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Rutherford: Cole to test FA market

Submitted by chipalexander on 06/30/2009 - 10:54

The clock is ticking closer and closer to the free agency signing period.

Where do the Canes stand on unrestricted free agents Erik Cole and Chad LaRose? General manager Jim Rutherford said today that Cole's agent, Steve Bartlett, has informed him that Cole will not sign a new contract before the deadline and will test the free-agent market.

LaRose's agent, Patrick Morris, said late Tuesday night that the two sides could not agree on financial terms and that LaRose also would test the market.

Cole was given a three-year, $12 million contract by the Canes in 2006. He has been offered a two-year deal for less money by Carolina.

"We know it's less than what his last contract was, but we've done it for reasons," Rutherford said. "There were the inconsistencies, the playoff performance without him scoring. He understands why."

Cole's refusal to accept the offer and test the market doesn't necessarily mean he will not be back with the Canes.

"We don't close the door 100 percent on anyone," Rutherford said. "But the offer we made is the best we can make. Once a player goes out into free agency and starts shopping around, that's something we're not excited about."

The Canes signed restricted free agent Jussi Jokinen on Monday to a two-year, $3.4 million deal. Rutherford said the other restricted free agents who played for the Canes, notably Tuomo Ruutu and Anton Babchuk, had received qualifying offers.

Comments

Prefer they stay but . . .

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 09:09 — NCBuff_Caniac

I'd love for both to stay, but I agree that Cole will need to lower his salary expectations. While I don't think Chad should expect more than about $2M/year based on last year's production I think that is realistic. Maybe someone will pay him more than that, but I would be surprised. Of course none of us here on this board knows what he was demanding nor do we know what JR was offering. It is too bad that JR did not sign Chad to the three year deal that he, reportedly, was looking for last summer, but hindsight is 20/20. Good luck to both if they leave, but what is the eye going to do with all those "Rosie Rocks" t-shirts they just brought in? Did I hear big sale?

The move

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 07:45 — wxray1

Man, you nailed it. Everyone knows Erik's move. It doesn't work anymore.

Cole's One Move

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 10:38 — abramsdoug

Absolutely correct about Erik Cole's one move. The lack of creativity in his offense is simply stunning. I can't imagine why an NHL player whose career depends on constantly challenging himself refuses to learn some new moves. I think he is a fine player; but given the money he is seeking, there are better options available for the Hurricanes.

Who Cares

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 06:02 — NetMinder

Erik Cole hasn't been the same since Orpik took him into the boards. He didn't produce for Edmonton and, other than lighting a fire under Staal, he didn't produce for us. He has basically one move — toe drag to the inside coming down the right side — and the entire NHL knows how to defend it (note: it didn't work once in the playoffs.) Rosey represents everything that's wrong with the Canes — a lot of skill, a lot of speed, a lot of heart, no size. He had a career year and he's not afraid to throw what little weight he has around — only when he makes a hit, he's usually the one who hits the ice. C'mon — they're both good guys and everyone loves 'em. But it's time for the Canes to love 'em and leave 'em and use the salaries they're turning up their noses at to acquire some size.

99% agree with you

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 09:07 — Hockeydog

I pretty much agree with you. I would hope that JR and Rosie make at least
another attempt to come together but as I am posting this on the morning of
free agent frenzy it’s likely that JR would have to match an offer.
Larose is a heart and soul player but losing his speed and gaining a bigger
body that can chip in 20 goals might not be a bad trade-off.In the end I am in the "I hope they sign him but if they don't another
chance to remake the team will open up" camp!

As for Cole, he was a premire forward in the NHL the year Orpik put a
stop to that, but even before that year he was inconsistant. If you
look at his career it's not like he was a total hoss before Orpiks
cheap shot. It's time to move on for the Canes unless Cole is willing
to take a 3rd line checkers pay stub.

