The Canes have signed center Riley Nash to a three-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, the deal will pay Nash $550,000 in 2010-11, $600,000 in 2011-12, and $700,000 in 2012-13.
Nash, 21, will be paid $65,000 on the AHL level in all three seasons and receives a signing bonus of $262,500.
He came to Carolina's conditioning camp earlier this month still facing a decision whether to sign with the Hurricanes or return to Cornell for his senior year, but his experience in Raleigh made it an easy one.
“It was hard to make a decision when I hadn’t seen the place or knew what I was getting into,” Nash said. “I was very comfortable with the people I met. They were first-class people and I was very happy with that. It made me more comfortable with where I was going.”
Nash, 21, completed his third season at Cornell in 2009-10, scoring 12 goals and earning 23 assists (35 points) in 30 games. The Consort, Alberta, native led Cornell in assists, and ranked tied for second on the team in scoring.
In three seasons with the Big Red, Nash (6’1”, 191 lbs.) has scored 37 goals and earned 65 assists (102 points) in 102 collegiate games. Originally selected by Edmonton in the first round (21st overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Nash was acquired by Carolina on June 26 in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Nash, 21, joins a large group of young forwards fighting to fill the spots left open by the departure of veterans like Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen and Scott Walker, a group that includes Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe, Oskar Osala and 2010 first-round pick Jeff Skinner, among others. (Jiri Tlusty, on a one-way contract, is all but assured of a spot.)
At the conditioning camp, Nash received a pep talk from assistant general manager and assistant coach Ron Francis, who had been pushing hard for the Hurricanes to acquire Nash.
“He kind of reiterated what the other guys were saying as well,” Nash said. “There are spots available, and while it’s definitely not yours right now, if you come in and work hard you can earn a spot. That’s as fair as possible, and I’m excited about that.”
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
Comments
1. Ruutu has grit, doesn't
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 22:38 — ctill1. Ruutu has grit, doesn't he?
2. Cole can be effective as a checking forward, and he has the size and strength to go to the net on power plays -- something that other Canes forwards don't always do. I'm hopeful that he will still be a key player, although not the same style of player as years ago.
3. No more Yelle's, please -- unless it becomes very clear during pre-season that no youngster is ready for the 3rd-line center role.
4. Cullen is gone for good, given what he is paid.
5. Samsonov... it would be nice if we got productivity from him this season.
1. Yes, Rutuu has grit,
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 01:52 — Canarse1. Yes, Rutuu has grit, but he also has a nice scoring touch that the Canes can't afford to lose if he gets hurt mucking it up.
2. Cole hasn't been consistently effective as any type of player in years. It's too bad about the injuries, but he's been paid handsomely since then. Even healthy Cole never cared too much about parking himself in front of the net.
3. I think it's safe to say the Hurricanes won't be signing any non-minimum 4th liners this season.
4. Congratulations to Cullen. He's gonzo.
5. Samsonov? Who's he?
Grit isn't defined by
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 21:29 — imayagainknowantonGrit isn't defined by fighting, if that's what you mean by "mucking it up". Ruutu is gritty.
If you mean that we can't afford for Ruutu to play physical because he might get hurt, then we might as well trade him as $4M and 4.4M for the next two years for a 50-point player who "can't" play physical without injuring himself is a rip-off.
Mucking it up isn't
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 23:01 — CanarseMucking it up isn't necessarily fighting. Working in corners, getting beat on in front of the net, grinding, etc. Fighting is part of that at times.
I think the "grit" comment somewhere else in the thread spoke about Tom K. and how he was the main gritty player on the team. I certainly don't think Ruutu should be playing that style.
This is hilarious. Every
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 08:31 — imayagainknowantonThis is hilarious. Every year we hear fans clamoring to re-sign players like Walker, Ruutu, and Cole because of their "grit"....then we hear that they can't play gritty because they might get hurt. Oh, and Gleason can't fight because he's too important to lose on the ice. So either they might get hurt playing a physical style or we can't afford to have them sit in the box for five minutes. What do people want....the "grit" of the team to be provided by 4th liners and bottom-pairing defensemen that play 10 minutes a game?
