There should be a lot of speculation swirling soon with the Canes falling out of playoff contention and the March 3 NHL trade deadline on the horizon.
From what CanesNow has learned, five Canes are considered "untouchable" by management and will not be on the table during trade talks.
Question: who would your five be? Better yet, should there be five?
CANESNOW UPDATE: The five "untouchables" are said to be Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Tim Gleason, Brandon Sutter and Tuomo Ruutu.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
Comments
Don't "necessarily" agree
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:28 — CharlotteCaniacIf Staal and Ward play to their potential, I don't think you trade them. "Superstars" are a rare commodity. Both of those guys have shown they can produce enough to fall in that category. You build a team with quality, not quantity. That's not to say Sutter isn't quality, but I doubt he will ever produce enough to become a "superstar". He is a solid 2nd-3rd line forward, but I doub't he should ever be a fixture on our top scoring line, not unless we get very thin on offense or he develops beyond expectation.
Superstar Potential / Untouchables
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 18:51 — LainiencLate to the party here. CharlotteCaniac, agree if guys play to their potential keep them. Although Staal and C. Ward are very good players, I haven't seen either play to their potential and a change of scenery may help them. Maybe winning the cup so earlier in their careers is hampering motivation. Staal doesn't seem to have the right forward to compliment his play. My 5 untouchables are: Ruutu, Sutter, Jokinen, Cullen, Whitney. The first three are all consistently improving in their play, and even though the team isn't winning, the elevation in their games is evident. Cullen does everything right and the team will truly miss him (as they did once before) if he gets traded. Whitney is still playing quite well and I would offer annual one year contracts as long as he is still at the top of his game.
Sutter and Next Season
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 13:43 — abramsdougMy best guess is that Sutter is the team's next all-star. If he makes close to the same strides next season as he made this season, he will be scoring 30 goals. I also expect him to get more man strength by next season. He is stronger now than he was at the start of the season.
He has great speed and acceleration, tremendous hands, great vision of the ice, one amazing hockey mind, and has the inner drive to win. I think the sky is the limit for Sutter.
Sutter
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 15:59 — CanarseI agree that if Sutter fills out and gets stronger he could be a significant force in the league. The other factor in Sutters favor is he's young and cheap!
I think it's difficult to offer someone a lower salary for their next contract. Cullen makes $2.8M and Whitney makes $3.5M. I like Cullen, but he isn't worth that much. Whitney is worth it, but if he wants a 3 yr. deal, they had better say no. He's only a year younger than Rod.
The Five Untouchables
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 22:43 — abramsdougIs this an unnamed source close to the team or speculation?
The top five are indeed untouchable. I believe the reality is that Jokinen and Pitkanen would also be untouchable given the asking price.
Untouchables
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 17:45 — beer210I would have no untouchables given the right pieces coming back, but if you've got to have a list, I'd say the organization is not too far off. I'd hate to lose Pitkanen or Jokinen, but the right deal should get something great back. If you trade Pitkanen you had better get a PP QB in return because that player is not in the system now. I'd also do everything to keep Cullen. Seems to me that I've heard that in addition to his on ice abilities that he is a great locker room guy (at least for Carolina). It certainly looks like that might be the case based on what I see as an outsider.
The one player that if I were making this list that I'd take off of it is Staal. I'd trade him for a 1st line forward, a legitimate top 6 player and at least a 1st round draft pick. He's probably on the list because that deal is not out there.
Interesting that Pitkanen
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 14:42 — ctillInteresting that Pitkanen didn't make the list. Perhaps JR has confidence in Carson, Rodney, Borer (assuming he recovers fully), and/or McBain. After all, the Canes did win the Cup without a high-dollar defenseman on the team.
UH
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 16:49 — imayagainknowantonJR should be fired immediately if that is his line of thinking.
Rodney is a career AHLer. Seriously. He's just seven months younger than Pitkanen and hasn't even played 20 NHL games.
