Hurricanes Face Serious Salary Cap Issues
by Bob Wage on Nov 13, 2009 2:00 AM EST
103 comments
Here is one situation that some long time Caniacs probably never thought they would see. The Carolina Hurricanes have come very close to reaching the limit of the salary cap and are extremely restricted with what they can do regarding player movements because of this problem.
While management has been buried under a mountain of criticism because of the recent losing streak, "taking the cheap way out" is one complaint that can officially be crossed off the list of typical fan complaints.
Jim Rutherford has just about painted himself into a corner because of his unusual lack of foresight and fiscal responsibility during this past off season's moves and signings.
On top of that, he has severely limited himself on what he can do regarding the coaching staff because of his recent three year signing of head coach Paul Maurice. If he were to fire Maurice, he would officially have two ex-coaches on the payroll because the team is still paying Peter Laviolette.
If he can not fire the coach or move players, what else can the general manager do?
Some fans are under the impression that players on the injured reserve list do not count against the salary cap, but nothing could be further from the truth. The only time a team gets cap relief regarding injuries is if a player qualifies for the "long term injured reserve".
The Collective Bargaining Agreement states the following regarding those circumstances, (page 226):
d) Bona-Fide Long-TermInjury/Illness Exception to the Upper Limit. In
the event that a Player on a Club becomes unfit to play (i.e., is injured, ill or disabled and
unable to perform his duties as a hockey Player) such that the Club's physician believes,
in his or her opinion, that the Player, owing to either an injury or an illness, will be unfit
to play for at least (i) twenty-four (24) calendar days and (ii) ten (10) NHL Regular
Season games, and such Club desires to replace such Player, the Club may add an
additional Player or Players to its Active Roster, and the replacement Player Salary and
Bonuses of such additional Player(s) may increase the Club's Averaged Club Salary to an
amount up to and exceeding the Upper Limit, solely as, and to the extent and for the
duration, set forth below. If, however, the League wishes to challenge the determination
of a Club physician that a Player is unfit to play for purposes of the Bona-Fide Long-
Term Injury/Illness Exception, the League and the NHLPA shall promptly confer and
jointly select a neutral physician, who shall review the Club physician's determination
regarding the Player's fitness to play.
So in plain English, if a player qualifies for the LTIR, the injured player's salary still counts toward the cap, but the team can go over the salary cap if needed when they sign another player. The catch? When the injured player gets healthy and is ready to return to the lineup, the team must cut or waive the necessary player(s) so they can fit under the salary cap once again.
Right now the Hurricanes do not have anyone that qualifies for LTIR. Cam Ward's status has been upgraded and he is presently listed at being out for 3-4 weeks. So injured or not, every player in Raleigh currently counts toward the cap.
Let's take a closer look at the exact problem facing Rutherford:
| 2010 | ||||
| Cap Hit | Actual Cash | |||
| 1 | Staal | $ 8,250,000 | $ 6,000,000 | |
| 2 | Pitkanen | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | |
| 3 | Brind'Amour | $ 3,600,000 | $ 3,000,000 | |
| 4 | Whitney | $ 3,550,000 | $ 3,550,000 | |
| 5 | Cole | $ 2,900,000 | $ 2,800,000 | |
| 6 | Gleason | $ 2,750,000 | $ 2,500,000 | |
| 7 | Samsonov | $ 2,530,000 | $ 2,500,000 | |
| 8 | Walker | $ 2,500,000 | $ 2,500,000 | |
| 9 | Cullen | $ 2,875,000 | $ 2,800,000 | |
| 10 | Ward, C | $ 2,666,667 | $ 3,500,000 | |
| 11 | Corvo | $ 2,625,000 | $ 2,750,000 | |
| 12 | Ruutu | $ 3,800,000 | $ 3,000,000 | |
| 13 | Ward, A | $ 2,500,000 | $ 2,500,000 | |
| 14 | Wallin | $ 1,725,000 | $ 1,725,000 | |
| 15 | Leighton | $ 600,000 | $ 600,000 | |
| 16 | Sutter | $ 875,000 | $ 875,000 | base |
| 17 | Yelle | $ 550,000 | $ 550,000 | |
| 18 | Jokinen | $ 1,700,000 | $ 1,500,000 | |
| 19 | Alberts | $ 1,050,000 | $ 800,000 | |
