knee, he'd be in the conversation as the lottery pick. As it is, the Hurricanes are likely to be picking 9th or 10th. Faksa is the player I personally like best at that spot, assuming nobody like Forsberg or Galchenyuk or even Girgorenko fall that far. Every season there is a player like Fowler or Rask who fall below their real skill and potential level due to cold feet from the scouts and GMs. Ryan Suter is the defensive gem UFA. If the Hurricanes were able to sign both Parise and Suter, the team would be a top six tier team immediately. The major foundational pieces are in place. It's a matter of giving Muller and the coaching staff more talent. In addition to talent outside the organization being brought in, the natural progression of talent in the organization is going to provide help to the team. Dalpe and Rask I continue to believe are at present the team's highest limit forward prospects. Rask may well join the Charlotte Checkers once his lower body injury heals. Boychuk has the ability and his situation has been well-discussed. Nash is a very solid, rapidly improving center. Dadonov is also improving; and he has a tremendous skill set. I'm looking forward to seeing how much Brody Sutter has developed. Hofmann, too, will be a interesting player to follow; and he may be the sleeper of the group. Shugg is a scorer; who has been very successful at every level, but always manages to be under-rated when he starts out. The future is bright. The Hurricanes organization is an organization on the rise. The Hurricanes coaches are superb. The Hurricanes team is young, talented, and determined. The Hurricanes organization has the most depth and talent it has ever had.

It's a great time to be a Caniac.

While waiting for the inevitable trades, I started imagining what might happen in a full house-cleaning by Jim Rutherford. I recall last season after a lackluster performance by the Hurricanes in a game against Toronto, Jim Rutherford came into the lockeroom at intermission and said he would have to blow up the team if it did not perform. To me a full bore house-cleaning is not guaranteed, but it is a genuine possibility.

I started thinking from a reverse engineering standpoint; and started to look for young prospects who could be game changers for the Hurricanes. I did not focus on the probabilities of obtaining these prospects or the cost of doing so. In terms of the draft, the consensus opinion seems to be that to obtain Ruutu, Gleason, Allen, Spacek, or Harrison would take either two first round draft picks or a first round draft pick and a top prospect. I speculate that Jokinen could be obtained for the same high price, although because Jokinen has a three year contract, I think that is less likely.

From the standpoint of adding high end, if not elite, talent to the Hurricanes, I look to future stars. In my view, Johansen, Couturier, Brett Connolly, Zibanejad, Scheifele, Landeskog, Bjugstad, and Burmistrov all fall in the category of superb prospects who could make a very positive impact on the team.

Assuming the various hockey commentators are correct that the Flyers are interested in Gleason and Ruutu, then potentially Couturier would be in the conversation. The Senators apparently are also interested in Ruutu, which might bring Zibanejad into play. Columbus is also apparently preparing to conduct a major rebuild. It is hard to envision Johansen coming into play; but then again a player like Ruutu has the character to go with Nash and help the team rebuild. I can't fathom how Columbus can weather a three to five year rebuild. Florida has Bjudstad and could potentially look toward Gleason or Ruutu as key players for a playoff run. I don't see any scenarios where Scheifele, Landeskog, or Burmistrov become available. Brian Burke is a strong-willed, self-confident, and creative GM. I could envision Burke deciding he wanted Gleason or Ruutu. In that scenario, Colborne and a first round pick might become the price. Kadri also potentially might be available depending on how intensely Burke wanted to make a deep playoff run.

The 2012 draft class is also quite strong. The various scouting services are literally all over the board in listing the order of players from #6 to #30. As a result, if Jim Rutherford goes the full rebuild route, in addition to the Hurricanes' first round pick the Hurricanes might have first round picks from trading Ruutu, Gleason, Allen, Spacek, and possibly Harrison. With five first round picks in 2012, the Hurricanes could reload the talent base significantly. It is likely the Hurricanes will have a top five draft pick, and depending on the Hurricanes luck in the lottery, Yakupov, Girgorenko, Galchenyuk, and Forsberg are likely to be available. I am leaning toward Galchenyuk or Yakupov at the moment.

Additional high impact players likely to be available for the Hurricanes if they obtain four more first round picks might include: Girgensons, Gaunce, Faksa, Kerdiles, Frk, Matheson, and Wilson, among others. From this perspective, the Hurricanes could by revamping the team dramatically increase the high end talent available at forward in the organization. In less than a month, Jim Rutherford's plans will be clear. In the meantime, the waiting is the hardest part.

Jason Shaya does a great job at the Checkers' game announcer. Last night the game was on Time Warner Cable 520 as well as AHL Live. Shaya hangs with the Twitter fans and interacts during breaks, which is missed a little bit when watching the game on 520. The resolution is much better on cable than AHL Live.

Shaya also does an excellent job in his interviews. He asks open-ended questions and lets the person being interviewed talk. Last night he interviewed Jim Rutherford during the second intermission. I got a tweet asking me to summarize the Jim Rutherford interview so here goes:

Jason Shaya asked Rutherford to give his analysis of the game. Jim Rutherford responded that he thought the Rockford game was well-played and had great pace; but that Charlotte was the better team and should be ahead by far more than it was. [Unfortunately, the Checkers ran out of gas with Dalpe being hurt, and Rockford came back in the third period to win the game].

Rutherford also noted that he liked a lot of the players tonight, and specifically mentioned Nash and Bowman. Rutherford also stated that he felt with the Checkers' players additional experience and maturity they had a chance of going even further in the AHL playoffs.

[As a sidenote, Dalpe took a dirty hit last night from Youdas and was hurt when he crashed into the boards. Bowman flew in and began pounding Youdas. Bowman is a tough kid and last night he went even higher in my view. It was a spontaneous act of leadership that had to have been noticed by Rutherford and Muller. Dalpe was reported walking around normally and had at least one Tweet so he seems ok. I'm guessing Dalpe was bombarded with well-wishes on Twitter, so his Tweet was one way of indicating he was not in the dark room isolation.]

State of the Canes:

Shaya asked Rutherford if his phone is ringing more and more. Rutherford did not respond directly, but stated that the Hurricanes started out with a bad couple of months; but over the last five or six weeks he liked how the team is playing. Rutherford said some players who weren't doing well are stepping up. Jim Rutherford also mentioned that he had meetings with the coaches, owner, and scouts. His view was that the team still have work to do but was doing better. He noted that the Canes needed to add a couple of players

Rutherford then compared the Hurricanes/Checkers to the Ottawa Senators and stated that the Senators took players from last year who did well in AHL last season, put them into games in the NHL and played them. As a result the Senators are doing well this year. [Clearly it is the expectation by Rutherford that Checkers players are going to be called up and given significant ice time with the idea the Hurricanes will be competitive next season].

For fans like me who wonder what Rutherford is thinking about Dalpe and Boychuk, Rutherford was asked whether Bowman, Dalpe, Boychuk are NHL ready. Shaya did not include Nash in that list, but clearly Shaya knew he left one guy out because he was trying to find the name in his brain when Rutherford answered. Rutherford responded that he would not say all of them were NHL ready. He said he thought that Nash and Bowman are ahead of the other two now.

Rutherford stated that the other two (Dalpe and Boychuk) are really top prospects, no question (his words); but Rutherford noted that to play at the NHL level you have to play sixty minutes. Rutherford then concluded by saying "All those guys are good prospects." Rutherford then said that the Hurricanes call up the prospects and then send them down to teach them what it takes to be an NHL player.

Rutherford then concluded by talking about how remarkable a player Faulk is and that it is really rare for a young defenseman to be able to play such large minutes and to do so well. He said that Faulk really was overlooked by the NHL media. Rutherford concluded by saying about Faulk, "Faulk has had a great year and has had a great future."

By the sounds of this interview and the body language, Rutherford seems to be happy with the progress being made by the prospects. He doesn't seem anxious over Boychuk or Dalpe. Nash and Bowman are getting praised for their consistency, which seems to be that they have excellent two way games and make very sound decisions and reads on a consistent basis. It is also my impression that there are going be quite a number of changes for the Hurricanes. It sounds like house-cleaning is a real possibility. The reference to Ottawa's rebuild approach through their AHL prospects is what Jim Rutherford has in mind.

JUST WHAT DID YOU EXPECT TO HAPPEN: A FLAWED PLAN THAT YIELDED A PREDICTABLE RESULT

As the Hurricanes now are in contention with for the lottery pick, the 2011-2012 season can be summarized as "Just what did you expect to happen" when (1) the owner scrimps on salary, (2) the General Manager does not either re-sign Cole as the first line Right Wing or sign a replacement, (3) when Kaberle is signed, and (4) where both LaRose and Dwyer are re-signed rather than creating a roster spot for Dalpe, Boychuk, Bowman, or Nash, and (4) when Maurice continued to over-slot LaRose in the top six and further weakened the team by splitting up Skinner/Jokinen/Ruutu. Staal's slump was also predictable given his perfectionist, highly competitive personality, and the lack of upper tier, compatible support on his line.

The problem with flawed plans with NHL teams is that they yield predictable and very unhappy results. If one had run a failure analysis on the plan as proposed, the almost certain conclusion was that this plan would fail and fail in a grandiose fashion. What perhaps was less predictable was that the team would be uncharacteristically splintered and that it would not gell at all. It's one of the rare Hurricanes teams where the sum of the team was less than the total of all its parts.

The team is reminiscent of the 2008-2009 team in that regard; but the 2008-2009 was undermined by the addition of aging retreads who were trying to hang on to their NHL careers when their bodies and will to win had faltered. The obvious danger in bringing back players over thirty-five with histories of injuries is that ultimately every NHL player has a time where skills slack off and their mind cannot will them to sustain the battle.

Most troublesome about the team is what has been called its "fragility." The 2011-2012 Hurricanes have run into wall after wall in the third period. It's been an ongoing issue for the Hurricanes since 2008-2009 and obviously transcends Maurice. We continue to see the propensity of the 2011-2012 Hurricanes to dissemble under the strain of tight games; and especially so in the third period, even under Muller. Given the fact the problem of being overly fragile continues, the solution unfortunately means the team's leadership needs to be revamped. Good leaders on athletic teams are the ones who step up their game when the game is on the line. With Skinner out with a concussion, the leadership on the team has not been strong enough to carry the Hurricanes to victory in close games.

Jim Rutherford references this lack of leadership in his characteristically direct but gentile manner by saying on quite a number of occasions that the 2011-2012 Hurricanes lack players who are willing to win at all costs. That statement perhaps understates the issue. This team has found ways to lose when victories were in hand. The same mistakes continue game after game. The energy level falls off following blown defensive coverages. Forwards cheat to the offensive end and fail to back check with authority. Pucks which could and should have been placed deep into the offensive zone instead are thrown blindly across the ice or backwards. Defensive zone coverages are lost when the puck is behind Ward's net. In other words very basic hockey concepts are not being followed far too often.

The good news is that in almost every game if one had the cosmic eraser and could erase two, three, or four plays, the Hurricanes would be somewhere between seventh and tenth in the Eastern Conference. There is a systemic problem, but the systemic problem is the bone-headed play at inopportune times.

Sadly, the Hurricanes require significant surgery to the roster. None of the players individually are wretched or so far below the NHL curve that they need to be banished to the AHL. Kaberle, the disaster on ice, is gone; and he was the one player who was so significantly below NHL caliber in his play, not his talent level, that he managed to drag down the entire team. On the other hand, the Hurricanes are in the 28th spot in the entire NHL for a number of reasons. The team has a flawed construction at present which has to be fixed and fixed now.

Jim Rutherford is at a crossroads. He can either rework the team significantly by trading some fan and team favorites or he can jettison some new faces. Analytically, the new faces cannot be the cause of fragility in Hurricanes teams on which they did not play. Similarly, in order to change leadership on a team, some of the team leaders have to be unloaded. There is only so much room for leaders on an NHL team.

I believe Jim Rutherford should weigh the return in young prospects or draft picks for the UFAs as the first priority. The second priority should be to create roster spots for younger, more skilled, more talented, and hopefully hungrier players. The message has to be if the team is losing badly, we will make significant changes; so if you want to stay on the Hurricanes team, you need to contribute to a winning team. As such, I believe Jim Rutherford should trade Tim Gleason and Chad LaRose. Gleason has been outstanding, but is coming off one bad year due to injury and an uneven performance this season. He is an excellent leader and role model. He is also an UFA. He should command at the trade deadline a nice return. Chad LaRose is a team leader. He is 185 lbs of heart and desire. He is on his way to a 20 goal season. His plus/minus statistics are again disappointing. He is also a player whose role is difficult to determine. He is really not an elite scorer, and as his plus/minus statistics demonstrate, he is not an elite defender. His size is a detriment on a checking line; but more importantly, his lack of positional awareness at times is an issue in creating scoring chances against the Hurricanes. LaRose is definitely NHL caliber. On the other hand the three years in which he has played a more prominent role on the team than previously, the Hurricanes have performed poorly and have been fragile. His trade opens a roster spot for a more skilled player.