Borer sucked in the AHL last season before breaking his neck and hasn't played since.
Carson will be a nice third-pairing defenseman nothing more.
McBain is completely unproven.
I highly doubt any of those guys will be anywhere as good as Pitkanen is NOW and he is only 26.
Pitkanen makes 4+ million
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 15:53 — CanarsePitkanen makes 4+ million and is under contract only through next season. Is he that good? I think that is the thinking of Rutherford.
A no brainer as far as I am
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 16:51 — rmmeliA no brainer as far as I am concerned. Yes he is. This team would be lost without him. He is all over the ice. He would be called a superstar if he was North American.
good choices
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 13:48 — crashthenetA good choice for the “5”. Joni is semi-untouchable because JR is willing to give him up because we will get the most for him. An offensive defenseman in the playoffs is very valuable.
The good rental players are Cullen and Whitney. I would like to see Whitney come back and play another year of two and then move behind the bench.
The 5
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 13:25 — hellfishStaal, C. Ward, Sutter, Rutuu, and probably Gleason. imo add Jokinen (versatility and money on the Penalty shot) Pitkanen (look at the trouble to get him was...and we can't keep giving up D-men...uhh! last year Seidenberg and Babchuks 65pts lost HURT us bad...same for Corvo can you replace his pts and all? probably not. Jettison Wallin and A.Ward no matter what it takes. Harrison and Rodney will MORE than replace them So here it is GONE and replaced by=Brindy(Boychuk)/Walker(Bowman)/Yelle(Tlusty)/A.Ward(Harrison)/Wallin(Rodney) ,Whitney and Cullen as "rentals" Cole/Sammy/Rosey as sweetners for the Trade.
the 5
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 13:37 — louis12580I feel the biggest mistake was in not being able to re-sign Seidenberg. That was strictly $'s. Remember, he's only on a one year deal with Florida. While many are blinded by Anton's goals, his total game was lacking. His foot work was awful. Too many times he got caught wrong footed. As for the suggested replacements, Boychuck and Tlusty are wingers, not centers. There are 7 UFA's on the team, A. Ward, Yelle, Cullen, Whitney, Corvo, Walker, and Wallin. Of those, I see the team attempting to re-sign Cullen, Whitney (2 yrs with a team option for the 2nd.) and possibly Corvo. We need depth at the defense position, especially on the power play. There is currently a dramatic drop off between the first and second power play units and that needs to be addressed. Once we get some more bodies back, that will improve.
front of net
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 11:56 — DavidMeyerYou are right about net presence. It amazes me how we almost never have someone in front of the net to receive a centering pass, or to screen the goalie or pick up loose change. We need a Ryan Smythe type player more than any of the (many) other needs on our team. And Staal there is NOT the answer. He needs to be roaming around on the edges to be most effective.
agree
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 11:34 — hockey101I agree with the 5 "untouchables". Hopefully the "Rat pack" will be here to stay next year. We all know JR wants Ray back, so I can see him gone this year as a rental. It's now between us and the Oilers for the #1 pick and hopefully we can get Tyler Seguin. But something is telling me since JR likes defensemen it will probably be Cam Fowler. We need another top line sniper to help out Staal. It will be very interesting to see how much money will be spent next year since we are at the cap ceiling this year. I know PK isn't going to let this happen again. After the interview he gave to the N&O he is going to have to have spend the money to keep a competative team on the ice. I'm sure winning one cup is not enough. If the money is there, it needs to be spent on players who can return this team to the playoffs every year.
Holes to Fill to Build an Upper Tier Top Six Team
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 11:45 — abramsdougThe holes are glaring; but are also manageable:
1. Top line scoring foward to go with Staal -- Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in the upcoming draft;
2. puck-moving, scoring defenseman who can score, especially on the power play -- available as a result of trading Whitney, Cullen, Corvo
3. two young, fast, large power forwards to add Ruutu-like net presence and consistent hitting on fore-check and back-check -- available via draft/trade/or UFA/RFA
The core team is excellent and a long-term contender can be built around them. The most difficult area is the third area -- the forward with size, speed, physicality and skill. I envision two needed to account for injuries. When Ruutu and Cole go out with injuries, the team struggles. I imagine one of the two prospects/young big forwards would start in Albany to develop.
