Instant analysis of Wednesday’s three-way trade that saw Justin Williams depart for the Los Angeles Kings and Erik Cole return to the Triangle:
• The Canes are either certain they can re-sign Cole or so desperate to upgrade their offense that they just don’t care and are willing to accept Edmonton’s fifth-round pick for Williams if that’s all they end up getting out of the deal.
After enjoying the bright lights of Edmonton, there’s a good chance Cole will be a little more motivated than before to give the Canes a hometown discount, but it’s still a gamble on Carolina’s part.
• As much as the Canes would have liked to keep Williams around, this deal underlines that their current situation is too dire to wait for him to get healthy.
Under present circumstances, the Canes can’t afford — financially or otherwise — to carry Williams during his run of unfortunate injuries. (Ironically, that was one of the justifications for trading the oft-injured Cole this summer.)
Williams is owed $3.5 million in each of the next two seasons, but Los Angeles doesn’t care; the Kings are looking to contend over the next three years and counting on Williams to be healthy for the rest of his contract, and worth the money.
• As much as Cole has to offer, both in the near and far future, there’s a case to be made that the Canes went one deal too far. Patrick O’Sullivan, who the Canes obtained from Los Angeles and sent to Edmonton for Cole, is very skilled, makes less than Cole (an average of $2.925 million through 2011), is only 24 and was — bonus — born in North Carolina.
The Canes passed on him in the 2003 draft due, taking Danny Richmond with their second-round pick again, but it would be nice if O’Sullivan spent at least some portion of his career here, if for marketing reasons alone.
NOTE: If O'Sullivan's father still lives in North Carolina, then I retract this portion of the analysis. I did not believe he did at this point. See the links in my comment below for further explanation if you aren't aware of O'Sullivan's situation.
And if that is the case, that O'Sullivan can't play here because his father lives here, then it's unfortunate for the Hurricanes for the reasons listed above.
• I wrote Tuesday that Canes general manager Jim Rutherford would have to get really creative to make a deal. You have to give him credit — not only is a three-way deal creative, he parted with one of his favorite players, an alumni of Peter Karmanos’ junior team, to get it done.
Rutherford coveted Williams for years and he ended up scoring the empty-net goal that sealed the Stanley Cup, but for once emotions and friendship weren’t the trump card on Edwards Mill Road. (Other than bringing back an ex-player, that is.)
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or 
Comments
Trade considers both now & future
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 22:41 — galatians220Luke, I think this trade shows more of an eye for the future than you may think. If Cole plays really well for us down the stretch, we can try to re-sign him, but if not, we have Justin's $3.5/yr x 2 yrs to use toward acquiring another scoring winger w/ size & toughness. I really like O'Sullivan, too, and (the dad fiasco aside) I couldn't believe we passed on him in the '03 draft in favor of Danny Richmond. However, O'Sullivan isn't very big, and this may be an indicator that JR is finally realizing that we have a major lack of size & toughness up front. Maybe this trade shows our urgency to make the playoffs this year, but I think it also shows how badly we need some financial flexibility headed into the off-season to try and reshape a stale, flawed roster.
Not happy....
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 19:58 — batsleft_throwsleftCan't argue with the economics of the trade, but the hopeful side of me expects Williams to have the better career. Cole will definitely get a big welcome home when he takes the ice, which will be fun.
Erik Cole and Eric Staal
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 18:45 — abramsdougI heard Peter Laviolette on www.tsn.ca say that he felt Cole and Staal both needed each other to be at their best. In my view the Hurricanes desperately needed more size, more speed, and more physicality. Cole has that ability when he decides to use it. The Hurricanes simply don't have the financial resources to pay a player as expensive as Williams when he misses essentially two years of playing time. It is sad for Williams; but Jim Rutherford's responsibility is to build the best team he can with the money he has available. I think the trade does show creativity. Now the proof will come on the ice. I predict we will see a Samsonov/Staal/Cole line on Friday. It does make things much more interesting; and perhaps Cole will decide the moving around from team to team is a serious drag and that he can work hard and retire here.
I think some people are
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 18:38 — bppackI think some people are thinking of the Cole that once was - before he broke his neck. he has been on a steady decline since. his points put him 7th among Canes forwards - yet he is going to play on the 1st line? he hasn't earned it. maybe Rutherford will catch a little lightning in the bottle for the last 16 games if Cole really wants to be here. but the worst thing would be to sign him to an expensive, long term contract based on that.
