Canes Country

Canes’ Top 20 Prospects

My latest offering over at Hockey’s Future, the team’s top 20 prospects, shows a team that’s slowly building up a nice pool of up-and-coming players. I had a hard time plugging a lot of the guys in an order that made sense. You could make solid arguments for Brandon Sutter, Drayson Bowman or Zach Boychuk as the team’s top prospect. And how do you factor in Chris Terry’s big season in Plymouth last year, the dropoff in Harrison Reed’s play, or Bobby Hughes’ injury woes?

We can — and surely will — disagree about who should go where, but in the end we should all agree: Carolina’s getting back on the right track with their future.

Canes Country Clash, Round Two - Central Division

Cory-

The top pick in the Central Division is a pretty easy one, but after that the team’s could wind up any which way and it wouldn’t be a surprise. Perhaps more than any division in the league, goaltending will determine where these teams wind up come playoff time. As it turns out, I have them finishing the same as last year.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings are the clear frontrunner. They bring back every key player except Dominik Hasek, who retired but lost his No. 1 job to Chris Osgood in the postseason anyway, and added the dynamic Marian Hossa to the mix for the season. That’s scary. Still, one has to question whether Osgood can hold up as the team’s top goalie all season, and backup Ty Conklin, while spectacular in relief for Pittsburgh last year, is prone to a mistake from time to time. The Wings still have Jimmy Howard as well, so there is a security net.

I’m going to stick my neck out here and say the neckless Barry Trotz will again perform his magic on the Predators. While likely losing Alexander Radulov to the Kontinental Hockey league is a huge blow, Nashville still has J-P Dumont and Jason Arnott to lead the charge up front. The Preds may also have the best collection of young d-men in the league, led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. But the key will be whether or not Dan Ellis can build on his surprising 2007-08 campaign and be a legitimate No. 1. With Chris Mason — and his big contract — shipped to division rival St. Louis, Ellis will have to carry the load. Rookie Pekka Rinne is the backup, and while he is highly regarded, it’s tough to expect him to carry Nashville to the postseason if Ellis falters.

The upstart Blackhawks are the talk of the league. They’re loaded with young stars, two starting goalies and new No. 1 blueliner Brian Campbell. Still, to me, something doesn’t feel right about this team. There’s top-end talent up front, but can we really expect 36 goals from Patrick Sharp again? Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will surely build on their rookie years, but questions about Martin Havlat’s glass body, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien’s upside, and Robert Lang’s 37-year-old legs make me pause. Campbell was overpaid, but he’ll be an asset on a blueline that includes some bright talents like Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker. Finally, it would seem like an asset to have to No. 1 goalies, but will Nikolai Khabibulin’s lame duck status become a distraction? And if he’s shipped out, can Cristobal Huet carry the torch on his own?

Columbus would be competing for second in the division if they had a center to go with Rick Nash. R.J. Umberger is a nice player, but he’s not a top-line center on a playoff contender. I like the grit and determination on the roster. Bringing back Mike Peca and adding Mike Commodore were smart moves. Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek (and maybe Nikita Filatov) could make a run at the Calder — and if they do, expect Columbus to finally turn the corner and really contend for a playoff spot. Like Ellis in Nashville, though, can one really count on Pascal Leclaire to carry a team to the playoffs? If they can make it, it might prove to be coach Ken Hitchcock’s best coaching job ever.

The Blues are going to bring back about the same team that saw them go 33-36-13 last year, and while the youngsters will be a year older, the veterans (Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk) will be, too. President of Hockey Operations John Davidson is committed to rebuilding, even if it means more bad seasons in St. Louis. The addition of Mason to back up Manny Legace is an upgrade (though a pricey one), and the future looks mighty bright, especially on defense with Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo in the fold. But the Blues are still a couple years away from competing in the Western Conference.

Bubba-

As Cory already said, I doubt anyone will pick against the Red Wings in this division. I think that Chris Osgood will show his age in net at some point, but when the defense allows fewer than 20 shots on goal game after game, just how great does the goalie really need to be? Hossa is a wonderful addition and the Wings will be an offensive dynamo when they need to be. Mike Babcock seems to be a serious bloke and should be able to keep everyone focused. Detroit will win the Central Division crown once again.

I see things a little bit differently than Cory does the rest of the way.

The Chicago Blackhawks only missed the playoffs by 3 points last year. Does anyone think that they won’t be better this year than they were last? The youngsters are a year older and wiser, they added Brian Campbell, and the goaltending should be solid, (even if Khabilbulin is sent packing). Martin Havlat will be joined by Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Andrew Ladd, Patrick Sharp, and Robert Lang up front. Even after Havlat gets injured, that’s still a handful. Campbell will have plenty of help on the blueline with Cam Barker, Brent Sopel, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith. Mark it down, the ‘Hawks are a playoff team.

I look for the Columbus Blue Jackets to finish third while making a solid run for the playoffs. Too bad they will come up just short. Pascal Leclaire proved to be a reliable netminder last season. He’ll need to repeat because his defense is unproven in front of him. Mike Commodore is a good man, but a number one pairing guy he is not. Christian Backman is also good, but will he be good enough to take on the opponents top players night after night? Rick Nash will have some help up front from vets Freddy Modin, RJ Umberger, Kristian Huselius, and Mike Peca. I like Raffi Torres as the energy guy. Ken Hitchcock is one of the top coaches in the league and should get the most out of this group. Again, the team doesn’t look like gangbusters on paper, but they should be solid and could surprise.

Speaking of Columbus, how did the Hurricanes let this guy go? Born in Charlotte and a co-captain for the Plymouth Whalers? This dude had Carolina Hurricanes written all over him.

In my opinion, St. Louis has four of the best defensemen in the entire league. The foursome of Jay McKee, Eric Brewer, Erik Johnson, and former Calder winner, Barret Jackman take a backseat to no other grouping. Combine those players with the tough duo of Chris Mason and Manny Legace in net, and the Blues should have a chance to win or tie almost every game. While Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya have seen better days, Andy McDonald, Dan Hinote, Lee Stempniak, and Brad Boyes are all solid players. Let’s not fool ourselves, these guys are long-shots to make the playoffs, but I think they are a notch above Nashville.

I’m picking Nashville to take a nose-dive and finish last in the division. Not only did they lose Radulov while getting nothing in return, the older guys (Arnott and Dumont) are a year older and a year slower. The Preds have some of the best young defensemen in the league in Suter, Hamhuis, and Weber, but where will the goals come from? Legwand and Erat are pretty good, but not in the same class as other forwards in the division. Will Dan Ellis be a one year wonder? It wouldn’t be the first time that a team traded away a vet, (Mason), to make room for a promising youngster, (Ellis), only to have said promising youngster disappoint.

Cory-

I see that Bubba has been sucked into the Blackhawks publicity vortex. I hope he doesn’t believe the hype surrounding the Lightning’s dreadful offseason, too. Don’t get me wrong, Chicago is an up-and-coming squad, but they’re third line isn’t going to scare anyone (Ladd - David Bolland - Craig Adams) and there are even questions marks on the second line. Lang is old, Havlat (like Bubba said) is always hurt. Who fills the void if these guys go down? I like the D, and they have two above-average guys in net, but forward depth and coaching (Denis Savard hasn’t proven anything yet) are issues.

I can see Columbus maybe getting into third, and agree they’re not quite a playoff team yet. I again look to center, though. What’s it going to take for GM Scott Howson to realize Rick Nash needs to be playing with an elite, puck-distributing pivot? And don’t count the Canes out of the Jared Boll running just yet — he is just 22!

I, too, like St. Louis’ blueline, but clearly not as much as you. Erik Johnson is a star-in-the-making, for sure. But Brewer has never played up to his enormous potential, Barrett Jackman’s injury woes are sure to crop again, and Jay McKee has been exposed as a good — not great — defensive defenseman. This is a defense with the potential to be really, really good. But there are too many factors that could easily derail it for my liking. Legace and Mason are OK goalie, but both would have a hard time starting elsewhere. Just look at their pasts.

