Canes general manager Jim Rutherford has some tough decisions to make, and sooner rather than later.
There seemed to be a palpable feeling Friday night, after the Canes' 6-4 collapse against the Atlanta Thrashers, that a threshold of sorts had been passed. It was as if you could see it in the players' faces, hear it in some of their voices, sense it in the comments of coach Paul Maurice, in the mood in the locker room.
Turning around a 5-15-5 season, making a run at the playoffs, with this team may not be possible. Not with this group. The team seems to have aged noticeably overnight -- or at least since May. The grit seems to be gone, the mental toughness, the will and wont to make winning plays.
It's sad in a way. There are players on this team with great pride, with solid career accomplishments. There are youthful players with tremendous potential. There are players who have won a Stanley Cup, who have meant much to the organization. It is not a team without hope. It is not a team that does not care.
But so much has gone wrong for this team. Eric Staal, who never misses games, has had to miss 10 with an injury. Cam Ward, the franchise goalie, had his leg slashed. No one can score. The defensive zone mistakes are many, and not just from the defensemen. No one has any semblance of confidence. The team can't win on the road.
Where is the spirit the Canes had last season? Where's the fight? Where's the willingness to pay the price to win, whatever it may be, whenever it may be needed?
After the 3-2 loss Wednesday at Anaheim, Maurice said the Canes seem to invent new ways to struggle. What about giving up five unanswered goals in the third period to blow a hard-earned 4-1 lead? That's a new one.
And to think, there are still 57 games to play.
Rutherford, to his credit, has publicly accepted blame for this team's disappointing season. But it's not one man's fault, even the boss's. Maurice has to accept it. The coaching staff. The players.
Maybe the expectations for this team were unreasonable. Maybe Rutherford displayed blind faith in re-signing some players. Maybe he made mistakes in other offeseason decisions. It's easy to second-guess now when all looked so promising in September.
The question is what can be done now? That's up to Rutherford, and with the blessing of owner Peter Karmanos Jr. But there's a large chunk of the season still to be played and tickets that still need to be sold, and times still are tough economically.
Maybe Staal will start scoring goals again. Maybe Ward will return and return to the form that made him one of the league's best last season. Who knows, maybe the Canes win tonight in Buffalo, put the Atlanta game behind them and move on.
But there was something different about Friday's game. There have been other games from time to time when the home fans booed after a dismal loss. That's their perogative. But there seemed to be a more vehement force behind the boos that broke out Friday in the third period.
Rutherford, sitting as always in the corner seat of the Hurricanes' second-level box, certainly heard them. Now he has to decide how to deal with them, to try and prevent them.
Yes, some tough decisions have to be made.
Remember, there are 57 games still to play.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
Comments
Time for the Mo Must Go signs!!!
Sun, 11/29/2009 - 00:39 — Mo_Miseryit is like deja vu all over agian!
its time
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 21:53 — pauly11its time for new GM and new COACH!
Albany
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 19:09 — NCBuff_CaniacI know this is logistically imposible but, send the whole team down (up) to Albany and bring the River Rats up to the NHL. Let the River Rats (f/k/a the Carolina Hurricanes) get their confidence back by smoking the AHL (at least I hope they could win down there) and the new Canes will gain valuable experience and the team will end up with a high draft pick.
Think about the unthinkable
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 17:51 — beer210If your going to blow this team up, talking about guys like Brindy ,LaRose ,Samsonov isn't going to cut it. Imagine if they started to put some feelers out there for Staal? EVERY team in the league would offer something, and you should get quite a few really good pieces back.
I know its nuts, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. And before you jump on me, think about how Staal can completely just take over a game. Now think about how often he completely fails to show up. Maybe the Canes should look elsewhere for a leader who brings it EVERY night, not just when he wants to.
I'm not sure I'd do it, but its something to think about.
beer210
Sun, 11/29/2009 - 09:48 — ammy144Actually, I agree with you. I would also make Ruutu captain.
Why I hate calling out staal...
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 21:28 — procellaeAll of the Staal homers jump on you. I agree with what you say. He is an overpaid and overrated player. We all know he isn't going anywhere because he is the franchise player and fans will be upset. I don't notice a difference in the team from the time when he was injured to now. Except that Sutter got moved down because of it.
