Jim Rutherford Strikes Oil
by Bob Wage on Mar 5, 2009 2:14 AM EST
59 comments
Fans of the Carolina Hurricanes had an emotional day yesterday. Some of them are very happy, some are sad, some are downright angry. While many had an inkling that general manager, Jim Rutherford, would make some kind of an attempt to bring Erik Cole back into the fold, not many, if anyone knew that Justin Williams would be the sacrificial lamb.
But this was a complicated deal which took some deep thinking to orchestrate. Rutherford wanted to improve the team this season, but he had no room within the budget to work with. It would seem like he would be handcuffed, wouldn't it? Other teams, like the Washington Capitals did not make a single move at all during deadline day because they had no money to work with.
That didn't stop the Canes general manager though.
While Rutherford needed to improve the team right here and now without spending any additional cash, he also wanted to dump some salary for next season, if at all possible. Could he accomplish both objectives at the same time? It would seem like an impossibility, unless he was willing to relinquish valuable draft picks or prospects to balance things out.
But the GM was able to accomplish both of his goals and it didn't cost him a single (net) draft pick. As a matter of fact, he picked up a fifth rounder in the process.
The first question fans should ask themselves? Is the team better today than it was yesterday? Without a doubt, it is. Justin Williams had been out with a broken hand and was expected to be out for at least a couple more weeks. But even when he was in the lineup, the winger was still trying to find his game.
And when Williams finally gets to (100%), there is still reasonable doubt that he will ever return to his former 30 goal performance level. The player has suffered through two total reconstructive knee surgeries, plus had a torn Achilles tendon. These are major setbacks that some athletes never fully recover from. Last year when he attempted to make a return late in the season against Washington, he pulled a muscle in his back and was effectively out the rest of the year.
No one works harder than Justin Williams, but even his most fervent fans probably wonder about his ability to overcome future ailments.
One might ask, why would Rutherford need to cut back on salary for next season already? If you take a look at the Hurricanes budget commitment for next season on the Canes Country Salary Chart, you can see that before the trade, the team was committed to over $43 million in salaries. That number is pretty close to what the team is already spending at the present time. Even if the budget is increased a bit, that would leave precious little money to sign several players who will either be restricted or unrestricted free agents next season.
Players like, Chad LaRose, Dennis Seidenberg, Anton Babchuk, Ryan Bayda, Jussi Jokinen, and most importantly, Tuomo Ruutu all need new contracts. Rutherford just freed up some valuable cash to help him re-sign the individuals that he wants to sign of that bunch.
Caniacs who might be upset about this deal should ask themselves, who would the Hurricanes be better off with on the roster next season, Justin Williams or Tuomo Ruutu? Of course there is no guarantee that Rutherford will re-sign Ruutu, but this deal certainly improves those chances.
Some fans are hung up over the fact that Patrick O'Sullivan was initially included but was immediately shipped off to Edmonton. While the North Carolina native is a promising young talent, keeping him would not have solved the money issue. O'Sullivan is due to earn 2.3 million each year over the next two seasons and trading for him alone would not have freed up enough cash. The initial deal with Los Angeles would never have been made unless Edmonton agreed beforehand to accept him for Cole. The Oilers may have even specifically requested him. As far as the Canes were concerned, the forward was just a pawn to be used toward the desired end result.
Speaking of the Oilers, remember all the nonsense we heard from certain journalists about how Edmonton got the better part of the Pitkanen/Cole trade and how the Carolina franchise didn't know what they had when they had Cole?
Just as predicted, Cole didn't even stay one entire season there.
Edmonton currently has a playoff position right now, while sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference. Wouldn't it be something if this trade cost them a playoff spot and they ended up out?
I admit that I am not a know-it-all journalist from Canada, but I do know that it's usually impossible to tell the winners from the losers right after a trade is completed. Sometimes it takes years to make that determination.
For the Hurricanes, if Erik Cole helps the team to make it to the post-season this year, the trade will probably be deemed a success. They have their work cut out for them though.
We have criticized the Hurricanes general manager in the past for his perceived mistakes, (like signing Josef Melichar, giving Frank Kaberle a four year deal, and agreeing to a no-trade clause for Nic Wallin), but let's give credit where credit is due. Jim Rutherford thought outside the box when he came up with this deal. He not only solved an immediate need, he was proactive regarding a future one.
Most noteworthy, at least he had the ambition and guts to try something. Fans would not be happy with the alternative, doing nothing at all.
_____
Cole is expected to be back in town today. Fans can watch him practice at the RBC beginning at 11AM.
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log in to the wral sports page www.wralsportsfan.com and wait for the pop up about the flames vs calgary…..
I feel gutted!
I like this deal a lot……williams hasnt really brought anything to the ice this year. I know hes a very capable player with 30+ goal, and all star potential assuming he does overcome this injury plague. But Cole is a potential 30 goal scorer and potential all star as well, plus all the intangibles he brings, such as his hitting and his creating open ice/chemistry with staal.