Ponikarovsky and Allen are UFAs. Ponikarovsky can be a twenty goal scorer if used correctly; but lacks the explosiveness to be a top six player unless he is paired with two other linemates with exceptional speed and passing skills. The Hurricanes desperately need size, which Ponikarovsky brings. I suspect Ponikarovsky will be traded at the trade deadline; but he is a player Muller can work with to make him an important part of the team. Allen, I think, has been outstanding; and has provided the bite and physicality the Hurricanes needed. If Allen could be traded as a rental, much as Corvo was, it would be ideal. Allen is an UFA and with the crowded condition at defense, odds seem to favor saying Jim Rutherford will trade Allen at the trade deadline.

Ruutu is the cream of the crop of the Hurricanes UFAs. Rumors are abounding that Ruutu will be traded. I really hope Jim Rutherford will resist the temptation to trade Ruutu. If people think losing Cole was a mistake, then losing Ruutu would be catastrophic. Without Ruutu, the Hurricanes will be one of the softest set of forwards in the NHL. Stewart is also a player the Hurricanes seem to be positioning to trade. I find the treatment of Stewart to be somewhat mysterious. Stewart is fast, has excellent vision on the ice for making centering passes, compared to his minutes on the ice he scores exceptionally well, and he is 6'3" and 230 lbs. What is there not to like? I have read and hear discussions that Stewart was not in Hurricanes fit condition when he arrived. Even if true, Stewart has too much potential and upper limit to trade for a low return.

Dwyer would be on my list of possible trade candidates simply because the Hurricanes need to get bigger and more skilled. Dwyer has exceptional speed, seldom is out of position, and has an excellent hockey mind in general. He is not ideal as a third line checking forward, but as a fourth line energy forward who can play all three forward positions he is excellent. I know the Hurricanes organization really likes how Dwyer plays, so unless Jim Rutherford is really cleaning house, I predict Dwyer will stay. On the other hand, given the fact the Hurricanes have Dalpe, Boychuk, Bowman, Nash, Rask, and the 2012 draft pick waiting in the wings, and given the need to increase the skill level of the team in general, Dwyer would find himself being traded.

To me it was painfully obvious that the Hurricanes were two top six forwards shy of being a good team. When Kaberle came into training camp overweight and uninspired, and with the absence of a Cole replacement, there was little to do other than wait for the stark reality to play itself out on the ice. At least this disaster of a year occurred with a very deep 2012 draft class. The hiring of Muller brings a new era to the Hurricanes. I hope Jim Rutherford will take advantage of the opportunity and remodel the team to play the kind of up tempo, physical, North/South game Muller has said he wants. To do so, Muller needs the horses to get the job done. He needs stallions to race. Some perfectly serviceable plow horses are going to need to be sent out to pasture.

POST SCRIPT:

To look at LaRose's consistent range of play here are the statistics for the past four years. These statistics are not intended to prove any one particular point.

Categories are :

Games, goals, assists, points, plus/minus, Penalties in minutes, power play goals, short handed goals, game winning goals, shots, and shooting percentage.

35 R Chad LaRose 9 10 19 -17 24 2 1 2 99 9.1 2011-2012

59 R Chad LaRose 82 16 15 31 -21 59 2 1 0 176 9.1 2010-2011

59 R Chad LaRose 56 11 17 28 -2 24 0 1 0 138 8.0 2009-2010

59 R Chad LaRose 81 19 12 31 6 35 0 2 4 171 11.1 2008-2009

Muller After a Handful of Games

Even after this handful of games with Muller, I think it's clear he is a young coaching star who fits with the organization. I like how he is approaching the crisis the Hurricanes are facing. I also much prefer his vision of an up tempo, aggressive style of play. I do think the roster has to be reworked to fit his preferred approach.

There are no wretched players on the team other than Kaberle. Kaberle is in a universe of his own; and rivals the worst defensemen the organization has had in a decade. Kaberle is not only out of shape, he is milking the system. It's the downside to guaranteed contracts because the few players like Kaberle who are going through the motions get rewarded nonetheless.

For the Hurricanes, the choices are limited. They can waive Kaberle and pay him to play in Charlotte. They can play Kaberle and try to see if he can somehow decide he wants to play NHL hockey. If Kaberle plays, the likelihood is that the Hurricanes will finish with a top 3 pick. There is always the chance he will improve and that some other GM will be foolish enough to take him. The reward of a top 3 pick is so tremendous that the Hurricanes organization ought to keep playing Kaberle as much as they can tolerate.

The next culture change for the Hurricanes, however, runs contrary to playing Kaberle. The organization has to adopt an "eat what you kill" approach. Time on ice needs to be awarded based on quality of play not size of the contract. It's a hard thing to institute; but Muller has the gravitas to make it work. The next important organization shift is that Jim Rutherford needs to abandon the recirculation of former players. These rethreads cause more harm than good on balance. It isn't that every rethread is terrible; but the overall impact on the team is negative.

In specific terms, the Hurricanes need to use this year as a retooling year. Muller needs to continue giving auditions to the players and to give every player a clean slate. Once he feels all the veterans have had their opportunity to impress, the lines need to be reworked. As soon as feasible, the Skinner/Ruutu/Jokinen line should be brought back. Similarly, as soon as possible Dalpe and Boychuk need to be given real first line duty. It might require a Ponikarovsky/Staal/Dalpe or a Ponikarovsky/Staal/Boychuk line; but ultimately it's time to run Dalpe/Staal/Boychuk. The result simply cannot be worse that what we have seen.

Roster spaces need to be created by trading Gleason or Allen, LaRose, and Kaberle. The ideal situation would be to obtain draft choices because the 2012 draft is quite deep, especially the top 10 to 15 players. In projecting lines, for 2012,2013 here are some possibilities:

Dalpe/Staal/Yakupov

Skinner/Ruutu/Jokinen

Rask/Sutter/Boychuk or Stewart

Ponikarovsky/Brent/Nodl

It's time to get younger, but also time to have four solid lines and three scoring forward lines. Rask, Dalpe, and Boychuk in particular are wildcards. Rask is improving significantly each game and is blossoming in the WHL. Dalpe and Boychuk should also prosper under Muller. The addition of Yakupov or Grigorenko would be a sea change.

Defensively, the Hurricanes have Pitkanen, McBain, Faulk, Murphy, Allen or Gleason, Harrison, and Joslin. Dumoulin and Murphy will be the defensive wildcards. It's time for the Hurricanes to go young and go hard. In the end, talent with commitment and hockey intelligence wins games. There is no reason to think the Hurricanes can be a top six team until the talent is top six. Similarly, when other GMs start talking about the Hurricanes' young stars, we will all know the Hurricanes transformation is underway.

FIXING THE FAIL; WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES HE SEES -- MICHAEL MCDONALD (with some unpopular suggestions)

 

Doug Abrams

 

   I was asked on Twitter why Maurice cannot see what seems obvious in that he needs to play Boychuk/Staal/Stewart as the first line.  It's a complicated answer and much too long for Twitter.  Here goes.

    The reasons for Maurice's inability to see the obvious are complicated and complex.  Let's begin with his persona.  Maurice has the appearance of a self-confident, even head-strong, person; but the deeper reality is that he is risk adverse and is very insecure.  It's understandable.  His playing career ended due to injury while he was in the OHL.  He never experienced what the players he is trying to coach experience every day.  He has never looked up in any NHL rink from on the ice, dressed out, sweating, fatigued in the heat of combat to see the crowd, either cheering or disgruntled.  He has not done so from an AHL rink.

    The players know that, Jim Rutherford knows that, and Maurice knows that.  It's almost an impossible situation for any coach.  It is made worse, not better, by the fact that Maurice is so close to Jim Rutherford and Peter Karmanos, Jr.  Maurice is there as head coach with a GM and owner who adore him, admire him, and support him.  It's a privilege few NHL coaches ever experience.  It's also a hindrance to establishing a connection with his team because he does not inherently carry the gravitas most NHL coaches possess.  In short, the elephant in the room is that Maurice is there as coach as much due to his relationships as due to strict merit. 

   Maurice is very much risk adverse.  His decisions reflect a person who will chose time after time the safe course even when that course is less likely to succeed than a more creative path.  This desire for safe choices is virtually a guarantee for mediocrity.  Whereas Boucher's motto is "Safe is death,"  Maurice's motto is "Safe is Safe."  Accordingly, it is no surprise Maurice is a .500 coach in his career.  He coaches to the mean. He chooses the statistically safe approach. 

  Here are some examples.  The safe approach is put LaRose is in the top six.  LaRose is beloved by the team, the organization, and the fans. He hustles every shift.  He is a great leader on and off the ice.  LaRose has all the intangibles anybody would want.  He is also an anchor in the top six.  He lacks the over all sense of the game, the hands, the shot, to play on a scoring line.  He can't process all the information and make the reads to stay in position while still playing the hustling game that is his trademark.  So while LaRose is a safe choice with Staal, it makes it much harder for Staal to be good. 

    Kaberle is another example.  Kaberle is a former NHL All-star.  He has the ability to make great passes on the power play.  He should be able to make great break out passes. He is a big framed man.  In short, he is a safe choice.  The reality is that Kaberle is done.  He is as physical as Patrick O'Sullivan, meaning he is the opposite of physical.  He is riding out the contract and going through the motions the way Samsonov did.  At some point in their careers, some NHL veterans lose the fire in the belly.  Rather than challenging pucks in the corners, they let up.  Their will to win morphs into a will to stay healthy.  It's as if their subconscious is saying "it's not worth it to get hurt for that puck."  Accordingly, while Kaberle is a safe choice, he is terrible under Lewis' system.  The treatment of Boychuk, Dalpe, and Stewart all fit this category.  The Hurricanes are struggling to replace Cole and to put together a scoring first line.  Dalpe, Boychuk, and Stewart, all in different ways, are  scorers.  It, however, is not guaranteed safe to play them on the first line.  As a result, they have been under-utilized this entire season to date. 

   The mismatch between the kind of athlete needed to run Dave Lewis' defense and the athletes the Hurricanes have on the roster is another issue.  It's all about speed, foot quickness, and agility.  Kaberle and Harrison are not fast enough, explosive enough, or agile enough to work well with Dave Lewis's approach.  Harrison to be fair is the most improved defenseman I've seen at his age for the past two seasons.  He's fine.  He's improving.  He's going to really have to battle to fit within the keep your lanes positioning under Dave Lewis.  He's such a great guy I hope it works out for him with the Hurricanes.  On the other hand, the Hurricanes have Gleason, Pitkanen, Allen, McBain, Murphy, Faulk, Dumoulin, Joslin, and Sanguinetti.  Kaberle is still here.  Biega, Alt, Levi, and Lowe will also be knocking at the door. 

   Another question is can somebody save Maurice from Maurice?  It's always possible; but it's unlikely.  Staal could potentially hit his stride.  Rutherford might step in and have his "we're going to blow up this team if you don't start playing" speech.  Faulk and McBain might step it up.  Boychuk might finally put together some goal scoring tears that make is impossible to move him out of the top six.  Stewart might show that spark that I've seen when he was in Atlanta and even Florida where he takes over games.  Skinner may well take matters into his own hands and by the force of his will alone bring the team out of the skids.  Mathematically and with probabilities, the chances are not high of all those things occurring; but that's why they go out and play games rather than running computer simulations.

     So here the Hurricanes are with an insecure coach, with a young team lacking an elite, NHL all-star wing to go with Staal, and lacking one more elite shutdown defenseman; and with a budget that can fairly be called barely subsistence.  It's a near starvation diet as far as salary budget goes.  What can be done is to bite the bullet and keep moving forward.  Keep Maurice for good or for bad until the season ends.  Look for the opportunity to trade Kaberle, LaRose, Harrison, and Ponikarovsky to make room for speedier, more physically talented players.  Look to change the dynamic in the room and give space for the younger players to emerge as leaders.  It's tough love for the team as a whole. 

  Here are the lines that would save Maurice for another year:

  Boychuk/Staal/Stewart

   Skinner/Ruutu/Jokinen

   Tlusty/Sutter/Dalpe

   Ponikarovsky/Brent/LaRose or Dwyer

   Gleason/Allen

   Pitkanen/Faulk

   McBain/Joslin and Harrison (splitting time)

   Here's Maurice's basic message to the  media, the fans, and the team to save his job another year:

  "We started slow.  We hate this start.  We are going younger, bigger, meaner, more committed.  We will overcome the mistakes of youth with the sheer talent and commitment.  Every shift will be a war.  Every puck in the corner will be combat.  We'll be unpredictable, but we will be  fun to watch.  We are going to roll four lines and all four can score.  Watch us run and watch us fight. We will be a good team; and soon we will be a great team."

  Will it happen?  Probably not.  It's asking Maurice to find another way, a risky way.  It is not his nature.

