Pitkanen on Wing? Say it Ain't So
by Bob Wage on Oct 15, 2008 3:07 PM EDT
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I couldn't make it to practice this morning, but Chip Alexander posted a quickie over on LSB which got my attention. Time for me to put on my "columnist hat" and interject a little opinion.
Chip reported that Joni Pitkanen was wearing a white jersey this morning, and was practicing with the forwards. Specifically, he was skating with Eric Staal and Ray Whitney.
Carolina's problem is obvious. The Canes have extra defensemen and are short of forwards right now. It didn't help the situation that Rod Brind'Amour and Tuomo Ruutu sat out of practice this morning. Brind'Amour is still nursing his knee a bit, and Ruutu got banged up against Detroit.
The team needs some warm bodies playing forward, but why Pitkanen? Of course, he is very good on offense and has a ton of skill, but this guy is being billed as the franchise defenseman. He was the "cure for team defense" that the team traded Erik Cole for. Is this really the best use of your franchise defenseman?
Peter Laviolette was quoted on Paul Branecky's blog as saying "We're not really looking at anything. We're banged up right now and we had a couple of guys who couldn't go out there to keep practice moving along."
But Pitkanen was quoted as saying he had not played wing, "since he was a little guy".
It seems like they could have used either Anton Babchuk or Joe Melichar for that role, if this was just a fill-in for one practice. Can you imagine if Pitkanen would have gotten hurt somehow, while he was playing out of position? Stranger things have happened in Carolina.
Perhaps Laviolette was giving a not-so-subtle message to Jim Rutherford, that he needs another forward, sooner rather than later?
Pitkanen has played very well so far and leads the Canes with ice time, but he has admitted that he needs more work at moving the puck out of his zone, at a faster pace. Is he going to improve in that area while practicing as a forward?
It's no secret that Rutherford is working the phones hard, trying to trade a defenseman for a forward. At the present time, the Hurricanes have two million dollars in salary sitting in the pressbox each game in Babchuk and Melichar. In most cases, less expensive assets would be sitting there.
One rumor floating around has the Canes trading either Joe Corvo or Frank Kaberle for Boston's Peter Schaefer. But Schaefer was recently put on waivers and was unclaimed. The forward is now in the minors, so that rumor doesn't seem to have any legs.
Something is bound to happen sooner or later regarding a trade, but right now, mum's the word.
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Trade Corvo? Is somebody on drugs or something? Corvo and Pik are our 2 best D-men. Have you guys heard anything about seriously trading Corvo?
by Ivan on Oct 15, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions
woah, corvo for schaeffer? that sounds like a hockeybuzz rumor to me!
by repenttokyo on Oct 15, 2008 3:21 PM EDT reply actions
Bruce Garrioch, a journalist from Ottawa started the Corvo rumor a couple of weeks ago. Many think it’s out of spite, because Corvo was so happy to leave Ottawa and it’s hyper-critical local press corps.
But one never knows.
One thing for sure, the fanbase would be very unhappy if Corvo is moved.
by Bubba on Oct 15, 2008 3:24 PM EDT reply actions
Schaeffer’s cap hit is still $2.1M, IIRC. That’s a lateral move salary-wise, pretty much. I also think the team would look to the West for a move like this (though not Corvo … he’s a good player with a decent cap number).
As for Pitkanen at forward … maybe not an ideal situation, but I think I might be OK with him playing a double-shift shift at forward (along with a few others) if i means dressing a seventh d-man who can maybe help the PK (Melichar) or give Babchuk a shot at the PP point.
In the end, though, I think this might just be a small thing that really holds no weight. But you never know, right?
by Cory on Oct 15, 2008 4:38 PM EDT reply actions
Trading Corvo now would be disasterous for this team and it’s fragile fan base. With Corvo’s fan base and our need of consistant defenseman, talk about ticket sales going down, let them try.
You know this team sometimes reminds me of an unstable stock market. When we are short on forwards for a short term, they panic and want to trade off good defenseman and when we are short on defenseman short term, they panic and trade off forwards without considering the long term circumstances of their actions for this team. It’s like watching a yo-yo or tennis match. Please Canes organization make up your mind, do we need forwards or defenseman. How about we use Albany players and wait it out a bit, it’s not like Walker and Williams are out for the season and jeezus it’s early in the season yet. Remember this guy named Cole that played forward that you traded away?—-Just my rant if they trade Corvo for a short term forward.
by Caron on Oct 15, 2008 8:50 PM EDT reply actions
I am familiar with Garrioch. Bruce ‘X Superstar to the Kings’ Garrioch is fairly laughable. I believe he writes for the Ottawa Sun?
by repenttokyo on Oct 15, 2008 9:51 PM EDT reply actions
I think the Canes are doing fine offensively. We would be 3-0-0 right now if our PK were better. I really don’t think there is any need to get another forward. Also if Boychuk does well, it makes our game that much better. That Corvo rumor better be a joke. He is an excellent offensive D-Man.
by Ivan on Oct 16, 2008 3:51 PM EDT reply actions
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