Looks good
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 18:07 — vortacI like this move. Cole has great chemistry with Staal, and in the past, Staal has always seemed to play with a little more energy and passion when Cole is playing. Plus Cole is a character guy, which the team seems to be in need of. These are the lines I expect we will see:
Cole - Staal - Ruutu
Whitney - Cullen - LaRose
Samsonov - Jokinen - Walker
Eaves - Brindy - Conboy
They look pretty good. Cole adds size, chemistry, speed, and a scoring touch (and no dancing in circles!). Second line is the same as it is now, the third line can provide scoring and grit, and the fourth line is an above average group (for the 4th line).
It was a shrewd move for JR.
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:43 — AN0NYM0USIt was a shrewd move for JR. Clearly he had his eyes on the short run: Cole will help to fill the RBC Center for the remaining home games, especially if we stay in the hunt 'till the end of the season. Williams was not going to be much help to us down the stretch. If we make the playoffs, great, but if we miss, he will save himself some bucks by unloading Williams. He then has time to decide on what to do with Erik and see who else might fit in to the future. The teams around us upgraded too--so it will be an interesting month ahead of us. Go Canes!
Great Move
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:30 — scomilOnce again, when Staal starts streaking down the ice, he won't be alone. Opposing defenses will once again have to watch out for Cole. So this is a move that certainly could help get us into the playoffs. This is also a great PR move in general to bring back Cole, assuming we sign him. I love Williams and hate to lose him, but we have gotten used to playing without him. Now we have Cole, Cullen, and Pitkanen - plus some young defensemen who are really starting to gel in Corvo, Babchuk and Gleason. We didn't really have to give up much to get this in place when it looked like it would have been impossible early last year. Nicely done JR.
To Quote a famous line
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:15 — esteban1949I'm Shocked, really Shocked, that and even if O'Sullivan was bashful, he still has better stats than Cole has...talk about a long shot type of gamble...whoa baby...
anybody know any good pre-season putt-putt deals ??
O'Sullivan has a few things
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:36 — CaniacforeverO'Sullivan has a few things working against him. For one, he's expensive for what he has shown thus far. Carolina isn't going to pay him a speculative $2.9 million for the next two years when they could invest that money into a more proven scorer. The Kings obviously anticipated O'Sullivan breaking out into a point per game scorer when they handed down that contract and their willingness to trade him for a forward who hasn't played a good hockey game in 15 months is indicative of their relative lack of faith that he'll ever reach those heights.
If you take a look at the kind of players that Carolina puts money into, they're the type of players that have done it before and can probably do it again. Everybody on our team that makes $3 million or more has at some point been a $3 million player in the NHL... bottom line. O'Sullivan has yet to accomplish that and thus he's been viewed as a risk.
Look at the Patrick Eaves situation. That was a speculative contract. Carolina thought they could lose a little up front on his contract and earn it on the back end when he was a 20-20 guy and so far it just hasn't worked out. You can't have a ton of those kind of contracts on the books when you're a small market team like Carolina. You need guys that you know can get it done. Like it or lump it, Erik Cole is one of those guys that we know can get it done.
Meanwhile, we vacate Justin Williams from the books when he has given us 9 goals for his $7 million in the past two seasons and potentially use that money to either secure Ruutu on a long term contract or keep Erik Cole or perhaps even both. I think it's worth noting that with all the back loaded contracts that JR handed out on the strength of the NHL on the whole and revenue sharing and all that it's going to be a tough couple of years to be a Hurricanes fan. Our payroll increases by about $3 million more a season next year without picking up a single player. The loss of Williams actually goes a long way towards offsetting that number and with Drayson Bowman and Zach Boychuk in the wings on ELCs we have potential replacements already in house due to some astute drafting. Is it fair to Justin Williams? Not really.... but we're a small market club with large market aspirations. These are sometimes the moves we have to make.
I also don't think I can stress enough the fact that O'Sullivan has a restraining order on his father but that likely wouldn't impede him from attending an NHL game or perhaps even all Hurricanes games for the remainder of O'Sullivan's time as a Hurricane should he have been one for longer than ten minutes. Talk about a built in distraction. It would be hard to look out every night into the 18,000+ without wondering if one of those faces wasn't your psychopathic father.
I agree with every thing you
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:14 — James_I agree with every thing you said Luke, and it really is a win-now move. I think Cole helps us more now, but less, if at all in the long run. O'Sullivan could have helped us now (maybe not as immediately as Cole), and long into the future.
Maybe JR read your article the other day about finances and how disastrous it would be to miss the playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes really may be doomed if they miss out again, so from that perspective, it was a good move. Williams wouldn't have helped this year anyway, we all know how he plays in games after returning from injuries.
It was a move that said don't worry about the future, the time is now.
Patrick O'Sullivan's father
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:05 — CaniacforeverPatrick O'Sullivan's father lives in North Carolina. If you know anything about the history of O'Sullivan and his father then you would likely know that the idea of playing 41 games in this state would be a bit unnerving for him.
