A few thoughts and observations on (literally) a rainy day in Georgia:
-- Ray Whitney and Niclas Wallin have no-trade clauses in their contracts and apparently neither has waived that clause. That's not to say it will not happen. ...
-- When all is said and done, the Canes will have their AHL team in Charlotte next year. General manager Jim Rutherford has not confirmed it, but it makes sense for both parties.
-- Word has been the "untouchables" on the trade front are Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Brandon Sutter, Tim Gleason and Tuomo Ruutu. That has not changed.
-- The guess here is that there could be one major surprise before the trade deadline. A tough year financially for the team could dictate it.
-- Tim Gleason hopes to be a replacement player for Team USA if the Devils' Paul Martin can't play in Vancouver. Gleason probably did not help himself with his play last week in Toronto in front of Team USA general manager Brian Burke, but should be on the team.
-- Eric Staal was the right choice for team captain. The timing seems a bit awkward but the choice was the right one.
-- Rod Brind'Amour has handled the decision on the captaincy, and the season, with class, as a professional.
-- If the Canes are able to draft Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin or Cam Fowler, the player picked likely will be in the Canes' lineup next season. They are said to be that good.
-- Zac Dalpe could make the jump from Ohio State and college hockey into the Canes' lineup next season. He has made that much progress.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
Comments
You can add Pitkanen and Jokinen to the Untouchable list
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 21:24 — heelzfanNo way are Joni or Jussi dealt, they are much too valuable to this franchise. Jussi goes out there and quietly does his job. Our D would be in shambles without Pitkanen, and the ice time he logs.
LaRose and especially Erik Cole, if he ever gets healthy needs to be dealt. LaRose is a gritty, hard-working, energy guy, but we have several guys at Albany who can do what he does, for a heckuva lot less money.
Erik Cole should have never be re-signed after his playoff flameout. He's been an injury risk ever since his neck injury years ago, and this year has been no different. He can't play the physical style that he did when he broke in, and his offensive game has been in steady decline for years. The financial committment that was made to him was ridiculous, and the Canes are paying for that misstep now.
Surprises
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 10:04 — garybdiverWell if you believe Spector's it's Joni who could be the surprise.
Spector just reads the papers like you and I....
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 10:46 — hockeyhickHe has no "inside info"...
Chip said that the surprise could be due to financial factors. Joni is the highest paid dman and not listed as "untouchable". Pretty simple to concoct that rumor outta those tidbits of info. I personally doubt that Joni will be traded, but his age, talent, production, minutes, and the fact that he is under contract do make him worth a hefty return if he were to be traded. Who knows-anything could happen.
If you believe JR in that the UFAs (Corvo, Wallin, and A Ward) will be gone, then trading Joni would leave the Canes with 2 top-6 dmen under contract in Gleason and Alberts. Unless you are getting a top-2 in return then trading Joni would be dangerous. One scenario could be to re-sign Corvo, trade Joni for a bona fide goal scorer and draft Cam Fowler....
PITKANEN
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 12:22 — abramsdougI doubt Pitkanen will be traded for the reasons hockeyhick describes. The only way conceivable to me is that if some team were to make an offer that Jim Rutherford would be crazy to turn down -- a #1 draft pick, #2 pick, and a young, talented, big, fast puck-moving defenseman. It would take a deal of a lifetime for me to consider trading Pitkanen because he and Gleason are defensemen around whom a Stanley Cup quality defense can be built.
As a GM Rutherford has to keep as many options open as possible. I am totally convinced Jim Rutherford knows how valuable Pitkanen is to the team and it is highly unlikely any team will pry Pitkanen away from the team.
All we fans can do
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 23:36 — esteban1949Is sit back, watch and see what unfolds..hopefully it won't be too shocking or nerve wracking...only time will tell huh ?
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !!
Go Canes !!
Jokinen and Pitkanen -- deserve to belong to the "untouchables"
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 22:42 — abramsdougI will be very surprised if either Jokinen or Pitkanen are traded. Pitkanen is playing 28 to 30 minutes a game and the team literally fell apart when he was hurt. Jokinen is only one goal behind Whitney and tonight had two assists and one key goal.