If Ruutu shouldn't play "gritty", he should be traded immediately because he's being paid way too much not to. He needs to play that style to be effective.
Agreed
Wed, 07/21/2010 - 09:39 — TheReaper49Part of the Reason that Ruutu, Gleason, Cole, and other who play a 'gritty' game have become such valuable NHL players is because of the style of game they play. Their ability to bang bodies, crash the net, fight as needed (mostly in Gleason's case), etc. is part of who they are. To say that they are too injury prone to play that game or too valuable to sit in the box for 5 mins, means you are handicapping part of their game. If Ruutu and Cole cannot bring it physically because of risk of injury, get them off the team. If Gleason can't go ape$#!+ on someone now and then because he is too valuable, then that is an issue with defensive depth.
Ahh, another player-hater.
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 05:32 — ctillAhh, another player-hater. Cole's numbers were not that bad last year. Full season, he scores 22 goals. I don't know that any Canes forward loves to park himself at the net, but I stand by my assertion that Cole does it more than his teammates. But I don't disagree that Cole undercontributed relative to his salary.
So, if I have a differing
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 08:43 — CanarseSo, if I have a differing opinion I'm a hater. Nice.
Being injured is being unproductive. I understand a player doesn't want to be injured, but when it's a regular occurrence it should be considered. I'd love to see Cole stay healthy and productive all year, but his recent history strongly suggests he won't.
Agreed.
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 10:38 — CharlotteCaniacI love Cole as much as the next guy, but it doesn't matter how good you are if you are injured all the time. Take a look at Lindros and Primeau (even Lemieux late in his career). In the salary cap world, you can not afford to have unproductive players on the roster. Even if you are at the cap floor, it becomes difficult to trade them. Check out Simon Gagne. Very talented, but oft injured, and Philly had to settle for a bit player and a 4th rounder to get him off the books.
We can't afford to have a roster player and large salary available to play less than 90-95% of games in a season.
Ok, "player hater" was
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 12:38 — ctillOk, "player hater" was harsh, but this forum is frequented by people who despise one player or another for exaggerated reasons. Cole's style is injury-prone. The hit he took in Boston that broke his leg was standard Cole, playing all-out in a game that was already meaningless (7-2 with 10 minutes left). Should he have been cruising at that point? Maybe. Everybody else on the team was. Maybe that's what ticked him off.
I, for one, am very glad
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 13:58 — TheReaper49I, for one, am very glad that Rutherford did not sign a washed up vet like a Yelle and tab him for the 3rd or 4th line role. Those are two spots where you need a combination of defensive responsibility and energy. Far too much in the past, we have placed emphasis on the former and not the latter. Having a younger guy with a lot to prove should provide some much-needed energy. Sure, they will make some mistakes, but that is a trade off that I’ll take. I shell out beaucoup dollars every year on season tickets and I want to be entertained. Watching old, slow, soft, washed-up veterans is not entertainment. And as last year showed, it can often actually be painful to watch.
If there are any more ‘free agent’ signings for the forward corps, I hope that it is for some grit. That is the only area where we are totally lacking in our current forwards. Relying on Tommy K to be the sole source of all physicality up front is completely unfair to the guy. Actually, it’s beyond unfair, it’s embarrassing.
Front and Center
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 13:16 — Biff_BeersThis announcement brings up a great topic that has been bouncing around this forum for a few weeks. Do the Canes need to sign another veteran center, and, if so, how do they pull that off given the self-imposed financial restraints? In other words, how long is it before the Canes trade for Matt Cullen? Note that Cullen is currently under a 3-year, $10.5M contract with Minnesota.