In the end there is really only one player who is absolutely essential to
this team, and that is Cam Ward. I'll give Staal a runner up in that
department, with Jokinen and Ruutu bronze medals, and Ray Whitney a mention for leadership. I didn't mention Brind'Amour but if he regains his old form then throw him in the pile as well. Everyone else can be replaced

Cole and LaRose

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 23:44 — fireandice

Sounds like you both need a new agent.

Not the same team without Cole

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 21:29 — NoNewsObserver

This team played so poorly without Cole that I was not concerned about even ordering playoff tickets and was not going to renew my tickets for next year. It was the lack of speed on this team that hurt them in the first part of the season. Cole was the missing link that turned the season around. The Canes traded Sammi Kappinen (I know I misspelled it) to Philly because of poor point production in the playoffs and he still had several successful years left. I would hate to see Cole in Washington, he would haunt us for years.

What about

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 07:43 — wxray1

Jussi? Was he not part of the equation?

No doubt, Erik helped Staal early on get back in the groove. I like him too. But the true Erik is out now. All about the money, just like all these other rich pros.

But, I dunno. The team stunk with Cole the previous two years. He's lost it. Sorry Erik, but JR gave you a nice prize with that $12M contract, knowing your fragile condition. Thanks for nothing. Good luck!

LaRose, Cole and Loyalty

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 19:49 — garybdiver

Both will be missed not only on the ice but in the community at large. I do wonder if JR's disapointment may be more directed at 59 right now. I know mine is. I know that both players have the right to do what is best for their familes, but seems to me that the organization has been more than fair in the past. Case in point Kabs. But for someone that was undrafted and grew up in front of all of us, well this is disapointing. I have feeling that tomorrow will very interesting.

Disappointed ?

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 04:37 — esteban1949

you aren't the only one...Grant you no one here would NOT want to see any player worth their salt to try and get the best deal they can. But so much for the team huh ?

Go Canes !

I hear Jeff Hamilton is

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 19:03 — mluther9

I hear Jeff Hamilton is available to take Coles spot.

Bye bye Erik, Rosie.... hello .......

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 15:34 — xpukguy

... MIKE CAMMALLERI, ALEX KOVALEV,
SAKU KOIVU, BRIAN GIONTA, NIK ANTROPOV, MIKE KNUBLE up front. All better than Cole and Rosie.

On D: MIKE KOMISAREK, JOHNNY ODUYA can be had.

I mean, it's time to be taken seriously. Make the offers, float the bait and see who bites. Don't just sit around and do nothing. We want a consistent winner or are you happy seeing 6,000 in the seats during December and January when college basketball eats us for lunch.

July 1 is Overpay Day

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 07:56 — JRs_Fault

Year after year, JR has refused to get tied up in the July 1 madness, and I think more GM's will join him on the sidelines this year, due to the uncertainty about the cap in the next 2-3 years.

Antropov?? Seriously? He's asking 5.25M for 5 years.!! Even the Rangers laughed at that one. Oduya is gone, Komisarek is going to get 5+ somewhere, and it ain't here. In a market that bumped Oduya from 600K to 3M, what do you think Seids & LaRose are gonna get? If JR isn't touching Cole&LaRose, what make you think he's going to sign ANYONE on this list??? They're all in line to make more than Cole.

The only guy on this list that I think the Canes could/should get for reasonable money is Knuble... Philly isn't going to be able to resign him in the wake of the Pronger deal (a horrible trade, btw).

Knuble

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 15:03 — JRs_Fault

well, just read an unconfirmed report that Knuble went to the Caps... oh well.

Looks like Antropov & Cole are still looking for their pot 'o' gold.

Bye bye Erik, Rosie.... hello .......