Battle to the death?
I think this trade sets up a Cole vs. Ruutu duel for the rest of the season. We probably can’t afford to sign both next year so likely whoever performs better the rest of the way will get their deal.
Any thoughts?
Still not a crook!
I was thinking the same thing. Both players would probably prefer to stay here, but there might only be money enough for one. It also allows Rutherford to use one against the other during contract negotiations, perhaps to help drive the price down.
GM of CanesCountry.com
It's possible...
that they can sign both. The market for Cole won’t be large enough where he will receive a $4 mil/year contract like he’s playing on now. This past year has hurt that. Plus, there have been reports that the salary cap may come down this year, making it even harder for teams to dish out $4 mil contracts to players like Cole. They could conceivably offer him a 3 or 4 year deal worth $3-$3.25 mil per.
Now, with Ruutu, he clearly deserves a raise from the $2.25 mil/year he’s making now. If they were to offer him the same 3-4 years at $3-3.25 mil per year as cole you are looking at a combined $6-6.5 mil/year for both.
They were going to pay Williams $3.5 and still try to keep Ruutu. I’m not saying it’s likely, but certainly doable. It becomes more doable if they make the playoffs and make a decent run.
Yeah… and you know… 30 is JUST SO F-ING OLD!!!!
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Mar 5, 2009 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
I think we should take all 30 year olds in the street and shoot them….
Oh damn…. I should hide!
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Mar 5, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
I think what he means is that at 30, he’s probably got about five years of good hockey left in him, so he’s going to be looking for the best long-term deal he can find, since it’s going to be his last chance at a big contract.
I knew what he meant….
I was just giving him crap!
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Mar 5, 2009 10:50 PM EST up reply actions
its kind of scary to think that the following year,
whitney, cullen, and corvo are all UFAs
and ward is an RFA
big stuff has to happen that offseason
Acquiring Cole does not make Ruutu superfluous. You can never have too many big wingers who can hit, skate, and score. JR has to lock up both of these guys in the off season, assuming Cole returns to form as Staal’s linemate. If he doesn’t produce, re-sign Ruutu and find a guy in free agency, because we know Ruutu is finally playing the way scouts thought he would play when he was drafted 9th overall.
Let me get something straight about Ruutu’s RFA status. Do the Canes merely have to qualify him at +10% of his present salary? Or can he go to arbitration? Because if it’s just a matter of giving him $2.75 M for however many years, that’s not such a big deal.
Letting Bayda and Jokinen walk would free up over $2 million
Here are some numbers for the Hurricanes:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=CAR
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=CAR&season=0809
hey another question. If hot rod hangs em up after this year, is it still a hit on the cap, a hit on payroll, both or neither?
Also if a train leaves Nashville at 10:05 going 95 mph and a bus leaves Knoxville at ……… nm.
it’s a full cap hit b/c of the age in which he signed the deal
CanesCountry.com: An Eye On Carolina Hockey
by Cory Lavalette on Mar 5, 2009 11:22 AM EST up reply actions
but will they in two seasons when the cap may go down (some saying by maybe $10M … but that seems crazy to me)
CanesCountry.com: An Eye On Carolina Hockey
by Cory Lavalette on Mar 5, 2009 12:12 PM EST up reply actions
O'Sullivan
Black & Red Hockey led me to this article as ro why O’Sullivan could NEVER play in Carolina…
http://garejoyce.blogspot.com/2007/01/saddest-story-in-hockey-abused.html
After reading that, I am glad we flipped him. It would not be fair to Patrick, IMO, to have to play here, knowing how close his father is.
That makes me want to find his father and beat the hell out of him……
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Mar 5, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions
I wonder if LA gave him the heads up that he would not really be coming to Raleigh when all the news was starting to come down… Imagine what he would have thought then…
Its too bad. He seems like a good player and good person.
by packpigskinfan25 on Mar 5, 2009 1:06 PM EST reply actions
its kind of scary to think that the following year,
whitney, cullen, and corvo are all UFAs
and ward is an RFA
big stuff has to happen that offseason
When do you all think we will start negotiations with theses players? Didnt Rutherford say after Staal’s resigning that he doesnt like for his players to go into their final season without a new contract?
Which ones do you think we will keep?
If we resign Whitney it better be short term. If nothing else was learned in the past 3 years it should be that you don’t overaged veterans who have run out of gas clogging your payroll/cap space.
Agreed, but Rod was THE rock last year and you see how that story is turning out. I am not dissing the wizard at all, I am just encouraging us to be more rational and cautious with the contracts than we have in the past. JR has proven himself to be less than stellar in the past when it comes to handing out contracts and who he hands them out too.