So, all that on the table, I don’t see how you plop the Preds all the way at the bottom. Does losing Radulov hurt? Of course. But Arnott’s age (33) doesn’t concern me and Dumont (30) is still in his prime. Yes, the idea of riding Dan Ellis should worry Nashville fans. But if he can be the goalie he was last year, David Poile has a steal for this year and next at a cap hit of $1.75 million a year. In conclusion, I can prove Nashville will be OK without Radulov. There’ll be no one to knock Arnott out of a playoff series with a knee-crunching celebration without him.

Bubba-

“Blackhawks Publicity Vortex”? I didn’t know there was such a thing! These things I do know. The Hawks earned 88 points last year, just three behind the Preds and the elusive final playoff spot. They have Brian Campbell now. They added Huet. If they trade Khabibulin, they will get some other help in return. Their youngsters should be better with a year of experience under their belts. This team is better than last year’s team and is playoff bound, vortex or not! *L*

I think we pretty much agree on Columbus. It’s not a bad team, but not quite good enough.

Perhaps, I should take a step back from my strong words concerning the St. Louis blueline. They certainly won’t score many points, but I will stick to my guns about them being the top grouping of four, “defensive” defensemen out there. What’s wrong with Legace and Mason’s past? Legace has a lifetime GAA of 2.31 and save percentage of .914. Mason has a lifetime GAA of 2.61 and save percentage of .913. Two years ago he posted a SV% of .925 with Nashville. Not too shabby. This team will be tough to score on, period.

Last but not least, Nashville. As you mentioned in your first paragraph regarding Chicago, I just don’t have a good feeling about this team. I realize that I am predicting a big drop-off from previous years, but I’m guessing that these players will be fighting off-ice pressures as well as on-ice. Failing to advance in the playoffs, yet again, has to affect the mental state of this team. The defense is young and dynamic, no question, but the goaltending is unproven. The offense is questionable. I really think that St. Louis has a better team than these guys. The proof will be in the proverbial pudding.

Anyone else have an opinion?

Another Second Time Around - Jeff O’Neill in Town Early

Lord Stanley’s Blog reported that Jeff O’Neill joined a few other skaters at a pre-camp practice at the Rec Zone on Monday. Apparently, O’Neill has some new motivation helping him back on the ice. Not only was he just married in April, but he and his wife are expecting. If that doesn’t jack someone up to make the team, than nothing else will.

You have to give O’Neill credit for making it to Raleigh a full three weeks before training camp starts.  This camp looks like it will be very interesting.

In case anyone is interested in watching the boys skate, the Rec Zone has time scheduled for a “Canes Skate” every weekday morning from 10-12. Attendees so far have included Rod Brind’Amour, Jeff O’Neill, Cam Ward, Aaron Ward, the Battaglia brothers, Scott Walker, Chad LaRose, Nic Wallin, Dennis Seidenberg and others. The skates are open to the public.

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“Spector”, who not only runs his own site but also blogs for Fox Sports, recently put up an article about the Hurricanes. There is nothing really new or earthshaking there, but it’s a good and accurate portrayal of the Canes.

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I apologize about the lack of activity recently, but I am back in town now and will soon be back to work. Cory and I are currently working on the next Canes Country Clash - Round Two, and we will have that posted as soon as it is finished.

Happy Tuesday!

Goo Goo Dolls

Tanabe Update; Bowman & McCrae Head To Camp

Just a couple loose ends to tie up before the weekend.

Chip Alexander has a new blog entry on the David Tanabe situation. It looks like this one could go one for a while.

Also, Drayson Bowman, Justin McCrae and the Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs are getting ready to defend their title. There’s some funny Bowman stuff in here concerning his new car payment in this Spokane camp preview.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Canes Fans Among The Worst? Apparently, From 1,200 Miles Away

Some guy in Minnesota has taken it upon himself to list the best and worst fans in the league. His criteria are:

“1. Attendance average for last 3 seasons, 2. Observations of fan activity during games, 3. Observations of fan activity on message boards and blogs. Each component will be graded on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being outstanding or perfect and 0 being very poor. A portion of this grade will take into account the team’s average finish during that span of time.”

Based on his blurbs on each team, his fan observation is based on what he sees on TV. Way to really tackle the subject. Anyway, the Canes made his first entry, the “21-30″ list, at No. 25. I guess relocating franchises doesn’t get factored in if you live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

I’ll let him wrap it up, so you can all could a look at what a solid grip he has on the Canes:

“As the team’s beat writer Luke DeCock would probably say, if they win the fans will come.”

Contraction Talk - Stupid is as Stupid Does

Some yahoo over at Yahoo seems to have a bit of an infatuation with contraction.

The controversy started when the NHL editor for Yahoo Sports, Ross McKeon suggested to contract the entire Southeast Division, as well as Nashville in his “5 ways to change the NHL” contribution at the Puck Daddy blog. At the time, I just thought that it was a lame attempt at some “tongue in cheek” humor, and I disregarded it.

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis didn’t find it humorous. He ripped apart McKeon in his blog and carried on with numerous reasons why contraction would never happen, and why it was a bad idea. End of story, right? Wrong.

McKeon came back yet again with another article, which attempted to make his original nonsense, less nonsensical. It didn’t work. After admitting that there was no way in the world that the NHL would contract, (no duh), he went on giving his brilliant reasoning why it still made sense. Sorry McKeon, but your logic is unsound. There is no guarantee that the product would be any better on the ice with fewer players and fewer teams, and the chance that it might be is not worth facing the countless negative aspects of contraction. Aspects, which you don’t even bother to address.

Here are a couple of facts McKeon might not be aware of. The world’s population is growing every minute of every day. Out of this growing population, more and more people are playing hockey and they are faster, stronger, and more skilled than ever before. This isn’t the 70’s anymore.

Puck Daddy editor, Greg Wyshynski made an attempt at damage control a bit later, posting an article stating that he did not believe in contraction, but he disagreed with some of Leonsis’ arguments. Then he went on to give his opinion about the hockey market in Washington. (good stuff)

Wyshynski might be better served to put a gag order on his boss and keep him from posting anymore absurdity on the blog. McKeon isn’t funny, he’s not the best of writers, and his subject matter just seems dumb. The yahoo’s time would be better served cropping off headshots of Gary Bettman and pasting them on the bodies of the 100 plus NHL players whose jobs he wants to eliminate.

(Bubba’s attempt at “tongue in cheek” humor)

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I recently posted a new article over on The Hockey News blog. It goes into a bit of detail about ticket pricing around the league, while examining who has the least expensive tickets.

(spoiler) Next time a Buffalo fan brags to you about how many times the HSBC has sold out, ask them why they have the cheapest tickets in the league.

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I’m going out of town for a long weekend. While I plan to have my laptop so that I can check in from time to time, Cory will be looking for and reporting any breaking news. (if there is any)

TGIF!

Under-The-Radar Rookies To Watch

Everyone knows some of the big names that will battle it out for next season’s Calder Trophy: the Kyles (Turris and Okposo), the Jackets (Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek) and the top picks (Steve Stamkos and Drew Doughty) to name just a few. But I thought I’d look beyond all the obvious choices and throw out a guy from each team that could burst on the scene — heck, maybe one could even steal the Calder away from the big names. I thought this would be fun to do before camp gets underway so I’m not tipped off as to who’s impressing. Here goes:

Anaheim: Everyone knows about Bobby Ryan, but how about d-man Brian Salcido? He had 11 goals and 42 assists last year for Portland in the AHL and is just a trade (Mathieu Schneiders! Get your Mathieu Schneiders here!) or an injury or two away from denting the Ducks’ blueline rotation.

Atlanta: Kari Lehtonen continues to perplex the Thrashers and their fans with his injuries and inconsistent play. If he went down, could Ondrej Pavelec wrestle the No. 1 job from Johan Hedberg … and even Lehtonen?

Boston: Let’s look at goal again here. Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez will each be 34 by the time the season starts. Not ancient by any means, but future No. 1 Tukka Rask (remember the Leafs gave up this guy for the recently bought out Andrew Raycroft … yeesh!) is not that far away.

Buffalo: Is it possible that a 5-foot-5 guy can make it and thrive in the NHL? Hobey Baker finalist Nathan Gerbe thinks you should be a believer.