Get a grip please
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 15:05 — bitterboyFire the coach and the GM? Ok, then who replaces them? If you think a new coach or GM is going to make a difference with this team you are kidding yourself. Mo doesn't turn the puck over again and again, or give up soft goals, or leave opposing players wide open in front of the Canes' net time and time again. The coach can't make his players skate or make slow players fast. And those of you who think firing JR is the answer please get a clue. Yes, he clearly over estimated the abilities of some of these players. He thought he had a team that could make a strong playoff run and that is why he spent so much money in the summer. Many, many Canes fans (myself included) hockey experts and media members felt the same way he did. Turns out he was wrong. Mistakes need to be fixed and clearly the roster will need to look much different next season. But fire the GM who built last year's team and won the Cup in 2006. Get a grip please.
Mo Should Be fired...NOW!
Sun, 11/29/2009 - 00:20 — Mo_MiseryMo directs the play of the team..he decides when to attack etc he simply does not learn from his past mistakes...trying to protect a lead in the NHL does not work you can not back off and let the opponent control the game..he continues to make this mistake over and over and over. that is why he is has a won only 40% of the games he has coached in the NHL. That is why no other team in the NHL would hire him as Coach only his best friend JR would hire him!! Now if he was really JR's Friend he would resign...rather than continue making JR look like an idiot for bringing him back!!!
MY view on Maurice
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 16:19 — procellaeThat reason I am angry at Maurice is that for two periods, we play amazing. As WAStout said, we had a good forecheck. We kept good pressure on the Thrashers, made their goalie look bad, and played a strong defensive game. Then during the second intermission, they came out and went into defensive mode. They decided to sit on the lead. I predicted they would do this before the period began. How? Because of the man behind the coach. Throughout his coaching career (that includes his first stinct with Carolina, his time in Toronto, and this season), Maurice has been known to go into a defensive style when the team is winning. That is how he wanted the team to play. It's happened so many times. In fact, it happened last Thursday against Toronto and even in the game against Anaheim.
You can counter and say that the players were playing like that and that it wasn't the coach. But then tell me why, after Maurice called a timeout, he didn't seem very animated on the bench. If he wanted the team to do something different (you know, as in play how they did in the first two periods), he would be yelling at the team. But he wasn't. He was fine with what they were doing.
How come the Canes played so well in the first period, making few mistakes, and then come out in the third and play defensively, making tons of mistakes. This team is not a good defensive team at the moment (we had one competent pairing last night). They need to play offense to help the defense, and when they play back the entire third period (excluding that last 2 minutes, of course), they are going to be scored on. Especially with the offensive talent the Thrashers had.
And about JR, I will not criticize him at the moment. At the time, all of us thought his deals were good. And now many people are saying that the deals were stupid. Hindsight is 20/20. We can all say now that he made Brind'Amour's deal too long, bringing make Maurice was a mistake, LaRose was a fluke and doesn't deserve the money, Cole is horrible and should never had been resigned, Ward is old and slow and the trade was pointless, etc. But all of these deals seemed to be in the best interest of the team at the time. So let's not be hypocritical and blame him.
However, I will blame JR if he does not admit that this is a rebuilding year and if he does not start taking action for next season. If he tries to do some patchwork to attempt a playoff run, he needs to be let go.
Totally Agree
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 21:42 — sftwareguyHow many Duke or Carolina basketball games have been played where they are up 20 with 8 minutes to go and win by 1?
I Challenge You and Anyone to a Debate About the Coach
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 15:14 — WAStoutIt was MO that stopped the 2-man forecheck in the third.
It was MO that put the 1-4 set in place in the third.
It was COACHING that lost that game last night!!!
The D turns the puck over because THEY DON'T KNOW WHO TO PASS TO!!!!!!! It's a split second decision and cannot be made with that MANY BACK!!!!!
Look at all the 2-line passing that occurred in the first two periods!! Nice and simple for the D to make - yes a turn over occurs here and there...but GO FOR IT!!!! This is 2009 NOT 1975 (or 2001 for that matter).
Complete product of MO's play-not-to-lose implementation in the second intermission.
Challenge me on a debate about this. J.R. PK. Anyone????
I Agree...Mo Must Go
Sun, 11/29/2009 - 00:37 — Mo_MiseryIf JR can not muster the courage to admit his friend has failed again and fire him then maybe he sould step down and let someone else take over as GM!