As much as I'd like to see Cullen re-re-join the Canes, it looks more and more like the Canes are planning to have a rookie as third-line center, and JJ or Ruutu would be available as a plan B if none of the rookies worked out. I would be less surprised to see the Canes sign a veteran such as Yelle as 4th-line center. The price is more affordable, and it makes more sense to me than having a youngster playing 5 minutes-per-game on the 4th line.
Not to be ugly...
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 13:56 — CharlotteCaniacNot to be ugly, but why would we trade for Cullen now when we could have signed him outright as a free agent this month? Clearly Minnesota wanted to bring in one of their natives, and paid Cullen NY Ranger money to make it happen.
I don't believe they will sign another forward
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 13:55 — Canes73With it being a rebuilding year, I believe they will roll four lines and give a more even distribution of ice time than we've seen in the past. I'm sure the Staal and Sutter lines will still receive their fair share but the 3rd and 4th lines will be more even. Also, with the AHL team being so close now, we'll see players being called up and sent down more frequently. This is a nice luxury to have as it will allow players to get their feet wet in the NHL but can also be easily sent down to ensure they are getting enough playing time.
Nice
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 12:45 — Canes73Great job by JR, Ron Francis and co. getting this done! This turns out to be a great trade for Carolina, turning a 2nd round pick into a former 1st rounder who may be ready to contribute now. With Sutter, Boychuk, Dalpe, Osala, Bowman, Tlusty, Skinner, and now Nash in the mix, the very near future looks extremely bright for the Canes at the forward position. Now if we can just add to our defense.
Great news, good decision
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 12:24 — HockeydogWell this is good news. As an entry level player, Nash would likely not have had a better chance to not only make the NHL club but possibly be given a meaningful role on the team. And he'll have a couple of staffers who know a bit about playing center in the NHL to draw from ( excuse the pun!). I think this makes it more likey that Dalpe would be looked at to fill a wing position. Now if Rutherford could move Samsonov and Cole ( unlikely I know) this team could get really young and exciting to watch. I'll take some tough losses and youthful mistakes at the wrong time in exchange for watching some hungry young players giving it their all.
Stop the cole and Samsonov Bashing
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 15:03 — oswegocanesWhy do you out the blame game on Cole and Samsonov. I really am not sure, Cole has giving up his body for this franchise and has always played his heart out. Samsonov is a streaky player we all knew that coming in, but when he outs up 25+ goals he was a great sign, but when he has a down year(not really) but everyone is on him. This team does need an infusion of young players but to knock out all of our veterans that made this team is crazy, any way's blah blah blah, Cole is going to go ridiculous this year, then he will be loved again.....lol
With all due respect,
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 21:38 — atrioneWith all due respect, Samsonov hasn't scored 25 goals since 01-02. And for that, he's a $2.533 cap hit. I hope Cole goes ridiculous, but I'd be happy with 50 points out of him, something he hasn't done since 07-08.
blame
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 15:41 — louis12580I think that the biggest problem with both is the amount of money earned doesn't translate into production. Sergei has long been streaky, agreed. The team chose to sign him based mostly on promise, not production. As for Cole, simply put, he's not the player he was since the fractured neck. His range of motion in his neck is minimal and that makes his ability to track a pass even harder. He plays a physically demanding position at "power forward" and when he was healthy he was one of the best in the league. He is only 30 or 31, but is an old 30-31 as the wear and tear on his body has taken its toll. I hope he can come back and be that 20 goal scorer again and that would take a lot of pressure off many of his mates and possibly help make a difference as to whether or not the team makes the playoffs.
Stop the cole and Samsonov Bashing
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 15:03 — oswegocanesWhy do you out the blame game on Cole and Samsonov. I really am not sure, Cole has giving up his body for this franchise and has always played his heart out. Samsonov is a streaky player we all knew that coming in, but when he outs up 25+ goals he was a great sign, but when he has a down year(not really) but everyone is on him. This team does need an infusion of young players but to knock out all of our veterans that made this team is crazy, any way's blah blah blah, Cole is going to go ridiculous this year, then he will be loved again.....lol