Calgary: Brandon Prust likely won’t win any awards this season, but the feisty forward could emerge as a top-level agitator.

Carolina: Brandon Sutter is all the talk in Raleigh, but can last year’s eye-opening rookie defenseman Casey Borer return from a knee injury and find a spot in Carolina’s top six? It will probably take a couple injuries for him to get his chance.

Chicago: There were plenty of rookies worth talking about in the Windy City last season. One guy to watch out for this year is Finnish netminder Antii Niemi. If the Hawks ship out Nikolai Khabibulin, don’t be surprised if Niemi jumps ahead of Corey Crawford for the rights to back up Cristobal Huet.

Colorado: Big forward Chris Stewart potted 25 goals in his first full AHL season last year. If Joe Sakic decides to retire, the Avs could very well commit to a youth movement, and Stewart could be a beneficiary.

Columbus: There are a few guys here who could make a run at the Calder (Brassard, Voracek, Nikita Filatov) and not a lot beyond that. But how about defenseman Aaron Rome? After being acquired from Anaheim last season, the 25-year-old Rome got into 17 games with the Blue Jackets and managed a goal and an assist with a minus-4 plus/minus rating.

Dallas: The Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes got so much ink last year, he should change his name to Fabio. But there’s another left winger that could make as much of an impact for the Stars this year — James Neal. Neal is already being compared to captain Brenden Morrow because of his toughness, ability to score and leadership qualities.

Detroit: The Wings have made a habit of unearthing Swedish players and turning them into stars (see Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzén, ect., ect., ect.). This time they’ve looked east of Sweden and brought in one of the top point producers from the Finnish League in Ville Leino. His ability to adapt to the North American game will determine if he can crack the Wings’ roster.

Edmonton: Is this (finally) the year super-skilled Rob Schremp makes it to the NHL? If not, a change of scenery might be in order.

Florida: Shawn Mattias and Michael Frolik could both wind up in Florida at some point this year, and all signs point to them both becoming good, if not great, NHLers. None of that would be a surprise. But 2005 first-rounder Kenndal McArdle hasn’t yet lived up to his draft position. Perhaps this is the year he puts it all together.

Los Angeles: Every direction you turn, there’s a youngster playing in L.A. I hope everyone doesn’t overlook monstrous center Brian Boyle. You aren’t going to find too many players who are bigger than Boyle — and even fewer at that size with his skill.

Minnesota: Many are wondering if Benoit Pouliot will finally live up his billing as the fourth overall pick in 2005, or if goalie Josh Harding can push Niklas Backstrom in net. But I think there might be a place for tough, stay-at-home defenseman Clayton Stoner in Minnesota. Plus, imagine the jersey sales.

Montreal: I don’t think Jaroslav Halak has any chance of unseating Carey Price in goal, and the forward and defense are pretty much set. But if there’s one guy I could see bulling his way into the Montreal lineup, it’s Max Pacioretty. The 19-year-old was a man among boys at the University of Michigan last year, and it won’t be long before he’s a dominant power forward for the Habs.

Nashville: It seems Nashville has come to grips with the departure of Alexander Radulov and they’re leaning toward filling the hole left by him with a young player, rather than one of the big names left on the market. It could be Ryan Jones or Antii Pihlstrom, but my money’s on Swedish import Patric Hornqvist.

New Jersey: The Devils’ forward lines are pretty set, but maybe Finnish blueliner Anssi Salmela can provide some offense to an average-at-best defense. Salmela will need to overcome a knee injury suffered at New Jersey’s prospect camp and make up for lost time by quickly impressing the Devils’ coaches.

New York Islanders: Everyone’s talking Okposo on Long Island — well, those that haven’t given up on the season already, anyway. But did the Isles know something that the rest of the NHL didn’t know when they moved down a couple times in the draft and took Josh Bailey? Charles Wang & The Garth Snow Five (or however many people make decisions there now … I don’t know, but that sounds like a good band name) certainly don’t do things by the book, so maybe there’s a spot for Bailey if he impresses at camp.

New York Rangers: The fourth-line has some openings, and with the way Tom Renney mixes and matches talent, someone starting off on the fourth-line could wind up a top-line guy. Lauri Korpikoski had 50 points for Hartford last year and seems to be a frontrunner for a job in the Big Apple. With questionable skill at left wing, Korpikoski could earn more minutes with solid play.

Ottawa: Alexander Nikulin is the forgotten Russian from the 2004 draft. Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Radulov have all gone on to stardom in the NHL. Don’t expect a boatload of goals out of Nikulin, but he could provide key defensive play for the Sens at wing or center.

Philadelphia: Ryan Parent should earn a full-time job in Philly this year, so any his success he has should be expected. If there’s one weakness on the Flyers, it’s at right wing — and it could get worse if Mike Knuble becomes a cap casualty. Claude Giroux would be a cheap replacement and could surprise a lot of people.

Phoenix: Like Columbus, Phoenix’s crop of rookies could be battle each other for the Calder, a la Toews-Kane from last year. One who might fly under the radar is last year’s Hobey Baker winner, Kevin Porter. Porter is a born leader and does all the right things at both ends of the ice. Don’t count out fellow ‘Yotes prospect — and Porter’s Michigan linemate — Chad Kolarik either.

Pittsburgh: With Ryan Whitney hurt, Alex Goligoski is a lock to make noise with the Pens this year. But a guy who might earn a spot and make an impact is agitator Ryan Stone. Don’t know him? Maybe this will refresh your memory: he was the Wilkes-Barre forward whose open-ice hit on Noah Babin left the Canes prospect with multiple facial fractures. With Jarkko Ruutu gone, Stone may be able to fill that role.

San Jose: For whatever reason, GM Doug Wilson has been telling everyone who will listen that his goalie tandem is the best in the league. Evgeni Nabokov as your starter … check. Brain Boucher as your backup … yech. I could totally see German Thomas Greiss taking that No. 2 job away from Boucher.

St. Louis: Last year it was David Perron earning a job with Blues and scoring 13 goals as a rookie. Patrick Berglund is expected to step right in this year and maybe center the second line, and big things are expected. So that’s keeping the arrival of T.J. Oshie in the shadows. Oshie should earn a job in the top nine.

Tampa Bay: I’m going to say that the Lightning’s D is so bad that Zdeno Chara clone Vladmir Mihalik makes his way to the Bay. At 6-foot-7 and 222 pounds, the Slovakian rearguard certainly reminds one of the Bruins captain, but don’t expect Norris-worthy play any time soon.

Toronto: Nikolai Kulemin has been promised a spot with the Leafs this year and should make an impact. That makes it easy to look past fellow skilled left winger Robbie Earl. As long as he’s fully recovered from a late-season groin injury, Earl could crack the Leafs’ roster.

Vancouver: While his impact may not be felt with the Canucks because of the presence of Roberto Luongo, don’t be surprised if goalie Corey Schneider’s name is in headlines in some NHL city this year. Schneider is Vancouver’s best bargaining chip, and after a strong second half last season, he could be NHL-ready option in net for a team in need.

Washington: Left winger Chris Bourque is only 5-foot-8, but he certainly has the bloodlines many NHL teams crave. As the son of five-time Norris Trophy winner Raymond, the younger Bourque has overcome his size limitations and become a scorer at the AHL level. His next step is to make an impact in the nation’s capital.

Know of another incoming NHLer that might surprise this year? Let us know!

Single Tickets on Sale 9/21 During Caniac Carnival

More than a few people have been asking when they can start buying single game tickets. The Hurricanes just sent out a press release announcing that they will be on sale in conjunction with the Caniac Carnival, on Sepember 21st. You may buy tickets for games in the first two months of the season which include the contest against Detroit as well as Erik Cole’s homecoming game against Edmonton. Here’s a bit more information from the presser-

Tickets for Carolina’s home games after November will go on sale the first business day of the previous month: Nov. 1 for December games, Dec. 1 for January games, Jan. 2 for February games. On Feb. 2, tickets for the remaining games in March and April will be available. Individual-game tickets for Hurricanes games can be purchased at the Time Warner Cable Box Office at the RBC Center, all TicketMaster locations, by calling 919-834-4000 or via www.CarolinaHurricanes.com.