 

KEEP MAURICE ALL SEASON AND THEN ASSESS THE SITUATION

 

            Last night's game against Tampa Bay reinforced in my mind the wisdom of giving Maurice the entire season to make his case for being retained as head coach.  The 2011-2012 Hurricanes have the ability to play against the NHL's best teams by playing as a unified team on all four lines.  I am not suggesting that Maurice has shown himself to be an elite coach by past history.  He has, however, shown he is far from being the NHL's worst coach.  He is a coach who is most comfortable having his team play solid, but not especially breath-taking hockey.  For example, if one took the tapes of the Tampa Bay games to look for fancier plays,  I think Tampa Bay would have plenty of plays that showed high levels of skill; but they also did not result in scores. 

            LaRose's first goal was fantastic and timely.  It came from winning a positioning battle in front of the net and tapping the puck into the back of the net. It was a superb play; but didn't require him to weave through traffic, stop on a dime, and make a highlight reel move.  Simple is good for the Hurricanes.  Skinner is the exception in that he makes impossible plays look almost routine.  Both his goals were highlight reel plays, I thought.

            At this stage of the season,  Maurice gets credit in my mind for having the team defense having all the players on the same page.  Credit goes to Dave Lewis and Glen Wesley as well, I think.  The Gleason/Allen pairing has been excellent.  McBain/Pitkanen has been another fine pairing.  I am not enthralled with Kaberle but Harrison is having another career year.  I have to believe the Hurricanes will look to transition away from Kaberle if they can find a trade partner.  Kaberle has not been disastrous, but I'd put him as the least effective defenseman at the moment.

            The forwards are playing much better defense as a group.  They have increased their aggressiveness and physicality over last season.  They are also doing a good job filling lanes on the back check.  Last night, the Hurricanes forwards had their forecheck going despite the fact Tampa Bay is a very difficult team to forecheck. 

            Ponikarovsky/Sutter/Dwyer are playing quite well together.  Ponikarovsky could as easily have seven or eight goals if he hadn't hit posts.  Sutter continues to be a quietly spectacular two-way defenseman; and is becoming a threat to score on breakaways at any time.

            Skinner/Jokinen/Ruutu have been the Hurricanes best line since being formed last season.  Skinner has done his best work at even strength on that line.  It is mysterious to me why that line was not kept intact.  Now with Jokinen being hurt, I hope either Dalpe or Boychuk or Stewart will be given chances to play in the top six. 

            Boychuk/Brent/Stewart have been doing a great job, albeit for small minutes per game at even strength.  Brent has been excellent on the penalty kill.  Boychuk is much improved defensively this season over last season.  Perhaps the new defensive scheme suits him better; but what I notice about Boychuk is that he is getting to pucks and has more core strength this season.  I still believe he is a top six forward.  Dalpe, too, played solidly before being hurt.

            Tlusty/Staal/LaRose had a great game last night.  Staal is still struggling to be an offensive force on the ice.  Tlusty, however, has shown he can play as a hybrid power forward.  He is healthy this season and is emphasizing the physical side of his game.  If he can add some more goals as a sniper, and he does have the skill set to do so, he can be a force on any line.  LaRose had his best game in a long time last night.  Staal was not particularly noticeable last night.

            The power play for the Hurricanes continues to be a weak spot.  In my view,  Maurice and his coaching staff are not exceptional at teaching the power play.  The disjoint power play has haunted the Hurricanes since the days of Laviolette.  Certainly, personnel plays a significant role; but given the fact it has existed under Laviolette and then continues to be a problem under Maurice, I put a large share of responsibility on coaching.  When I watch other teams on the power play, they appear much more organized and certain.  Many other teams, including Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, have the ability to move the puck via fast, crisp passes.  They also have the ability to find the soft spots on the ice without losing structure.  It is true they take more chances than the Hurricanes, but they are much more organized while being creative. 

            I continue to think that Maurice would be well-served to take better advantage of his young players like Dalpe, Boychuk, and Bowman.  He has said before that he does not look at particular shifts for a young player, but instead looks to see if the young player looks like he belongs in the NHL.  I happen to prefer the approach Tampa Bay and Boucher take with their young players like Connolly; but it is a coach's prerogative whether to throw a highly skilled player immediately into positions of responsibility or whether to groom them on the fourth line until it is painfully obvious the player needs to be moved up.  It's frustrating to me to watch the fourth line get minimal minutes when I think there are players ready to have significant positive impacts on the games.  Still, until I coach my first NHL game, I will readily acknowledge Maurice has over 1,000 NHL games as head coach as his frame of reference. 

            The Hurricanes are a young team.  They came within a single game last year of making the playoffs.  They have a new defensive system.  They had a very difficult October and survived.  My hope is that the Hurricanes will make the playoffs.  I think they are a #7 to #10 team, or yet again a bubble team.  My belief is that the team has sufficient talent to make the playoffs, although it could well come down to the last week of the season.  If the Hurricanes make the playoffs, then by all means Maurice deserves to remain as head coach.  If the Hurricanes fall short, in my view it's time for a coaching change.  Giving Maurice the full season to prove himself is fair to him and is fair to the team. 

 

The Hurricanes come into 2011-2012 having addressed their need to obtain big-bodied forwards to attack the net and to create net traffic. With Erik Cole no longer on the team, one of the biggest questions will be which players are going to play with Staal on the first line. Here are some variations for consideration.

 

Version 1:  I presume this is similar to what will be penciled in at the season's start

Skinner/Staal/Ruutu

Dalpe/Sutter/Ponikarovsky

LaRose/Jokinen/Stewart

Tlusty/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 2:

Skinner/Staal/Ruutu

 

Dalpe/Sutter/Ponikarovsky

Boychuk/Jokinen/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 3:

Dalpe/Staal/Ruutu

Skinner/Sutter/Ponikarovsky

Boychuk/Jokinen/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 4:

Dalpe/Staal/Ponikarovsky

Skinner/Sutter/Ruutu

Boychuk/Jokinen/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 5:

Dalpe/Staal/Ponikarovsky

Skinner/Ruutu/Jokinen

Boychuk/Jokinen/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 6:

Dalpe/Staal/Jokinen

Skinner/Ruutu/Ponikarovsky

Boychuk/Sutter/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 7:

Dalpe/Staal/Jokinen

Skinner/Ruutu/Ponikarovsky

LaRose/Sutter/Stewart

Tlusty/Brent/Dwyer

Version 8:

Skinner/Staal/Jokinen

Dalpe/Ruutu/Ponikarovsky

LaRose/Sutter/Stewart

Tlusty/Brent/Dwyer

Version 9:

Jokinen/Staal/Dalpe

Skinner/Ruutu/Ponikarovsky

LaRose/Sutter/Stewart

Tlusty/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 9:

Jokinen/Staal/Ponikarovsky

Skinner/Ruutu/Dalpe

LaRose/Sutter/Stewart

Tlusty/Brent/Dwyer

 

Version 10:

Jokinen/Staal/Ponikarovsky

Skinner/Ruutu/Dalpe

Boychuk/Sutter/Stewart

LaRose/Brent/Dwyer

 

Mark McNeill

 

I wanted to start posting some materials on various prospects for the 2011. Mark McNeill is intriguing because he is a player on the rise who fits one of the Hurricanes most pressing needs: a Ryan Getzlaf type of highly skilled, fast, big, hitting power forward.  Here are some articles and video links I found for him.

6'2"  210 lbs; shoots right-handed

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/6381

HOCKEYS FUTURE: 

2010-11: In 70 games for the Raiders, McNeill scored 32 goals and added 49 assists for 81 points while adding 58 penalty minutes. In 6 playoff games for the Raiders, McNeill scored 2 goals and added 3 assists for 5 points.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.com/2010/09/skys-limit-for-mark-mcneill.html

WHL FROM ABOVE:

At 17 years old, he already has a man's body. He stands 6'1.5 and weighs in at just under 210 pounds. And he shows that size on the ice. He likes to play physical hockey and is a great forechecker. He is also a right handed shot as a centre, something many teams covet as a bit of a rare commodity.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...n-McNeill.html

THE HOCKEY NEWS

"It was a huge off-season for me," said the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Edmonton native. "I worked out five days a week for two-and-a-half to three hours with Barry Butt of Premier Strength."

Butt's NHL clients include Jason Chimera and Jay Bouwmeester, which gave McNeill a chance to see what the pros do. He also skated with NHL and American League pros every Tuesday.

http://bruins2011draftwatch.blogspot...oking-for.html

BRUINS DRAFT WATCH

 

The 6-2, 210-pound right-shooting center was 85th overall in Red Line Report's September issue, and I think he's likely going to be a riser if he can keep the production going.

YAHOO DRAFT TRACKE 5 QUESTIONS WITH MARK MCNEIL

http://sports.yahoo.com/juniorhockey...rhockey-310225

PRINCE ALBERT DAILY HERALD

 

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Sports/Hoc...-out-McNeill/1

and 22 points in 19 games, and he isn't afraid to mix it up physically.

McNeill fought in authoritative fashion Friday night when he liberally swung right-handers against Swift Current rookie Shea Howorko, who had taken a hit from Andrew Herle that ignited last-minute fisticuffs in the Broncos' 5-1 victory.

Prince Albert's lone NHL-drafted player is defenceman Ryan Button, a third-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2009.

"He's been playing good," Button, also of Edmonton, said of McNeill. "Definitely, his point total has been up (from 24 points in 68 games last season).

"I've talked to Mark a little bit, personally, about what he has to do to get to that next level. At this level, he's a guy that could put up a lot of points. At the next level, I don't think that's going to be him. He's going to be an in-your-face, power forward kind of guy, and the quicker he gets to that role, the better off he'll be.

"But he's a huge guy. He's incredibly strong for his age. So, the quicker we get him battling in front of the net and in the corners and kind of getting a little dirty, I think he'll become a really special player."

YOUTUBE

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueyPvuH9F-8

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWk24cdqJU4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdBjXmguMyE&feature=related

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4ZkFo5V36k

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhiY0gQKFL8&feature=related

 

MYNHLDRAFT.COM SCOUTING REPORT

 

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2011/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Mark-McNeill

 

He is at his most dangerous in close quarters to the opposing goaltender using his strength and quick hands to put points in the net. He does not look to always carry the puck himself but instead uses his on ice ability to see the play developing to see the best possible pass to move the puck quickly. He takes the team game to a higher level with the raiders, as the many Raiders Fan Zone polls can attest to. A strong physical and a strong skater definitely rates him high in the upcoming draft as a centre with size and skill, and most teams looking for that rare combination.

 

MSG

 

http://mma.msg.com/article/01FEber3fG30E

 

Ask someone to name the best power forwards in the NHL right now, and names on the list likely would include Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf and Mike Richards. Prince Albert Raiders center Mark McNeill might be added to that list in the coming years. Ranked... Full Article at National Hockey league | NHL.com

The Hurricanes started this year with question marks on offense and defense.  How would take over left wing for Whitney?  What kind of defense would the Hurricanes have?  How would Skinner fare as an 18 year old wunderkind? How would Ward's back hold up?  How would the penalty kill and power play work?  Could the Hurricanes make the playoffs? Is Maurice a coach who can take the Hurricanes to greatness?

 

Some of the questions were answered, but not always to my liking.  Skinner exceeded almost everybody's expectations.  The defense was inconsistent.  Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me was the season-long slump by Gleason.  I tend not to blame him, other than for some very costly mental erros and a few positional miscues because I'm convinced he was hurt all year. 

   The Hurricanes upgraded at a number a of positions.  Allen and Joslin add much needed physical dimensions.  Bowman brings skill and grittiness.  Samson adds a grinding intensity.  Bodies adds size and fight. 

   The story on Maurice is yet to be determined.  He helped keep a young team focused.  In some ways, it's arguable that's but for a handful of costly blunders, the Hurricanes would be In the playoffs. 

   I see this season as yet another year in which a dismal power play ruined any chance of the Huricanes being a play of team.  I also view the season as a long opportunity to develop Boychuk, Dale, and Bowman more fully as NHL top six or even top nine players. 

    The Hurricanes of 2010-2011 were close to being good enough to be a playoff team.  They however faltered around February 1st.  The Hurricanes are not a better team than their record.  To improvem the Hurricanes need to jettison some of their average players for better players.  The Hurricanes suffer from a talent deficit, not an effort or character deficit. 

    It is also possible that Maurice is not the coach the Hurricanes need to make the next step.  I hope Maurice is given all of 2011-2012.  If he leads the Hurricanes into the playoffs, extend his contract two more years.  If not, move Maurice into the front office and hire Jeff Daniels to be head coach.

    The Hurricanes need to bring up Boychuk and Dalpe next season.  Bowman probably needs to replace Tlusty.  It is time to turn the page on Stillman and LaRose.  Their salary a Funds can be better used to resign Pitkanen.  Harrison needs to be the #7 dman at most.  The Hurricanes need one more upper tier defense man and a big-bodied power forward. 

