The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman Joe Corvo on injured reserve this morning.
Corvo had his lower right leg slashed by the skate of Washington defenseman Karl Alzner in a collision along the boards in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Capitals, and, according to a news release issued by the team this morning, he is expected to miss eight-to-12 weeks.
Corvo was taken to Rex Hospital during the first period and underwent surgery to repair the injury, according to the release.
Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Corvo should recover.
"I was told that everything came out fine," he said this morning. "No concern for long term, but certainly it's going to take a long time to heal."
It's the latest addition to a long list of injuries for the Hurricanes this season that has included star center Eric Staal, goalie Cam Ward — who also was slashed and is still out — forward Erik Cole and defenseman Joni Pitkanen, among others.
"It's one of those really strange things," Rutherford said, reached by phone. "We did not play well in the early going [of the season]. So I don't want to make this sound like the whole situation is because of injuries, because it's not.
"We've created our own problems. In that mix, to have the type of injuries that we've had. ... This is just one of those things teams go through periodically. And unfortunately coming off the heels where everything went right for us in the second half of last season, everything's gone wrong for us in the first half of this season. We just have to deal with it."
Regarding Cam Ward, who has been out since Nov. 7 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rutherford said Saturday's game is still the target date, but until Ward practices some, it's too early to say. There was no practice scheduled for today.
Rutherford said a defenseman will be recalled from Carolina's AHL affiliate in Albany by Friday, after consulting with Albany coach Jeff Daniels. That player likely will play in Saturday's game at the RBC Center against the Vancouver Canucks.
Rutherford said he's been pursing trades for the last month, looking for young players he'd hope would have a long future in Carolina.
"They're hard to make," he said. "In the last month, I've been on the phone more than I've ever been in any year I've done this job. ... I will continue to try."
Rutherford said he hasn't decided whether to place any players on waivers.
In a separate move, Carolina reassigned forward Patrick Dwyer to the AHL's Albany River Rats. The 26-year-old appeared in six games this season and had averaged 10:53 of ice time in those games.
Javier Serna has covered sports for The News & Observer since 2007. He previously covered growth for the North Raleigh News, and sports at The Truth in Elkhart, Ind. E-mail 
Comments
League Cap What ever #
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 10:57 — garybdiverI believe some of the cap hit is in 3 former players. Tanabe, Kaberle and Hamilton. Remember that next year IF Brindy is bought out. I truely believe that this was somewhat planned this year know that next year would be vastly different. Injuries and miss judgement on a few players has hurt also. As has been stated perviously, most of us liked what JR did during the off season. Including the so called experts of the hockey world. OK so we all were wrong there. I'll still support JR. How many other GM's have a Cup and Final in the last 10 years? So if 2009-2010 is the year of the Candy Canes so be it.
Salary Cap?
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 09:24 — hnic66Can someone explain how the team is pushing the limits of its salary cap, as noted in JR's statement?
the league cap is
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 09:51 — jgrant641the league cap is $56.8mill, and we are currently at $56.2 mill, the highest this team has ever been.
When the team went to the cup final in 02, we were just under $30mill.
Long term injuries will slightly adjust where we truely are at but as you can see we don't have a lot of wiggle room.
league cap #2
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 10:29 — hnic66Then what you're saying is the team has spent $56 mill for the current roster of players? That's unbelievable.
remember Staals cap hit
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 11:47 — jgrant641remember Staals cap hit this year is $8.25mill. That alone has driven up our teams numbers.
Hamilton and Kaberle also account for $1mill of the cap hit (Tanabe isn't listed)
Dress 7 D-Men
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 21:14 — jdmooreWhy not call up 2 D-Men from Albany? I don't recall if the Canes have dressed 7 D-Men this season, but I know they have done it in the past so why not dress 7 D-Men for games? Carolina was playing 5 D-Men in the 3rd against Atlanta after Pitkanen went down, and would have been playing with 4 D-Men against the Caps if Gleason didn't gut out the last couple of periods, i'm sure he was playing a little hurt after the cheap shot. I'm sure alot of folks don't have a whole ton of confidence in some of the current defensive corps. I think spreading out some of the minutes among the D-Men, means less time on the ice for some of them to screw up. Conboy would be an ok call up, can play forward and on the back end, besides lately it seems the Canes are just going thru the motions and not playing with a whole lot of energy. Maybe a Conboy fight or something can stir up some energy on the bench. I did like Staal stirring it up against the Caps in the 3rd period though. GET WELL SOON CORVO. WE WILL MISS YOU OUT ON THE ICE.
Conboy callup
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 22:36 — Biff_BeersIf the Canes call up Conboy, he has to go through re-entry waivers, right? Would JR risk that?
Conboy callup
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 00:33 — jdmooreThat's a good question. They already put him on wavers earlier this year and no one claimed him. Not sure anyone would really claim him, I don't think he has done anything spectacular down at Albany(mainly protecting Bowman and Boychuck) that jumps out and would make a team want to pick him up. He is in the last year of his deal in which he signed giving him guaranteed NHL contract money instead of AHL money. JR probably won't mind if someone claims him.