First and foremost, Mo must
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 14:27 — caneshockeyfanFirst and foremost, Mo must go. I don't care if you have to pay 3 coaches at the same time or not. Do whatever it takes. Perhaps Mo and Jeff Daniels can swap jobs or something. I'm not sure I'd advocate for firing Rutherford just yet, but I'm almost on that bandwagon too. His track record of building (mostly) competitive teams in a mid-market, budget-restrained organization is impressive. Mo's coaching resume... not so much.
As far as the players go, for the next few months, I think you unfortunately have to keep the team more or less intact. Perhaps give some guys from Albany a long, hard look, but the Canes are in no position to make drastic personnel moves. As the trade deadline looms and playoff-bound teams look to add rentals to their roster, the Canes will likely be in better position to demand decent draft picks. Barring a Boudreau-ian turnaround, by that time the Canes will be so far in last place that the #1 draft pick is all but assured. Use the draft and the summer to rebuild this team from the ground up.
The next few months are going to be brutal no matter how you slice it. As a hockey fan, I still plan to watch games and support the team as much as possible. I enjoy the games even when the home team loses, albeit a little less. What I'd hate to see is a bunch of myopic, knee-jerk player personnel moves because the team got booed off the ice last night. But as far as the head coach goes, fire away.
This team has been awful from the start of the season. The 3rd period collapse in the Thrashers game was par for the course and couldn't have really surprised anyone who's been paying attention. Despite all the talk about a home winning streak, let's not forget the fact that this team has one (one!) regulation win in about forever and a day. Overtime and shootout wins only serve to obscure the fact that this team is awful. I'll say this - if it took last night to make Rutherford wake up to the fact that this team has to be rebuilt, then I'm all for his firing too.
?????????
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 13:19 — WAStoutI keep looking out here hoping to see an annoucement on Mo Being Fired.
What the H?????
WHY OH WHY does this organization keep giving him chances? Any of the other 29 - GONE.
If this was my job - GONE. What have you done for me today?!?!?!
Mo
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 13:42 — MsPounceHonestly, the reason Mo isn't gone and won't be gone is because we are still paying Lavi. In fact we still will be paying him through the end of next season. He like Brindy was signed to a five year deal. They won't pay for three coaches, so we have Mo.
Now, we can do what NJ has done, and that is to fire the coach and put him in the front office and go out and get some fresh new eyes, and not recycled eyes.
There obviously is a problem, whether it lies with the coaching staff or the other guys in the locker room. Whatever the problem is, JR didn't solve it during the off season. He needs to figure out the problem and do something about it. Being at the game last night and watching them give up a 3 goal lead, leaves serious doubts for me tonight. Honestly, Buffalo will hand us our team on a silver platter tonight. They can't and won't win games playing like they have.
I was never on the Mo Must Go bandwagon, but after some pretty bad coaching moves, I'm leaning for him to go. Demoting Sutter to the 3rd line just so Slow Poke Staal can get back on the first line is inexusable! Joni should have been on the 5 on 3 power play in Dallas and not Corvo. When Joni is and stays healthy, which is a joke in itself, he is a more offensive threat than Corvo ever will be. Joni has to stay healthy, and he's not.
What are we the fans to do? Last night, they got booed when they left the ice. Did it send a message, I highly doubt it.
JR bringing Mo back was a dissaster waiting to happen
Sun, 11/29/2009 - 00:34 — Mo_MiseryWell here it is, how this guy could have ever been seen as the answer after his first tenure here and his continued failure in Toronto is hard to understand at best.
I know JR thinks Mo is his friend...now we will all find out for sure. I would never put my Friend in the position that MO is putting JR in now! Mo if he is truely JR's Friend he should resign ASAP, otherwise JR is going to continue to look foolish for hiring a coach just because he was his "best friend" even though he has a career losing record and was passed over by everyone else in the NHL. They all knew better but JR let his friendship cloud his judgement now the Hurricanes organization will have to pay for that bad judgement one way or another! Either in lost ticket sales and support or by paying 3 coaches!
!
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 13:45 — WAStoutThis is not your budget or my budget they are dealing with. PK has the money. Kick Mo's butt upstairs and save the fanbase we do have.
PK is going to lose money either way.
LUKE! Where are your comments?!?!??!?!!? Chip has to keep his to himself.
