Justin Faulk wasn't sure what to expect when he traveled with Team USA to compete in the 2012 IIHF World Championship.

The Canes' defenseman knew he'd get some ice time, but didn't know how much. He knew it would be a good experience. He knew it would help him heading into his second NHL season.

Little did Faulk know he would become one of Team USA's surprising stars.

"It's been a lot of fun so far," Faulk said Tuesday after Team USA topped Switzerland 5-2 in its final preliminary round-robin game in Helsinki, Finland. "We've got a good group of guys who have been fun to be around, we've been playing pretty well and we're not done yet."

If the Canes do work a big hockey trade or two in the offseason, the asking price could be steep and it could mean parting with a player or two who have become fixtures on the team.

Question: who would you consider "untouchable" on the Canes, not to be traded under any circumstances, for any player?

Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner quickly come to mind. Add to that list Justin Faulk.

But what do you think? Who are the untouchables? The floor is open.

The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is honoring the Carolina Hurricanes' 2006 Stanley Cup championship this year as one of the state's "great moments" in sports.

It's a nice gesture, a nice addition to the hall. It's fitting.

But, from this viewpoint, it's time for the hall to take the next step. It's time to induct someone from a major-league franchise that has become an integral part of the state's sports landscape the past 15 years, that's given North Carolina international attention by winning the Cup, by hosting an NHL All-Star Game.

Let's keep it short and to the point today: who's your Stanley Cup winner?

We're deep into the playoffs. Everyone has a good feel for the teams that are left. Every round has produced a surprise or two, and some good teams have been bounced.

But only one team wins it all. Which team will it be?

The floor is open.

Speculation is increasing the Pittsburgh Penguins may be willing to trade center Jordan Staal and that the Carolina Hurricanes could be the team most likely to land him.

No one with the Canes will comment specifically on Jordan Staal, of course. That's not allowed and would be considered a form of tampering.

But general manager Jim Rutherford, in an interview today, did talk in general terms about what the Canes are looking for in the offseason. Rutherford has talked several times about the need of acquiring a scoring winger to play on Eric Staal's line, but his comments today were interesting and the focus may have changed.

"What we're working on now is whatever it takes to get a top player, whether it's a center or a wing," Rutherford said.

For the first time, this summer, the Hurricanes have identified a first-line caliber winger to play with Eric Staal as their top priority.

One could argue a No. 1 defenseman is a more pressing need, but let's not quibble. It's taken them so long to acknowledge that Staal has been held back by sub-par linemates that one should never discount such progress.

Watching Ray Whitney score an overtime winner for the Coyotes and seeing Justin Williams battling hard for the L.A. Kings in the playoffs led to today's debate question:

If you could bring back one former Canes player who's still active in the NHL, who would it be?

You know the names: Whitney, Williams, Erik Cole, Dennis Seidenberg, Radim Vrbata, etc. But what one player would you like to see back in a Canes uniform, and why?

The floor is open.

It didn't take long for the Carolina Hurricanes to come to terms with forward Jiri Tlusty.

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said Monday that Tlusty, a restricted free agent, had signed a two-year contract worth $3.2 million. The deal will pay Tlusty $1.5 million next season and $1.7 million in the 2013-2014 season, Rutherford said.

Tlusty, 24, had 17 goals, 19 assists and 36 points -- all career highs -- while also setting a personal best by playing 79 games this season. He was used on the wing on Eric Staal's line late in the season and gave the Canes strong two-way play.

"We're really pleased to get this done," Rutherford said. "Jiri had a breakout year for us, and that's not based just on the career highs he had. It's also the fact he played on Staal's line and showed he was capable of playing with the other team's top players."

The Canes have signed free-agent defenseman Beau Schmitz to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay Schmitz $525,000 per year at the NHL level, or $50,000 per year at the minor-league level, as well as a $50,000 signing bonus.

Schmitz, 21, completed his fourth season of major-junior hockey in 2011-12, leading all Plymouth Whalers defensemen in goals (14), assists (40) and points (54). He ranked tied for third among all Ontario Hockey League (OHL) skaters with a plus-37 plus/minus rating, while playing in 62 of Plymouth’s 68 regular-season games.

Schmitz was the Whalers’ captain in 2011-12.  In four seasons with Plymouth, Schmitz, listed at 5-10 and 193 pounds, had 151 points and accumulated 350 penalty minutes in 244 career OHL regular-season games.

Schmitz played for the Hurricanes’ squads at the NHL prospects’ tournament in Traverse City, MI, in 2010 and 2011.

It's tough being the fan of a nonplayoff team -- right Caniacs? -- and being on the outside looking in. It's also tough being the team's beat writer.

What does the beat writer of a nonplayoff team miss the most about missing the playoffs?

-- The adrenaline rush of having Eric Staal score a go-ahead goal with 32 seconds left in Game 7 and your first deadline looming in, well, 32 seconds.

-- The explosion of noise at PNC Arena (then RBC Center) as Jussi Jokinen scores a game-winner with less than a second left. The building was shaking that night in '09.