Trades and Jim Rutherford's Comments -- Who would he move
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 15:38 — abramsdougHere's a link to the Rutherford interview:
http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=508163
Jim Rutherford says that he would move a "handful of guys" if he could. The interesting question is who would he move if he could. I think the handful would include some or all from the list of: (a) Aaron Ward; (b) LaRose; (c) Wallin; (d) Samsonov; (e) Walker; (f) Leighton; (g) Conboy; (h) Michael Ryan; and (g) Yelle. I speculate that he would love to be able to trade Brind'Amour but that is probably not feasible on a number of different levels. Dollar for dollar, Brind'Amour at present is the most expensive of the under-performing players and to me has the least upside given his age and injuries. An advantage of trading one or two players at this point is that Jim Rutherford could then see whether the change in chemistry and having the new faces succeeded or not.
Jim Rutherford comments that he would be willing to consider trading core players, but it would have to be a very special deal. I think those core players would be (a) Whitney and (b) Cullen; and it would have to be an offer that was too good to turn down.
With regard to the upcoming draft, Jim Rutherford was clear that having a top four or five draft pick would help the Hurricanes organization enormously; but that the organization owed it to the fans to try to win. I would prefer the Hurricanes try to get as much young talent on the ice as economics allow and that this next part of the season focus on refining and modifying where necessary the Maurice/Francis system. Let's not go through this agony an additional year.
**********************************************************
Excerpts from the Jim Rutherford Interview
“We’re looking to transition this team,” said Rutherford. “The good part is that we’re sitting here with a lot of good young players looking to come in, and we’re looking to acquire other young players. If we can do that, we can start to feel good about where we’re going.”
However, with a roster pushing the limits of the salary cap, it’s easier said than done to find room for upcoming players such as Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman and other talented prospects currently playing in Albany of the AHL.
“It’s hard to accelerate [change] because you really can’t move contracts out,” said Rutherford. “If we could, we would probably move a handful of guys out today and move the younger guys in, even if they weren’t ready, and start that process.
At the present moment, Rutherford’s hands are tied. There will surely be a handful of teams eager to acquire some of Carolina’s affordable expiring contracts near the trade deadline, but that won’t be until after the Hurricanes have absorbed most of the financial burden.
Dude...
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 02:14 — CanesAreBoringCan u make ur irrelevent statement under 1,000000000pages?????????\
Oh wait u think ur someone...sorry!!
Too bad
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 23:40 — AN0NYM0USyou don't need an IQ over 50 to post drivle.
?
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 07:22 — whirligigHuh?
Hardly trade bait
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 01:27 — WICaniacAbramsdoug:
I concur with your list of the most expendable players, but scarcely anyone on that list is tradable; JR would have to waive just about any one of those guys b/c they're either $500K utility players or overpriced vets. Samsonov and Corvo (who you haven't pegged but many others have) probably fit better here than anywhere else. While they're not "core" players, they could be key cogs in a team with better chemistry. Sad to say, but Brindy and A. Ward are the most conspicuous albatroses on this squad. They could do the team a favor by opting for season-ending surgeries (both of them are at the age where SOMETHING needs to be fixed).
For the most part, the games have been exciting. The consecutive 3rd period collapses vs. Hotlanta and Buffalo were disheartening, to be sure, but the team has been in more games than it has not. I say play out the season and draft high. Of course I am not PK, hemorrhaging
money.
Hurricanes Players and Trade Value
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 06:36 — abramsdougWICaniac I agree with your assessment that the Hurricanes only have a few players with significant trade value. Corvo prior to his injury seemed to me to be a prime candidate for trade. The players Jim Rutherford would like to trade most may well be the hardest to trade. Fortunately, many of those players have contracts that expire this season.
Wishful Thinking
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 16:39 — SkylinerIf Pittsburgh can carry 2 superstars at some $18 to $20 M per year, why can't the Hurricanes? Pittsburgh is spending roughly 36 per cent of his cap money on just 2 players and they still manage to field a balanced team. Every team is under the same cap maximum.
Kovalchuck is unhappy in Atlanta. I'd like to see us go after him and have Staal and K as our two major scoring threats.
Our management should think big although I do appreciate how Mr. Rutherford squeezes available dollars. I'd just like to see him use available resources a little better.
Also, I'd like to see us take advantage of what we have available. We have Tim, Conboy just itching to get back on Carolina ice. In a heartbeat I'd bring him in and sit either Ward or Wallin. He couldn't do any worse and at the very least Tim will give you every ounce of energy, effort and talent he has. And he can go either on O or D. I think we've never really given him or Leighton a real chance...and folks wonder why Leighton makes mistakes and has "ring rust" when he does take the ice...on such rare occasions.
Of all the trade possibilities mentioned I'd try to hold onto Conboy and Samsonov, that is, until any deal involving them became "an offer we couldn't refuse."
And I'm not sure what the "Maurice/Francis" system is. I don't see anyone in a grid, just a bunch of guys out there free lancing it. Certainly there is nothing systematic about the way outr players play.