My Opinion
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 11:04 — SWFAN24I believe the foundation of the problems comes down to skating and age. I think at times as fans we overreact and in this case management did as well. We got beat so thoroughly by Pittsburgh by their speed we went the wrong way in my mind. Instead of getting more speed we decide to combat the speed and be more physical. While that first game against Pitt, it looked like it worked it took away the advantages we had over about 25 teams in the NHL. The only teams that could skate like us were Chicago, Pitt, and San Jose. Now we look slower than everybody because of how we are built. Plus, on the blueline we have problems scoring goals. Our only real offensive threat is Corvo.
Untouchables: Staal, C. Ward, Joni, Gleason, Cole, Jussi, Ruutu, Sutter Tom K. None of these guys will be traded.
Now onto what is going to happen, Corvo will be the first to go. He has the most value of anybody that we have because of a pretty affordable contract. Plus Cullen's expiring as well leads to this. Of course knowing the Canes and how we like to recycle players. I could see him and Cullen in a package deal going Chicago or Los Angelas. Chicago we would probably get Andrew Ladd back and Bfuyguin. Los Angelas we would get back Justin Williams and Jack Johnson. I'm actually very serious about LA because they have lost Ryan Smyth for a while and are a young team struggling without much leadership. Pretty funny but with the Canes anything is possible. We could get draft picks as well. People are talking about Larose and I believe he is going to stay. I also sense that Ray Whitney will be traded to a contender for a 2nd round pick. He has played solid all year and somebody will want him, but that move would not be made until trade deadline. Everybody else unless somebody needs leadership or injuries happen nobody has great trade value. Brindy will stay for the year and retire. Yelle, A. Ward, Wallin, and whoever else I have not said will not be here next year. Just hope my boy Walker will stay, but who knows.
As I've said earlier Taylor Hall is in our grasp. If the city can handle one bad season like this, shoot this team could be Stanley Cup worthy is another year or two. I mean Pittsburgh and Washington are looking good lately. The real fans will keep coming out and hopefully the Canes will put some deals out there like $1 hot dog night or $1 popcorn and in my case $1 beer night.
I'm a Southerner, Caniac, and a HOCKEY fan so get use to it.
and a chip on your shoulder
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 11:13 — HockeydogCorvo and Cullen for Jack Johnson and Justin Williams?
Andrew Ladd back and Bfuyguin?
that is funny
Nah
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 13:50 — SWFAN24No Chip on the shoulder just say that for that SteelTown because he thinks all Canes fans are DA rednecks. I know its completely ridiculous thoughts, but I mean who saw Eric Cole and Aaron Ward coming because I sure as heck didn't. Keep Cheering for the Canes dawg.
Right
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 12:18 — louis12580There's a reason Johnson is in L.A.... HE WASN'T GOING TO SIGN HERE!! As for Justin, a great many of us would love to have him back. The problem was 1, his salary and 2. his penchant for getting injured. We saw what he could do during the '05-'06 season when he was healthy. After that, it sadly was one injury after another.
Rock and a hard place
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:45 — HockeydogThe Canes are in the worst possible position right now. At this point most teams would be shifting into rebuilding mode, but the Canes can't because nobody would want any of the players who should be moved and there is no cap space to even bring up Boychuk or anyone else the team wants to look at. Most teams are not looking to add payroll, besides the vast majority of the Canes players don't have enough value for a team to assume their salary. The only player mentioned in trade rumors is Cullen. Maybe a good idea if the club can't sign him to an extension, but Cullen is not one of the real contributors to this mess. The players that should go are not wanted by anyone else. I am no expert but even if Jimmy Ruinaford advertised a fire sale, could he rid the roster of the anchors? He can't even realistically fire Mo to shake up the team because they are still paying Laviolette. This GM is is the source of this mess, he needs to go. Karmanos needs to put aside his friendship and take care of his investment. Jimmy had a few good years with the team but his time has passed.
This team needs a GM who can be trusted to rebuild the club the right way, and maybe show a bit of creativity in moving a few players in the meantime. Otherwise get ready for 4 months of meaningless, mostly boring hockey. That take the Canes off the local sports map, and offers no anticipation for next season. The snowball effect of this crappy season will be felt hard by Karmanos, so he needs to do something now, and that something is to replace the ultimate problem, by his own admission, Jim Rutherford.
LEADERSHIP
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:37 — trooper95Good team on paper, but good team on paper and on ice are obviously two different things. Leadership, leadership, and leadership: Front office, ice, & bench.