Tickets for the three home pre-season games will go on sale September 8th. Good luck!

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Just when I called the New York Islanders the most creative franchise in the NHL, the Hurricanes sales staff had to go to the drawing board and come up with something original of their own. Today they announced a new “early bird” program for group ticket sales. It seems that for every ticket your group buys for a particular game, you get two free tickets for another designated game in the future. They are calling the idea, “Three games for the price of one”. You need to purchase a minimum of 20 tickets for the first game in order to qualify.

They are throwing in an autographed stick and other benefits to boot.

For more info, check out this link.

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I also want to let readers know about a cool new blog up on WRAL.com. Remember Matt Gellatly, the first Raleigh native to be drafted in the OHL? The 17 year-old is now in Saginaw attending try-outs and WRAL had the foresight to ask him to blog for them. We all know how tough it is for players to update a blog regularly because I doubt they realize how much time it takes, but we wish Matt the best of luck and will be watching for updates.

Canes Get Kudos On Draft

Mark Seidel, the chief scout for North American Central Scouting, gave the Hurricanes an A- in his Hockey News blog. Los Angeles and the Islanders received an A+; Atlanta, St. Louis, the Rangers and Phoenix received A’s; and Florida, like Carolina, got an A-. 

Seidel applauded the amount of skill Carolina drafted, but thinks they’ll need to supplement it with size down the line. He also thinks the Canes may have found a steal with unorthodox, but effective, netminder Mike Murphy.

Quick Look Around - Justin Peters Interviewed by Rats

The River Rats media people have done a very nice job of interviewing team members during this offseason. This week their subject was goalie Justin Peters. The youngster started off in Albany last year, only to be sent to Florida to play for the Everblades shortly afterwards. Instead of sulking and feeling sorry for himself, Peters played very well for the ECHL squad and earned himself the opportunity to fight for the starting job in Albany once again.

A couple of interview highlights-

Peters apparently scored a goal once in his juniors career while playing in net. He prides himself on being a good stickhandler. He’s also been seeing a sports psychologist and feels much stronger mentally than he has the past couple of seasons.

Chip Alexander had a couple of brief entries over at Lord Stanley’s Blog today. First off, apparently, Jim Rutherford confirmed that Zac Dalpe is indeed going to Ohio State this year. There had been some speculation that he might end up playing for the Canes unofficial junior affiliate, the Plymouth Whalers, but it seems like the contract terms offered by Rutherford were not good enough to sway Dalpe away from college life. (Rutherford did mention offering him a contract)

The forward’s overall development would probably be better served in Plymouth because he would playing more games during the season there. But the most important thing is the youngster’s happiness. If he’s happy going to OSU, then we wish him the best. He’ll have plenty of time to play more games in the future.

Finally, for those of you wanting to update your schedules, take note that there was a change in the starting time of the game against the Leafs, on January 15th. It will be moved back until 7:30 to accomodate a Canadian broadcast.

Ciao.

Canes Country Clash, Round One - Pacific Division Results

Cory and I were thinking that since there were two of us writing now, perhaps it would be fun to occasionally have a debate, or a “point/counterpoint” feature for the blog. We decided to start this new feature off by speculating how each team in the league will finish in their respective divisions. The plan is to have one of these features each week.

While the rest of the NHL seems to be at a stand-still waiting on that svelte Swede, Mats Sundin to make a decision, we aren’t going to wait around for him to sign a contract before we make bold predictions. (But we reserve the right to change our minds after he signs somewhere.)

Let’s begin with the Pacific Division-

Bubba-

For the past few years, the top teams have been Dallas, San Jose, and Anaheim. Nothing really has happened during the offseason to make me think that any those teams won’t dominate again this year. The hardest part is deciding which of the three will win the division. My pick is Anaheim.

The team is loaded on offense and defense plus has a proven vet in goal. Corey Perry quietly scored 29 goals in just 70 games last year and is now a year older and wiser. Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Kunitz are horses. The addition of Brendan Morrison is a nice bonus, while the deduction of Bertuzzi is addition by subtraction. They will have the services of Scott Niedermayer from the beginning of the year this time around, which can’t hurt. They also have one of the top coaches in the league with Randy Carlyle. There are still some unresolved issues regarding the possible trading of Mathieu Schneider and re-signing of Teemu Selanne, but Brian Burke will have the Ducks loaded for bear come October.

San Jose should come in second, but in my mind they have more questions than answers at this point. They fired Ron Wilson and brought in Todd McLellan. Will that help or hurt? Brian Campbell is gone and Dan Boyle and Rob Blake are in his stead. Boyle is no Campbell and Blake is past his prime. How much does Blake have left in the tank? Patrick Marleau is talented but is questionable as a captain in my book. (I haven’t forgotten about him jumping out of the way of a scoring puck in the playoffs.) Maybe if he decides to start blocking a few shots, this team can move on in the playoffs? I can’t help but feel that as long as he is wearing the “C”, it’s close but no cigar for this bunch.

Dallas has a very good team and was able to build up some momentum in the playoffs last year. Will they be able to capitalize? Brad Richards is huge for these guys as is Brendan Morrow. But Mike Modano keeps getting older. The addition of Sean Avery is interesting, but he isn’t going to win any championships by sucker punching opponents and baiting goalies. Dallas comes in third.

Phoenix looks like they will be fun to watch this year and could be a sleeper team. They are loaded with young talent and have a big Russian body in goal, 6′3 Ilya Bryzgalov who can steal some games all by himself. Derek Morris and Eddie “Jovocop” Jovanovski are among the blueliners and Olli Jokinen is a talented player who can score goals. I look for Kyle Turris and Peter Mueller to have huge years. Will they be good enough to carry the Coyotes to the playoffs? I wouldn’t bet on it.

What can you say about Los Angeles other than huh?? They confused the heck out of me at the draft. For a team that already had a young superstar defenseman in Jack Johnson, they kept right on drafting more defensemen, one right after another. After choosing the best blueliner in the draft, Drew Doughty, they picked another bluechipper with their next pick Colton Teubert. And with their third pick, what did they do? You guessed it, they selected yet another defenseman, Viatcheslav Voynov. How many young defensemen does one team need? Then they traded their best defenseman, Lubomir Visnovski to Edmonton for two role players, Matt Greene and Jarret Stoll. I guess it’s no secret what they are doing, they’re getting into position for the Johnny Tavares sweepstakes. Someone should tell them that Tavares is not a defenseman.

Cory-

Quick Hits for Monday Afternoon

Just a couple of quickies….

The NY Islanders have come out with an interesting new concept. They are marketing a package of games called the “Victory Plan” where they offer free tickets to subsequent games if the Islanders win the first game played of a set. For instance, the first game of the selected four game set is against the Penguins on November 26th. If the Islanders win that game, they will give free tickets to the Washington game on December 16th.

The other possible free games include contests against the Bruins, Kings, and Montreal. (Didn’t the Islanders brass get the memo about how popular mid-week games are against the storied Habs?) Take note that all possible free games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Puck Daddy has his take here, while James Mirtle weighs in on his site as well. At least fans will have a vested interest in cheering loudly at those games! You have the give the Islanders some credit. They seem to be the most creative franchise in the league right now. Hopefully, that will eventually translate to more tickets sold.

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Lord Eklund has his latest flurry of trade rumors posted and one of them has Justin Williams going to Vancouver for Kevin Bieska and other players to be named later. This rumor might have had legs a month or so ago, before Erik Cole was traded for Joni Pitkanen. But there is no way that the Canes will want to part with another 30 goal scorer for yet another defenseman. Even if they threw Frank Kaberle in the deal, that would still give them eight defensemen under contract, not counting Casey Borer who could sneak into the mix as well. It also doesn’t solve the budget problem. The idea makes no sense to me.

Mark that one up as regurgitated garbage, in my opinion.

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Finally, Chad LaRose got some Puck Daddy love today.  Of course, it’s hard to tell whether Greg Wyshynski is making fun of him or praising him, but any publicity is good publicity.  Word of warning for those who might not be aware, don’t rile up the “Chuck Norris of Hockey”.