    Assuming the status quo other than Boychuk and Dale making the team out of training camp, the lines would be:

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

Dale/Skinner/Ruutu

Bowman/Sutter/Jokinen

Tlusty/Dwyer/Samson & Bodie

OR

Dalpe/Staal/Cole

Boychuk/Skinner/Ruutu

Bowman/Sutter/Jokinen

Tlusty/Dwyer/Samson & Bodie

OR to create a scoring line from the young players:

Bowman/Staal/Cole

Boychuk/Skinner/Dalpe

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

Tlusty/Dwyer/Samson & Bodie

Gleason/Corvo

Pitkanen/McBain

Joslin/Allen

Harrison as 7th dman

Now assuming that the Hurricanes select Armia or Saad and that whoever the Hurricanes pick is ready, the lines might be:

Adding Saad or Armia

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

Dalpe/Skinner/Ruutu

Armia or Saad/Sutter/Jokinen

Bowman or Tlusty/Dwyer/Samson or Bodie or Bowman or Tlusty

OR

Dalpe/Staal/Cole

Boychuk/Skinner/Ruutu

Armia or Saad/Sutter/Jokinen

Bowman or Tlusty/Dwyer/Samson or Bodie or Bowman or Tlusty

For purposes of considering stepping into the shoes of both Jim Rutherford and Paul Maurice in considering the alternatives at forward here is a list of potential forwards for 2011-2012 with the Hurricanes, 

Staal

Cole

Skinner

Sutter

Ruutu

Jokinen

LaRose

Dwyer

Bowman

Samson

Bodie

Boychuk

Dalpe

Tlusty

From these,  healthy scratch two players from the list and make your lines.

 

THE TRADE DEADLINE:  WHAT COMES NEXT

The Hurricanes are obviously at the razor's edge between a playoff spot and another season outside looking in.  Jim Rutherford is once more in the catbird seat.  He has at least $9 million of NHL salary cap space.  He has numerous players with expiring contracts.  He has Dalpe and Boychuk both of whom have demonstrated they can play at the NHL level.  Tlusty is coming back from a serious knee injury and then a separated shoulder, but he has the ability to play solid defense and to fit well in the top nine. 

   Jim Rutherford also has assets in Charlotte such as Bowman and Nash that he could consider moving for more established players.  He does not have a plethora of veterans who have high demand and high return on a trade.  Pitkanen surely would bring the highest return of the veterans with expiring contracts who would be considered as tradable assets. 

  There are two glaring holes in the team's make up, both of which have been described in detail, as it presently exists:  (1) a big, fast, physical top six forward with scoring ability and (2) a big, fast, physical shutdown defenseman.  The Fourth Period recently reported a rumor that the Hurricanes were looking to buy rather than sell.  http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/car110120.html  On the other hand, the Fourth Period seems to be saying the Hurricanes want to add assets but not salary, which is the hockey equivalent of saying the Hurricanes want to go swimming without getting wet. 

   With a number of teams, from the Penguins to the L.A. Kings looking for a top six forward, the Hurricanes are going to have a challenging time find a candidate for the top six.  I haven't seen any play where a commentator following the Hurricanes suggested Samsonov was likely to be retained.  He seems to be one player Jim Rutherford would trade if he could.  The issue for Jim Rutherford is finding a team whose style would accentuate Samsonov's strengths will de-emphasizing those areas where he is less effective.  For GMs who have followed Samsonov's career, he can be good in the playoffs and can help get the puck to scorers.  Samsonov could help a playoff team on the power play, for example. 

   Cole is another player who might be in demand; but given the problems the Hurricanes have with too little size at forward and the need for speed at forward, that option seems somewhat unlikely to me.  Cole is playing his best hockey in over four years.  When Cole is on his game, he can be a dominating player; and he has been on his game this season with much more consistency that he has been since he was hurt by Orpik. 

      LaRose seems to be a player who is more highly valued by the Hurricanes organization than other teams; so unless Laviolette decides he needs LaRose to play his energy/agitator role for the Flyers and persuades the Flyers to ante up the cost,  I don't see LaRose being traded at the trade deadline.  I do believe for the right price, LaRose would be traded. 

    Pitkanen and potentially White appear to be the most tradable defenseman with Pitkanen being the potential gangbuster trade candidate.  Maybe a team like Columbus or the Kings would be willing to part with their first round draft pick plus a roster player or top prospect for Pitkanen. 

            Harrison has been playing very solid hockey and is at the NHL minimum; but even with his fine season, I can't see much demand for him.  On the other hand,  Jim Rutherford was able to trade Wallin, Aaron Ward, and Alberts.  I would much rather have Harrison that Wallin, Aaron Ward, or Alberts; so perhaps Jim Rutherford could work out a trade that includes Harrison with the idea that Carson is ready to be the #6 defenseman.  Still,  in the January 20th game against the Rangers,  Harrison showed his grit and that type of grit is needed by the Hurricanes.

     Of all the trade scenarios,  I think trading Samsonov and Pitkanen are the two most likely to occur.  Only time will tell what rabbits Jim Rutherford is able to pull out of the hat.

 

UNSUNG HEROES:  THE IMPACT OF OBTAINING WHITE, CARTER, AND BODIE

 

            For whatever reason, the Hurricanes won/loss record has been outstanding since Jim Rutherford obtained Ian White, Ryan Carter, and Troy Bodie.  I think they have made significant positive contributions to the team.  Carter and Bodie added a desperately needed size with speed and physicality element to the team. 

            I think Bodie is a diamond in the rough and that there is much more to his game than merely being a fast, big, physical fourth line forward.  Carter, too, has been outstanding on the penalty kill.  Due to the depth on the Hurricanes team, and perhaps the reluctance of the Hurricanes coaches to throw its highly skilled, young forward prospects into the top nine,  Carter and Bodie have been playing at times with Tlusty, Samsonov, and now Boychuk.  The fourth line with Carter and Bodie have consistently put pressure on the opposing team and always seem to get the  pucks in the corners.

            Ian White is a fast, excellent skater who thinks the game well.  He seems to be very adept in staying in sync with Pitkanen.  Pitkanen is such a fast, powerful skater than he waits for no one.  His style of play puts tremendous pressure on the other defenseman on his line as well as the high forward.  I think Pitkanen takes the approach, either run with the big dog or stay on the porch.  It makes for exciting hockey, but it takes a defenseman who can skate beautifully, think quickly, and maintain tremendous conditioning to keep up with Pitkanen.  Ian White was done an excellent job for the Hurricanes.

 

 

            The statistics below show the Hurricanes records with White, Carter and Bodie on the team.  White, Carter, and Bodie can rightly be proud of their role in the success of their Hurricanes since their addition to the team.  They are not the only reasons the Hurricanes have been successful; but they do play a large role in that success.

 

 

 

IAM WHITE FIRST GAME AS A HURRICANE NOVEMBER 19

Ian White  13 games as a Hurricane: 

6 WINS 3 LOSSES IN REGULATION  4 LOSSES IN OVERTIME/SHOOUTOUT

POINTS IN 10 OF 13 GAMES

16 OUT OF 24 POSSIBLE POINTS

Dec 18 '10   ANA @ CAR 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0.0 28 17:46 0 Dec 16 '10   CAR @ ATL 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0.0 25 19:59 0 Dec 15 '10   CAR @ FLA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 15:19 0 Dec 11 '10   CAR @ STL 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 0.0 27 19:07 0 Dec 10 '10   CAR @ DAL 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 24 20:00 0 Dec 04 '10   CAR @ NSH 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 23 22:01 0 Dec 03 '10   COL @ CAR 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 26 21:03 0 Nov 29 '10   DAL @ CAR 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 1 0.0 24 22:01 0 Nov 28 '10   CAR @ WSH 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 5 0.0 25 25:06 0 Nov 26 '10   CAR @ BOS 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 25 21:17 1 Nov 24 '10   WSH @ CAR 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0.0 26 19:18 0 Nov 20 '10   NSH @ CAR 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 27 25:41 0 Nov 19 '10   CAR @ PIT 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 2 0.0 33 27:36

RYAN CARTER FIRST GAME AS A HURRICANE NOVEMBER 26

Ryan Carter 10 games as a Hurricane

6 WINS 2 LOSSES IN REGULATION 2 LOSSES IN OVERTIME/SHOOTOUT

POINTS IN 8 OF 10 GAMES

Game G A P +/- PIM PP SH S S% Shifts TOI FO% Dec 18 '10   ANA @ CAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 20 10:58 52.6 Dec 16 '10   CAR @ ATL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 9:03 25.0 Dec 15 '10   CAR @ FLA 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0.0 15 9:52 50.0 Dec 11 '10   CAR @ STL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 11:02 37.5 Dec 10 '10   CAR @ DAL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0.0 16 12:19 41.7 Dec 04 '10   CAR @ NSH 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 16 8:53 73.3 Dec 03 '10   COL @ CAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 14 8:35 50.0 Nov 29 '10   DAL @ CAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 15 10:14 66.7 Nov 28 '10   CAR @ WSH 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 10 6:33 66.7 Nov 26 '10   CAR @ BOS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 17 12:56 50.0

TROY BODIE FIRST GAME AS A HURRICANE NOVEMBER 19

 

Troy Bodie 13 games as a Hurricane. 

6 WINS 3 LOSSES IN REGULATION  4 LOSSES IN OVERTIME/SHOOUTOUT

POINTS IN 10 OF 13 GAMES

16 OUT OF 24 POSSIBLE POINTS

Canes Record

1.  Fri Nov 19, 2010 Hurricanes Penguins
7:00 PM FINAL CAR (4) - PIT (5) SO OVERTIME LOSS

 2.  Sat Nov 20, 2010 Predators Hurricanes
7:00 PM FINAL NSH (2) - CAR (1) SO     SHOOUTOUT LOSS

3.  Wed Nov 24, 2010 Capitals Hurricanes
7:00 PM FINAL WSH (3) - CAR (2)    LOSS

4.  Fri Nov 26, 2010 Hurricanes Bruins
12:00 PM FINAL CAR (3) - BOS (0)    WIN

5.  Sun Nov 28, 2010 Hurricanes Capitals
5:00 PM FINAL CAR (2) - WSH (3) SO   SHOOUTOUT LOSS

6.  Mon Nov 29, 2010 Stars Hurricanes
7:30 PM FINAL DAL (4) - CAR (1)   LOSS

December 2010

Date Visitor Home Time (ET) TV Network/Results

 7.  Fri Dec 3, 2010 Avalanche Hurricanes
7:00 PM FINAL COL (1) - CAR (2) OT  WIN

8.  Sat Dec 4, 2010 Hurricanes Predators
8:00 PM FINAL CAR (2) - NSH (5)   LOSS

 9.  Fri Dec 10, 2010 Hurricanes Stars
8:30 PM FINAL CAR (1) - DAL (2) SO   SHOOTOUT LOSS

10.  Sat Dec 11, 2010 Hurricanes Blues
8:00 PM FINAL CAR (2) - STL (1) SO   WIN

 11.  Wed Dec 15, 2010 Hurricanes Panthers
7:30 PM FINAL CAR (4) - FLA (3)   WIN

12.  Thu Dec 16, 2010 Hurricanes Thrashers
7:00 PM FINAL CAR (3) - ATL (2) SO    WIN

13.  Sat Dec 18, 2010 Ducks Hurricanes
7:00 PM FINAL ANA (2) - CAR (4)  WIN

 

An Email from Liz Brownstein, who writes for the Anaheim Ducks Examiner

NOTE:  I emailed Liz Brownstein who had written an article in the Anaheim Duck Examiner to ask for her insights into the play of  Troy Bodie.  She kindly responded.  I then asked her if I could post her email as a fanpost and she agreed.  Here's her email from today, November 18, 2010.  I really appreciate her insights and her willingness to let me post the email here at Canes Country. (Doug Abrams)

Liz Brownstein

Anaheim Ducks Featured Columnist

Anaheim Ducks Examiner

November 18, 2010

I have been a big Bodie fan ever since he came up from the AHL, granted he did dance between the NHL and AHL for a little while, but when I saw him at training camp there was no doubt that he had an apparent hunger that really translated to a solid work ethic both on and off the ice.  In the words of Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle: "We have nothing but good things to say about Troy Bodie, the kind of individual he is and how hard he worked at it."

I am a strange sort of hockey fan, I find myself more mesmerized by the goaltenders, and the players who are supposed to be offense-driven but still make beautiful plays on the backcheck, that's where Troy Bode fits in.  He is a very defensively-driven forward, a trait that I think is all too scarce in the hockey world today.  He is a very valuable asset to any shutdown line, as well as penalty killing units, an area that statistics show me Carolina could use a little help in (they are ranked 28th in penalty killing %).

Given what I just told you, about my preferences toward the more defensive forwards, it shouldn't be a surprise that on my (rather lengthy) list of favorite Ducks players names like Travis Moen, Sammy Pahlsson, and Mike Brown are uncharacteristically high, and considering we lost Brown in a trade during the draft (a move I really disliked) Bodie really stepped into the void that was left by the absence of Brown.  