Front office: needs to get their head out of their 4th point of contact, they have an obligation to the fans and failing them miserably, it is their duty to make tough decisions.
Bench: Mo, Francis, & Rowe are they a united front? Because if they were united the Canes would not be at 5-15-5. They too have a responsibility to the fans and are failing miserably at their task to coach, motivate, and direct players and oh by the way to make tough decisions and start scratching some players who need to be a healthy scratch. I would start by changing the Captain of the team to Ruutu.
Ice: This is a professional organization getting paid phenominal $$$ to play and they are letting the fans down miserably. This is real simple, the fans are paying good money to see their team, and during tough economic times. What do they think, an NHL team can survive without fan support? I do not think so, to the entire team, I tell you all, you have some of the best fans in the league who will support each and everyone of you that wear the Canes jersey, and the total lack of effort in the third period is unacceptable. If I had put up a performance such as the one displayed in the third period on the two way shooting range, I may not have been here to submit my opinion. For crying out loud get over the mental and confidence arguement, plain and simple, play with some heart and get the legs moving, or find another profession. The Fans do not deserve this, show them the respect they deserve, because they are there every night in the stands.
Sad to see...
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:31 — Shutyour5holeIt's not the speed, stick handling or any physical ability of our players.
It's the Will to Win and the confidence to get it done.
Their confidence is easily shattered and the mental makeup of this team is in tatters.
Until that returns, our team will continue to find themselves sitting quietly in front of their lockers trying to explain away losses.
The players know what the problem is, whether or not they do something about it is the question.
Deals/no deals
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:27 — louis12580This is getting tougher to watch by the shift. Something does need to get done, but remember that there are cap issues involved. you can't just move one player for another any more. Salaries play a huge factor now. As for Cam Barker, yes I'd love to have him on this team and Chicago are in a bit of a bind salary cap wise. There will be teams out there who would love nothing better than to watch the 'Hawks suffer and have to dump players because of Dale Tallon's fiscal bungling. In reality, our most marketable players are Cullen, Whitney, Ruutu, and Jokinnen. Ray has a no-trade clause, but I don't think he'd stand in the way of a trade to the right team. Chad is not performing like last season, but he is playing with a knee problem. I think that we just get through the season, THEN make the decisions. After the season Leighton, A. Ward, Corvo, Wallin, Walker, Cullen, Whitney, Yelle, are all free agents. My gut feeling is that out of that group, Cullen, Whitney and maybe Corvo will be brought back. That leaves room for some of the Albany kids to make the team and possibly bring Seidenberg back.
Here we go again
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 09:56 — Caniac47That is what the players were thinking when Atlanta scored the third goal. You could feel it all the way up to my seats in the upper deck. JR needs to find out how much Chicago wants Cullen. If they want him like we are hearing, then trade Cullen to Chicago for either Big Dustin Byfuglien (F Age 24 6'4" 257lbs 8G 2A -3 and 36 PIM)or Cam Barker (D Age 23 6'3" 215lbs 4G 8A +2 16 PIM). Trade LaRose (and that hurts to say) to whatever team is courting JR and get somethig big in return. We can't have a fire sale, but maybe with some new blood and the locker room shake up this team can find it way again. Depending on who we trade and what we get maybe there will be room for a Rat or two to come up, provided they are ready. A Ward needs to figure out what is causing his "Head Up Arse" moments and fix it or give in to retirement so we can bring up Rodney. Wallin, same issue as A Ward. I would miss Corvo, but if another team would want him, again, make the other team give up something big. We can't give away all our defense, but if we can get Barker from Chicago that will help. Keep ALL THE FINNS, they seem to be playing with the SISU (tenacity) that is needed. Ruutu's arguement for his discounted goal last night was good to see some fire from someone. I am going to hate to see Walker not re-signed next year as well as Ray but we can't keep them all because we have learned something from that thinking, you would hope. I can't make any comments on Brind'Amour because I am not sure what to say.
As much as Chicago wants
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:38 — procellaeAs much as Chicago wants Cullen, I really doubt they will give up Cam Barker for him. And honestly, trading Cullen would be a huge mistake.
I like Cullen, who makes
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 14:34 — ctillI like Cullen, who makes contributions on offense, defense, and special teams. However, he is marketable.. he will be a free agent.. and he would be paid a lot next season to be our 3rd line center behind Staal and Sutter. Wouldn't surprise me if he goes.