| 20 | Conboy | $ 487,000 | $ 500,000 | |
| 21 | LaRose | $ 1,700,000 | $ 1,500,000 | |
| 22 | Kostopoulos | $ 916,667 | $ 700,000 | |
| 23 | Legace | $ 399,000 | $ 399,000 | |
| 24 | Ryan, (LTIR?) | $ 500,000 | $ 500,000 | |
| 25 | Harrison/Rodney | $ 500,000 | $ 500,000 | |
| buy outs | Kaberle | $ 733,333 | $ 733,333 | |
| Hamilton | $ 267,000 | $ 267,000 | ||
| $ 56,549,667 | $ 52,549,333 | |||
| Boychuk | $ 875,000 | $ 875,000 | base |
Keep in mind that the Salary Cap Limit this year is $56.8 million. Since the present cap hit for the team is about $56.5 million, (give or take a few dollars because of bonus numbers or partial payments), if the Canes want to bring back Zach Boychuk or anyone else from Albany, someone has to go and it looks like Tim Conboy is the sacrificial lamb, at least for now.
The biggest waste of cap space on the lineup sheet at the present time is Michael Ryan, who has been unable to play all season because of concussion like symptoms. Apparently, the team can not put him on waivers because of his health status, but they might be attempting to qualify him for LTIR status soon.
The franchise is approaching dire circumstances concerning injuries. Cam Ward and Eric Staal remain unavailable and Ray Whitney, Stephane Yelle, and Scott Walker are questionable regarding their playing status for Friday night's game against the Islanders. If none of those players are healthy enough to play, the Canes would not be able to recall anymore help from Albany because they have no cap space available.
They would have to play shorthanded, or one of the least injured players would need to suit up, injured or not. If any other players fall to injury or illness, things could really get ugly.
Injuries or not, management is still spending much more money than they wanted to. With three goalies on the payroll, two buy outs, and several injured players who can not play, management is certainly not getting much bang for the buck. Looking at the grand scheme of things and the results so far this season, this might be one of the most over-paid, under-performing group of players in the league since the inception of the salary cap.
Those are strong words, but look at the statistics for most of those players compared to their salaries. While other highly paid teams have failed in recent years, how many teams who had maxed out the salary cap finished in last place as well as at the bottom of the league in scoring? (The 2006-07 Flyers might be a good comparison, but the salary cap was much lower back then.)
So what can Jim Rutherford do? He can try to trade some of these players for draft picks to try to unload salary, but he certainly would not be dealing from a position of strength. Every GM in the league knows that he is in a desperate situation and he would be hard pressed to get much value for any of the players he's interested in trading. He could try to trade a valuable player, but he would not get the same value that he could get closer to the trade deadline.
The only alternative is for one or two of the higher paid players, (LaRose?), to be put on waivers. That would be a "final option", but a possibility if things don't change.
Perhaps the best move for now is to just sit back and wait for the losing streak to eventually subside, but one thing is certain, if the losses mount and the Canes fall further and further behind the pack, future decisions and actions will become more and more difficult for the former, two-time NHL General Manager of the year.
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Awesome job writing this up, Bob! You make the facts very plain and easy to understand. I know it’s been brought up before, but what do you think the actual chances are that Brindy looses the C? Like you point out, we can’t pay 3 head coaches. We also will have a hard time getting the value we need by making a trade this early. I feel like our team is really lacking in leadership. I love Rod like crazy, but I don’t think he’s the man for the C any more. A leader leads by example, and I think nearly everyone would agree that Rod hasn’t done that the last 2 seasons. However, to just to make it interesting, our probable future captain is out injured. What’s your feeling on this situation?
