SUNRISE, Fla. -- Canes defenseman Niclas Wallin has been with the team long enough to go through a lot of highs and lows.

A nine-game losing streak qualifies as a low. It also appears injured center Eric Staal might be out two-to-four weeks, not just a few games. Another low.

But Wallin said there has been enough talk and video sessions and practice and systems work and morale-building.

"There comes a point when you say, the heck with it, let's just go win a game," Wallin said today after the Canes' morning skate at BankAtlantic Center.

It will be four or five years before we know how the Carolina Hurricanes did in the draft last weekend, although they deserve credit for breaking new ground, by their standards, in terms of location (their first-round pick was from Quebec and three out of six picks were Europeans) and philosophy (all six were 6 feet or taller).

Whether first-round pick Philippe Paradis will be regarded as a steal or a bust is yet to be determined, but the record is already clear on many of the Hurricanes’ past drafts, at least those from 2005 and earlier.

We all know the misses — Igor Knyazev, Jeff Heerema, Nikos Tselios — but among the hits, here are the Canes’ five best draft picks since the team moved to North Carolina, not necessarily in overall talent, but in terms of how well they did with the pick.

Eric Staal, for example, was a relative no-brainer at No. 2 in 2003, but Cam Ward was not late in the first round a year earlier, which is why they bookend Tuesday’s Top Five:

From Talking Points: 

It will be four or five years before we know how the Carolina Hurricanes did in the draft last weekend, although they deserve credit for breaking new ground, by their standards, in terms of location (their first-round pick was from Quebec and three out of six picks were Europeans) and philosophy (all six were 6 feet or taller).

Whether first-round pick Philippe Paradis will be regarded as a steal or a bust is yet to be determined, but the record is already clear on many of the Hurricanes’ past drafts, at least those from 2005 and earlier.

We all know the misses — Igor Knyazev, Jeff Heerema, Nikos Tselios — but among the hits, here are the Canes’ five best draft picks since the team moved to North Carolina, not necessarily in overall talent, but in terms of how well they did with the pick.

Eric Staal, for example, was a relative no-brainer at No. 2 in 2003, but Cam Ward was not late in the first round a year earlier, which is why they bookend Tuesday’s Top Five.

Read more here. 

The sweep at the hands of the Penguins still stung for Niclas Wallin and Joe Corvo three days later, especially knowing it was Carolina’s inability to stop Pittsburgh’s offense that was the Hurricanes’ downfall in the end.

As they met with the media Friday, they looked back with some introspection at what went wrong on the blue line against the Penguins.

From Talking Points:

Niclas Wallin earned his 'secret weapon' nickname by scoring overtime goals in the playoffs — three, tied for the most in NHL history by a defenseman.

Friday, he passed some of that knowledge — indirectly — on to Tim Gleason, whose overtime winner won Game 2 for the Hurricanes.

Read more here. 

Niclas Wallin earned his 'secret weapon' nickname by scoring overtime goals in the playoffs — three, tied for the most in NHL history by a defenseman.

Friday, he passed some of that knowledge — indirectly — on to Tim Gleason, whose overtime winner won Game 2 for the Hurricanes.

Center Eric Staal, after going through the Canes' morning skate, has been cleared to play tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

Staal had a hamstring issue during Thursday's game at San Jose and did not play after the second period. The Canes rallied to win in a 4-3 shootout.

With defender Niclas Wallin injured in last night's 2-1 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Carolina Hurricanes called up defenseman Brett Carson.

This is the first time Carson, 23, has been called up to the NHL. He had a goal and 10 assists with the AHL's Albany River Rats so far this season.

From Talking Points:

Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin is aware of the "Vote for Wallin" write-in campaign that Canes fans have started, complete with its own Web site.

He's getting a kick out of it, but knows there's only one way he's likely to get to an All-Star Game.

Read more here.

Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin is aware of the "Vote for Wallin" write-in campaign that Canes fans have started, complete with its own Web site.

He's getting a kick out of it, but knows there's only one way he's likely to get to an All-Star Game.