Good advice from Puck Daddy, though.  Better keep LaRose off the ice while Katherine Fritsch sings the anthem!

(PS- Thanks Greg, for the multiple links back to Canes Country in the article)

Katherine Fritsch Re-ups as Anthem Singer

The Carolina Hurricanes will bring back young phenom, Katherine Fritsch, as their primary “National Anthem” singer for this coming season. “KK” did an excellent job for the Canes last year after taking over for ex-Storm Squad member, Holly Wilver, the previous season. There are several superb singers who have connections with the Hurricanes, so the selection of Katherine is a testament to the confidence that they have in the youngster.

The Canes Country Blog has been following some of Katherine’s “career” since she first came on the scene with the Hurricanes, back in the 2006-07 season. For more information about some of her success stories since then, check out this page as well as this one.

I was also informed that Katherine will be singing the anthem before the Carolina Panthers game this Saturday night, (August 23rd,) against the Washington Redskins at the Bank of American Stadium. Good luck “KK”, we’ll be watching.

Hurricanes Beat Writer to Change Positions

It was announced tonight that Luke DeCock will be stepping into a new role and will no longer be covering the Carolina Hurricanes on a full-time basis. DeCock has been the Canes beat writer since the fall of 2000. He posted an article in Lord Stanley’s Blog this evening saying that he will now be a general sports columnist. Chip Alexander will be taking over the Hurricanes blog on the News and Observer, as well as taking over Luke’s old duties covering the Hurricanes.

DeCock has always been the ultimate professional while covering the Canes and did a tremendous job. Fans will certainly miss him. On a personal level, I thank him again for doing a very interesting interview for the Canes Country Blog last year.

I’m sure that the writer will still have plenty to say about the Canes, even as a columnist, but his expertise reporting the daily happenings of the team will be difficult to replace.

Best of luck to Chip Alexander!

Best And Worst Moves Of The Offseason

With all the vacant coaching positions filled, the draft over and the free agent market pretty well dried up — except for a few big names like Sakic, Shanahan and the Swede (I’m so sick of seeing his name, I can’t even bear to write it), it seems like a good time to look around the NHL and see the moves that will benefit and hinder each team for this season and beyond. We’ll go from A to, well, W and analyze each team’s best and worst. Here goes:

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Best move: There wasn’t much to get excited about this offseason in Anaheim, with the cap troubles, uncertain future of Teemu Selanne and disappointment of an early playoff exit. But the one move that may pay dividends is the signing of Brendan Morrison. When healthy (and he was an iron horse most seasons with the exception of last year), Morrison is good for at least 50 points and perhaps more if grouped with the right linemates. For one year and $2.75 million, he’s well worth the risk

Worst move: Let me start by saying that I like, even love, Corey Perry’s game. But to give a guy who scored 29 goals (only 18 at even strength) more than $5.5 million a year for five years is a bit much. Luckily, Brian Burke can just blame Kevin Lowe’s offer sheets last offseason for the deal.

ATLANTA THRASHERS

Best move: Another city where there’s not much to be excited about. While the drafting of stud d-man Zach Bogosian is a big plus, it wasn’t exactly a tough move to make. The only debate is whether the Thrashers should’ve taken Alex Pietrangelo instead, and most think you couldn’t go wrong with either. For me, the smartest move was signing ex-Blackhawks center Jason Williams. Williams was near a point-per-game pace last year before injuries derailed his season, and at $2.2 million for one season, it’s a low-risk, high-reward move by Don Waddell. The only question is whether Williams can produce surrounded by less talent on the Thrashers’ second line.

Worst move: Easy. Giving Ron Hainsey $4.5 million a year for five seasons was desperation at its best. Hainsey’s a serviceable blueliner, but to expect him to be a No. 2 or No. 3 d-man on a team thin with talent is not a recipe for success. Hainsey had the same role in Columbus, and we see how far the Jackets have gone the past few seasons.

BOSTON BRUINS

Best move: While no one knows for sure what Blake Wheeler will turn in to, getting the fifth overall pick by the Coyotes in 2004 for nothing has to go in the “win” box for the Bruins.

Worst move: I think Michael Ryder will have a bounce-back year, especially with him being reunited with Claude Julien. But $12 million over three years for a guy who watched a lot of Montreal’s season from the press box or end of the bench last year is just too much.

BUFFALO SABRES

Best move: Personally, I don’t consider Ryan Miller an elite NHL goalie. Good and above average? Definitely, but in my opinion he’ll never compete for a Vezina. But from a public relations standpoint alone, Buffalo had to get Miller tied down. At $6.25 million a year for four seasons (kicking in next year), the Sabres did that and squashed the “Miller wants to play back home in Detroit” rumors. Canes fans should keep an eye on this deal because with a good season, Cam Ward is likely to get a similar one.

Worst move: Patrick Lalime may have redeemed himself some last season in Chicago, but his save percentage was still not in the .900s and his goals against hovered near three a game. Giving him $1 million a year for two seasons is OK, but if the Sabres are in the playoff hunt and Miller goes down, can Lalime lead them?

CALGARY FLAMES

Best move: This one was tough for me because I personally didn’t like a lot of Calgary’s moves this offseason. But by trading away Alex Tanguay and getting Mike Cammalleri, the Flames saved cap space and got almost the same kind of talent. Cammalleri could have a big year with better teammates. 

Worst move: There are quite a few I don’t like (the length of Langkow’s deal and handing the backup reins to unproven Curtis McElhinney, to name a couple), but the one that sticks out is giving up a second round pick for Rene Bourque. Bourque, with 33 career NHL goals, is an OK player and decent penalty killer, but it may be asking too much for him to possibly be the team’s second line left wing.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Best move: In a summer of crazy spending, GM Jim Rutherford did the smart thing and focused on getting his own players signed to reasonable deals. Getting Tim Gleason locked up for four years at just $11 million and having the newly acquired Joni Pitkanen at $4 million a year for three seasons were both great signings given the out-of-control market. Another plus: resisting the urge to take Jared Staal with their second pick and choosing a possible steal in Zac Dalpe.

Worst move: While getting Pitkanen signed was great, dealing Erik Cole to get him may come back to bite the Canes. No one can question why the deal was made: the team needed more defense, had enough forwards, and Cole, in the final year of his deal, was set for a big payday next summer. But to lose a player many considered a catalyst for the entire offense and a fan favorite puts pressure on Pitkanen right out of the gate.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Best move: This is an easy one. Landing the Winter Classic in Wrigley Field is a slam dunk for Chicago sports. In one year, the Blackhawks have gone from laughingstock to trend-setters. 

Worst move: GM Dave Tallon admitted he overpaid ($35.5 million over five years) to get defenseman Brian Campbell so the team could make a splash. There’s no denying there’s a buzz around Blackhawks hockey this offseason, but one has to wonder if Tallon set himself up for a fall by giving Campbell so much money, especially with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane inching toward their second deals.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

Best move: Say what you want about Darcy Tucker, but getting him for two years at a total of $4.5 million could prove to be a coup for the Avs. At his best, Tucker’s a 20-plus goal scorer and agitator that will take some pressure off Colorado’s big guns like Ryan Smyth, Paul Stastny and (maybe) Joe Sakic.

Worst move: Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have paid Jose Theodore $9 million over two seasons either, but having a combo of Peter Budaj and Andrew Raycroft in net doesn’t look promising. If things start to really go downhill in Denver, don’t be surprised if the Avs make a move for a young, up-and-coming goaltender (Cory Schneider anyone?).

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Best move: Nikolai Zherdev oozes talent, but getting him out of Columbus is addition by subtraction for the Jackets. Ken Hitchcock is a no-nonsense coach, and I’m sure GM Scott Howson got input from Hitch before dealing the Russian sniper. In doing so, Howson also dealt  Dan Fritsche to the Rangers, but got back two blueliners in Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. 

Worst move: The worst move wasn’t acquiring R.J. Umberger from Philadelphia, but the fact that Rick Nash will play another season without a proven pivot. The Jackets’ only hope is that Derrick Brassard is up to the task sooner rather than later.