There's nothing wrong with this team that a good draft pick or two, a wise trade here and there and retruring Brind'Amout to fly a desk wouldn't cure. And I do agree with all mentioned in the post before except Conboy and Samsonov...and I'd make them available if something good was offered in return.
Finally, I would not take Pitkanen off the trading table, either. He's a good play-maker, he sets the table well, but he has what appears to be an incredibly weak outside shot, he is not a real hitter, skates well, but not very fast.
As the man said we shall see what we shall see. One only hopes what we see in the future is superior to what we' ve seen at the begnning of this year.
I'll be there Saturday boys. Go get 'em!
leighton sucks
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 12:38 — punkinLa La land Leighton suks
Excellent points.
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 16:12 — dustinlammersExcellent points.
As I see it the only players who are safe currently on the roster are:
Staal, Sutter, Ruutu, Cole, Jokinen
Gleason, Pitkanen
Ward
I would really like to see Matt Cullen extended but to fully embrace the rebuild, he is our only option at a decent return. I actually wouldn't mind seeing Corvo re-signed, but like many have said I can't see it happening.
Our defensive core should be blown up and reassembled with pieces like McBain, Carson, Rodney and maybe potentially trying to get Seidenberg back. Maybe even Babchuk.
LaRose might fetch a decent return of youth, Whitney will likely be a deadline trade (if healthy) and other moves like Yelle, Walker and Samsonov might happen, but I can't see it. I honestly don't mind Samsonov at all, not sure why but I like him with our team.
Our only hope for Brind'Amour is that his ice time is limited at to not stunt any youth development and that is retires at the end of the season.
Currently here are the top 5 prospects from the ISS as of Nov 30/09.
1. Taylor Hall - Windsor
2. Tyler Seguin - Plymouth
3. Cam Fowler - Windsor
4. Kirill Kabanov - Moncton
5. Brandon Gormley - Moncton
TSN's list: http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/story/?id=298731
Hey Dustin
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 19:32 — esteban1949There has been mention of taylor hall here in the last week or so, and aside from him, the other player that i am sure JR and others in the front office are keen;y aware of is tyler seguin seeing that the samecguy who own the Canes also owns the Plymouth Whalers...
So and if the Canes can and if it was up to me, I'd go for those 2 first. Good thughts on your total post...made alot of sense. Stay warm & Be safe
Go Canes !!
rebuilding time
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 15:37 — procellaeAnother good reason to turn this year into a rebuilding year in my opinion. With Corvo gone, other defensemen (like our superstar A. Ward) will have to make up his ice time. Clearly, we are not going to perform any better than we had been. If anyone still believed, now there is almost no way they can make it to the playoffs with this team. So its time for JR to see what he has, look ahead to what he will have/need next year, and make the necessary changes.
Corvo clearly was in tons of pain. I hope they drugged him :/
Three Words
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 13:09 — nancydKevlar Long Underwear!
Call up!
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 12:40 — Caniac5Well, without having to take a salary hit, we have a natural defenseman on a one-way contract playing in Albany...Conboy! Why not bring him back up and let him play his contract?
Ouch.That's a tough blow
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 12:12 — irocktheredOuch. That's a tough blow for the Hurricanes (pun definitely NOT intended!!!)
:-(
Sorry to see it happen.
Corvo Injury
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 12:00 — dwayne1203What next?? Don't believe it was achilles tendon..that would be long term. Bobby Tolan of Reds ruptured his and tried to come back in approx 6 months and ruptured it again and missed entire season but played next year and was 'comeback player of the year'.
Whoa baby !!
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:32 — esteban19498-12 weeks ??? man that cut had to be deep and it dd cut something bad...i'm going to see what the latest poop is on AO...and see what their press reports are...
Best Wishes to Corvo and His family...And yes JR and what plans he mave have had for Corvo are now toast...hmmm i wonder what JR's plan B,C,D are ?
Go canes !!
Trade
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 13:09 — Canes73Realistically, I don't think he would have been traded much before the trade deadline anyway because of the cap. As long as he comes back within the 2-3 months and is fully healed, I believe he will still be dealt.
Sounds like the achilles tendon was cut
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:40 — jhewellThe cut was in that area and the pain on Corvo's face seemed to indicate such - when this tendon is cut, it snaps up into your leg! Ouch!
Good luck Joe!
Injury Updates!!
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:28 — cushingrDoes anyone know Cam Ward's status? Last I heard he would be back in the line-up this Saturday but that was about 2 weeks ago...
wishing the best...
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:23 — louis12580for Joe. While he has struggled at times, you hate when things like this happen. My guess is that Mr. Rodney gets the call up (unless contractually he can't be [waivers thing because of the times he's been called up/sent back] ) The other situation that now needs to be addressed is Chad's. If he is indeed nursing something that requires any "procedure", then by all means get it resolved. You can put him on long term (maybe they need to wait for Cam to come back [another part of the C.B.A.] before doing so). This whole thing is becoming comical and it really isn't funny.
An awful blow for Joe and
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:09 — dustinlammersAn awful blow for Joe and the Canes. I hope he comes back and recovers fully from this. Two freak incidents are enough for one year!!!