It’s decision time on defense for the Hurricanes, and it won’t be an easy one -- for them, anyway. For anyone who has watched this team this season, the choice is simple.
Joni Pitkanen, who has been out for two weeks with a lower-body injury, is close to returning, perhaps as soon as tomorrow’s game at the Ottawa Senators. When he does, someone is going to have to come out of the lineup.
Will it be the little-used Derek Joslin, who has only played in five games this season?
Or will it be the astronomically compensated Tomas Kaberle, who has only generated five points this season?
If this were strictly a hockey decision, there’d be no debate at all. Kaberle, who signed a three-year, $12.75 million free-agent deal in the offseason, has been a train wreck. In Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, he accounted for a two-goal swing entirely on his own: Outfought at one end by Andrew Ladd for a rebound in the crease, fluffing an open net at the other with less than two minutes left in a one-goal game.
On the season, he’s minus-10 with no goals and five assists, not exactly the kind of production the Canes were expecting from the veteran defenseman. And the poise he was supposed to bring to Carolina’s power play? Kaberle has three power-play assists on a man-advantage unit that is converting at an NHL-next-to-worst 12.2 percent.
For purposes of comparison, 24 games into his short-lived Carolina career, the comparably disappointing and overpaid Sandis Ozolinsh at least had 14 points (and was plus-1). When you can’t clear that bar, something is seriously wrong.
In other words, he’s delivering zero bang for beaucoup bucks.
But those beaucoup bucks mean this isn’t strictly a hockey decision, even if it should be. Admitting he made a mistake giving a three-year deal to a 33-year-old defenseman whose best days are apparently behind him is not the kind of thing Jim Rutherford is wont to do. There’s also the bizarre loyalty Paul Maurice seems to have for anyone who played for him on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
By anyone’s objective measurement, Kaberle has been Carolina’s seventh defenseman at best. When Pitkanen and Harrison are both healthy, there’s no way Kaberle should play over either (or Justin Faulk, or Tim Gleason, or Jamie McBain, or Bryan Allen). It’s an open debate whether he’s doing anything right now Joslin can’t do better at a sixth of the price.
So the question tonight -- or whenever Pitkanen is ready to return -- comes down to pride. Are the Hurricanes willing to sit him in the press box, where his play would dictate, and admit their $12.75 million investment has been, so far at least, a bust? Or will their emotional and financial investment in him trump hockey logic?
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at (919) 829-8947, @LukeDeCock on Twitter or
Comments
NOW IS THE TIME
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 15:15 — hockey101Sit Kabs and play Joslin. For someone who came in last year really impressed management and the coaching staff, he's the one who should be playing. Maybe after the season is over JR will admit to overpaying Kabs.(not)
Kabs is our Sheldon Souray that was for the Oiler's. Buy him out, put him on waivers. Just get him out of Carolina.
they did and they still lost !
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 21:00 — ynotagainEven with Kabs as a healthy scratch, the Canes still are terrible, losing 4-3 in Ottawa.
More drastic changes are needed NOW ... Kabs to waivers ... Staal to press box ... Mo to the exit door Monday morning.
Souray
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 16:10 — sittler27Souray has played all 23 games for the Stars this year. He has 4 goals and 9 assists and is +9. He has been one of the best defenseman on a much improved team. Exactly what we are saying about Kaberle is what the Oilers fans were saying about Sheldon. So is the issue the player, the system, or coaching. My take is that Kabs can still play. But he needs to be in the right D scheme and with the right partner. IMy guess is if we run him out of town he will return with a team like Detroit and look like an All Star.
Fat
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 23:38 — CanarseWhat I've heard is that Kaberle came in out of shape. He's playing catch up and looks like a mess. Like Souray, Kaberle could get his act in gear and be a contributer here or somewhere else. It's up to Kaberle. At this point I'm pretty sure Rutherford has found no market for the guy, so it's time for him to watch for a while. Hopefully Friesen will kick his tail in to shape while he has a chance to watch and consider his situation.
I had understood that
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 23:53 — abramsdougI had understood that prior to signing Kaberle committed to Jim Rutherford to come into camp in great shape. I am not saying that Kaberle was NHL fit when he arrived because I don't know. I do recall issues with Toronto and Boston about Kaberle's conditioning. If indeed Kaberle was out of shape coming to Carolina, it's extremely disturbing.
The fact that nobody else apparently wants Kaberle is not a great sign. It makes no sense for the Hurricanes to try signing defensemen who are on the downward slope of their careers. It worked badly with Aaron Ward. It has worked badly with Kaberle. Hopefully, Jim Rutherford will swear off the temptation in the future. I'd much rather have a player like Joslin who is still a little rough around the edges but has his best years ahead of him than a player like either Aaron Ward or Kaberle who are trying to hang on to a career a little longer.
kaberle, Souray
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 22:59 — gmwannabeeI could care less about Souray or any other team that signed and overpaid for a player that did not fit. Kaberle has looked slow from the beginning of the season. He played a bit part on a stanley cup team in Boston last year. If he is waived and picked up and comes back to beat us, I could care less. There are enough players on other teams scoring their first career goals against us this year. The Kaberle signing was a waste. I am more excited about Faulk and heard nothing about him until camp. I hope there are more guys like him in the pipeline. I am a patient fan. I grew up going to Islander games as they kept bringing up guys each year and watched them become a great team. Even seen Darryl Sittler with Toronto...
Very good column at espn.com from Scott Burnside on the Hurricanes. A very good read. Just go to the NHL section of espn.