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 18:02 — hellfish

Hello to Drayson Bowman ,Zach Boychuk ,and either Bryan Rodney or Brett Carson on D Bowman especially has the shot and is a goal scorer that Erik Coles dreams about Boychuk nearly made the team last year not to mention Brandon Sutter will be back. These young guys have the skills to be better than Cole or Rosey and they need to play...I hope Rosey returns more than Cole just the way he went about the contract ageny or not. Look he can't be a top 4 winger anywhere else ,well that is a contender anyway ,so take a few $ more and git I guess.

replacements

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:04 — louis12580

Antropov or Kovalev would be the only two on that list I'd want to see here. Oduya has re-signed with Jersey, so he's off the boards. Koivu is good, but not that great, Gionta is a product of the Jersey "system" and we've all seen how many left Jersey and were still productive. Hello Gomez and Holik?! How about a guy like Hal Gill to bolster the d-corps? Don't recall seeing the great Holmstrom much when Gill was out there, do we? Antropov is not going back to the Rangers because of the reported asking price of 5M per. He wouldn't get that here either, although Jim is reported to have shown interest in him before. If the team could get the motivated Kovalev, a legitimate sniper that would be a steal. He's faster than Cole and has THE best wrist shot in the game.

Antropov is Horrible

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:17 — SWFAN24

I know that size is important and we need it but not from Antropov. He is horrible. I watched a whole season of Toronto Maple Leaf hockey with my roommate in college. This guy is the slowest guy in the NHL probably. He messes up on defense and makes bad penalties all the time. All he does is tip pucks. The people in Toronto had a party when he left and my roommate got drunk he was so happy this past year. If we signed Antropov I would probably cancel my season tickets.

Oduya

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 15:54 — GoShelf

Oduya signed today.

Erik and Chad

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:23 — louis12580

First of all a poster inquired about Eric maybe renegotiating his contract to free up money to use to re-sign Cole. He is not allowed to do that by the rules set forth in the CBA. As for re-signing wither of them, let's wait to see who offers what. Supposedly the Caps were interested in getting Cole at the trading deadline. Do they make a play for him now? As for Chad, and I've written this before, it all depends on the system he would be playing in and what his role would be. Is he a top two line guy? Not really. He's a "character" guy, and while a lot of teams look for that kind of player, there are a lot of them who will be on the market. Erik's numbers have declined over the past couple of seasons, in part because of the injury and in part due to his position. Power forward is a very demanding position and it takes it's toll over the seasons. Very few have an effective career that lasts 10 years as Erik's has.

Hey GoShelf

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:59 — esteban1949

i hate to say this but you are corrent in what you posted. many of us love the guy, but I, like you feel he'll end up else where. Hope i am wrong, but the 2 teams most likely that could or might try and sign him ( in my mind anyway) will or could be ATL & Florida...or i can see him at NYI & Florida, as they both have simular systems to what the canes had this past season...If he & Rosie both go..while being terribly disappointed, I'd wish them the best...and woud thank them for their efforts, as this fan really did appreciate them alot.

Go Canes !!

CBA

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:29 — GoShelf

Going into our fifth year with the new CBA we see right now a hand full of teams that are so close to the cap they've got their hands tied and can't do anything and a hand full of teams that are nowhere near the cap and have a lot of options, it really pays not get into long contracts because if those players don't pan out you're screwed and in a very tough bargaining position. So, there are a number of teams that can offer Cole the money and time he wants, we'll see tomorrow what happens.

Agents

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:50 — scomil

Unless there is a team like Detroit or Boston who is interested in Erik, this isn't worth it. Jim Rutherford is one of the few GM's who does have a degree of loyalty to players who fit in here, and will bring them back. That's why Cole was fortunate enough to return to a team and fan base that is great for him - this one time. An agent is not going to think about that one bit - he's looking only at the numbers. If Erik wants to stay in Carolina, he needs to step up and talk to his agent, who is working for him, and do it quickly. Otherwise, he's going to be a journeyman and the extra money won't be enough to make it worth it.

Erik talked about this on the radio a while back

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 13:18 — wxray1

A few weeks ago, Erik was on 850 and explained the way negotiations work. Basically, he leaves pretty much everything up to the agent. At least at that time, that was what he was doing.

I'm really surprised how much hand's off these guys are.

So, you have a good point about "stepping up and talking to his agent". Not sure he does a whole lot of that.

Strange world, sports are. I can't imagine having an "agent" for my job.