Yes, Bodie is a big-bodied player, and he is still young and has yet to peak really, he continues to grow even after you think he's plateaued.  He's willing to sacrifice his body to block shots and keep them away from the goalie, and he has a work ethic that is apparent every time he gets the nod for another shift, shorthanded or even strength.

I know that I'm being a stereotypical blogger here by going into the philanthropy side of Bodie, but honestly, I believe that if hockey wasn't as philanthropic of a sport, it would have lost a lot of followers years ago.  Bodie is one of those guys who, rumor had it, everyone wanted to be around.  He would participate in any and every opportunity to help the community he was in, and I don't expect that to change in Carolina.

I understand why Murray let him go, he really wasn't playing as much as he deserves to here in Anaheim (no one will deny we are a team with way too many forwards ready to be dressed each night), and I genuinely hope he gets the opportunity he deserves in Carolina.

If you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me, I hope this helped answer some of your questions!

Liz Brownstein

Anaheim Ducks Featured Columnist

Anaheim Ducks Examiner

********************************************************

Excerpt from a follow up email, November 18, 2010, from Liz Brownstein:

It's rare to find a player that is as well rounded between size, speed, ability, and willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team, and even a player with three of those four is an asset in my eyes.  Bodie has the size, the willingness, and he's solid in the speed and ability departments, even if they aren't his strong suits.  I really don't think that you will be disappointed in him as a player, he really is a tremendous player.

***********************************************************

Here's the link to the article by Liz Brownstein that discusses Troy Bodie:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/519760-troy-bodie-lost-to-waivers-while-cam-fowler-here-to-stay

2011 DRAFT ELIGIBLE POWER FORWARDS

The early reports from the draft pool of the 2011 draft is that the first three rounds will be very deep.  It is going to cause some GMs to be reluctant to trade their second and third round picks.  The 2011 draft seems to be surprising deep with regard to both prototype power forwards and hybrid power forwards (forwards in the 6'2" 200 lb range but with a high degree of both skill and physicality).

            These prospects are not listed in a ranked order by me.

 Colin Jacobs C - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

6' 2", 204 lb center for the Thunderbirds.  He is getting a reputation for driving the net. 

 

 Gabriel Landeskog, RW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

6'1" 200 lb.  He had great chemistry with Jeff Skinner last season; and plays a very physical game

 Sean Couturier, LW Drummondville QMJHL, CAN

6'3", 193 lbs.  Couturier has a tremendous combination of skills, including speed, strength, and toughness.  Courturier could well be one of the top three picks in the first round. 

 Brandon Saad,  LW   Saginaw (OHL)

6'2",  200 lbs.  Saad is that rare power forward who has high end scoring skills and a fierce competitive nature. 

 Seth Ambroz, LW Omaha (USHL)

6'3, 198 lbs.  Ambroz is a player who thrives on driving the net and is enthusiastically drops his gloves to protect teammates.  He is a player who never gives up on the play, according to reports.

 Tyler Biggs, USHL (USA)

6'3", 205 lbs.  Biggs' father played in the AHL and had a short stint in the NHL.  Biggs' father coached him.  Biggs is a battler who has the reputation for loving the battle in front of the net.  He is a player who gives 100% each shift. 

         I was stunned at the start of the pre-season as it began to look like Boychuk was increasingly likely to be sent down to the AHL. It was absolutely not because Bowman or Dalpe or O'Sullivan didn't deserve their roster spot. As to Bowman, I have liked him since he was drafted. As I watched him play, and particularly in the AHL, there was an inner fire that seemed to drive Bowman to a degree somewhat higher than his very competitive peers. Bowman struck me as a person who has a deep, unwavering commitment to being an NHL player. So when Bowman came to pre-camp virtually in season opener shape and when he became Ruutu, Jr. in terms of hitting anything that moved, I was pleased for him, but not at all surprised.

 

       Similarly, Dalpe I felt from prior to his draft year and continuing from the time he was selected, is one of those special players who excel with an ease and grace like Staal and Sutter. As Dalpe has gotten bigger and stronger, I was more and more convinced he was going to be an impact player. I think the Hurricanes have only touched the surface of Dalpe's talent. Skinner, too, seems to be one of those uniquely gifted athletes who excel at whatever level of play they are at. I knew Luke DeCock was predicting Skinner to be the Hurricanes pick, but I really under-estimated Skinner's upper end based on the scouting reports I was reading. The more I saw video of Skinner, the more I liked him; but what sealed the deal for me personally was seeing him at pre-camp. Skinner carries an inner energy that only a few athletes possess. I, at least, can't define it, but I know it when I see it. It's a quality that transcends any one particular sport. Yet, when the Hurricanes organization signaled they felt Boychuk needed more seasoning in the AHL, I was disappointed for him.

      I personally felt badly for Boychuk and worried he would feel like he was a failure. I have followed the Hurricanes for years and have seen players I liked come and seen them go; but somehow Boychuk's being sent back to the AHL seemed personal to me. It may have been to make myself feel better about the situation, or hopefully it was to see if I had any factual basis for feeling uneasy for Boychuk's future with the Hurricanes, I went to www.nhl.com and looked at the forwards taken in the first round from 2006 through 2010. I fully expected to find that Boychuk was an outlier and that his peers were all performing great feats for the NHL teams. I was really shocked that so few 2008 and 2009 first round forward draft choices were excelling in the NHL; and that so many were still finding their games in the AHL.

 

     I then happened on a story about Kadri and Bozak, arguing that small forwards need time in the AHL in order to develop their defensive skills. http://bit.ly/cbbr0q I had thought the smaller forwards had an advantage in terms of tending to have the adult coordination developed; but the article makes a very reasonable point that in order to play in the NHL, smallish forwards have to learn how to develop their NHL-ready defensive play. Given the talent on the Hurricanes team most of the forwards will be facing the most intense competition of their hockey lives. The good news is that the cream will ultimately rise to the top and the competition will make all the Hurricanes players better. As for Boychuk, I think he will master the art of constant and consistent 150% effort. I also think Brind'Amour will help him become much more instinctual in his defensive and offensive play. Time will certainly tell.

LINES, LINES, AND MORE LINES

The signing of Patrick O'Sullivan creates some very interesting line combinations for the Hurricanes.  Prior to the singing of Patrick O'Sullivan I was convinced that both Skinner and Dalpe would make the team out of training camp.  With the signing of Patrick O'Sullivan, if O'Sullivan makes the team out of training camp,  it seems to me that Dalpe's initial time with the Canes will have to wait. 

  With Tlusty having a one way contract, I have him included in these offensive lines.  In these lines, I have included O'Sullivan and Samsonov.  As long as Samsonov and O'Sullivan are on the Canes team, the openings for other players are quite restricted.  I have included Boychuk on the Canes team because based on what I've seen thus far, I think he will make the team out of training camp.  Cole seems to be playing some of his best hockey in a long, long time.  

  LaRose has become one of the major public faces for the Hurricanes; and I envision LaRose playing on all four lines at various times during this season.  His intangibles factor on and off the ice is extremely impressive.  I included O'Sullivan in these variations in part because he brings amazing offensive firepower; but it's too soon for anybody to know if he has committed himself to playing the physical, committed two way games required for him to succeed at Carolina.

Version A:

Jokinen Staal Ruutu

Boychuk Sutter Cole

LaRose Skinner Tlusty

Samsonov O'Sullivan Kostopoulos

Version B:

Jokinen Staal Cole

Boychuk Sutter Ruutu

LaRose O'Sullivan Tlusty

 Samsonov Skinner Kostopoulos

Version C:

Jokinen Staal Cole

O'Sullivan Sutter Ruutu

Boychuk Skinner Tlusty

Samsonov LaRose Kostopoulos

Version D:

Jokinen Staal Ruutu

LaRose Sutter O'Sullivan

Boychuk Skinner Cole

Samsonov Tlusty Kostopoulos

Version E:

Jokinen Staal Ruutu

Boychuk Sutter O'Sullivan

Tlusty  Skinner Cole

Samsonov LaRose Kostopoulos

Version F:

O'Sullivan Staal Jokinen

Boychuk Sutter Ruutu

LaRose Skinner Cole

Samsonov Tlusty Kostopoulos

Version G:

Jokinen Staal Ruutu

Boychuk Sutter Cole

LaRose Skinner O'Sullivan

Samsonov Tlusty Kostopoulos

 

 

Given the comments about Zach Boychuk, I went back to view some of the past and recent comments about Zach Boychuk made by the Canes organization, including Jim Rutherford, Jason Karmanos, Jr., Paul Maurice, and Jeff Daniels.  As others have noted, nobody can rest on their laurels, including Zach Boychuk; but it is also worthy of note that very positive comments have been made about Boychuk.  Here are some of the comments below.

Zach Boychuk News Reports

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/canes-think-big-go-small-first-round-pick

Submitted by ldecock on 06/20/2008 - 21:53

Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Boychuk's size wasn't a consideration given his speed and skill.

"These are some of the things we bounce off Ronnie (Francis)," Rutherford said. "When you have a player that size, there are certain things that a player needs to be able to do. He has to have really good hockey sense. He has to be really quick. He passes the test on that. We're fine with his size."

Here's what Hurricanes amateur scouting director Tony MacDonald had to say about Boychuk:

"This kid's a goal-scorer, a sniper. He can put the puck in the net. He'll go to the net and he's elusive and slippery. ...

"The game's opened up so much. Kids his size get more leeway to play out there. You can't hook and hold guys with speed like Zach.

"He's a more complete player than a lot of the bigger guys available, at this point in time. He's got a better pedigree."

Read more: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/canes-think-big-go-small-first-round-pick#ixzz0zFRZI0Zo

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/boychuk-coming-to-training-camp

"He probably won't be able to handle the puck or shoot the puck but he can get in all the skating drills. Then he can go back to his junior team, play for the national team. We're really excited about him. He has such a high skill level."

Read more: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/boychuk-coming-to-training-camp#ixzz0zFRuXkXX

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=384855

"Zach is an important part of our team's future and we are very happy to get this deal done now," Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "He is a quick, exciting player who has demonstrated an NHL skill level in a short period of time during training camp."

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=501671

Zach goes into those tough areas," Daniels told NHL.com. "It's not like he's a perimeter player. He's got good speed and he's solid on his skates; he'll go in and bang bodies and pay the price to score goals, and I think just by watching him out there, the way he's handled every situation, he's a guy who just wants to play."

Daniels had Boychuk at center and right wing during the prospects tournament and he was effective in both areas.

"Every time he's on the ice, he's a threat to score a goal," Daniels said.

Said Hurricanes Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jason Karmanos: "Zach is one of those guys who can pick people out of their seats."

Carolina coach Paul Maurice likes the fact Boychuk, at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, offers no excuses while exhibiting a passion to compete.

"There are certain guys who, when given a choice, rather be at the rink, playing," Maurice said. "Zach is one of those guys. He always looks like he's having fun."

"I'm a smaller guy," said Boychuk, "but I'm just trying to compete hard and show the coaches and scouts that I can be an impact player in the NHL."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/365406-from-old-to-new-a-fresh-perspective-of-the-new-carolina-hurricanes

When drafting Zach Boychuk in 2008, Carolina's vice president Jason Karmanos described Zach as "an exciting player, and that's the best way to describe Zach. He's one of those guys that can pick people out of their seats."

Boychuk has drawn great comparisons to another Hurricane (Ray Whitney), as they are both 5'10", 180 pounds, and have great vision.

Look for Boychuk to step up next season and play a role similar to what Brandon Sutter has been doing for the Hurricanes this season.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=497640

Zach Boychuk, No. 14, 2008 -- Boychuk played for Team Canada in the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic and '09 WJC in Canada, helping lead his country to a fourth and fifth straight gold medal. He was cleared to play during the 2008-09 NHL preseason after

undergoing wrist surgery and the Hurricanes signed him to a three-year contract last October. After two games in the NHL, he returned to Lethbridge of the WHL and posted 28 goals and 57 points in 43 games.

"It was remarkable what he was able to do in joining camp towards the tail end of things and then jump into games, which was basically unheard of," Hurricanes' Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jason Karmanos told Paul Branecky of carolinahurricanes.com. "He's an exciting player, and that's the best way to describe Zach. He's one of those guys that can pick people out of their seats."

Dalpe Lines:

Here are some experimental lines, I'd like to see with Dalpe at center:

Boychuk/Dalpe/Cole:

   I think this line offers an excellent combination of speed and scoring skills.  Boychuk and Dalpe are excellent in finishing shots off of rebounds and getting pucks to the net.  Cole can be the bull in the china shop and can use his speed and strength to create havoc around the net.

