The Hurricanes have agreed to terms with defenseman Joe Corvo on a two-year contract, bringing back a player they traded to the Washington Capitals in March.
The deal will pay Corvo $2 million in 2010-11 and $2.5 million in 2011-12.
"We feel really good about Joe coming back," general manager Jim Rutherford said today. "Joe has been a good player for us for a number of seasons. Joe gives us a lot of minutes. He can skate, he moves the puck well, he competes hard.
"If you look at our defensemen, we have four capable of getting us 30 or more points. We feel good about our depth."
Rutherford said Corvo "sacrificed" in his negotiations and in signing with the Canes rather than seeking a bigger deal elsewhere.
"His first choice was Carolina and he compromised his position to make it happen," Rutherford said. "You really appreciate a player who really wants to play for Carolina."
Rutherford said the Canes would no longer consider re-signing defenseman Brian Pothier, who came to Carolina as part of the March 3 trade-deadline day deal that sent Corvo to the Caps. He said the Canes could seek to sign either Brett Carson or Alex Picard, who became unrestricted free agents July 1 when Carolina did not make them qualifying offers.
Rutherford said the team was pleased about the addition of defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti in a trade with the New York Rangers completed during the NHL Entry Draft. Sanguinetti, he said, is expected to push for a roster spot in training camp.
"This made sense for us," Rutherford said of the Corvo signing. "If we get an injury now in the top four (defensemen), we won't have to be quite as stressed as to who can jump in there."
Corvo, splitting the 2009-10 season between Carolina and Washington, totaled six goals and 12 assists (18 points) in 52 games played. The Oak Park, IL, native missed 28 games from Dec. 5 until Feb. 1, after being cut on the lower-right leg by a skate in a game against the Caps on Nov. 30.
Prior to the injury, Corvo ranked first among Hurricanes and eighth in the NHL in average ice time per game (25:33). Corvo was traded to the Capitals on March 3 in exchange for Pothier, center Oskar Osala and Washington’s 2011 second-round draft selection. He had a goal and an assist during the Capitals’ seven-game Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Montreal.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at
Comments
So, does anyone else wonder if...
Thu, 07/08/2010 - 14:59 — robotron2084the discount salary came with a no-trade clause? Just curious.
At 33, Corvo becomes the
Thu, 07/08/2010 - 11:59 — ctillAt 33, Corvo becomes the oldest Cane... unless JR makes a trade or signs another free agent.
Glad Corvo is back
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 23:24 — caneshockeyfanI love that everyone is fired up about hockey in July! Count me amongst those glad to see Corvo back. IMO he's solid enough in back and brings a ton of offensive ability to the table. I think the Canes got a real bargain with this contract.
Food for thought...
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 23:04 — jgrant641Possible that Jim Rutherford did this to potentially trade Babchuk or another top 6 d-man out for another stay-at-home guy?
oops, did I just re-start the Marc Staal rumors? Sorry. ;)
Good move IMO
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:12 — sftwareguyCorvo will give up one or two turnovers a game, but with Gleason behind him it shouldn't matter. The flip side will be some great passes, speed and a power play shot that is hard and fast. One plays up, one plays back.
Every defenseman has their strengths and weaknesses. You match your defense to your talent, so lets see how we come out of the gate this fall. We won toward the end of last year with speed and grit from the younger guys and Corvo fits in that mold.
I'm happy with this move and welcome Corvo back.
I just hope
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:07 — wxray1I just hope he shaves his beard.
Unlike some, i like the deal
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:00 — louis12580We are all aware that Joe can be a bit of a liability defensively. that being said, when he and Gleason were healthy and paired together, they were our best pairing last season. The pairings for next season might look like this: Corvo-Gleason; Pitkanen-McBain; Harrison-Babchuk (or whoever else makes the team, like Sanguinetti). Having guys like Corvo and Pitkanen and even McBain who can quarterback the power play allows the team to use the 3 forward-2 defenseman system instead of 4 forwards on one unit and 3 on the other. If you read Joe's comments on why he came back, you can see why he's a quality person. He was grateful for being allowed a chance to compete for the Cup and when it didn't work out, this was the first and really only team he wanted to come back to. That speaks volumes about Jim and especially the people here That's why this area is becoming a place for the players and their families to come to and work and then stay after their playing days are done.