The comparison as far as I am concerned between the successful teams this year and the Hurricanes is that other than Ruutu, Sutter, and Kostopoulos, nobody else can or will go trucking wide-open throttle to the net. I also think the Hurricanes may have the fewest goals from purposeful deflections with a player whose back was to the goalie of any team in the NHL. It's that lack of net presence that causes many of the Hurricanes' scoring problems. Staal has been battling inside recently and it helps; but I much prefer him using his speed and skill to gather loose change around the net rather than being Mr. Net Presence with his back to the goalie.
Nice idea, but the Canes
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 12:12 — ctillNice idea, but the Canes won't get that much by trading Whitney, Cullen, or Corvo. Maybe if they had another year or two on their contracts, but not as upcoming UFAs.
Cam, Staal, Sutter, Gleason,
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 10:40 — floydm11Cam, Staal, Sutter, Gleason, and Ruutu. I remember hearing Ruutu mentioned over last summer as "untouchable", and he's done nothing this season to discourage that opinion. I agree with most that Pitkanen would be the 6th man.
With Staal playing wing these days, those 6 would make a pretty good starting lineup.
NONE
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:18 — ynotagainEverybody should be available ... it all depends on the deal / price offered back.
For example if a Staal trade would bring in 2 Sutter type players, TAKE IT.
If a Cam Ward trade would bring in another Staal type capability, MAKE IT.
If an Aaron Ward trade would get a free lunch for the rest of the team, MAKE THE TRADE !
HA!
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:34 — hockeyhickI would make that A Ward trade in a HEARTBEAT!
If it would help, Caniacs
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:39 — abramsdougIf it would help, Caniacs could take up a collection to pay for that meal if it meant Aaron Ward would leave.
abramsdoug
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:56 — ammy144I have my contribution ready....where do I send it????
Me Too, Me Too !!!
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 12:16 — esteban1949Not that i don't like the man..but as a player...sorry dude...it's to go back to boston or someplace out west...hey how about after Williams broken leg heals we trade AWard for him...Justin as a player was more consistant...but we're talking 2 different posistions huh ??
oh well..I'll still kick in a saw buck for the dinner !!
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !! Go Canes !!
Can anybody recall another
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 10:00 — abramsdougCan anybody recall another Hurricane who came in so highly regarded as Aaron Ward and who in half a season torpedoed the team so thoroughly and completely? I've tried to recall anything similar occurring in half a season and I can't bring to mind anybody who managed such a feat.
Aaron Ward, Wallin, Brind'Amour -- torpedoes
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 22:41 — abramsdougI just came back from the Hurricanes v. Lightning game. If ever there were proof positive that Aaron Ward, Wallin, and Brind'Amour are truly an anti-win combination, it came tonight. Wallin was humiliated by Saint Louis. A. Ward was terrible and came within inches of scoring on Cam Ward. Brind'Amour was again slow and confused. Once he was delegated to the bench, the three lines starting moving with far more speed and intensity.
Torpedoing a team
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 17:30 — beer210Yup, Sandis Ozolinsh. Actually he was much more highly regarded than A Ward, and was a bigger disappointment. I wouldn't put Tverdosky quite in that category. He provided a lot of puck moving during the regular season, and didn't really falter until the playoffs.
I'd say Ward has a done
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 01:37 — imayagainknowantonI'd say Ward has a done significantly better job (or would that be worse?) at torpedoing the team than Bozo did.