Boychuk/Dalpe/Skinner:

    This line-up intrigues me in that it puts together players who have a very high degree of speed, quickness, and will to compete.  As a third line, they could create very significant match up issues for their opponents and would likely force the defense to bring its top lines to match up against them - thereby giving the other two Hurricanes either better match ups or tired defenders.

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty:

    This line up has benefits very similar to having Cole on the line.  Tlusty has size, speed, strength, and skill.  This young line up could cause major headaches for some teams.

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose:

 Like a variation of the "big and tall" line, this line does have issues in lack of size, but has no issue in terms of speed, quickness, and desire. 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Osala

   This line dominated Hershey in the Calder Cup playoffs.  I really would like to see how this line responds at the NHL level.  Osala has a way of finding the net; and if he could increase his explosiveness he'd could be a tremendous asset.

          Boychuk/Dalpe/Bowman

          Bowman really shouldn't be overlooked in this process.  Bowman's game against Tampa Bay shows his natural scoring ability.

Riley Nash Line:

    Boychuk/Nash/Cole:

          Nash clearly has the attention of the Hurricanes organization; and he has the ability to play a strong two way center.  This line offers speed, quickness, and Boychuk and Nash could well work together with their ability to find the back of the net.

   Boychuk/Nash/Dalpe:

          This line is one I envision as being a potential line of the future.  The line has size and speed and all three can find the back of the net.

          Boychuk/Nash/Skinner:

          From all the praise directed toward these three prospects by the Hurricanes organization, I wouldn't be surprised if they were put on a line together to see how the chemistry evolves.  Nash has great vision on the ice and Skinner has that special radar for finding the back of the net. 

          Boychuk/Nash/LaRose:

   Here's another version of the "big and tall" line.  LaRose bring energy to any line, so depending on the match ups this line could create some problems for Hurricanes' opponents. 

          Boychuk/Nash/Tlusty:

          I like Tlusty's game and think he could have a break out year.  This line has speed and can crash the net. 

          Boychuk/Nash/Osala:

          I am interested to see how this line works together.  Osala's large size and ability to go to the net could give Nash and Boychuk space to use their creativity offensively.

          Dalpe/Nash/Osala:

          This line has tremendous potential; and I wonder if Dalpe/Nash might become a duo that makes sense over the long term.

          Dalpe/Nash/Bowman:

          This line has size, speed, and natural scoring.  I think they could create tremendous issues for other teams.

          Bowman/Nash/Osala:

          I would like to see how this line fares as well.  The Hurricanes organization was very, very happy to be able to draft Bowman; and he has shown significant talent in his short time on the Hurricanes team. 

           Bowman/Nash/Tlusty:

          This line brings size, speed, and quickness. 

          Tlusty/Nash/Dalpe:

           I wonder how this line would fare; but considering their skill sets, they could be quite hard to stop.

 

The Role of Experimental Lines in the Canes Preseason

          I am looking forward to seeing creative experimentation in the Canes lines during the pre-season.  With the abundance of young forward players, the coaches/GM hopefully will be showcasing youth and figuring out which players work best with each other.  In past pre-seasons, the coaches/GM had the veteran players split essentially into two groups and then paired veterans with young players.  I hope that pattern will continue during this pre-season.

            Here are some experimental line combinations I would like to see during some pre-season shifts and perhaps into the regular season.  More line variations are possible and likely. In fact, the more I worked on these combinations, the more permutations and variations I started to envision.  Here are versions for the Staal and the Sutter lines.

          STAAL LINE VARIATIONS:

Boychuk/Staal/Jokinen:

          The reason cited for drafting Boychuk was that he was slotted to fill Whitney's place as first line wing.  I would like to see how far along Boychuk is in that development.  I think Staal will do his best work with at least one blazingly fast wing on his line.  Jokinen may well continue to flourish with defenses having to give up space to stay up with Staal and Boychuk.  Jokinen seems to make everybody better on whatever line he is on.

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

   Hopefully, Ruutu's shoulder operation went well and he'll be 100% at the start of the pre-season.  I would be interested to see if this line's ability to pound in rebounds for goals and to swarm the net would cause havoc for opposing teams.

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

    I think this line has the potential to be almost impossible to stop offensively.  All three have excellent speed.  All three will go to the net.  Cole provides the element of a bull rush to the goalie and net presence.  Cole also seems to play his best, when healthy, with Staal and with younger players. 

Skinner/Staal/Jokinen: 

     This line could potentially create nightmares of defenses, depending on how quickly Skinner adjusts to the NHL game.  If teams try to focus too much on Staal, Skinner and Jokinen may be left open to score. 

Skinner/Staal/Cole:

     Given the history of Staal playing his best with Cole and Cole's resurgence this summer at pre-camp training,  I would really like to see how Skinner played on this line.  Skinner seems to be the kind of player whose shots always find a way into the net; and Staal and Cole will demand attention when on the ice.  Cole also generates a large number of rebounds when he puts shots on the net.  Skinner is a puck magnet with great hands.  It would be magic.

Skinner/Staal/Ruutu:

      Again, with this line,  defenses are not going to be able to take a shift off.  I like the idea of Ruutu using his physical play to keep defenses honest in their dealings with Skinner.  I am cautiously optimistic that Ruutu's shoulder surgery has gone well and that he is 100%. 

Dalpe/Staal/Jokinen:

     I really am curious to see if Dalpe is as good a wing as I think he will be.  He has the size, speed, hands, and vision to be a major force on a first line.  I hope the coaches/GM will take a look at Dalpe on the first and second lines to assess his development to date.

Dalpe/Staal/Ruutu:

    Dalpe has the range and speed to be a problem for defenses.  He, too, could be a very special player for the Hurricanes.  My guess is that Dalpe has advanced as a player with his partial year in the NHL and that he will earn his spot on the team straight out of camp.  I admit I have been a fan of Dalpe since he got on my radar during the run up to his draft year.  I continue to hear various knowledgeable people in or near the Canes organization speak very, very highly of him. 

Dalpe/Staal/Cole:

    This season is a crossroads season for Cole.  If he plays well, I believe he will stay with the Canes until he retires.  So much depends on his health.  He seems to be feeling the best he has felt in years, based on the reports coming out of pre-camp training.  He also seems to thrive with Staal and with young, enthusiastic players.  He also seems to take very seriously his role as the power forward who keeps other teams  honest in their play when the young players are on the ice.

Boychuk/Staal/Skinner:

      I'd like to get a glimpse of the chemistry in this line.  Skinner looks like the wing of the future for Staal.  Boychuk was drafted to be Whitney's replacement on the first line.  I'd like to see how far along Boychuk is in his development and how his style works with the presumptive first line.  Skinner seems to have that special extra talent; and although he is young, Jim Rutherford has been clear Skinner is going to get a chance to make the team out of training camp.  I think, too, it is going to be helpful to see how Staal's game is influenced by being on a line with players who never let up and who are excellent at getting to pucks around the net.  Boychuk's speed is at least as good as Staal's and that should allow for some 2 on 1 breakouts with Skinner working his magic as the trailing forward. 

Dalpe/Staal/Skinner

    Although the publicity about Skinner and Nash has to some degree lessened the attention on Dalpe,  I have a belief that Dalpe will come out of training camp with a position on some line.  Dalpe has a history of exceeding expectations and has an arsenal of offensive talent that is impressive.  Dalpe also has excellent speed and he has excellent size to go with his speed and skill.  There is some chance Dalpe will become a scoring wing for the Hurricanes.

      Tlusty/Staal/Skinner

    Tlusty has plenty of speed, size, and hockey intellect.  He has yet to score as much as one would like out of a top size forward; but he has the skill sets to be an offensive threat.  I think he got off to the wrong foot in Toronto and hopefully he feels more at home at Carolina.  I think the coaches/GM will be trying to assess what Tlusty's upper limit is. 

          Tlusty/Staal/Ruutu:

   This is a version of the "big man's line."  Tlusty has the physical skill to create havoc; and the issue is whether he can find his best game.  I think Tlusty has a tremendous upside if he gains confidence and if he believes in his ability.  This line has the advantage of speed as well as size.

          Tlusty/Staal/Cole:

   This version is another example of a "big man's line."  I could envision this line working well against some of the teams like Phoenix or Boston that use their size to out-muscle smallish forwards.

          LaRose/Staal/Skinner

   The coaches/GM seem happy with LaRose's play with Staal at the end of the season.  Watching the game,  LaRose's speed and abundant enthusiasm seemed to lift Staal's spirit on the ice.  I suspect LaRose's chirping had some role in making Staal more energized.  LaRose is certainly not a stereotypical first line wing; but productivity is what counts. 

SUTTER LINE VARIATIONS:

          Boychuk/Sutter/Ruutu

          I like the potential chemistry of this line.  It also offers the coaches a second line that can serve both as an excellent defensive line, but also can score. 

          Boychuk/Sutter/Cole:

          My impression is that Cole is very, very serious about making a statement this season.  A Boychuk/Sutter/Cole line would have tremendous speed; and Cole seems to be at his best when paired with enthusiastic, younger players.

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen:

          Jokinen is a player who always seems to bring out the best of the talents of his other teammates.  Although I don't consider Jokinen a fiercely physical player, he does play very intelligently on defense.  Offensively, this line could be extremely productive.  In particular, I could envision Boychuk and Sutter creating a number of odd man rushes, with Jokinen using his craftiness to score some great one-time goals.

          Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty: 

          This year is also a crossroads year for Tlusty. He has the skill to be a significant goal scorer in the NHL.  I envision with this line that the speed of the line and willingness of this line to get to the front of the net could result in Tlusty getting some impressive goals.       

          Boychuk/Sutter/Skinner

          I really am eager to see this line in action.  I tend to think it is a line that can surprise a lot of teams.  If I were in charge, I'd have this line doing some work together during training camp and into some pre-season games.  If the chemistry were to work, and it might well not work, some we could see some hockey magic.

          Dalpe/Sutter/Ruutu:

          I am also very interested to see this line combination.  The physical skill on this line, along with the size factor, makes it a line that could be extremely difficult for opponents to stop.

          Dalpe/Sutter/Jokinen:

          If the Dalpe/Sutter combination clicks,  Jokinen could add the final ingredient on this line combination.

          Dalpe/Sutter/Cole:

          This line is fast, strong, and solid on defense.  Dalpe has a knack for finding open spots and slashing through them to score.  With Sutter and Cole working hard around the net,  Dalpe might well find himself getting open shots.

          Dalpe/Sutter/Tlusty:

          I like the size and speed of this line and the defensive balance.

          Boychuk/Sutter/Dalpe:

          With Sutter's skill, this line of Boychuk/Sutter/Dalpe could be a line that creates massive problems for opponents' defenses, while being extremely solid on defense.  I wonder if the same kind of chemistry Boychuk and Dalpe had when on a line with Osala would be recaptured with Sutter.

LaRose/Sutter/Dalpe: LaRose does add his brand of enthusiastic, wide open throttle approach to a skilled line and the results could be great.

LaRose/Sutter/Tlusty: This line has great speed, along with solid defensive play. It is a line I would expect to see employed at times during the regular season.

LaRose/Sutter/Boychuk: I realize the size factor really could be a hindrance; but there may be enough grit and determination in the line to work wonders. I would certainly give the line a try to see what happened.

Having looked at the UFA

s available one month after

the the 2010 UFAs became available, let's look at the team an NHL

GM could have built with the assumption that he was able to sign any of the available choices. This exercise is quite

specific: hypothetically if an NHL GM were allowed to select from all the available players who were UFAs as of July

1, 2010, could he select a competitive team. For purposes of this exercise, the salary cap is not under consideration.

Forward Lines

 

Kovalchuk/Mikko Koivu/ Wojtek Wolski

 

Alexander Frolov/ Tomas Plekanec/Ray Whitney

 

Alexei Ponikarovsky/ Matthew Lombardi / Lee Stempniak

Matt Cooke/ Manny Malhotra/ Colby Armstrong

 

Defensive Lines

 

Paul Martin/Zbynek Michalek

 

Dan Hamhuis/Sergei Gonchar

 

Willie Mitchell/Derek Morris

 

Goalies

 

Jaroslav Halak

 

Antti Niemi

   The question I pose is this: If an NHL GM were allowed to pick any of the NHL UFAs who were unsigned as of

August 1, 2010, is there enough talent in that group of players such that a GM could build a contender around them?

To avoid any possible hint of confusion: Yes, Kovalchuk is indeed an unsigned UFA on August 1, 2010. Yes, he is

unsigned. He counts. He is included. Count Kovalchuk in. Also, note the words, "build a contender around them."  That

means can these players serve as the foundation such that with trades, AHL signings, drafting, NCAA signings,

European League signings, and KHL signings, the GM would be able to have a team that is able to get to the playoffs

and go deep into the playoffs.  Also, to be absolutely certain there is no hint of misunderstanding,  the GM is not

required to win the Stanley Cup straight out of the box with the signings.