Bob, correct me if I’m wrong. I believe we can call Boychuck back up until he hits the magic 10 game point without cap issues. He’s an “AHL” player now and with a wave of the ol’ magic crystals at 10 games he’s an NHL’r. So don’t we have him as an option for several more games?
I also believe placing Staal and Ward in ltir would be a gimme.
Gimme a tire iron and I can do a Kerrigan on a couple others to get them on ltir….
What is the deal with re-entry? If Yelle goes onto the re-entry wire where does our cap hit stand? If someone else picks him up it’s half of the pro rated season, but if nobody takes him, where does that leave us/him?
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
I thought the 10-game limit of NHL games had to do with sending kids back to their junior teams (when they’re too young to play AHL). Again, I’m learning this on the job, so I may be mixed up.
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 13, 2009 8:28 AM EST up reply actions
Nope … that only applies to junior players.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 8:40 AM EST up reply actions
Gimme more than a single sent. I’m slow like that…
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
From the CBA
In the event that an 18 year old or 19 year old Player signs an SPC (stand player contract) with a Club but does not play at least ten (10) NHL Games in the first season under that SPC, the term of his SPC and his number of years in the Entry Level System shall be extended for a period of one (1) year, except that this automatic extension will not apply to a Player who is 19 according to Section 9.2 by virtue of turning 20 between September 16 and December 31 in the year in which he first signs an SPC.
A basic rule of thumb … if the player is eligible to play in the AHL, the team cannot apply the 10-game rule to him. That applies to players who have to either play in the NHL or back in juniors. Some exemptions: European players (lots of gray areas here) and players being assigned to the AHL for conditioning stints (like Sutter last year).
Then, once a junior team’s season is over, they are eligible for the AHL (again, like Sutter last year).
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions
He’s still not practicing, for what I understand.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 8:41 AM EST up reply actions
Last I heard he was back home in Minnesota recuperating. I was referring to the cap though. Does he count?
no, b/c he’s not waivers eligible. Ryan was hurt before they were able to put him thru waivers then assign him to Albany.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 9:49 AM EST up reply actions
Life is a gamble
Of you had a 401K last year then you know all about putting money in something that fails. I know everybody thinks on paper this team looks awesome but in reality its a pile of poo.
I like Rosie but at this point I feel like he was playing last year for a contract.
So, all my teams suck!
by canescup on Nov 13, 2009 6:50 AM EST via mobile reply actions
If you had……damn crackberry
So, all my teams suck!
by canescup on Nov 13, 2009 6:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I have money in a 401K...
it is for the long term…no failure there!!
I do agree about the pile of poo however!!
"If me and King Kong went into an alley, only one of us would come out. And it wouldn't be the monkey."
"I don't really trust a sane person."
"I never met a man I didn't want to fight." The one and only Lyle Alzado
So you made $ on your 401K last year, I don’t think so. But yes just like PK’s investment in this team it is for the long term.
So, all my teams suck!
by canescup on Nov 13, 2009 8:26 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
How is Conboy's waiving different from Yelle's?
I have to wonder, how is this different from waiving Yelle? No team picked up Yelle, so if no team picks up Comboy how will cap space be saved? Does he have to be sent to AHL?
Right.
If Conboy clears waivers and is sent to the AHL his salary would no longer count towards the cap.
How does that actually help though… they are paying him the same if he is in the A as if he were in the NHL….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Nov 13, 2009 10:30 AM EST up reply actions
The issue is cap space … the rest is up to PK’s willingness to let JR spend.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
Got ya…. So in addition to Budget problems we also have Cap Space problems….
I’m a little slow to the game today…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Nov 13, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
Actually, PK should be applauded. He’s on course to spend way more than the planned budget.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 10:56 AM EST up reply actions
yeah…. it’s just too bad they players are Fleecing him for all they can get….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Nov 13, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Wow – this answers a lot of questions and helps a lot in guiding the debate of “what now?” Thanks for pulling this together.
I’m still not clear on the status of Yelle and Conboy on waivers as it plays into this discussion. (MHodak’s question). Can we send Yelle to Albany still?
And what about the magic number of 23 players? You have 25 on your list above. How does that play into all this?