This is a reasonable move by
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 16:24 — ctillThis is a reasonable move by JR, and it's consistent with how he operates. As for Carson and Picard, the Canes will do about as well with Borer and Rodney who didn't have arb rights.
to abramsdoug
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 16:10 — whatever3To say that Corvo is a person of character solidifies the fact you know nothing, do some research. This is a horrible signing. Another "defense men" who does not know how to play the respective position.
Facts
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:29 — sittler27If you are going to accuse someone of having poor character you should have some real facts to back up an attack on a person in that manner. So let's hear them.
I have lots of family in Ottawa. While they will likely agree Joe could look after the defensive part of his game more, none of them ever had a bad thing to say about his character while with the team or living in the city.
Restaurant Incident
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:50 — sittler27Oh, and by the way, if you are referring to the "restaurant incident" in Boston, then I suggest you do your homework. After the incident Joe went to counselling, got the full support of his then team (LA) and has done public speaking on the event and how it changed his life to help others with similar issues.
Since then he has had children and been nothing but a stand up guy. He made a mistake, but that was 8 years ago and he has proved his "character" by owning up to the situation and using it to turn his life around.
Good Signing
Thu, 07/08/2010 - 09:12 — Caniac5I think signing Joe was a smart move for JR. He knows our system, he knows are players, and he plays smart. Attacking his character is way out of line, IMO. I think he has some rough times earlier in his career but look at Patrick Kane. He and his brother/cousin attacked a cab driver over a few cents. So, if Kane was signed by the Canes would you attack his character?
Just my thoughts!
Welcome back, Joe! Glad to see you back!
Way too harsh...
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 17:20 — CharlotteCaniacCorvo does have a good character, and if you think otherwise you must be from Ottawa. He is a better than average "offensive-defenseman", and I haven't seen him take too many nights off. He does understand how to play the position, but he is going to approach it differently than Gleason, Wesley, Wallin, etc (even Hedican for that matter). He is absolutely better than Babchuk. I'm also not going to knock 71 points in 138 games with us.
Corvo is pretty well rounded, and a typical "safe" Rutherford signing in that he is a known commodity (aka. "retread"). Do I agree with it? I don't know. How does this defense improve on what we iced the beginning of last year? I don't know that it does. We need another shutdown defenseman like Gleason that can play the man and still make an outlet pass. If Laviolette was still our coach, I'd say we couldn't have enough offensive-defensemen, but I don't think Maurice has the first clue of how to coach these guys properly without becoming a liability.
I think this deal would make A LOT more sense if we hadn't signed Babchuk.
Regardless, the terms are good. When you compare the contract to the others we have seen so far this offseason, it is pretty clear that Corvo WANTED to play here, and that is never a bad thing.
Abramsdoug always has well
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 16:32 — jgrant641Abramsdoug always has well informed and thought out posts. You can did agree with him, but to say he knows nothing ironically shows how little you know.
Did I scratch my head by the Corvo signing, yes. I feel we need more grit and not another skater, but Corvo is also one of few available d-men in a world where every team is stockpiling d-men.
Welcome back Joey
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 15:54 — jejohn8No D in our defense
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 15:40 — TheReaper49Not sure why we could not get a guy who actually plays defense. Rutherford's fantasy world of icing an entire D corps of offensive, puck-moving defensemen is a joke and will be the doom of our great young goalie. How many nights can Cam face 40+ shots?