Good luck to you Eric...if a

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:49 — mokimano

Good luck to you Eric...if a few extra bucks means playing on a crappy team in Atlanta or Toronto or Florida and collecting a paycheck...I guess that is you and your agent's perogative...personally, the fact that you were offered a new two year deal and claim you love it here should have been enough to stay, but I know it must be tough making ends meet on only $2 or $3 million dollar's a season in this economy...

I will not question Mr. Rutherford

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:35 — gmwannabee

Many of you on here were whining when he brought back Maurice. I felt he did the right thing and in Maurices case..now he is older than all the players...think of how many people in this world do not do well working for a supervisor that is younger. Cole can leave as far as I care. His best years are behind him. Rutherford is a shrewd business man..but not a fool. We will wind up with some new players after July 1st. There are some finishers in the farm system too...time to see if any are ready. Rutherford has never made a trade nor not resigned any player that was devastating to this team..just my opinion. He is a GM that makes smart trades. Blame the agents if your player tests the market.

Cole and Power Forwards

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:38 — abramsdoug

I can see both sides. Cole wants to be paid the top end what he can command as a player. Jim Rutherford has to consider the overall team finances and Cole's likely role on the team. The truth is that Cole's inability to score against the Penguins was one, but not the only, reason the Hurricanes were swept. Great players in the NHL rise to the occasion; and clearly Cole was not the impact player the Hurricanes needed in the playoffs. Cole's return to Carolina did have a very positive effect on Staal's game; but in reality the addition of a power forward with speed and size was the critical element. Given the economy I predict by August there will be some outstanding power forwards who are bigger, faster, stronger and more aggressive than Cole. Even so, I would be pleasantly surprised if ultimately Cole signs with the Hurricanes; but I don't begrudge Cole the right to see what he can earn. On the other hand, if I were Jim Rutherford, I would lean toward finding a younger power forward with size, grit, and speed. In other words, I would seek to find in one power forward a player who combined the skill sets of Cole and LaRose.

Cole

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:19 — bkohler

If Staal feels he really needs Cole on his line, then Staal should renegotiate his contract, and free up some near term bucks to make room for Cole. Not likely though...

Cole Will be back

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:17 — SWFAN24

Eric Cole will be back. He is just going to test the market. It's every player's right to see what they are worth on the open market. Jussi knew where he fit the best at. Larose is going to test the waters as well, but I know he is going to be back. Most people in other cities do not know who he is and going to a different system will not help him.

The key is Ruutu he is the guy we HAVE TO SIGN. He brings the energy and I know people want him, but I'm sure we will have more updates during the day today.

Larose is no secret

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:51 — dgoose

People in other cities might not know Larose but GMs across the league do. He is on thehockeynews.com website's underrated FA's List and is the kind of guy that teams will take a chance on b/c he is a character player who could score 20 goals.

The grass isn't always greener...

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:12 — vance203

Cole should have realized that in Edmonton. I hope the best for him...hope he comes back...but understand his thought process.

Good news

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:04 — Lainienc

Now Mr. Rutherford can move forward w/ the RFA's. Hopefully the Canes' aren't completely lowballing the offers. It's interesting to listen to the love-in from each player in the exit interviews then see the disconnect during contract negotiations. From what I see so far, only Mr. Jokinen actually meant what he said.

Guess we'll see who was just paying lip service, and who was serious about wanting to come back to Carolina.

Aufwiedersehen, Erik und Herr Seidenberg- Viele Gluck!

cole/larose

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 11:57 — gasgoyne

Let Cole go. If Stall can't match with someone else then that's Stall's problem. I'd give Cole 2M for 2 years at best. Larose should be in the Jorkinen range.

Staal... Its spelled Staal. Cmon...

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:08 — oswegocanes

Staal... Its spelled Staal. Cmon...

Cole and La Rose

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 11:55 — WAStout

Cole...hate to see you leave (again) but do what you think is best...

Gotta have La Rose back...we need that Heart player!

Rutherford: Cole to test FA market

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