Last – if we’re trading for picks, the only way JR is going to get something is if it’s someone who more than one team wants. Therefore, it’s gonna hurt, and the usual “trade bait” mentioned in recent days are not it.
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
Follow up (after Rat Byte’s comment on Conboy and Ryan):
If Ryan, Yelle and Conboy all go to Albany, we’re down to 22. Then we can bring up Boychuk to make 23. But after that…..?
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 13, 2009 8:00 AM EST up reply actions
Players on injured reserve (Cam Ward and Michael Ryan) do not count towards the 23. So only one player needs to be dropped to open a space.
Okay, Thank you. – So how do you all (the Rats’ fans_ feel about Leighton or Legace coming to Albany? Messes up the Peters/Murphy thing. When Cam comes back, this is probably going to happen, I’d guess.
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 13, 2009 8:17 AM EST up reply actions
Personally I think Leighton should have been given a chance to carry the load. Now his morale is surely shot, even if he puts up a good front. The guy needs a job next year and this situation is going to make things difficult. Tough to say what the long-term plan is. I don’t think Legace would get much playing time in Albany. More importantly, if Murphy goes to the ECHL, who will host Murphy’s Mailbag!?
Great article Bob!
This is indicative of why Canes Country is one of the best blogs cyberspace!
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
+100000000
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 13, 2009 8:59 AM EST up reply actions
Ugh, what I nightmare of a season.
someone pinch me if anything good ever happens for this team…
Hey, anyone else notice they moved half of the canes corners to be ‘in studio’ rather than at tylers. Hmph!
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 13, 2009 8:45 AM EST reply actions
Maybe to many girls hottin and hollerin at Gleason last month. (Or afraid they’ll start shelling rotten eggs at the lazy vets?)
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 13, 2009 8:59 AM EST up reply actions
Didn’t Jeff O’Neill want to come back to the team this summer? /once Ryan goes on LTIR, sign O’Neill for the minimum salary and put him out on the first line. As long as he doesn’t pee on anything we’ll be fine, right?
(Just kidding, but nothing would surprise me at this point—not even coming to Canes Country one day to read the headline, “O’Neill back with Hurricanes”)
That was last year. He was on a camp tryout.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
I know it' just wishful thinking, but
Maybe Rod will read this and fall on his sword for the good of the team he loves so much……Imagine what $3.6mil in cap space could do for us?
So I'm guessing this would be "bottom"?
Even if he did retire, I think we are still on the hook cap wise. Not sure about that.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Yep … it would clear money spent, but not cap space. If you sign your deal after you’re 35, the team is on the hook for the entire thing regardless of what the player decides to do.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
Extremely informative stuff about things I’m rather ignorant about. PK is also paying Lavy but I guess that’s not against the NHL cap.
Be interesting to see what they’re already obligated for next season.
Can they just buy-out players, for not-so-random example say A.Ward and Wallin, write-down percentage of salary against cap (like Kaberle ?), then call-up cheap Rats to make up the salary hit difference ?
thanks for answering the above questions.
The Canes have been slipping players on and off the injured reserve so that they can keep under the 23 player roster limit. (the total of 25 above is misleading)
The 10 game limit is up for Yelle after Tuesday’s game in Montreal. The team can send him to Albany, put him on re-entry waivers so someone can pick him up at half price, (but the Canes would be liable for the other half,) or they can keep him as status quo.
GM of CanesCountry.com
Bob and Cory,
Once again this place is the premier come to spot for info. I gotta say I learned alot from this post. I was of the opinion that the “kids” issue was mishandled, pre-season, et al. I was impressed with the salary spent. That was the one hope I had, that with type of spending the team should be able to at least muster a fair season.
Holy cripe was I, they and whoever mistaken on that. Thanks to Cory clearing up a question or two I had and Bob’s article I can see this hole is of biblical proportiuon. My ignorance of the fine points of the cap kept me hoping that there may be ways of bouncing players through ltir or sending them to the affiliates. While you have utterly crushed all hope, at least I know the scope of the failure of this team.