Erik the Great
As I have watched this team, I have repeatedly thought “we need another guy like Ruutu.” There have been several games when the guys just don’t show heart. Specifically, there are guys on our team that are on the wrong end of cheap shots and no one moves an inch to defend that guy. Scott Walker will do it but he has not been on the ice much. Erik Cole will never let that crap go by without an answer. This is going to be great. No more feminine games. Can you imagine playing the Canes now…..Staal(with more room to skate because of Erik’s speed), Cole, Samsanov, Whitney, LaRose(psychotic),Cullen, Walker,RUUUUUTTTTUUUU. This is a team that can now compete in the playoffs. I will be shocked if they do not get in now.
It all comes down to the defense and special teams. Erik will help the power play. The defense will not have to leave their post as much because of the respect for EC’s speed and they will get better. My concern is the penalty kill. They play this collapsing penalty kill. I hate it. Under Lavi, the play there was terrible. Since Mo, they are challanging the puck movers and it has resulted in a lot of shorties. I hope they continue to play that quick strike, style and add “in you face” to it.
Guys, this is a good trade. We just got tougher, faster, nastier, more intimidating, tighter in the dressing room and above all smarter.
One last comment. Last year Erik Cole was clearly not healthy. He was still experiencing pain. That was the reason for his inconsistent play. Some games he was feeling well, some games he was not able to do what he wanted. He is around year further along with that terrible injury. He got healthy in Edmonton. Thank you for the long rehab stint. Remember how long it took Gary Roberts to get over that injury….
I have been smiling for two days. Go Canes…..
I certainly hope you are right about Cole's health.
I think the reason so many fans have attached on to Ruutu is because he plays just like Cole used to before the injury. The two of them on a team should be really fun to watch.
Still not a crook!
I don’t really like the team repetitively bringing back old players, coaches, players to BE coaches, etc. but this move does make sense. I see it as a " Certainly can’t hurt" kind of move, now. I was on the fence about it, but you actually swayed me enough Bubba. Great post!
Satan is just a coping mechanism for monotheists.
Ollie, Iginla, and commy….That’s a wicked line!!
OK, kids, let’s talk size!! Everyone is talking about how big and powerful Cole is. Compared to who? LaRose? Rosies faster and has more grit. He’s 2 " shorter than Staal. He’s got an inch and 5lbs on Cullen, 2" and 5lbs on Ruutu, who would you rather meet on the boards Ruutu or Cole? How about Sutter? He’s got 20lbs on the kid. I’m trying to find the facts here. Cole isn’t that big, what size he does have he hasn’t used since the first part of the cup run. There’s at least 5 skaters faster than him on our team, so where are all the actual facts that he’s big and fast? 6’ 2" and 205 is not that big. At 30 he is not as fast as he was and he hasn’t put up numbers in three years.
Seriously, does anybody have any facts that Cole is something, or are you all just glad ol’ Colesy has returned?
Hell, Ollie, now theres a guy we could use.
A
Williams is gone who cares? Isn’t that why we traded him? And that’s what you come up with? Kinda makes my point, Cole fills NO need whatsoever. If we were gonna dump salary, should of traded Willy for a stack of draft picks. Seriously Iggy, you are comping him to a guy that has barely played in two years. Though I’d agree that Cole hasn’t played well for longer, but that’s sorta my point, this guy is nothing but a reach around. It’s a feel good move for Staal, the fans whatever, but in no shape or form improves this team.
A
Paladin, lets look at his numbers in the last 3 years in Carolina prior to the trade g = 30-29-22 a= 29-32-29 p= 59-61-51. How do those numbers compare to Rosie’s? Plus you have a guy who has proven chemistry with your Franchise player. Plus, I don’t think you can really call into play Coles’ numbers in Edmonton. He had a very slow start, adjusting to play in a market he really had no desire to play in. I aint saying this trade leaves me full of warm fuzzies, but to say it fills no need whatsoever is incorrect. Remember, our supposed high flying offense has looked pretty anemic at times, so another offensive presence is a good thing.
Paladin, aside from point production you have to look at his hits, its not his actual size people are referring to…..its the way he plays…..he plays big. Perfect example, Babchuk is 6’5" 212 lb, but no ones calling him “big” because he doesnt play big, they use “big” when talking about his shot, because well, it’ll hurt you if you dont move!! Ruutu at only 6’ even and only 200 lb, I consider “big” because well he’ll hurt you if you dont move!! Cole is fast because he uses his stride better than a lot of other skaters do, and hes stronger on his skates than a lot of other skaters making him harder to knock off the puck, therefore making him a “big, strong, and faster” skater. Yet look at his points 59, 61, 51, and on a lower pace this year being in Edmonton. Hes clearly a guy you can count on for 40-70 points with good chemistry (which he has here) You are definitely in the minority on this……..no EVERYONES not totally thrilled, nor does everyone expect this move to win us a cup, but I think your the only one who seems down right pissed off. I really dont understand your stance. Ive always appreciated your “hockey knowledge” but I have to disagree with you on this one, I feel like your letting some sort of bias cloud your knowledge of a “power” forward, the value of creating space, and team/line chemistry. Plus I think your seriously underestimating “Colesy”.
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