 

     My answer to that question is yes, as of August 1, 2010, among the group of human beings living on planet earth,

who were considered unsigned UFAs, they had sufficient talent that around them an NHL GM could build a contending

NHL team. Although permutations of players and lines are entirely proper, one set of lines includes the following as

version #1:

 

Maxim Afinogenov/ Mike Comrie/Ilya Kovalchuk

 

 

Ruslan Fedotenko/Eric Belanger/ Raffi Torres

 

Lee Stempniak/Kyle Wellwood/Clarke MacArthur

 

Evgeny Artyukhin/ Tim Kennedy/Jim Slater

 

Defensemen:

 

Shaone Morrisonn/Willie Mitchell

 

Andy Sutton/Brendan Bell

 

Jay McKee/ Marc-Andre Bergeron

 

Goalies:

Anti Niemi

 

Marty Turco

I went back to a post I wrote on June 6, 2010, on the subject of tracking the progress for next year. I wanted to see how the Hurricanes organization decisions compared to those decisions I thought were needed to advance the team in 2010-2011.

It was my view then and continues to be my view that for the 2010-2011 Hurricanes to improve as a team, they had the following areas that needed an upgrade:

(1) adding a defenseman to run the power play; (2) adding some size, speed, and physicality at forward, (3) finding a big, fast scoring wing to go with Staal and Jokinen on the first line (or perhaps Staal and Whitney), (4) jettisoning some highly paid, under-achieving veterans, (5) adding a cannon defenseman to scatter pigeons in front of the net, particularly on the power play, (6) finding a third line center, and (7) buying out Brind'Amour.

(1) Adding a defenseman to run the power play:

The addition of Sanguinetti and McBain and the return of Joe Corvo gives the Hurricanes some substantial talent for running the powerplay. When Sanguinetti was signed, I was really pleased because he was a player I had noticed while watching the Rangers and watching AHL games. I was also thoroughly pleased with the re-signing of Joe Corvo. As compared with 2009-2010, the Hurricanes, I think, will be much improved in terms of defensemen able to quarterback the power play.

(2) adding some size, speed, and physicality at forward:

This area still is some degree of a question mark for me. I liked what I saw from Jared Staal at the Prospects Camp; but I expect Jared Staal has at least a couple more years before he starts into his best years for the Hurricanes. I also like Justin Shugg, but he too seems to be a player who is anywhere from two to four years away. Justin Shugg is strong, but he is not a man mountain like Jared Staal. Matsumoto was another forward I saw watching AHL games and I like how he plays. He adds physicality and plays larger than 6' 190 lbs. I think this area is one to watch in general. Somebody needs to take some of the hitting load off of Ruutu. Bowman could be that person. His hitting game has really developed over the past season. In the end, I think Osala will be given a chance to play in the NHL in 2010-2011, and I think he will earn a roster spot at some point in 2010-2011 with a role that focuses on crashing the net and playing a big, physical game in the corners and in front of the net.

(3) finding a big, fast scoring wing to go with Staal and Jokinen on the first line (or perhaps Staal and Whitney)

Jeff Skinner was not the prototypical gigantic, scoring wing I had envisioned; but he is regarded as an excellent scoring forward. He impressed me at the Prospect Camp for the two days I was able to attend. Jeff Skinner is the real deal, I believe, but he could easily be a year or two away from sticking with the Hurricanes. His talent is enormous and it will be important not to rush his development. I believe that Boychuk will be getting time on the first line. I think both Boychuk and Dalpe are highly skilled, fast forwards; and if Nash signs and is able to handle the third line center duties, Dalpe may well get more time on the first or second line. In the not too distant future, I think Staal and Skinner will be a very impressive duo on the first line. I think Boychuk will establish himself as a clear top six forward and depending on the opponent will get time with Staal and Skinner (but that could be 2011-2012).

4) jettisoning some highly paid, under-achieving veterans:

The changes at the trade deadline accomplished much if not all of the need to jettison the under-achievers. To me, the only non-core veteran forwards left are Samsonov, Kostopoulos, LaRose, and Cole. All four are legitimate NHL players; and of the four, only Samsonov strikes me as the only forward of the group who under-produced without having a substantial injury as the root cause of under-productivity. I think Kosotpoulos is an over-achiever and have zero issue with his play. Kostopoulos plays hard each shift and does all he possibly can to help the team win. Defensively, there are no under-achievers left on the team.

It is, however, a cross-roads half-season for both Cole and LaRose. Both LaRose and Cole have shown themselves to have the talent to produce 20 goals a season. Both LaRose and Cole had disappointing seasons in 2010-2011, but that can be attributed in large part to injuries. Samsonov's year was also disappointing; but he has a history of focusing during contract years and making himself very valuable to the team in his contract year.

(5) adding a cannon defenseman to scatter pigeons in front of the net, particularly on the power play:

Babchuk's return absolutely gives the Hurricanes a much needed boost in the power cannon department. Sanguinetti also has a strong, strong shot. McBain's shot is accurate and he is a player for whom the puck seems to have eyes. Corvo had a tough time in the scoring department in 2010-2011, and I predict he has a much more Corvo-like offensively effective year this coming season. I also think Pitkanen has a cannon of a shot and as he learns to shoot more, he too can help the Hurricanes in the scattering of pigeons in front of the net.

(6) finding a third line center:

The rapid development of Dalpe in the AHL makes him a front-runner as far as I am concerned for the third line center. On the other hand, if Riley Nash signs, he too could make a strong case for himself as the third line center. Jeff Skinner also should not be under-estimated as the third line center. Although he is young, he has some amazing skill. Matsumoto has shown himself to be extremely capable at the AHL level and he could earn a roster spot with a breakout camp.

(7) buying out Brind'Amour:

Brind'Amour and Jim Rutherford handled a difficult situation with grace and dignity. It was the right decision for everybody involved.

SUMMARY:

Of the seven areas I thought the Hurricanes needed to address prior to the 2010-2011 season, I thought six of the seven categories were very well-addressed. I still believe the Hurricanes need to add some more physical forwards into the Hurricanes system; but I like the forwards the Hurricanes obtained. I am also hoping that Sanguinetti will add a physical dimension to his game. I'd like to see Jim Rutherford re-sign either Carson or Picard to add some more physicality to the defense.

The Hurricanes have established the identity of the team by the players it obtained. It is a very talented, fast, hard-working group of hockey players who play "team first and not me first." It bodes very well for the future.

  I have liked Joe Corvo from the time he came to Carolina.  When he chose to return to the Hurricanes rather than see the highest payday he could find,  my respect for Corvo increased.  To me,  he summed up the Hurricanes well in a recent interview:

Here is the quote:

After parts of three seasons with Carolina, Corvo, who has played for four teams in his seven seasons, is stepping back into a familiar situation.

“I like just the whole mentality of the organization, especially with the coaches,” he said. “It’s more of just a hard-work mentality and we’re going to have to outwork teams because we’re not super skilled. I feel like I fit into that perfectly.

“That’s my attitude and how I spend my summers and my approach to the game. There’s no transition and I know what to expect. Two years is a pretty short deal if you’re going to a new team and you have to feel your way out a little bit. I’d rather jump right into it and start helping out.”

http://tinyurl.com/37t94pl

By John Manasso
For FoxSportsCarolinas.com
July 9, 2010

 

   I think the Hurricanes team identity and the organization built around a "no divas" approach.  It was reinforced watching the young prospects at the Rec Zone.  It was clear all of the prospects really love hockey and are down to earth.  I agree with Bob's observations about Jeff Skinner and his superb degree of hustle and drive.  I think the Hurricanes lunch-box style is based on everybody on the team trying to outwork the other team each shift. 

   I also think the Hurricanes organization has worked to find players who pride themselves in their work ethic.  I read a recent article discussing last season with Paul Maurice, and Maurice was quoted as saying he felt he had not done a good job of motivating his team at the start of 2009-2010.  I didn't necessarily agree with Maurice's self-criticism; but I found it revealing on several different levels.  Mainly, I felt that after the trade deadline and particularly after the draft and the re-signing of Corvo,  the team is comprised of players who have high energy and are very much self-motivated.  There may well be coaches who are better than Maurice at "motivating" their players; but I am of the firm conviction that those kinds of motivator coaches burn out their team very quickly.  In my view, if a team isn't already motivated by the time the season starts,  the battle is lost.  On the other hand,  some coaches can inspire their time and convince them they can do the impossible.  To me, the measure of a successful NHL coach is inspiration and not motivation. 

   Watching the young prospects at the Rec Zone with all the Caniacs, young and old,  ready to cheer them on,  was inspiring.  I think it brings out the best in all of us.

     Given the clear approach of the Hurricanes organization to go with its younger players,  I created a series of potential forward lines to see how the retention of Samsonov, the departure of Whitney, and the retirement of Brind'Amour affected the line combinations.  I did not include Jeff Skinner in the combinations for the 2010-2011 season.  I also postulated what would happen if Samsonov, Cole, and Kostopoulos were traded at the trade deadline.  I did not include Nash or Matsumoto in the combinations. I also did not include a variation in which LaRose was traded at the trade deadline.  Given the direction of the team and the fact that LaRose is not mentioned as an "untouchable," that possibility exists; but rather than creating a firestorm, for these lines I left off that variation.  When Skinner, Nash, and Matsumoto start entering the discussion, obviously some of the forwards on these lines are affected.  We'll know more about Skinner's readiness for the NHL this week when he comes to the prospects camp.  Boychuk came close to making the team out of training camp his first year.  Skinner will get a long, long look as well.

    Although the line combinations show how young the team is at forward,  I was struck by the increase in speed of the forward lines.  Additionally, other than Samsonov,  all the other forwards have a physical element to their game, or at minimum a strong degree of desire to get to the net with feisty element to their game.

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Cole

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Cole

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Cole

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Cole

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 8:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

LaRose/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

POST TRADE DEADLINE LINES

 

[KOSTOPOULOS AND SAMSONOV TRADED]

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/S

utter/Cole

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Cole

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Cole

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Cole

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/

Sutter/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

Version 8:

 

 Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

LaRose/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/D

wyer/Osala

 

 

 

POST TRADE DEADLINE LINES

 

[KOSTOPOULOS, COLE AND SAMSONOV TRADED]

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Boychuk

 

Bowman/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Bowman

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Bowman

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Tlusty

 

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/Bowman

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Boychuk

 

Bowman/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

 

Version 8:

 

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Sutter/Bowman

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

Bowman/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

 

Version 10:

 

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

Bowman/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose

 

 

 

Version 11:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Bowman

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose

 

 

Version 12:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Osala

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose

 

 

 

 

  With the buyout/retirement of Rod Brind'Amour, and the fact that Samsonov was not bought out,  the lull before the storm is pretty intense.  Then with the apparent impending departure of Ray Whitney, the forward lines are going to be interesting.  Upon the sage advice of HMof2, I will wait to reconstruct line variations.  I had assumed Samsonov would be traded or bought out; but statistically, Samsonov is at his best during contract years.  Samsonov at his best is still impressive, even if the Hurricanes coaches want all their forwards to bring physicality to their games.  The third line center position is still up in the air; but I am guessing the Hurricanes believe either Dalpe, Skinner, Dwyer, or Matsumoto or even Nash if he forgoes his senior year can work well at that position.

  On the defensive side of things, the situation with Carson and Picard is still puzzling to a degree.  Certainly as far as numbers go,  it is possible to cobble together the funds for the Hurricanes to make a splash with a defenseman.  It is not necessarily Jim Rutherford's style, but the Glen Wesley trade stands out as an example of Jim Rutherford thinking outside the box.  To me, an offer sheet to Marc Staal creates the greatest improvement without loss of prospects.  As Cory points out, however, offer sheets are viewed very disfavorably by other GMs; but perhaps a trade rather than a offer sheet would yield the same results.  My guess is that Carson dips his toes into the UFA waters, decides the water is very cold and treacherous, and re-signs with Carolina.  Picard should do the same thing before he becomes another one of those one-half season NHL defensemen wonders who are vagabonds their entire career.

 

I wanted to go back to see where the Hurricanes were in terms of fixing what I was convinced were some of their weaknesses; and particularly weaknesses that led to the disastrous first 27 games.  The Hurricanes 4 wins in the first 27 games crushed the team.

 

   The Hurricanes needs included:  (1) adding a defenseman to run the power play; (2) adding some size, speed, and physicality at forward, (3) finding a big, fast scoring wing to go with Staal and Jokinen on the first line (or perhaps Staal and Whitney), (4) jettisoning some highly paid, under-achieving veterans, (5) adding a cannon defenseman to scatter pigeons in front of the net, particularly on the power play, (6) finding a third line center, and (7) buying out Brind'Amour.

 

   FINDING THE QUARTERBACK ON THE POWER PLAY

  In my view the Hurricanes season could be summarized as "It's the power play, stupid."  All things for the Hurricanes ultimately rose or fell on the power play.  The Hurricanes power play killed them time after time during the first thirty games.  A glaring need for the road to recovery was having a quarterback on the power play who could get the puck to the net and who could make crisp, preferably no-look, passes to open men.  Once McBain came onto the ice for the Hurricanes, the power play instantly improved.  McBain did a remarkable job and it was particularly impressive because he had zero NHL experience prior to the end of this season.

