Zach is Back: Devils at Hurricanes, Game Day Preview

   I don’t know the exact legal requirements, but I am fairly confident the summary would be that Picard is a citizen of Canada and cannot come to the United States to work without appropriate immigration status — such as a work visa. To violate the rule would get him and the Hurricanes in trouble potentially.

Correct. he could come down here using his passport no problem. But perhaps now that his employment has changed, he probably has to apply for a green card or whatever is used these days. Since it’s just one game to be played before taking a two week break, they probably told him to start the process now.

Plus it makes so they don’t have to sit one of our current d-men. Maybe by the time he makes it down here, that won’t be a problem anymore…

That’s their job.

Had we played Ottawa a week ago, he would have been here as a Canadian employee of a Canadian company, receiving pay in Canada for work he performed here — sort of like if your company told you to go to a training class in Toronto. From what I can tell, as a Canadian he doesn’t need a visa at all for that.

To work for the Carolina Hurricanes, an American company, though, he needs a visa. Making that happen in time for tonight’s game would have required the U.S. government to operate (a) efficiently (b) on a weekend. Good luck with that.

Earlier this season I tagged Dwyer as “unimpressive”. I’ve been more impressed lately with his quiet hockey smarts.
He’d be a decent low-budget guy for next year. As to a 3rd line center: let’s roll the dice. What do we have to lose by giving him a look ? He’s earned it.
I’ve also said that Boychuk’s not ready yet, and the reply has been that he didn’t get to play with good enough linemates. This is only one game but I hope he makes the most of it.

Boychuk is actually a center (although it looks like he’ll be a wing again tonight) he might step up to be the 3rd line center next year.

    I would use the draft choices for drafting the best forwards I could find; and other than Tyler Sequin and Taylor Hall I’d be looking for 6’3" forwards with speed. I’d use the off-season to sign a free agent center if I couldn’t get a center who should be able to play third line center. Jokinen can play center, but I would not move him off the line with Staal. Of course, it could also argue for re-signing Cullen and having three lines that play virtually equal minutes. If I were GM, I would work toward having a somewhat non-traditional third and fourth line; and would have a third line that featured skill and speed as well as size. I would have enough size on the third line that the players could check; but I’d have speed and skill. On the fourth line, I’d work toward a line such as Samson/Dwyer/Kostopoulos that was skilled, fast, and gritty; and I’d roll four lines.

   I remember drifterscape’s comments about Boychuk not being ready and my response that Boychuk needed time on the top six lines. Tonight is a great chance for Boychuk to demonstrate he not only has talent and grit, but that he has his game ready when facing one of the NHL’s excellent teams. I predict he will rise to the occasion. Boychuk has been a winner at every level of hockey he has played; and has a tremendous will to win and to be a difference maker.

   With regard to Dwyer as the third line center, Dwyer has been the kind of player who prevails when competing against more heralded players. I think he will be a fourth line center next season; but he does have that intangible quality and may well show us all he is our third line center.