I would not be shocked if Cole were traded given the depth at forward that the Hurricanes have developed.
Cole Or Samsonov
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 23:10 — Biff_BeersCole gets $3M next year and Samsonov $2.8M. Trading either would free up a lot of cash, and neither has looked like an essential player this season (hardly seems like Cole has played at all). I would not be surprised to see either traded.
Jokinen only gets $1.9M next year and is a bargain at that price. Pitkanen gets $4.5M so trading him would free up a lot of cash, but I don't think the Canes want to dump their ENTIRE defense. Maybe if Corvo comes back strong and can be resigned for $3M or less, JR will risk letting Pitkanen go. Not sure if we will know enough about Corvo's status before the trade deadline.
What other team would agree
Sat, 01/23/2010 - 06:25 — CanarseWhat other team would agree to pay Cole and Samsonov that kind of money? They aren't worth half of that!
I think folks are making too much of Pitkanen not being "untouchable." I don't think he's going anywhere, but if someone made a big offer they would listen.
Cole, Samsonov, LaRose
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 06:40 — abramsdougI agree with Biff_Beers that if one considers the salaries next year of Cole at $3,000,000, Samsonov at $2,800,000 it makes far more sense to try to trade either or both than to trade Pitkanen. I think LaRose at $1,900,000 also could be considered at risk of being the subject of a salary dump given the Albany Rats who are available at forward.
The surest way for the Hurricanes organization to regain financial stability is to put a winning team on the ice at the RBC as soon as humanly possible. Trading the team's most talented defenseman and one of the best overall athletes in the NHL is not just a step in the right direction, it is jumping off the cliff.
Pitkanen's salary of $4,500,000 is substantial; but it is less than Cole and LaRose or Cole and Samsonov. Similarly, $1,900,000 for Jokinen is a bargain.
Last night against the Thrashers, the Hurricanes showed a glimpse of the future. I am convinced there is nothing inherently flawed in the systems in place as long as the entire team buys into the system. The system is driven by a pressuring defense that draws penalties and turnovers. The key is to convert on the power play and to convert on the turnovers. Jokinen's two assists and goals are indicative of what he can do when his teammates get to the good ice and crash the net with total conviction. Pitkanen has been leading the offensive rush and takes such long strides while skating that he covers a tremendous amount of ice in a hurry.
My respectful request for Chip Alexander is that he be more specific with the changes he believes will come. The hinting of some surprise trade for budgetary reasons without more leaves me quite dubious. I would prefer to know more and to hear more of Chip's reasoning.
Balancing Act
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:53 — gso_canes_fanJR and the coaches will have it tough if trades and player rentals don't work out to keep fan interest. They will need to move the Rats into line up to keep the fans coming
Zac
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:41 — biggssalvatoreGlad to hear the news about Dalpe. With all of the young guns getting a look this season at the big club I was wondering about him. The Canes wanted him to sign in the OHL instead of going to OSU, but in the end he wanted the college experience. I haven't heard much about his progress in school but thought that he would be ready to leave after his soph year. From what I remember he is a gifted offensive talent and should be able to jump right it with Boychuk, Bowman, Samson, etc....
surprise
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:26 — hockey101What would the surprise be coming at the trade deadline? And what about the financial situation that could dictate it.?
Pitkanen
Sun, 01/24/2010 - 07:45 — JRs_FaultAccording to the CBC hot stove guys last night, Pitkanen is fetching a lot of interest. I don't rule it out as there's always demand for good two-way D-men.
JR
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 15:20 — GoShelfCurious - with the CHL prospects game and festivities in Windsor the past 2 days why wasn't JR there. Every other bottom feading GM was there - Burkie, Tambellini, etc. It's been reported that there was over 200 NHL Scouts and GM's at the event. I know the draft is a long way away, but it'd be nice to hear JR's thoughts about the draft - are we going to pick the best player on the board or address a specific need, etc.