   I also think the Hurricanes will want to see if Staal can quarterback the power play for one of the units.  He has a beast of a shot and if he is on the power play unit with Babchuk, Staal should have space to cut through the slot.  Boychuk has the hands and vision to work as quarterback if he comes to camp stronger and more confident in  his decision-making. 

  McBain's emergence is a very significant positive development for the Hurricanes power play.  Accordingly, one has to be hopeful that the Hurricanes power play in 2010-2011 will meet or exceed 20% efficiency.

 

ADDING SIZE, SPEED, AND PHYSICALITY TO THE FORWARDS

  Given the tight financial constraints, size, speed, and physicality will need to come from within the organization and not trades or UFAs. Tlusty has received a one way contract, so he will be playing on one of the lines; and I believe he will begin as a the second line wing.  He brings size, speed, and intelligence.  He will take a hit and will give a hit to make a play.  He doesn't have the inner rage of a Ruutu, at least as of next season; but perhaps he will take stock of his situation and realize that with a 20% increase in bone-jarring hits, he can have a long and successful career at Carolina.  Bowman adds reasonable size and physicality.  Bowman has a quiet meanness that is hidden beneath his what can only be fairly called his youthful innocence look.  He is not a giant on the ice, but at 6'0 or 6'1" (depending whose measurements one believes) and around 190 lbs or more, he adds a physical element to the team - although he is largely viewed as a natural scorer.  Osala at 6'4" and 225 lbs (I happen to think he weighs more than that), he brings a freight-train frame to the ice. At the World Championships,  Osala was a physical beast for Finland and perhaps the message became clear to Osala that he could hit his way onto a permanent position on the Canes roster.  Samson at 6'0" and 195 lbs also brings physicality and intensity.  Although Jared Staal seems to be at least two years away, at 6'3" and 195 lbs, he brings size and meanness to the team.

 

   The 2010 draft hopefully will include a #7 first round pick such as Connolly, Johansen, or Niederreiter who can add speed, size, and physicality to the system.  Connolly by virtually all scouting reports seems to be closer than Johansen and perhaps Niederreiter to being able to have an immediate impact.  I remain hopeful that the Hurricanes will use their phletora of second round picks to add players like Kabanov, Culek, and Shipley to the system.  Telegin also seems to be a player available in the second round.

   In summary, although the Hurricanes made progress with the size, speed, physicality area, unless some of the young prospects are added to the roster, it remains for 2010-2011 an area of relative weakness. 

 

FINDING A FAST, BIG, SCORING WING TO GO WITH STAAL ON THE FIRST LINE

 

   On this need, the Hurricanes seem to be dependent on the draft in terms of adding a player.  Some people had hoped for a UFA to fill this spot; but given the finances that approach seems unavailable.  In the 2010 draft Connolly, Skinner, and Etem seem the best options available; and it is being highly optimistic to pencil in Connolly, Skinner, or Etem on the first line.  Less likely, but still theoretically possible, alternatives within the system could be Boychuk, Bowman, or Dalpe.  If any of those three players had a Sutter-like improvement over the off-season, they have the athleticism and skill sets to move up.  Absent such a major step forward by them over the off-season, it looks as if the first line will continue to vary from game to game.  Also,  whether Whitney re-signs will have a major impact on the composition of the first line.

  First line combinations might include:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Jokinen

Whitney/Staal/Jokinen

Whitney/Staal/Ruutu

Whitney/Staal/Cole

Jokinen/Staal/Cole

 

  In summary, this need seems quite up in the air to me. 

JETTISONING UNDER-ACHIEVING VETERANS WITH HIGH SALARIES

  The most important improvement in the team from 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 was jettisoning aged, uninspired, and under-achieving veterans.  The unloading of A. Ward, Wallin, and Yelle for draft picks was a masterful job by Jim Rutherford.  The departure of Walker and Alberts also opened roster spots and reduced salary.  Cullen and Corvo were both excellent NHL players, but their skill sets were not ideal for the Hurricanes and they were not likely to be re-signed by the Hurricanes.  I was interested that Corvo was not going to be re-signed by Washington. I found that odd because Corvo did bring a lot of offensive skill with him.  Cullen I believe is slated to re-sign in Ottawa from what I can tell.

 

   In summary, the Hurricanes did a great job of trading veterans who no longer fit the needs of the Hurricanes for draft choices.  The issue of Whitney is more complex; and the opinions on what happened factually is quite varied.  I had assumed the Hurricanes would trade Whitney as a rental and get a #1 draft pick.  I wonder now if the Hurricanes will be able to re-sign Whitney given the financial constraints that exist as the Karmanos seeks to find a local investor.

 

   ADDING A CANNON FOR THE POWER PLAY

  I have been a strong proponent of the Hurricanes having a cannon on the power play who can fire 100 mph rockets at the net.  That kind of player creates space for the forwards and keeps the defensemen having to look over their shoulder.  In addition, only a fool would try to block those kinds of shots more than once.  Babchuk seems to be on the same page with the Hurricanes, perhaps in no small part due to his agent, Jay Grossman.  If Babchuk can add 16 goals or more to the mix,  the Hurricanes are in much, much better shape on the power play.

 

   FINDING A THIRD LINE CENTER

 

   Dalpe is an extremely talented and mature player; but he has not played a single game in the NHL.  Unless he has a tremendous camp, the Hurricanes are going to need to be creative to figure out whom to play as the third line center.  I assume that Dwyer is slated for that position.  I like Dwyer, but I prefer him at wing or as a fourth line center.  I have felt that Johansen would be a great first round pick for the Hurricanes; but it is quite optimistic to project Johansen as starting as the third line center in 2010-2011.  Jokinen does a great job at center, but given his thirty goal season, he needs to stay on the first line or second line.  Boychuk can play center and did play center on the fourth line during some shifts in 2010-2011. 

 

    In summary,  I think the third line center position is an open issue for 2010-2011.

 

   BUYING OUT BRIND'AMOUR

 

   To me, buying out Brind'Amour is a no-brainer in terms of logic.  His deterioration as a player in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 was dramatic.  His plus minus minus 52 hardly touches the surface of his on ice difficulties.  For those wanting to see the issues of his ineffective play, go to the March 11, 2010 game at the RBC against the Penguins.  With less than two minutes gone in the first period, Brind'Amour blows an assignment and the Penguins score.  On the Penguins third goal,  Brind'Amour again blew an assignment.  The Hurricanes wound up winning 4 to 3 despite Brind'Amour's difficulties in handling the physicality and speed of the Penguins.

 

   If the Hurricanes organization decides not to buy out Brind'Amour, hopefully they will add an extra forward and will healthy scratch Brind'Amour basically every other game.  Under this approach,  Brind'Amour can have his farewell tour of the NHL; but he will have fresh legs. 

 

  SUMMARY

 

   It's really unfortunate that the Hurricanes fan base has not developed to the point that the Hurricanes have 4,000 to 5,000 more STHs.  The Hurricanes are very, very close to being a top six team on a consistent basis; but without the steady and predictable income from increased STH participation, the Hurricanes organization can't spend the additional $5,000,000 to $8,000,000 (depending on the self-imposed budget) that it would take to bring in another young but veteran player or two. 

 

   In my view, the Hurricanes team in 2010-2011 will be a better team; but how much the veteran presence will be missed is not known.  The Hurricanes seem to still have question marks in terms of a fast, big, scoring wing to go with Staal and Jokinen on the first line.  The third line center spot also seems to be an open issue.  On defense, the Hurricanes might well need another strong, big, fast defensemen; but Carson's consistency goes a long, long way toward fixing the top four or top five defensemen, so that Gleason, Pitkanen, McBain, Carson, and Babchuk seem to be a fine group of defensemen.  Harrison has his one way contract, so he is clearly intended to be on the roster. 

 

   All in all, I feel certain the 2010-2011 Hurricanes will be highly motivated and will begin the year much hungrier, faster, and more physical than the awful start of 2009-2010.

 

Mock Drafts and Hurricanes

Fanhouse:

 

http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/06/01/2010-nhl-mock-drafT

CONNOLLY

Fanhouse shows the Hurricanes taking Connolly.

 

 

http://www.nesn.com/2010/05/nhl-mock-draft-i-bruins-get-taylor-hall-with-second-pick.html

CONNOLLY

NESN has the Hurricanes picking Connolly.  I would be surprised if the Hurricanes were to pass on Connolly if he is available.

 

http://www.hockeytraderumors.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=12495

GUDBRANSON

Hockey Trade Rumor has the Hurricanes moving up to third in order to take Gudbranson.  That approach seems to be one which some people at Canes Country are advocating.  I can't see it happening myself; but we'll know soon enough.             

 

http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/

FORBORT

My NHL Draft has the Hurricanes taking Forbort.  Again, some people at Canes Country would dance for joy at that pick.  I'm still predicting Connolly or Johansen or Niederreiter or Bjugstad.  Bjugstad's strong combine and his work ethic may be appealing to the Hurricanes.  They may like having him a couple of years away.

 

http://www.crashthecrease.com/2010/05/26/mitchs-mock-nhl-draft-9th-overall/

NIEDERREITER

Crash the Crease projects the Hurricanes taking Niederreiter.

http://thecollegehockeyblog.com/2010/05/18/nhl-mock-draft/

NIEDERREITER

The College Hockey Blog has the Hurricanes taking Niederreiter. 

 

http://www.dobberhockey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2786:may-mock&catid=16:bugg&Itemid=97

CONNOLLY

Dobber Hockey has the Hurricanes picking Connolly.

 

For a detailed list of Mock Drafts see:

http://dcprosportsreport.com/NHLMocks.htm

Here is an interview with Jussi Jokinen which was given before the Finnish Team had played Russia.  Juha Hiitelä has been a great friend of Caniacs and Canes Country.  It will be fun to show him Southern hospitality in Helsinki.  

 

(about Slovakia game) – It was a big win. Again it was a must win game, because otherwise we would have needed points from Russia to get quarterfinal. We've handled tough times very well in this tournament and now we have a chance to play for winning the qualifying round. But we still have big games ahead. We haven't gone anywhere yet.

 

(his first 2 goals of the tournament) – Of course it's relief. It's one of my job here in this tournament. So far, I've been mostly playmaker in our line. Team needs my goals if we want to go to the final game. Goals improve confidence on scoring chances.

 

 

(about Finland's power play) – It has gone the right direction. We've had good scoring chances on power plays all the time. In last three games we've scored a power play goal on each game. If you score one goal on the power play per game, that's a good result. Probably we need more pp goals in some games.

 

(about great pass of Nummelin for JJ's first goal) – If we go way back to Oulu, I've played with many good offensive forwards. There's been Kimmo Lotvonen (JH: former Finnish league pdlayer), Janne Niinimaa, Joni Pitkänen and obviously Petteri Nummelin on the national team. I like to play with top offensive defender and in this team it is Nummelin. 

It was a great pass, I got chance to score from a very familiar place and to put the puck into my favorite spot in the net.

 

(about Finland scoring only 7 goals in 4 games before Slovakia, and in that game 5 goals) – I hope it will help us. Many guys who needed goals, got one. That's important.

 

(about game against Russia) – The longer we can keep them scoreless, they will become frustrate and will try to play as individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

Juha Hiitelä again helped out the Caniacs by interviewing Oskar Osala. I am particularly pleased to read that Osala is putting emphasis on the hitting part of his game.  He has far more skills than just being a hitter; but if he can take some of the load off of Ruutu in that department, it would really help the Hurricanes next season.  Here is Juha Hiitelä's interview of Osala. 

 

 

OSKAR OSALA INTERVIEW

 

(about Slovakia game) – It was nice that team could score some goals. 

First period was Slovaks, but we controlled rest of the game. Slovaks kept the puck in the first, but they couldn't get good scoring chances. We took to game and scored enough goals. That was nice.

 

(Not playing well in the first) – In last few games we've been good at first period. Slovakia was hungry. We have to keep making things better and be better right in the beginning. We played well defensively and didn't make anything stupid.

 

(about Slovakia) – I haven't played against them before in men's level, but you could see that there's North American coaches. Their defenders tried to pinch our wingers and I had problem with that couple of times. I think thats not usual for Slovaks.

 

(Osala's line scored goal) – I was great to be on ice. Game was tight at that moment, so it felt very nice.

 

(about Russia) – It's going to be a tough game. It's hard to control puck against them, so we'll probably have to play very defensively and score some goals in power play. That's our secret weapon! We have to play smart five on five and our goalie will take care of the rest.

 

(about Oskar Osala giving big hits against Russians) – That's my thing. If I can't do that, I won't be effective. I try to hit as much as possible even though it's difficult on big ice. Russians are very quick, so we have to play smart.