My take is Kaberle is
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 22:22 — abramsdougMy take is Kaberle is not fitting in at Carolina. He may still be able to play hockey; but he is not able to succeed under the present approach with the present teammates. He's been genuinely awful thus far. Whether he can be salvaged is another issue entirely. He does not seem to want to be playing hockey given the lack of effort and intensity he has shown. We didn't need Kaberle in the first place. The Canes desperately needed a big, fast, offensively gifted right wing - such as James Neal.
As it is now, Kaberle deserved to be a healthy scratch. I suspect waivers is next for him if there are no trade partners found.
Kabs
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 22:12 — hockey101Hey Sittler27, was refering to Kabs as being our Souray problem. Not being able to trade him or get rid of his salary. It took the Oiler's 2 yrs I believe to finaaly get rid of him. I just don't want that happening to us, when we could use his salary for another scorer.
Kaberle
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 10:27 — CharlotteCaniacI have always enjoyed watching Kaberle, but I think I have to agree with this. I was excited when we signed him, but he has been a mess, much like the team in general.
Kaberle is a guy Rutherford always coveted, which is why we overpaid to get him. Seems that JR is blind to the guys recent production before he got here. Reminds me of bringing Anson Carter in here after his ship had sailed. Also a guy JR coveted for years. That was a failure too.
IT'S SHOWTIME
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 09:55 — NetMinderShow Mo the door. Show Kabs the press box. Showcase Gleason, LaRose et. al. and put together a package deal that gets Staal someone to play with. Show us you were paying attention last year when the Oilers put a way too young team on the ice just to give them a season to build chemistry. Show us you were paying attention when the 6-7-0 Blues fired their coach and then proceeded to go 6-1-2 under Ken Hitchcock. Most of all, show us a team that, win or lose, is entertaining and fun to watch. Show us a team with youth, heart, talent and unrealized potential instead of aged, under achieving veterans. Show us a team that has a pulse and a future. It's showtime.
NetMinder
Sun, 11/27/2011 - 10:23 — ammy144Hear!!! Hear!!!! Great post.
We have the answer on the former Mo put Kabs on the right back
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 23:51 — Caniac324on the Ice after he missed the yawning open net as one of the final six attackers...what does that tell you about Mo's Coaching?
Waiver time
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 21:21 — ynotagainDon't just sit Kabs. He needs to be put on waivers, which he'll clear, and then demoted to Charlotte, or better still the Everglades. Unfortunately the Canes will still be stuck with his $12 mil deal, unless they're lucky enough to get rid of Kabs and half his paycheck on re-entry waivers. Would another GM really want to take that chance at over $2 mil per year ? NOT.
What an interesting dilemma!
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 18:48 — CUPOFTEAWhat an interesting dilemma! All we ever hear about is playing a man's game, going into those dark and dirty areas and manning up, yet the verbage is not matched by the behavior of the management. The right choices would involve benching Kaberle, firing the coach and making some other personnel changes. We'll never see it, because it would mean going to those hard areas, making a man's decision and maning up. They talk the talk, but they can't and won't walk the walk.
It May Be Too Late Already
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:09 — JustListenenTo reach 95 points and the playoffs, the canes must finish
35-18-5
That would be 75 more points to add to the current 20 points
One chance in a thousand.
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 18:01 — ctillOne chance in a thousand.
Management...
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 16:18 — B11656may squirm, wrangle their hands and quietly wish for divine intervention on the subject of Kaberle. It may take divine intervention to get rid of Him. He has been bad all year, terrible last night and if I hear Tripp Tracey beam on and on about him I may look him up and choke him. It will be a Month of Sundays before JR admits to being wrong about this move and another Month before He admits He made a mistake regarding Maurice. That equates to about 5 years. If divine intervention does not happen soon that is about how long it will be before We see the playoffs again. The law of averages will have kicked in by then. Too bad there won't be anyone left to watch it.
Mistakes in This Organization?
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 16:13 — WAStoutTime for Canes to admit Kaberle mistake.
Time for Canes to admit MO mistake.
In making him a coach the FIRST time and bringing him back the SECOND time.
Time for Canes to admit....why didn't we take his ticket away today? And waste yet ANOTHER game.
Moz Boyz
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 15:41 — abramsdougThe number of former Leafs playing for the Hurricanes and who were at one point coached by Maurice in the past qualifies at minimum as a statistical outlier. Kaberle has been disastrous with the benefit of hindsight. Every NHL general manager has to make certain leaps of faith. Many work out well, such as Jokinen, Pitkanen, Skinner, just to name a few. Others like Aaron Ward, Yelle, and Kaberle are failures.
Kaberle has been thoroughly disappointing. There's no reason to continue to beat that round peg into a square hole. It's time to sit Kaberle. There is nothing good that will come out of having him wreak future havoc on the team. He's slow, plays a non-contact game, makes bad pinches, and is otherwise indecisive. Rutherford had a good idea. Kaberle didn't live up to the billing or the paycheck. Time to move on.
Birds of a Feather.
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 16:25 — WAStoutLosers.
How could it not be easy?
Sat, 11/26/2011 - 15:20 — angrymikeWhat does it mean for us as fans if he continues to play? How could we not then assume that Paul really isn't even the coach and then the problems are much worse if that is the case. Once you sign the contract it's still the responsibility of the front office and the coaching staff to put the best team on the ice even night out, isn't it? If Kaberle plays it means one of two things which are a terminal flaw for this season and maybe this season. That either the coach isn't watching the same game the rest of us are or that the GM's ego is more important than winning. Either strike me as being fairly fatal.