Toronto's draft
Sun, 01/24/2010 - 07:43 — JRs_FaultBurke may not have a 1st pick at the moment, but the Leafs will be selling come March 3rd. Teams will also be preparing for depth picks at an event like this.
I'm sure Jason Karmanos and
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 16:59 — dustinlammersI'm sure Jason Karmanos and Tony MacDonald were there for the event - really though what purpose did Burke serve being there? They don't have a pick in the 1st round this year. He just goes to keep the masses in TO happy.
Really Hall, Seguin and Fowler are the options - it'll likely come down to the draft order for who takes which player. I'd be happy with Hall or Seguin because I really think he need a scorer, not a defensemen.
Agree
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 17:11 — GoShelfI don't want Fowler, I'd much rather have a forward. Hall, Seguin, or Connolly. TO's not picking until the 3rd round so they got to make their picks count, I'm guessing he was there because of proximity (Burkie).
Cam Fowler
Sat, 01/23/2010 - 07:38 — hockeyhickwould be an excellent pick. Of the 3 projected top picks he may be the most "nhl ready", and star defensemen that can step right in are hard to pass up. Plus, if Corvo, Wallin, A Ward and Alberts are traded/ or allowed to walk then the defensive depth in the system may dictate using the high pick on an impact defenseman.
With all the moves that are going to happen we will have a stockpile of assets and cap space, which could be used to land a scorer in the offseason. Also, and I have presented this scenario on other threads, i could see Joni being traded for a package including a bona fide sniper, Corvo being re-signed and Fowler drafted. I would be fine with that scenario, simply because I feel that Joni could fetch the best return out of anyone else that may be traded and the fact that Fowler is "ready".
What about Joni Pitkanen?
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 14:58 — MsPounceWhat about Joni Pitkanen? He's as much an offensive threat as some of our forwards. I would think they would like to keep Joni.
I'm sure they would.
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 15:09 — ctillI'm sure they would. Pitkanen is good, but he's also the second-highest paid Cane this season and would be the third-highest next season. Gleason makes considerably less. The two of them are not interchangeable, but based on economics alone, I'm not entirely surprised that Gleason is protected while Pitkanen isn't. We're also seeing more offensive upside from Gleason than we did at first.
Mo
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 14:55 — hockeyhickMo has coached Canes teams to a Cup final and a conf final. He is fair, tough, and honest. He is NOT the problem this season.
When you have a slow start (which happens to many teams-even teams that end up going on to have some great success) AND couple that with an alarming number of injuries to KEY members or your team, you can't place all the blame on the coach. Hiring a new coach would just be another dose of uncertainty to be swallowed by players that have no idea who their linemates will be from shift to shift. How can there be any consistency when you have 6 regulars out of the lineup at any given time? Yeah-it's the coach's fault!
If it is a "coaching" problem then be prepared to point that finger at Rowe, Francis and Barasso as well.
I don't hold Mo accountable
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 15:06 — ctillI don't hold Mo accountable for the team's record. The players and JR are accountable for that. Personally, I don't like the style of hockey that Mo advocates; I liked Laviolette's style much better. But I don't believe that the Canes' record this year is attributable to Mo's style.
And Never a Mention of Coaching.
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 14:39 — WAStoutOr lack thereof....That's what kills me the most about all these recent posts....
There's a reason...
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 15:02 — myopiniondoesntcountWhy mention it if its not going to change? The powers that be have already said that coach Mo will have the job at least until the first half of next season. Given the injuries, call ups and whatever other reasons, they feel that Mo deserves the chance to see what he can do with a fresh start. While we may not like his style of play he is at least partially responsible for getting the Canes back to the ECF last year when it looked like they were going to miss out again. And with that I guess he should be given a little extra slack. Now, if next season starts out similar to this, I'll also be saying "MO MUST GO!".
One thing I'd like to see questioned is conditioning & weight training. I know Pete F and most of the players are big on cardio training, but it seems that they have a lot of groin and similar injuries. Is weight training being looked at as a way to help prevent injuries. I saw a report on NHL Network a couple of months back that stated that teams promoting weight training in addition to aerobic have seen positive results in regards to less muscle type injuries.