DALLAS STARS

Best move: Since the signing of Fabian Brunnstrom officially happened last season, I have to go with Sean Avery as the team’s top move. Say what you want about Avery, but when he suited up for the Rangers, the Blueshirts won. Co-GM Brett Hull knows Avery well from their time together in Detroit, so the $15.5 million over four years should be money well spent by the Stars.

Worst move: Johan Holmqvist, a piece in the Brad Richard-for-Mike Smith deal, left North America to play in the SEL this offseason. That leaves *drumroll* Tobias Stephan as Marty Turco’s backup. Swiss goalies (Martin Gerber and Jonas Hiller, to name a couple) have fared well in the NHL in recent years, but for a team with Cup aspirations, an upgrade will likely be needed.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Best move: Signing Marian Hossa to a one-year Cup-quest deal was a brilliant move by the Wings’ management. A line of Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hossa could very well be unstoppable.

Worst move: Getting Ty Conklin was a decent move in my opinion, but passing over Jimmy Howard again has got to have Detroit’s goaltender-of-the-future (for what seems like 10 years running) somewhat frustrated. Still, GM Ken Holland & Co. got Howard to re-sign through 2010-11.

EDMONTON OILERS

Best move: Then-GM Kevin Lowe acquired Lubomir Visnovsky from L.A., making the Joni Pitkanen-for-Erik Cole deal possible. But Lowe’s best moves this offseason were trades that infused more youth into Edmonton’s forward ranks. Getting Ryan Potulny from Philly for Danny Syvret and Gilbert Brule from Columbus for Raffi Torres were moves that will help the Oilers down the road.

Worst move: Right after the season ended, Lowe gave rearguard Tom Gilbert $21 million over five years. Gilbert had a fine season last year, but … well … eek!

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Best move: Olli Jokinen had to go, and getting Keith Ballard in a package for him could pay out huge for the Panthers. Ballard isn’t going to win the Norris — I think — but he’s a reliable d-man who could very well one day wear the “C” in Florida. Also, a tip of the cap for stealing goalie Jacob Markstrom at 31st overall at the draft.

Worst move: It pains me to say it, but giving Cory Stillman more than $10 million over three seasons is going to backfire. It’s not that Stillman won’t produce or turn in value for his money, but Florida now has the issue of breaking up their best line last year (David Booth-Stephen Weiss-Nathan Horton) and putting Booth on the second line with lesser talent, or keeping the line together and having Stillman toil with players who won’t cash in on his creativity. The only way this works is if Shawn Mattias is ready to be any every-day No. 2 center and Richard Zednik can bounce back from his horrific injury. Two big ifs.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Best move: Steve Stamkos was the consensus top pick in this year’s draft, but who deserved to go second was up for debate. In taking Drew Doughty second overall, not only do I think the Kings picked the right guy, but I think they got the best player in the entire draft (yes, better than Stamkos).

Worst move: The worst thing the Kings did was fly the white flag on this season. Without a doubt, the Kings are the frontrunner to have the league’s worst record. While GM Dean Lombardi is showing patience and brilliance in the way he’s building the Kings (much like he did in San Jose), it’s the fans who will suffer through the growing pains. The departure of Rob Blake is just another twist of the knife.

MINNESOTA WILD

Best move: Andrew Brunette is not a replacement for the guys exiting Minnesota, but bringing him back to the Wild on a three-year deal for a total of just $7 million is one of the summer’s best values. Brunette is always healthy and puts up points, two things the Wild need.

Worst move: Let me direct this straight to GM Doug Riseborough: Why — WHY?! — did you let Brian Rolston get away? Rolston will earn more than $5 million a year for the next four years in New Jersey, but given that he was among the NHL’s best values the past three seasons for the Wild, Rolston deserved — and wanted — to stay in Minnesota.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Best move: Getting Alex Tanguay from Calgary will be a boon for GM Bob Gainey and the Habs. Tanguay is among the league’s best assist men and will even pot 20-something goals most seasons. He’s a proven playoff performer (from his days in Colorado) on a team with Cup dreams.

Worst move: At what point will teams realize Georges Laraque is simply an enforcer who will never see ice time in the playoffs? Giving him a three-year, $4.5 million deal is money not well spent (but don’t tell him I said so).

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Best move: This a combo. By getting last year’s starter Dan Ellis signed for a bargain-basement deal of $3.5 million total over two years and dumping Chris Mason’s contract on St. Louis (and getting a fourth-round pick in return), GM Dave Poile freed up cap space and made room for Pekka Rinne to back up Ellis. Despite all the turmoil surrounding the Preds, the goalie moves (and a few subtle, but shrewd, trades) were smart transactions.

Worst move: It’s hard to know if the Preds could do have done anything, but clearly Alexander Radulov wasn’t happy in Nashville, and if he’s green-lighted to leave for the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League back home in Russia, it leaves a gigantic hole in the Predators’ attack.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Best move: New Jersey may have lost many mainstays in recent years, but GM Lou Lamoriello redeemed himself this offseason by bringing back ex-Devils Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik. They could bring the moxie the Devils have lacked in recent postseasons.

Worst move: While adding Rolston and Holik solidified the forward corps, Lamoriello didn’t do much on the back end. Bryce Salvador was re-signed for fair money, and Paul Martin continues to improve, but this isn’t the same Devils’ D that won multiple Cups. First and foremost, Colin White needs to be healthy and anchor this group.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Best move: Time will tell if this will work, but hiring Scott Gordon over coaching carousel applicants Paul Maurice and Bob Hartley is at least an encouraging move. The Isles once gave Peter Laviolette a shot, and he turned into a Stanley Cup-winning coach — unfortunately for the Islanders, it was with Carolina. 

Worst move: There’s plenty to discuss here: signing Mark Streit for too much and too long; adding Doug Weight (for reasonable money, I’ll admit) to a youth movement; and scaring off decent backup Wade Dubielewicz. But the worst was the departure of Ted Nolan. Who knows what went on behind the scenes (a running theme with Nolan), but at least he was a draw on a team with few draws.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Best move: While I’m sure some are sad to see them go, it was time for the Rangers to move past the Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan years and give ownership of the team Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. If Shanahan (who is still on the market) does come back, hopefully he can step back and let Gomez and Drury run the team.

Worst move: I don’t think Wade Redden is done — remember, it was just two years ago that Ottawa decided he was better to hold on to than Zdeno Chara — but $6.5 million a year for five seasons is as short-sighted and foolish as moves come.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Best move: Ottawa needed more grit and got it with the signings of Jarkko Ruutu and Jason Smith, and both at reasonable prices ($3.9 million over three seasons and $5.2 million over two seasons, respectively). If Ottawa is going to bounce back, these two could be key.

Worst move: Not getting Andrej Meszaros signed yet is the cloud hanging over Ottawa. The Sens have five players signed through at least 2011-12, and none are defensemen. It’s essential that the Meszaros deal gets done without any more bad blood brewing between the two sides.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Best move: R.J. Umberger was one of the Flyers’ best players in the postseason, but getting a first-round pick for him was a smart move by GM Paul Holmgren. While Holmgren has been lauded for Philly’s turnaround, he also realizes the consequences of that turnaround — a cap crunch. By moving Umberger now, Philadelphia probably got more than he’s worth and also made enough room down the road to justify a $5 millon-a-year cap hit for RFA Jeff Carter.

Worst move: The Flyers gave journeyman Glen Metropolit $1 million a season for the next two years when they could’ve simply kept Ryan Potulny instead of dealing him to Edmonton for Danny Syvret. In case it’s not clear yet, I like Potulny’s game.

PHOENIX COYOTES

Best move: It was surely tough to let Keith Ballard go, but getting a proven No. 1 center like Olli Jokinen back in return eases the pain. With the addition of the big Finn, suddenly the Coyotes have a possible scary first line of Peter Mueller-Jokinen-Shane Doan. Add in the youngsters like Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker, ect. and Phoenix may be thinking playoffs.

