GM For a Day

we need a number 2 forward. we need a stand out partner for staal.

and we need to trade whatever it takes to get it.. i love the guys on our team, but a large group of players who are sometimes dangerous is just frustrating to watch. we need a line that worries other teams, we dont currently have that on a regular basis.
-cj

Chris-
I agree with the need for a line that intimidates and while we all enjoyed watching Staal skate with E Cole for the past few seasons….Staalsie is missing the open ice a power skater like Cole brought out when he lowered his head and pushed many a d line back. But as we know too well that was long ago, a Pitkanen ago to be exact. What has been done to give Staal back some of that open ice since? A lot-but it’s close with no cigar.
I admit that Ruutu brings alot of skill and power to the ice, he has more dynamic than Cole had…much more physical for sure…especially since Cole’s neck injury. Samsonov is more of a skill player and he too needs open ice as Staal does to be successful. But together success has been sketchy and limited at best. Jokinen is also a great skill player just look at his shoot out skills. But again, where’s the true power skater at the Forward position? There isn’t one. I’m happy to discuss that but I feel there just isn’t one at this time.
So here we are coming up to the trade deadline and what will the Canes do? Are they buyers or sellers?? I posted on an earlier thread with thoughts regarding rumors of a trade involving Brandon Sutter…see the Jussi off for Finland thread. In a nutshell, I don’t see any sense in it, based on current info regarding available players and other web info. Could JR be busy assembling a package deal? Is Kaberle going to be moved? If we say yes to any of this mess….for whom will the Canes trade?
What do the Canes really need? Now we get down to it and more to chrisj’s point-yes we need a true power man on a wing. It’s been gone for too long and we have too many skill guys up front with no true power or size. To add my two cents-if chris won’t mind, we have many puck-movers at the blue line but none have stepped up to knock someone on their ass when they truly needed it…….Thrasher, Peverly’s garbage poke in while Ward is on his back in the crease!! Please!! That guy should have been on his ass! Sorry for the rant but that ATL game still has me hot. We need a large D man with experience and some ice awareness that will match up with the skill players that we have. More specifically one that will hit somebody and not another Malik. A good example is Boogard with the Wild…OK, OK he’s no Chara but the dude is 6-7 at 257lbs. I believe he could move some furniture if need be. But he’s just an example. Out

With the number of top-end forwards coming through the systems, I think it would be bad to mortgage assets for a quick fix this season. Bowman and Boychuk could be in Raleigh next season (I’d bet on at least one), plus there needs to be room for Sutter and also Dalpe down the road (a few years out).

The one move I would make is taking a run at Laperriere. I’m not sure what it would take … I heard Ian White was nearly dealt for a low second, and he’s got another year on his contract. Lappy for a third and I’d sign on.

One thing to keep in mind, the Canes have already burned two draft picks for this coming year. A fourth rounder for Jokinen and a fifth for Darcy Hordichuk. (although they get the fifth back in 2010 for Hordichuk).

We are sellers. We don’t deserve to make the playoffs, but if by some chance we do get in, we will be the eighth seed and Boston will crush us in four games to bring their record against us to 9-0. We’ve got to figure out if we’re going to be able to resign LaRose and if not, we gotta send him out now to ensure we get something for him.

I think I have to agree more with the selling standpoint these days too. Trust me, I want to go to the playoffs more than anybody. But by the way we’ve been playing as of recently, it’s not gonna happen. And if it does, like nate says, we won’t make it far if they keep the attitude and the game they’ve got now. One person isn’t going to make that big of a difference. We can make it with the guys we’ve got, they just need to get their own juices going. Don’t lose anymore draft picks.

Unfortunately the Canes are in a no-win situation. With the fact that they have missed the playoffs the last two years, they NEED to make the playoffs this year from a fan support and financial perspective. Those two things will more than likely keep them from doing what they really ought to do and that is sell, sell, sell.

In a perfect world JR would maximize value for Whitney (what Cup contenteder wouldn’t want a savvy, puck handling wing for the stretch run?), see what they can get for Williams or Walker (probably not much since injuries have their value pretty low – if they can’t get decent value, hold on to them), and see if he can get a bag of pucks for Brind’Amour and Kaberle. If they can get a prospect and a decent pick for Whitney then I would say do it, but it ain’t gonna happen. I would even be willing to give up LaRose, Ruutu, Seidenberg…..hell I would be willing to give up just about anyone not named Staal, Ward, Pitkanen or to a certain extent Sutter.

If they were to do any of that they would be sending a signal that they are giving up on the season, and in this economic environment that is something they just can’t do. For those of you who have been receiving and/or seeing the marketing info they have been putting out about the new incentives for season tickets you can see that ticket sales are a huge concern. The problem is, if they miss the playoffs ticket sales suffer for next year – if they blow up the team and start a rebuilding plan they are still in the same boat.

So, their only real recourse is to “stay the course”, maybe make a few minor deals – the proverbial reshuffling of the deck – and hope for the best and possibly squeak into the playoffs, where unfortunately they probably won’t have a favorable outcome. Don’t get me wrong I’m hoping for the best as well as hoping for an active deadline for the Canes in hopes of making the deal(s) that push them solidily into the playoffs, I just don’t see that happening. In my opinion, they need to look for the future and blow this thing up and start building a solid young team through the draft and farm system. They have a decent young crop of talent in the system, they just need to add to that and start grooming.

Today is the first time I have felt like this…. I think that the team needs to be EITHER buyers or Sellers… none of this “hold what you have” B/S!!!

If we are going to go to the Playoffs and do well then we need to beef up big time… the guys we have currently seem to show no interest in getting there on their own… so we would need big time reinforcement….

But…….

since JR is NOT going to spend any more money on anything (especially not a hockey player) I think we need to throw on the blue light special…. We can get some good draft picks, and call up some of our AHL guys for some much needed experience (and they would also provide some excitement for the home crowd) and start over next season…..

We do not need any further proof beyond the game in Atlanta this past Saturday to realize that our guys do not give a crap about playing hockey beyond the second week of April…..

Trade them all for all I care…. The storm squad has more drive and determination than these guys!