Talk about double down and going bust, then get mugged and raped only to get home and find it burned down with your dog inside.
JR’s only hope is trading. The only equipment he will need is an industial sized container of lubricant.
Bohica
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The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Hey guys one last clarification for me and maybe others. The cap isn’t a real wall, it’s a glass ceiling. What are the penalty’s for going over the cap? Can you think of a strategy that that would make sense?
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The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Nope … it’s a wall. You can’t make a move that would put you past it (in-season).
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 10:36 AM EST up reply actions
So if Staal and Wardo were put on ltir it wouldn’t create any room cap wise?
Dam, dam and double dam!!
So am I still confused or is this roster static until body bags can be filled?
So no more Boychuck until the colon gets flushed?
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
No, it would … but I don’t think either is a candidate.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 11:25 AM EST up reply actions
Also on this … the good news is JR roles the dice this year, thinking a few additions would mean a deep playoff run or more. That’s not working out as of now, but he also hasn’t put his team in a long-term bind (see what happened in TB with Richards-Vinny-MiniMarty, in Ottawa with Heatley-Spezza-Alffie, or the current mess in Chicago). After this year, the team can restructure without having major cap issues.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
That is the silver lining to this mess.
It isn’t here to stay. Even when JR screws the pooch he is gentle.
by Iggy Reilly on Nov 13, 2009 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
And then half Yelle’s salary is off cap ? Small change.
But if A.Ward, whom we gave up P.Eaves for, goes thru that process, some team gets him for 1.25mil and ’Canes pay 1.25 but 1.25 is cleared.
by drifterscape on Nov 13, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
It’d be nice if management told the players, if you don’t perform 100% on the ice, we’ll call the season caput, declare bankruptcy and no one get paid. I bet we’d see a little more effort and quite a few goals scored if that were the case. :)
Live & Learn
Another note. For those of you comparing these totals against the totals at NHL Numbers.com, that site does not have Bryan Rodney on their list, who is currently with the team. (At least as of the posting of this article). I included Rodney with the Harrison total.
As I stated in the article, my list does not include bonus numbers or get into the complexities of figuring the cap hit per day with partial payments. The total above is not exactly correct, but neither is NHL Numbers.
The point is, things are very close and that makes it difficult to move players.
GM of CanesCountry.com
great point .. it’s not like once Rodney joins the team his entire cap number is added. It’s prorated based on how many games he plays here. Teams have used the send-up, send-down method to keep their cap number lower. Chicago has done it some with Jack Skille this year.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
I’m pretty sure that bridge was burned.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
He gets paid whether he coaches here or not.
by Iggy Reilly on Nov 13, 2009 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
I had suggested letting Lavy pick the players and let Mo coach them….
that worked out well last season….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Nov 13, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
Can you waive a coach or, trade him or send them to the minors??
Just kiddin’
You know this is Mo’s career. He flubs this stint as coach and he’s damaged goods, like Lavi. Probably worse off, I think Lavi has some penance and he may get back into the NHL, after he bleeds us for all he can get. Hey, they brought Melrose back!! Mo on the other hand, if at the end of this contract we don’t want him, I think he’s done. That’s a pretty motivating thought for Mo…
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The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
My take
This team was built on the idea that we had to “just get by Pittsburgh”.
Size was placed on a premium. The debacle of losing 4 in row in the ECF (I digress as I think the Canes got JOBBED in game 1) meant we “had to shore up the defense”. Who else to shore up the defense but a defensive minded coach, Mo.
Okay so JR goes and makes a few trades for Mo, getting the players he wanted. Mo started to dismantle Lavi’s system even more and brought back the “Dump and Chase”. That is not what the team is. This team is still built on the Lavi speed system and I thought the added depth of Mo’s defense was a great fit. Now, I think Mo’s turning back to full Mo system and I think that he’s wrong .
After seeing the problem on the ice I come to the conclusion that the players aren’t buying into Mo’s dump and chase and they are completely clueless on their defensive assignments. The penalties the Canes have been taking are due to them being out of position, or more cynically in the position Mo wants them in, and they feel the need to reach out. The skate is on the other foot. The opposing teams no longer have to grab the Canes because the Canes ain’t skating.