Worst move: Getting Brian McGratton from Ottawa as your tough guy — hence freeing up Daniel Carcillo — makes sense. Signing Todd “A Facial Reconstruction Doctor’s Dream” Fedoruk for three years doesn’t. With the young talent Phoenix has and the toughness McGratton brings, signing Fedoruk just seems to take a spot away from a young player — or warm another seat in the press box — for the next thousand days or so.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Best move: Having Marc-Andre Fleury and Evgeni Malkin signed long term was the most important thing Pens GM Ray Shero could do this offseason. He did it. With Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Fleury all signed — and I’m sure the team has every intention of getting Jordan Staal inked to a nice, long deal — Pittsburgh may be stronger down the middle than any team in the league.

Worst move: Down the middle, they look great. On the wings? Not so much. Keeping Pascal Dupuis in the fold was a nice move, but the additions of Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan are questionable at best. Surely, anyone’s going to play better if centered by Crosby or Malkin, but those wingers don’t scream “Stanley Cup champions.”

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Best move: I’m not sold on Dan Boyle as a No. 1 defenseman, but the signing of aging, but still reliable, blueliner Rob Blake seems like a perfect fit. Blake probably won’t score 50 points anymore, but he’ll be well worth the $5 million the Sharks pay him this season.

Worst move: I won’t say getting Boyle is a bad move, but giving up the team’s first-round pick next year as part of the package is concerning. After not picking until No. 62 this year, San Jose will again have to wait until Day 2 of the draft to make a selection in 2009.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Best move: Larry Pleau and John Davidson could’ve gone with dynamic Russian Nikita Filatov with the fourth overall pick in the draft, but they made the right move by taking the last of the elite blueliners available from the 2008 draft’s amazing crop of top-end defensive talent. Alex Pietrangelo promises to be a force once he makes it to the NHL and, coupled with former No. 1 overall pick Erik Johnson, gives the Blues one of the best young D pools in the league.

Worst move: With Manny Legace set to start in net and Marek Schwartz and Ben Bishop in the minors, the trade to get Chris Mason — and his $3 million salary each of the next two years — is a head-scratcher. While Schwartz may be a reach as a future starting goalie, St. Louis could have tried him in the backup role and, if he didn’t work out, still would have the option of rushing up Bishop (probably not the best move) or signing a cheap No. 2. Instead, they’ll be shelling out big dollars to Mason.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Best move: While $10 million a year may seem like a lot, getting Vincent Lecavalier signed long-term was essential to the health of the franchise. The deal will likely take him to the end of his career.

Worst move: Where to begin? I could come up with six or seven of these, but in the end I’ll choose the seven-year, $31.5 million deal signed by unrestricted free agent Ryan Malone. Malone’s a nice player, someone who helps you win games in the regular and postseason. But this contract makes him a cornerstone player — something he’s simply not.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Best move: Cliff “The Silver Fox” Fletcher made his best move on draft day, moving up and taking bruising blueliner Luke Schenn with the fifth overall pick. After trading first-rounders for goalies twice in the past few years, the Leafs moved into the right direction by trying to rebuild a system that’s as dry as the numerous unsigned contracts waiting for Mats Sundin’s signature.

Worst move: Jeff Finger: 94 career games, $14 million. I feel bad for Finger because what player of his skill would turn down such coin over four years? Still, I hope the media and fans of Toronto don’t expect value on this contract.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Best move: Perhaps getting out of Toronto is just what Kyle Wellwood needs. Criticized for being out of shape and always injured, The Leafs parted ways with Wellwood and Vancouver was the beneficiary, getting him for less than a million dollars in 2008-09. While Wellwood could revert to his old ways, one would suspect he will try to get his career back on the right track with this second chance.

Worst move: Not only was firing Dave Nonis as GM a bad move, but replacing him with ex-player agent Mike Gillis further cast a dark shadow over Vancouver. Nonis was building the Canucks slowly, waiting for the right time to pounce on a Cup run. Instead, owner Francesco Aquilini pulled the rug out from under Nonis and replaced him with an agent who has no GM experience and probably a few enemies among his new peers. Gillis’ big move thus far was offering Mats Sundin $20 million over two seasons, but Sundin’s waiting game left Gillis and Vancouver twisting in the wind all offseason.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Best move: With puck-moving, point-producing defensemen at a premium, GM George McPhee was right in worrying about a possible offer sheet landing in blueliner Mike Green’s lap. So McPhee opened up Ted Leonis’ purse and gave Green a four-year deal worth $20.5 million. Oh, and he signed Alex Ovechkin for 13 more years.

Worst move: One can understand not overpaying for Cristobal Huet. It’s hard, though, to grasp why Washington would let the netminder who carried them into the postseason walk only to sign Jose Theodore for $9 million over two years. No goalie has been more of a mystery year to year than Theodore, and Washington had better hope the good Jose shows up.

Versus- One and Done for Carolina

Versus released their hockey schedule yesterday, and surprise, surprise, the Hurricanes only have one game listed which will be televised nationally.

Let me tell you why that can be a good thing.

Remember last year, (if my memory serves me correctly), Versus held the rights to the Hurricanes home opener. But for whatever reason they chose to televise their alternate game. Since Versus owned the rights to that broadcast, Fox could not televise the game, even if they wanted to. So what happened? Much to the chagrin of fans, the home opener didn’t get televised at all.

I can’t help but think that the fewer Hurricanes games Versus owns the rights to, the better off local fans will be. If they hold the rights to a game in mid-season but televise the alternate game instead, fans would be unable to see the Hurricanes game even on Center Ice.

It does stink for out of town fans without Center Ice though.

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According to this Durham Bulls blogger, apparently Chad LaRose had a tough time with the opening pitch last night at the DBAP. “One of the players threw out the first ball, and almost took out a little girl who was going to play the violin for the National Anthem“.

Poor Chad.

Chad LaRose - He’s Everywhere, He’s Everywhere

I just received an email tip from a friend of the blog informing me that Chad LaRose will be at the DBAP tonight as the Durham Bulls take on the Norfolk Tides. Beer, hotdogs, and fries will be sold at discount prices. Word has it that after he throws out the ceremonial first pitch, Chad will be manning the previously “unmanned” table where the now infamous 2 for 1 vouchers are passed out. (j/k)

LaRose has been a busy bee as he just opened an RBC branch last week and was featured at the Hurricanes “Fun Fest” before that. Has he got some type of bonus clause in his contract that kicks in after so many public appearances? Go Chad!

Eric Staal was recently interviewed up in Thunder Bay and the young center already seems focused and prepared for the new season. (h/t to Kukla’s Korner)

In other news, Bryan McCabe has reportedly agreed to waive his no trade clause so that the Leafs can finally try to trade him. Apparently, the defenseman is thinking about retiring to Florida, although some Leafs fans might argue that McCabe has already retired. Ouch!

Finally, it’s almost 3PM and Puck Daddy, (and his illustrious editor), have yet to post anything about the possible relocation, retraction, reformation, or renovation of the Carolina Hurricanes. Slow news day!

Carolina Hurricanes- Partners with the Community

Have you ever stopped to think about what the value of an NHL team is to a community? It might be much more than you realize. About a month ago, Bomani Jones from “850 The Buzz” offered an opportunity for folk to call in and speak about this subject on his afternoon show. Due to some possible controversy he canceled the event, but we don’t need Bo to have this discussion. We can do it right here and right now.

Let’s begin with the obvious. No one needs to be told that there is a lot of money changing hands at the RBC Center. The players are among the highest paid “employees” in the community. If you use the 8% state income tax rate and apply that to the approximate 50 million in player salaries this year, the result is an extra 4 million to be added to the Department of Revenue’s payroll tax base. That number doesn’t include the earnings of Jim Rutherford, Peter Laviolette, Ron Francis, Jason Karmanos, and the rest of management.

Let’s estimate that the total state payroll tax paid by Hurricanes related personnel is about 5 million per year.

Of course there are a lot of normal, ordinary jobs associated with the team as well. From accountants and ticket agents to part-time maintenance workers and ushers, hundreds of people rely on the Hurricanes for regular paychecks.