If that's the case, I retract the point
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:31 — ldecock (author)I know he was back in Winston-Salem at some point but I didn't think he was still here. If he is, that would obviously be a consideration.
(For those unaware of O'Sullivan's story, Gare Joyce had an excellent story in ESPN The Magazine in 2003 and the CBC's Fifth Estate did a long piece on him as well.)
Just doing a brief search
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:41 — CaniacforeverJust doing a brief search online, which isn't always reliable of course, James Mirtle was quoted as saying that John O'Sullivan was still in the Winston-Salem area around February 2007 when the Kings made their first trip to the RBC with O'Sullivan as a member of the team. I remember it being a slight side story that O'Sullivan was asked about prior to the game, not by you guys or course, and how he would feel knowing his father was in the building. His answer was a bit combative, IIRC. Something to the effect of "If he buys a ticket he can sit where he wants".
Regardless, it seems that Patrick doesn't remember his time in Winston Salem with fond memories regardless of his father's current locale.
credit where credit is due
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 18:17 — ldecock (author)It was actually the Globe & Mail's Allan Maki who interviewed O'Sullivan for that story, two weeks before the Kings visited the RBC Center. James Mirtle mentioned it on his blog, but that's it.
Ah, my mistake. Thanks Luke.
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 18:48 — CaniacforeverAh, my mistake. Thanks Luke.
COLE'S RETURN
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 17:00 — CAWilliamsglad to see erik come back because he was quietly putting up some good numbers in edmonton. mad because friday was the first night i was going to wear my 3rd jersey with, you guessed it, williams on the back...
We now have hockey's version of Manny Ramirez
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 16:57 — xpukguyMr. "I'll Play For A Contract" is back. OK, big boy, show us what you're worth.
O'Sullivan was a keeper in more ways than one. But, for a team that doesn't have a clue about PR, I'm not surprised.
After all, our motto speaks volumes.
You really are an idiot...
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 21:10 — hockeyhickDoes your little name there, "xpukguy", does that "x" mean "ex", as in past tense? I hope so. I could never hear from you again and it would be too soon.
Manny Ramirez? Really? Let's have some fun and compare and contrast, shall we?
Manny Ramirez: Embellished a knee injury because he's a spoiled little bitch and wanted out of Boston.
Erik Cole: Returned before schedule from a broken FREAKIN' neck to help his team win a championship.
Manny Ramirez: Took a leak in the Green Monster
Erik Cole: I'm pretty sure he never dropped trou in the penalty box.
Manny Ramirez: Punched a team employee.
Erik Cole: Nope. Never punched a team employee.
I'll give you one similarity: Both guys helped their team win championships and DIDN'T re-sign for a "home-team discount". Yup-Cole and Manny and JUST ABOUT 99% OF ALL FREE AGENTS IN ALL SPORTS.
You're right, ex puke "guy": Cole IS hockey's Man Ram! We should've just kept O'Sullivan-the guy the Kings traded for a china doll on skates. The guy whose father may show up at the RBC and open fire with an AK some day. That would be GREAT PR. Would O'Sullivan's bobble-head doll have a black eye? Or a U.S. Marshall booble-head that goes along with it?
If you dislike this team so much, why not just STOP WATCHING, OR READING ARTICLES, OR POSTING YOUR BABBLE. Shutting up would help keep these message boards enjoyable for FANS and also keep you from looking like such a boob.
One more thing: please, DAZZLE us with your public relations brilliance, and give us YOUR Canes motto....
Wow.
Thu, 03/05/2009 - 09:25 — acidqueenJust because you're a fan of a team, that doesn't mean that you have to believe they can do no wrong--by the same token, it also doesn't mean that you have to believe they can do no right either. I have my issues with Hurricanes manglement and their constant nickel-and-dime BS, and I have issues with "fans" that do nothing but bash the team at every turn, but really; was there need for that?
yes it is needed
Sat, 03/07/2009 - 11:43 — hockeyhickSpeaking the truth is always the right thing to do. I have little tolerance for people who give an opinion on a subject they know nothing about. It's arrogant and stupid. This guy is a STH and I commend his financial support of our team. He is also entitled to his opinion. But so am I.
"Fans" like xpukguy drive me to drink! They think that because they shell out money for season tickets that they become General Managers and hockey experts. This dude knows nothing about sports, business, or the business of sports. If I offended him or you or anybody with my opinions-too bad. Get over it. Rub some dirt in it. Truth hurts. Don't read my posts.
Someone has a difference of opinion with me? Cool. Let's debate. But bring some knowledge with you-not just some unfounded whining.