Good point about the center
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 16:06 — procellaeGood point about the center position. I had overlooked that fact. Cullen is easily a 2nd line center and could possibly be a 1st line center (hence why Chicago wants him).
Time to Rebuild
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 09:27 — abramsdougThe time for rebuilding is now. The team cannot explain its pathetic performance by lack of talent, at least talent on the roster. Corvo has significant trade value; and I think he needs to be traded asap so the Hurricanes can pick up a power forward with the ability to score on the power play. Again, Corvo does not deserve to be traded because of his play; but he is falling victim to the team collapse.
LaRose needs to be traded to any team for any thing they will give, a draft choice, future considerations, etc. Kostopoulos is much better at the LaRose role than LaRose is. LaRose is another victim of team underperformance.
Aaron Ward needs to be traded or put on waivers. He is the worst defender I've ever seen wear a Hurricanes uniform. I was thrilled when he was re-signed; and I will be 1,000 times happier when he is gone from the team.
Brind'Amour is a disaster. He played very little in the Atlanta game, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that he is being paid $3,000,000.00 and has a $3,600,000.00 cap hit to sit on the bench because he is no longer able to play even to the level of mediocrity. Hopefully, he will be bought out next year. In the meantime, 5 to 8 minutes a game is ideal for him. I do think somebody needs to be double-shifting so Kostopoulos and Yelle can get from that six minutes a game.
Wallin needs to be healthy scratched and Rodney brought up. The NHL pace is too fast for Wallin and the Hurricanes get burned by his slow-feet and slow-brain. He is better than Ward, which is a very low bar.
Samsonov needs to be traded. Again, he is a fine player and is simply another victim of poor team performance. He does not fit with the a banging style of play. He is too hesitant to shoot and lacks the strength to battle in the corners on defense.
Looking toward next year, Walker and Wallin need not to be re-signed. It is painful to think of a Hurricanes team without Walker, but the Hurricanes need to rebuild. Walker is the toughest person pound for pound I've seen in the NHL; but at this point, the Hurricanes need to reinvent themselves -- as a younger, bigger, faster, more physical team. Walker's history of injuries has to be considered in deciding whether or not to re-sign him.
This season is now a time for the next generation of Hurricanes to start building toward future Stanley Cup runs. When the 2009-2010 Hurricanes melted down last night, it was like a candle burning out on the team. These changes will be painful and will be anything but easy; but it is all part of a franchise's history and the cycles of renewal for an NHL team.
Fans need to stand behind the team now because the road ahead is going to be rocky.
Amen
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 13:06 — NetMinderHELLO Ruutu, Jokinen, Sutter, Staal, Cole, Kostopoulus, Ward, Gleason, Pitkanen and Alberts — Average age: 26.3.
HAPPY TRAILS Brind'Amour, Whitney, Cullen, Walker, Wallin, Samsonov, A.Ward, Corvo, Yelle — Average age: 34.7
THANKS FOR THE CAREER YEAR LaRose — 27 — a goal, 5 assists, -10 this year — 19 goals, 12 assists, +6 last year
It's difficult to clump
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 14:40 — ctillIt's difficult to clump Whitney and Cullen with the others. Whitney at 37 still brings his game, although Boychuk is his heir-apparent. Cullen at 32 has at least one more multi-year contract ahead of him. Given a choice between Cullen and Cole, I think I'd take Cullen based on what I've seen this season. But he's an upcoming free agent, whereas we have Cole under contract for one more year.
I agree with all
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 10:40 — procellaeI agree with all of this. Corvo will be gone soon, I assure you. He is one
of the only players with good trade value and his contract expires at the end
of the season (we will not resign him...to much money and he doesn't have
enough commitment to the Canes to sign for less).
LaRose is just a big waste of money. As is Samsonov, Ward, and Brindy. We
are playing these guys way too much to do something every now and then and play
on the 4th line/3rd D pairing.
Again, I don't see why we are sticking with Ward and Wallin if we have
defensive talent in the minors (see: Rodney). And why isn't Boychuk up here? He
is much better than Brindy, LaRose, and Samsonov.
This year should be a rebuilding year. Get rid of some of these players byPittsburgh
whatever way is necessary. Use the money to get some decent, young players. Get
that #1 draft pick. The bandwagon fans will come back when they start
winning again with decent players (look at
As I said in the recap, if JR tries to salvage this season and they don’t make
the playoffs (highly unlikely they can), I will be seriously ticked off. Not
only will they lose a draft pick, but they will also lose half the players and
be even more mediocre next year. This season is basically over, 25 games in.