Re-Signing Corvo is a Good Decision
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 15:49 — abramsdougSome people just seem to live a life where every word is no. How can anybody complain about re-signing Corvo? He is an experienced veteran and has speed and puck-handling ability. Gleason and Corvo work great together. His salary is fair to the team. He can quarterback the power play. He is solid on defense and is a person of character. I think that is good news on a number of different levels. I wonder if Jim Rutherford will have the funds available to re-sign Carson?
What?
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 16:29 — TheReaper49"He is solid on defense and is a person of character."
Corvo and Defense
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 22:16 — abramsdougI saw Plekanec's goal and Corvo did not make that play well. It came at a critical time in the game. To say that one play by a defenseman means he is a defensive liability is totally unfair. Corvo played well with the Hurricanes and made far fewer defensive errors than players like A. Ward, Wallin, and Alberts. A few elite defensemen make virtually no errors; but even excellent defensemen will make key errors. Gleason is fantastic; but early in the season he had at least one game where he took a truly terrible penalty that literally cost the Hurricanes the game. Is Gleason a defensive liability? Absolutely not. Has Gleason made his last mistake as a defenseman? No, he has not.
Corvo made a very significant mistake when he was younger. Since then he turned his life around. I don't think a person should be judged only by the worst thing he or she did. If that is the test, very few of us could be proud of the lives we lead.
Corvo
Thu, 07/08/2010 - 10:18 — TheReaper49Look. I’m not saying Corvo is a bad player. The guy is what he is. Trying to say he is solid defensively is like trying to say that Staal is a tough guy. Corvo is an offensive defenseman. He has a great shot, a nose for the net, good speed, and makes a good outlet pass, hence his designation as an offensive defenseman. He is, has always been, and likely always will be based on his age, a defensive liability. He coughs up the puck very easy when pressured, is frequently out of position, cannot effectively separate the man from the puck, etc, hence his designation as an offensive defenseman. They didn’t call him “Uh Oh” Joe for no reason in Ottawa.
And his stats do NOT backup your subjective assertion that his defense is getting better. His plus/minus has actually gone from being on the plus side of the equation to the minus the last two years. And keep in mind, he gets a lot of points, so it takes a lot for him to end up with an overall minus.
Teams need offensive defensemen. They just don’t need a whole corps of them. Sure, he can pair up with Gleason, but then who pairs up with Pitkanen? Babchuk? He makes Corvo look like Chris Pronger when it comes to defensive play. We just have too many guys who already play Corvo’s game. I will say this. He’s a bargain. An experienced, legitimate top 4 guy who makes 2 mill is a pretty rare find.
Joe Corvo
Sat, 07/10/2010 - 13:39 — abramsdougI disagree with your conclusion that Corvo is consistently a defensive liability. I have seen Corvo make great plays defensively and I've seen him turn over the puck. I've seen Gleason stonewall Ovechkin and I've seen Gleason blow assignments as well. I can't recall any game in 2009-2010 as a Canes player where Corvo seemed to be overall a defensive liability.
Amen
Thu, 07/08/2010 - 09:07 — ammy144Amen Brother!!! Love your posts....
100% Agree
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 16:05 — dustinlammersThis is a great deal for the team. It takes the pressure of McBain and for that price how could we go wrong. I for one am glad to have Joe back in the fold on defense. We have two legitimate strong PP units on D now as well.
Based on What's out there
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 15:58 — sittler27Below is the current status of UFA D. Based on that list, in terms of both talent and salary, I'd say we did well. The only other options that would have been interesting to me were Brent Lebda and Pothier.
Corvo
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 18:23 — beer210Based on the above list, I'd say Rutheford got a good deal on an experienced, ice time eating defenceman. He fits the teams budget. That "sandpaper" d-man that the team supposedly needs isn't out there for less than probably $4 million.
BTW this list doesn't reflect it, but Niclas Wallin signed a $2.5 million / 1 year contract with San Jose. That's what $2.5 million gets ya.