Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that defenseman Joni Pitkanen may not return to the lineup until the first week of March.
Pitkanen suffered a concussion Dec. 6 against the Calgary Flames. He then underwent knee surgery Jan. 3, when the team announced he would likely need about four weeks to rehab the injury.
"He's coming along," Rutherford said. "Obviously he's a real good player for us and hopefully he'll feel better soon.
"It's all about the approach to rehab and how you go about the rehab. Based on his rehab, it should be about the first of March when he can get back to skating. Then it would be a week or so before he's playing."
Rutherford said forward Chad LaRose, who suffered a cut Monday in the Canes' 2-1 win over Winnipeg, should be out a week to 10 days. He said he hoped LaRose would be able to play when the Canes' season resumes Jan. 31 against the New York Islanders.
Rutherford said Pitkanen's status would not necessarily inhibit any potential trades involving Canes defensemen. Tim Gleason, Bryan Allen and Jaroslav Spacek all will be unrestricted free agents after the season, creating much speculation in NHL circles that they may be dealt before the NHL trade deadline.
"Despite all the talk that people stir up, I'm approaching it at this stage as being more interested in hockey trades and not deadline trades or trading UFAs," Rutherford said. "If something makes sense for our organization and from a financial point of view, if it seems like something we should do, I'll do it. But I'm not out there making all the calls looking to make trades."
The Canes on Friday traded veteran forward Alexei Ponikarovsky -- also due to be a UFA at season's end -- to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick and defensive prospect Joe Sova. But Rutherford did not rule out a trade that could bring in a veteran player -- such as Allen last season -- who has years remaining on his contract.
"If we were to trade a UFA for a veteran player, we would want control of him next year or the next few years," he said. "Usually, we have looked to bring in younger players, but a hockey deal where a veteran player is under contract also is a possibility."
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
Comments
Ray Whitney
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 10:11 — canesehRay is an UFA, what about him for Gleason or Allen??
Ray is the leading scorer on
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 11:47 — oldpoliticalsRay is the leading scorer on that team. As long as they are in the playoff hunt they are not going to move him. Would not make any sense.
You guys are funny
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 19:34 — tommytoe225I think it's comical that you guys think that Rutherford reads these posts and takes your advice. It's also funny that you think you know how to be the GM of an NHL team. Good stuff and thanks for the laughs.
Now excuse me while I craft an email to Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick on what plays they should run to win the Super Bowl.
Jim Rutherford Doing What NHL GM's Do
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 14:14 — abramsdougIt sounds to me as if Jim Rutherford is doing exactly what he is paid to do. He is saying various players are available but the offer has to be one he can't refuse. I'd much prefer to hear him say he is also willing to negotiate with any of the Canes UFA's agents for an extension. In any event, there's no way to predict which twists and turns there will be before the trade deadline. The consensus opinions, which are really not ones I share, are that Gleason, Spacek, and Ruutu will be traded. There is some thought that Allen and not Gleason could be traded, based on the various articles I've seen. The truth is only Jim Rutherford knows his own bottom line and his plans. He isn't telling.
Huh?
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 13:51 — CanarseI guess it's all in how you read it. It sounds to me like he's willing to trade, but it has to make sense for the team. He isn't looking to just dump players, which I see as a positive. A defenseman or two will be gone by the deadline. You can count on it. It wouldn't make financial sense to keep them all.
Not quite the right decision in my book....
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 12:58 — squeaky83JR, we have 8 signed pro-calibre defensmen right now: Pitkanen, Gleason, Allen, Spacek, Harrison, Faulk, McBain, Joslin. Three of these guys are FA in the off-season, and I doubt a budget team, that you acknowledge needs to acquire a proven top six forward to add to the mix, can afford to resign all of them in the off-season. That also assumes prospects like Dumoulin and Murphy will not earn a spot on the team next year (OK assumption, but we said the same about Faulk....)
So somehow, two of these guys will be gone, as we can't afford to sign them all--so therefore you and your staff should be determining who we intend to keep, and you should be actively looking to unload the others while we can get a decent return (even just draft picks) so we gain value for those pieces we will not bring back next year.
The same holds true for your bottom six forwards: Tlusty, Dwyer, LaRose, Nodl, Stewart, along with the prospects of Bowman, Dalpe, Samson, Sutter42 have all shown they can play in the NHL, but only Dalpe looks like he may develop into a top six forward. So to save money next year, and again gain some assets for leverage, who are you going to use with Brent and Sutter16? ( 8-9 possible guys for 4 slots??) Obvisouly people are going to be leaving so they should be shopped now as well.
As you say, it makes financial sense for the team, and it makes more sense to get something for them rather than nothing.
We need to jettison some of these guys as deadline deals. To not do so, knowing we will not be keeping all of them, would be a miscalcualiton and a poor business decision for the team in the long term. Picks and players can be used to gain better draft position, or used to sweeten trades for that top six forward. Not getting these assets leaves you empty handed in the off season, like losing Cole or Whitney, with nothing to show for it.
....you might consider actively working with teams that have needs and address our surpluses by trimming them down and deciding on who will stay and who will not for next year. And do it now.
Not one mention of winning
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 12:11 — WakeGuy2010Not one mention of winning games or bringing in anyone to compete for the Cup now or in the future. Thanks, Jim, you just saved me $$$ on season tix for next year. Geesh...
Finances not Wins
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 12:35 — Shutyour5holeAMEN ! Some seem to think coaching was "the" problem or that some players weren't playing up to their potential. Certainly that plays into the current situation, but there's a more fundamental problem.
My point all along is that ownership puts together a team to "hopefully" make the playoffs. The word finances is in JR's statement, but not the word win.
They have seen how this market responds to a winning team and yet are reluctant to get the players (and the bill) to win consistantly. It's highly discouraging.
This year may be the very first year since the came to NC that I won't drive the 90+ minutes to see one single game. If ownership is not willing to invest, why should I.
Sidenote: Good to see Whitney and Cole having such strong seasons.
Vrbata too
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 16:26 — ctillVrbata too: 22 goals and a +8. JR traded him to Chicago for future considerations. I don't know what JR ever did with the draft pick(s).