The Canes have slowed down. the other teams have sped up.
I hope Mo stops, gets off his high horse and sees he doesn’t have a Mo type team. Okay coaches can take a team that is built on their philosophy far. Great coaches take a team they got and take them far as they coach to the teams strength’s not what the coach is used to doing.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
I have said this before, it seems we changed our approach because we wanted to get past Pittsburgh in the playoffs. I think it’s called putting the cart before the horse. But really, I don’t remember JR getting a lot of complaints during the offseason here at Canes Country. I also think we are trying to get by offensively with two fourth line centers: Yelle and Brind Amour.
True, the Canes can look back at what’s worked and implement it. Love or hate Lavi, he did bring us a Stanley Cup. He must have been doing something right. A hybrid Lavi/Mo style may be better suited to the players we currently have.
by hockeythoughts on Nov 13, 2009 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah … the speed issue is a problem. I wouldn’t agree on the center thing … Rod’s still at least a third line center. The bigger issue is there isn’t a real second line center (maybe Sutter gets there).
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 12:49 PM EST up reply actions
I think the lack of a guy behind Staal to take some of the goal scoring load off is a major issuie too.
We need a wing that can put the puck in the net, period.
by Iggy Reilly on Nov 13, 2009 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
I agree, and it was debated pretty heavily over the summer on this site that a second legit offensive threat is important. As I recall the other issue was lack of point-man for PP.
Most people, certainly not all, seemed happy with D-lines.
by drifterscape on Nov 13, 2009 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
Brind'Amour
I very respectfully disagree that Brind’Amour is even close to a third line NHL center. In my view, he is at best, and even then it is stretching things, a fourth line wing who can spend six to eight minutes on the ice without causing a catastrophe. As far as I am concerned, Brind’Amour could agree to play for $500,000.00 and no other NHL team would even sniff at him even on the fourth line. I have no problem at all with Cullen as a second line center as long as there is a power forward on his line. I envision Cullen being re-signed and with the addition of Boychuk and a top end draft choice, the 2010-2011 Hurricanes will be much, much faster. I would love to see Brind’Amour given three or four consecutive maintenance days when Staal return to tell whether or not Brind’Amour is being unfairly criticized or whether his time to retire has arrived.
You nailed that one!+1
So, all my teams suck!
by canescup on Nov 13, 2009 1:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
From Chip … big-time line shuffling:
Canes coach Paul Maurice has shuffled the lines with Scott Walker and Stephane Yelle out of tonight’s game, putting Sutter on a line with Ray Whitney and Erik Cole — a statement both about Sutter’s play and the state of the Canes.
Ruutu, who scored twice Wednesday in the 5-2 loss to the LA Kings, will be on Matt Cullen’s line with Jussi Jokinen, with Rod Brind’Amour centering Sergei Samsonov and Chad LaRose. Tim Conboy, who was placed on waivers Thursday, was at practice today.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 12:11 PM EST reply actions
Interesting, not!!!! Mo and his line shuffles give me gas!!
No matter how it gets polished it’s still a turd..
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
I hate all this shuffling, but i do like putting sutter with some folks who might actually convert some of the magic sutter is working out there into goals for. Brindamour and Rosey weren’t getting it done.
by wylde4canes on Nov 13, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
ummmm are we just gonna skate 3 lines or will conboy and Tommy K play with a double shifted Center? If so, who is the 7th defenseman, is Joni ready to go again?
This could be bad. ( other than, as i mentioned Sutter playing with better folks).
by wylde4canes on Nov 13, 2009 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
I am going to contradict myself here, but upon a little further reflection I just realized that puts him on the first line. WOW. That being the case, I bet you notice him a little less playing against the Isles top Defensive unit (or second seeing as how we get first change)
by wylde4canes on Nov 13, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
For some reason couldn’t get the quote to work right in my last post:
But Tuomo Ruutu was more definitive about the game with the Islanders.