All of these employees spend money in the local economy. The people on the higher end of the payscale will spend a lot of it. They buy expensive homes, automobiles, furnishings, and other necessities as well as luxuries. Associated with these expenses are the accompanying taxes that are added on top. Substantial real estate, personal property, school, and sales taxes accumulate. The economic impact and benefit of all this is easily in the millions.

The Hurricanes ownership group provided assistance in securing the construction of the RBC Center. Gale Force Holdings manages the property and has been a good partner with NC State, as well as with the community. While hotel taxes help to pay some expenses, events at the RBC help to increase the hotel traffic. The sharing of that tax revenue seems like a fair idea. It’s extremely difficult to estimate how much tangible affect the Hurricanes have regarding the RBC other than their initial investment of 28M, but there is a huge benefit to having them as long term tenants.

Visiting teams and fans will come to the area 40 plus times a year, spending money at hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. The team itself utilizes the services of various professionals in the community such as lawyers, physicians, physical therapists, and dentists. Everyday of the year, Hurricanes related transactions are strengthening the local economy.

But not only do the Hurricanes help the economy by performing their normal, day to day operations, they can also give it a huge boost with special events. When the NHL Draft was held in Raleigh, thousands of visitors came to the area spending millions in the immediate vicinity, just during one long weekend. The impact of an NHL All-Star game would be tremendous, and also in the millions. When the Hurricanes make it to the playoffs, similar spikes in revenue will occur.

Since the Hurricanes moved here, skating rinks have more than quadrupled in the area. Youth hockey has exploded. Adult leagues have multiplied. The very existence of the Canes has created several brand new businesses.

The economic benefits add up very quickly. Over the ten year period the Canes have been in North Carolina, one could conservatively estimate that the total financial impact to the community has been worth well over 100 million dollars.

But there are other things in life besides money.

The Hurricanes are among the highest contributors to local charities of all employers in the area. They have a specific organization set up by the team, the Kids ‘N Community Foundation. The privately run organization has contributed more than 6 million to local charities since it’s inception in 1997. Over 50 local charities have recently benefited from the foundation’s donations.

Players and employees volunteer without pay to make the foundation a success. Special events are held, like “Casino Night” and “Skate with the Canes”. Memorabilia is auctioned off with proceeds going toward the cause. The Hurricanes also help to organize sponsors efforts for charity as well.

Players also get involved on a personal level. For instance Cam Ward started a program with the local Special Olympics called “Cam’s Champs”. The goalie donates $4 per save that he makes each season which has totaled up to thousands of dollars so far. Several players are also heavily involved with their churches and other causes. Carolina’s strength and conditioning coach, Pete Friesen holds an annual 5K run that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. One could go on and on listing the multitude of recipients that the Hurricanes and their employees have helped out or contributued to.

Taking everything into consideration mentioned here, you would think that the Hurricanes would be the darlings of the local media, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is one beat writer who focuses on them for the local paper. There are a couple of sports radio stations who give them some love. But for the most part, you don’t seem to hear much about the value of the franchise to the community.

Several publications have consistently listed the Triangle as one of the best places to live in America. I can’t help but think that the Hurricanes help contribute to that.

And we wonder why some outsiders want NHL hockey to fail here and move back up north?

Are Two for One Specials a Bad Idea?

Another wannabe hockey elitist recently wrote a scathing article trashing Southern hockey in general, and Carolina hockey in particular. It seems that Drew Mindell from the Illegal Curve came down south to visit and while attending a Durham Bulls game became flabbergasted over the fact that not only were the Carolina Hurricanes offering “two for one” tickets at the baseball game, but, (take a deep breath), no one seemed interested in them!

These cold hard facts of course proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that southern NHL expansion was an “unmitigated disaster”, in the author’s words anyway. Don’t you just love it when people who have no idea what they are talking about, pretend like they do?

If it wasn’t in the middle of August and if hockey news wasn’t completely dead, I might ignore this meaningless dribble. Especially considering that it’s coming from a jilted Winnipeg Jets lover. What else would you expect? But what the heck, I have nothing better to write about at the present time. Game on!

First of all, is it really a shocker that baseball fans in Durham might not be interested in hockey tickets in Raleigh? Newsflash- That might have been the purpose in having those tickets at that event. To try to promote the game to non-hockey fans.

The author goes on and on about the tragedy of offering “free tickets” to see a team like the Montreal Canadiens play and he can’t understand why people wouldn’t want to watch the Washington Capitals or the New Jersey Devils. But in the midst of all his ranting, he misses the whole point behind the promotion. It went right over his head.

The promotion has nothing to do with which particular teams are playing.

The games in question are scheduled on weekdays in November, December, and January, during the heart of football and basketball season here. (Three Tuesday games, two Thursday, one Wednesday, and one Sunday). Both games against the Canadiens are scheduled on Tuesdays in December. (thanks a lot NHL schedule makers) I realize that there might not be much else to do in some parts of the continent besides watching hockey, but there is football and basketball to compete with down here.

Some of our Canadian friends will never be able to come to grips with the notion that hockey has competition and still needs to grow in this region. Some of them quite frankly, do not want hockey to survive here, period. These naysayers will take every opportunity to condemn the region and to discredit the very idea that the NHL could eventually thrive here.

But take heart fans. For every wannabe elitist who is standing on their soapbox, pounding their fist on the CBA, and proclaiming that the NHL is dead in the south, there are others who support the idea of NHL hockey succeeding in these markets. They aren’t as short-sighted and see the value and benefits of growing the sport. We have many Canadians who support this blog and visit here regularly, and for that we are grateful.

The funny thing about Mindell’s article is that almost every NHL franchise has some type of promotion to help sell tickets. Whether it be bobblehead night, or beach towel night, or free car night, there are plenty of markets out there, (in both the north and south), who would love to sell more tickets and use a wide variety of promotions to do it.

Our friends on Long Island also need to sell more tickets. They have similar promotions. Is having a franchise on the Island an “unmitigated disaster”? Chicago is using a gimmick to help sell more tickets to Blackhawks games this year. Is NHL hockey dead in the Windy City? These writers never want to talk about the northern markets with problems. Picking on the south is much cooler and in vogue these days.

Dropping my own rhetoric for just a moment, this discussion does lead to a valid question. These “buy one get one free” offers have been around for awhile. Is this a good idea or a bad one? Some season ticket holders never really fell in love with the concept, but accepted it thinking that it would help grow the game here. If the promotion got more fans in the seats, then it had to be a good thing, right?

On the otherhand, this seems to be a dumb, easy, and cheap way to try to fill up seats. Just drop a bunch of vouchers off on a table and hope some baseball fans get curious enough to pick a few of them up? There has to be a better way to grow the fanbase, doesn’t there? Is that the best bang for the buck that Peter Karmanos can get with his marketing dollars?

What do you think?

Islanders Bloggers Interview Doug Weight

Islanders Blog Box mainstays, Dee Karl and BD Gallof interviewed Doug Weight over the weekend and put the session up on “You Tube”. Weight has certainly not lost his sense of humor as he “guarantees” a 6 and 0 record against the Rangers this year, (then asks if the recorder is on). Classic stuff.

Gallof also does a nice job on his blog of analyzing the ongoing decision regarding choosing the next Islanders head coach. I still think that Snow will choose Hartley.

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Spector has a very good feature up on Fox Sports about shooting down goofy rumors. It seems that some bloggers/webmasters are so desperate to keep the hits coming on their websites that they will even resort to making up trash just to keep the traffic coming. In case you were wondering, that means Marian Gaborik will not be coming to Carolina anytime soon.

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On LSB, fans recently chose the all-time best Hurricanes team. Arturs Irbe was the selection in goal. Irbe was certainly not the biggest goalie around. Okay, as a matter of fact he was a pretty small dude. It makes you wonder just how well he would have performed if he was forced to use smaller pads. The NHL is considering making goalies use “proportionate sizing” for their equipment. This means that the diminutive goalies will take up even less space in net.

James Mirtle analyzes the proposal in a recent article.

More about who I think deserves to be on the All-time Hurricanes team a bit later.

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On The Hockey News site, I recently posted an article about the Hurricanes forwards. If interested, you can check that out here.