Start working on next year now. The true fans will back it.
Thanks Chip
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 07:10 — esteban1949with 25 games dead and gone,and as Chip pointed out another 57 to go, it would seem that no matter what JR does, it may NOT be enough to get and to keep the Canes @.500...And that is sad too...the team over all ( on paper anyway) is a way better team than that...but being in the cellar...does tell us, the fans...and the other 29 teams in the NHL, the canes are just a nusance that has to be played around...i am sure if each of us could be abd sit in the locker room...we'd hear many things many of us would love to say or really desire to say...But the bottom line is this...we fans are NOT going to like some or possibly many of the Changes that are coming...Will those coming chages be enough to at least restore some semblence of respectability ? We'll all have to wait...for another 57 games...won't we ?
heck, everybody lost lastnight...The Rats lost,The Lethbridge Hurricanes lost ( and they like carolina are last in their division too) ....sigh...
Go Somebody!!! Please !!!!!!!!!!!!
humm...
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 01:52 — larikatLet's do this by salary:
Staal: 6M - Has been injured, and needs time to get better.
Pitkanen: 4M - When he's healthy, he's very dynamic, but he keeps getting hurt in the middle of games. We need him badly. He just needs to stop getitng hurt midgame and putting the D in a lurch.
Whitney: 3.5M - Hard working, good step in his game. Leading team in points at 15.
Ward C.: 3.5M - Lets get him healthy.
Ruutu: 3M - Working very hard, keeper. Leading team in points at 15.
Brindy: 3M - Now winging the 4th line at -17. Liability when he is on the ice. Waste of 3M.
Cole: 2.8M - Step is coming back. Speed is very dangerous. Needs to stay paired with a speedy line.
Cullen: 2.8M - Has 13 points. Seems to click with whichever line he gets paired with. Solid on both PP and PK.
Corvo: 2.75M - Brought in to be a puck moving defenseman. Does that well. Has had some defensive blunders, but comes back from those and fights hard.
Gleason: 2.5M - Solid defenseman. Has some pop as of late offensively. Locked in for 2 more years after this.
Ward A: 2.5M - a defenseman should never be at -13. Seems to have slowed a step since his last time in Carolina. Playing like a 1M player.
Samsonov: 2.5M - Needs to stay paired with dynamic partners. Still he should be kept around. Starting to get his scoring touch back. Never will be a high goal scorer though.
Walker: 2.5M - Hurt... more than once this season. Has good perspective and leadership. This is sorely missed on the bench right now.
Wallin: 1.75M - Solid defender. Steps up better than some of the others do. Has a no trade clause. Will be here all season.
Jokinen: 1.5M - A steal at this price. Well worth the money. Leading the team with 15 points.
LaRose: 1.5M - You're paying this guy the same thing as Jokinen? FAIL. Last year the healthy scratch was good for him... Maybe it's time to try that again.
Sutter:.875M - Worth every penny. Keep him here. Buy the boy a town home.
Alberts: .8M - Performing as expected on the 3rd line D.
Kostopoulos: .7M - Mostly getting 4th line time. Has stepped up well on PK and when asked to fill in on higher lines. Well worth the money.
Leighton: .6M - Not living up to the expectations that we had when he was the top goaltender in the AHL two years ago.
Yelle: .55M - Mostly getting 4th line time. Has a ton of fight in him. Solid defensively. Worth the money. Fill him in higher up for people who keep screwing up...
Dwyer: .5M - Just along for the ride for as long as he gets to stay...
Legace: .5M - Stepping up nicely. Needs some better D in front of him. Playing well enough to stick around when Cam comes back.
Get rid of first: LaRose, or delegate to the 4th line.
Second: Figure out what to do with the Captain.
Third: Figure out what the heck is wrong with A. Ward.
Pretty good
Sat, 11/28/2009 - 17:44 — beer210This is pretty good, the only points I'd take issue with is your assesments of Staal and Whitney. For a franchise player Staal disappears on the ice way too long for too often. It seems to me when he wants to get it going he does, but otherwise seems to play without effort. And while Whitney is knocking a few points in he is also a -7. I think he's more than a step off his defense, its really more like 2.