“Tonight is the night. I’ve really got to believe it,” he said, sitting in his locker after the morning skate. "Yeah, it’s tonight. I feel it.
“I’m sure you guys (media) are tired of coming in here and seeing us unhappy. You’d probably like to see us upbeat and I’d like to see us upbeat, you know.”But as Ruutu noted, again, saying it and doing it are two different things. It has to happen on the ice come game time.
Ruutu, who scored twice Wednesday in the 5-2 loss to the LA Kings, will be on Matt Cullen’s line with Jussi Jokinen, with Rod Brind’Amour centering Sergei Samsonov and Chad LaRose. Tim Conboy, who was placed on waivers Thursday, was at practice today.
“When you’ve lost that many games you have to try something new,” Ruutu said. "But I don’t think that’s going to be the answer for tonight. The answer is going to be how hard we work.
“I keep saying this all over again but now I really mean it because we haven’t been working hard enough.”
Sisu
I hollered to my neighbor this morning that tonight’s the night … I just have a feeling. And that was before reading the Ruutu quotes.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve got the same feeling.
“I’ve got a feeling, a feelin deep inside, oh yeah…..go canes”
is that how the beatles song went?
I suppose you could be Darcy Tucker.
by Knee high to a duck on Nov 14, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
Interesting sidenote
In a strength-on-strength situation, with both “top” lines out on the ice, this puts Brandon Sutter in the faceoff circle against Dougie Weight.
Just sayin’.
Weight’s hurt. I did see that Chris Botta blogged that Okposo (H1N1) will play tonight.
by Cory Lavalette on Nov 13, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Trade Bait
I’m curious: who would ya’ll dangle out there to get rid of (NTC or no NTC). I don’t care about what we’d get in return – let’s assume the goal is to clear cap room and dump the bad eggs
my list:
A.Ward – never cared for him, disappointed when he re-signed.
Rosie – 3rd liner at best. Should have never been expected to play 2nd RW
Samsonov – the only player on my list I would keep, but he might actually have trade value since he hasn’t been playing that poorly, IMO
Brindamour – Love ya, Brindy but sorry. Your taking up my cap space and you’ve lost the magic. In fact the magic is pretty %$#ed up at this point. Thanks for the memories
Of course add Conboy and Yelle to the list, but no one even wants them at half price.
AWard – He’s not going anywhere – who would want him?
LaRose – He’s in a funk, but I would keep him if possible. He fits on a 3rd line and can kill penalties.
Whitney – He has value, but we think of him more highly than the rest of the league. We could possibly get a prospect or draft pick for him. It would be best to hold him until the trade deadline.
Samsonov – He has a little value. I am not a big fan of his, so I would trade him in a heartbeat. I think we could possibly get a 3rd rounder for him.
Brind’Amour – Most likely he’s here to stay. If some team showed any interest, JUMP AT IT!
Wallin – He likes it here, even those most here don’t like him. He won’t waive the NTC.
Walker – He is a character/checking/energy guy that I think many teams would love to pick up. Depending on their needs, some team would maybe offer a low draft pick and mid-range prospect for him.
Cullen – He has good value. Can play 2nd or 3rd line, PP and PK. I like him, but he could net something in return.
Corvo – He also has good value. He’s got a big shot and PP points are what team drool over.
Cole – He most likely to stay. He’s Staal’s banana-hammock and probably doesn’t have a lot of interest.
Yelle – There is an outside shot someone with center problems takes him. He is cheap and has an expiring contract.
Conboy – Poor guy, nobody wants him.
Leighton – Good luck getting someone to take him, maybe as part of a package deal.
Legace – If he performs well over the next couple of games, he might have some value. He’s got a two-way deal and only $500K.
At this point in a lost season, I’d add Wallin, Walker, Whitney. And I’m only looking at salary hit and their age, not NTC, personality, performance etc. Maybe even Cole and Cullen for decent deal. Performance barely counts at this point. We must retool.
I could argue to keep LaRose based on age, relative cheap salary and stunning slump he’s in.
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