Bozo put up 44 points his only full year here and helped the team to the 8th-ranked powerplay while playing horrible defensive hockey. Ward just plays horrible defensive hockey and contributes absolutely nothing on the ice. The '00-'01 Hurricanes made the playoffs and I doubt they would have done that with this year's version of AWard on the team instead of Bozo.
In terms of expectations and the assets given up to acquire the two players, Bozo was definitely the bigger disappointment but make no mistake that AWard is having a much worse season.
Good points
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 11:23 — beer210I agree that Ward is having a worse season, but Ozolinsh limited that team more than you may remember. In his one full season here he had 44 pts but was also a -25. When I think about addition by subtraction, he is exibit A. the '01-'02 team floundered around until he was traded, at which point they went on the tear that took them to the Stanley Cup final. Maybe you can point to K Adams and being nice addtions, but I still think that Ozo was a bigger addition by subtraction.
Ward has been poor, but to
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 12:51 — CanarseWard has been poor, but to say he's torpedoed the team is a bit much. He's had a ton of help.
Ozo was a nightmare for a couple of seasons and Maruice was playing him like he's playing Pitkanen now. Ugh!
JR signed Ozo to a 5-year
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 13:24 — ctillJR signed Ozo to a 5-year contract worth $25 million in July 2000... a huge price back then, plus we gave up a solid D-man in Nolan Pratt and a 1st-round draft pick to Colorado in the deal. What a disaster!
And to think that Florida gave up Bret Hedican and Kevyn Adams, in exchange for Ozo and Byron Ritchie. An equally disastrous deal for the Panthers.
One more thing: when Florida unloaded Ozo on Anaheim, guess who went the other direction? Matt Cullen.
Aaron Ward, Wallin, and Brind'Amour
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 13:16 — abramsdougIf one pushes the do-over button hypothetically and then replaces Aaron Ward with Seidenberg, Wallin with Rodney, and Brind'Amour with Sutter, and then replays the season from day one, the results, I believe, would be dramatically different. In fact in that hypothetical universe, replacing Aaron Ward with Harrison would probably be sufficient and it wouldn't take somebody comparable to Seidenberg (who certainly is not a franchise player defenseman). Wallin has been on the ice for some of the worst mental blunders on the team. Brind'Amour has been beyond wretched.
Even so, the team is close enough to being a contender that even removing the dead weight of Aaron Ward might well have been sufficient to have a playoff contender; although I feel totally confident that if one could have "erased" Aaron Ward and Brind'Amour the addition by subtraction would have been more than enough to prevent this season's meltdown.
This season is basically done; but to understand how to approach next season, it really is important to identify the weak links in this year's team and to remedy the situation. The Hurricanes could obviously use one more superstar; but even more important was not to have three disasters undermining the team.
Anson Carter, but he played
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 12:37 — ctillAnson Carter, but he played only 10 games in 2006-2007. Other candidates are Steve Leach in 1997-1998 and Oleg Tverdovsky in 2005-2006. Sandis Ozolinsh too, although it took longer to get rid of him.
Staal, C. Ward, Sutter,
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:06 — CanarseStaal, C. Ward, Sutter, Rutuu, and probably Gleason.
I don't think Pitkanen is untouchable because of his contract. I think the Canes love Ruutu and he just signed a deal and should be heading into his prime production years. Who knows. If Pitkanen is on the list I would boot Gleason.
Untouchables.
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:56 — dustinlammersI'm pretty in line with the consensus on this one.
1. Eric Staal
2. Cam Ward
3. Tim Gleason
4. Brandon Sutter
5. Joni Pitkanen
The others I would like to see kept: Tuomo Ruutu, Jussi Jokinen, Matt Cullen (re-sign in the off season) and Erik Cole.
The rest of the spots I say deal and get as much as you can in return. I would also like to see Whitney back for a 1 year deal next season.
esteban1949
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:23 — chipalexander (author)we had a little blog hiccup this morning. Sorry about that. So posting earlier comment.
New Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:05 — esteban1949
would be Cam,Eric,Joni,Jussi,Tim & Brandon. Build around them, and have a wide open training camp to see what Rats have improved this season to warrent a spot on the roster... and encourage those who didn't to work on what things they may lack to make it on the Canes bench full time. But I'm a fan...why would JR listen to me ?
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !! Go Canes !!
Yo Chip
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 12:21 — esteban1949No Harm, No Foul !!
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !! Go Canes !!
Untouchables
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:20 — abramsdougThe core team which should be considered untouchable consists of:
(1) Cam Ward
(2) Staal
(3) Ruutu
(4) Jokinen
(5) Pitkanen
(6) Gleason
(7) Sutter
Then from the Albany Rats as untouchables, including players now on the team from the Albany Rats:
(1) Tlusty
(2) Boychuk
(3) Bowman
(4) Carson
From veterans who could be traded as "rental players" but resigned (and that is what I believe will happen):
Ray Whitney
List
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 09:13 — GoShelfI would remove Jokinen, when our team is healthy, he's barely a top six forward. Another guy I might remove would be Ruutu, I think if the right deal came along JR wouldn't hesitate in moving him - as fun as he is to watch he's been hurt alot and is pretty streaky. I wouldn't put anyone as untouchable on our Rat's roster. If they were that good or untouchable they'd be playing for the Canes. The reality is very few of our guys have value - Whitney, Corvo, and Cullen and that's probably it. I'm guessing we'll try to move guys as soon as possible, but it's going to be tough getting much in return for a rental player, remember when we picked up Weight & Recchi in '06 we didn't give up much, I'd be suprised if we got more than 2nd round pick for any of above players.
I agree on these five being
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:09 — hockeyhickI agree on these five being the untouchables, and may even add Ruutu as a sixth. Everyone else is fair game in my book, and all options should be considered at the trade deadline and over the summer. I think their will be considerable interest in players like Cullen, Corvo (if he comes back healthy), and Whitney (obviously-there already is interest) at the deadline. Cullen and Corvo could actually each command a roster player or good prospect, while i feel Whit could fetch a nice draft pick(s). There could also be some interest in players like Wallin (he may waive his ntc for a shot at another Cup) and A Ward by contenders or young teams on the playoff bubble (LA, Colorado, Phoenix).
I concur: C Ward, Staal,
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 08:01 — ctillI concur: C Ward, Staal, Pitkanen, Sutter, and Gleason are a good list.
Whoa baby
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 07:58 — esteban1949A tough question today !!! but sadly it would mean that the "JUICE" could or would be on the table as it were...but like the others...yep those would be the core 5...sigh...and here at 61, i still don't get what i want !!!
The Canes are Good,My Grandkids are Better, and Life is Great !!
Go Canes !!
Untouchables
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 07:00 — Snakex001If we are just looking at the current roster, those called up and those who are injured; it looks like louis12580 and I agree, the five are Cam Ward, Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen, Brandon Sutter, and Tim Gleason. That's our near future core right there, 3 potential captains at some point, personnally I'd give it to Tim Gleason after Brindy retires or departs. I'd also think if Rutherford is talking organizationally then Boychuk is on that list too, maybe Bowman. That's the core; #1 goalie, two centers, top two defensemen; any team can be built around that core. You could get a king's ransom for Staal in a trade but unless you're getting back Kovy, OV, or any of those other names there's no point. We have a star, you don't trade stars. You could get any number of nice pieces for those five but they are known quantities and maybe more importantly they all like it in Raleigh. Here's to Taylor Hall getting Staal passes on the left wing next season.
My guess
Mon, 01/18/2010 - 02:22 — louis12580My guess at the 5 "untouchables" currently on the roster would be Cam, Joni, Tim, Eric, and Brandon. I have heard rumors that teams have called in regards to Joni and been told no. Of course Eric might still be dealt to St. Louis if one is to believe that Eklund person (although he hasn't had much to say in that department lately).