2009-10 Canes Country Exit Analysis: Rod Brind`Amour
by Bob Wage on May 25, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in 2009-10 Exit Analysis
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PrintThis has been a tough season for Carolina Hurricanes center Rod Brind`Amour, no two ways about it. He finished the campaign with a total of 19 points, the lowest point total in his 20 year NHL career. His plus/minus stat of (-29) was nearly the worst in the league for the second consecutive year. He was asked to relinquish his captaincy in mid season.
The veteran ended up playing on the fourth line during the second half of the season, his average minutes on the ice dropping from the mid-teens to five to seven minutes a night.
But through all the adversity, Brind'Amour never uttered a single word of distress or complaint.
Brind'Amour will turn 40 years old this August and it looks like his age might have finally caught up with his performance. One of the biggest questions for the team this offseason is whether or not he will retire, even though he still has a year left on his contract. He is still deliberating at the date of this article.
The Good: Brind'Amour is still a leader in the room. The non-stop rotating group of newly arriving youngsters and the rest of his teammates continued to look up to him for guidance. When he gave the captaincy to Eric Staal, that could have been a problem and/or a major distraction. Instead, it was a positive step for the team as the vet was nothing less than classy during the transition. Staal's scoring took off and the club started winning a much higher percentage of games. Even at 39 years old, "Brindy" remains one of the top face off men in the league. His 58.8% was good enough for third best in the entire NHL last season.
The Bad: His stat line this past season was unacceptable for a player of his stature. Age: He seems a step or two slow and perhaps his reflexes are not what they used to be. While the lower number of minutes of time on ice seemed to better suit him, he's not really a prototype fourth line player. His plus/minus was almost twice as bad as his nearest teammate which probably means he was a liability on the ice.
The Money: Brind'Amour's cap hit is $3.6 million. He has one more year left on his five year contract and he is scheduled to earn $3 million next season. The forward signed his contract after he turned age 35, so his cap hit stays the same even if he retires or the Canes buy him out, although the team could save a million cash if they did buy him out. One way or the other, Jim Rutherford has stated that Rod Brind'Amour will have a spot waiting for him in the organization when he has finished his career.
The other centers on the team could certainly use his coaching in the face off circle.
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Brind'Amour
F was and is my vote. Seriously, paying any player $3,000,000 or more a year to struggle and fail as a fourth line player is aburd – no matter how fantastic his legacy and no matter how excellent he may be on face-offs. In light of the desire of Peter Karmanos to find an investor, having a slow, uninspired 40 year old alternate captain with a plus minus of minus 29 is silly. Brind’Amour is entitled to a buy out and he has much to offer off the ice. He has less than zero on balance to offer any more as a player on the ice. My preference is for some of Brind’Amour’s duties as a former player to be serving as the spokesperson for a strong community effort to increase STHs by between 4,000 and 5,000.
TYPOS FIXED
F was and is my vote. Seriously, paying any player $3,000,000 or more a year to struggle and fail as a fourth line player is absurd – no matter how fantastic his legacy and no matter how excellent he may be on face-offs. In light of the desire of Peter Karmanos to find an investor/partner, having a slow, uninspired, non-physical 40 year old alternate captain with a plus minus of minus 29 is silly. Brind’Amour is entitled to a buy out, and he has much to offer off the ice. He has less than zero on balance to offer any more as a player on the ice. My preference is for some of Brind’Amour’s duties as a former player to be serving as the spokesperson for a strong community effort to increase STHs by between 4,000 and 5,000.
Contracts are given based on PAST performance. Nobody can see the future. Rod Brind’Amour earned his money in 2006.
Given his health and limited playing role I think a grade of C is fair.
"The coaches on the Carolina bench are all grinning like butchers dogs...."
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on May 25, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Mateos, did you read your post?
You gave a grade and worked in health and limited time. He’s old he sucks. He is getting limited time because he sucks. He may have earned his contract from play in 2006 but his playe has dropped like the stock market ever since.
Last I checked a C was for average. There is nothing average about his play in 09-10 like the poll asked. He sucked. All the warm fuzzy and oh gee remember when in the world cannot justify his absolute and utter terrible play. He earned his second worst in the league for the second year in a row by sucking, not by being average.
I think the emotions surrounding this guy is what brings on that complete and total disregard for the actual facts and points out exactly why he needs to go and now.
F for failure, frickin’ terrible, flacid, forgettable, flop…
A
'09-'10 needed more than a spoonful of sugar, felt like a broken glass and battery acid suppository.
Young hockey players, the future, the answer. Learn it, then live it.
F
I don’t know how you can justify any other letter grade.
Yeah he’s Rod Brind’Amour, but his play this past season and most of the last 2 is a liability. I, for one, hope he is done and accepts a spot with the organization in some other role.
The only reason I voted him a D instead of an F was the way he handled the captaincy change.
"...they will not force us...they will stop degrading us...they will not control us...we will be victorious..."
Mah blog.
I gave him a D for that sole reason and the fact he never whined about anything. His play deserved a definite F but Rod continued to handle everything this season with class. The whole situation with the captaincy and everything else could have caused a huge train-wreck in the locker room but Rod kept quiet and was a professional to the end.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.
Couldn't give him the F.
He showed the kind of character a captain should have. Not making a noise about being stripped of his position. I can’t think of many guys in any sport that would have handled it so well.
"You can't be fat and fast too; so lift, run, diet, and work." ~ Hank Stram
i concur
i was hoping he would graciously just bow out his final year and have a big honorary celebration for his service to the hurricanes. but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. he doesn’t want to quit. it’s tough for athletes. your body ages and there is nothing you can do about it. the organization made a point of saying how he was first in everything in training camp. but that still doesn’t mean you’ll have the quickness, alertness, speed, etc..you have when you’re 25. and it creeps up on you slowly until you are stunned that kids are beating you. i don’t see the point of staying until the end of the year and not play. might as well just be retired and go on vacation.
I don’t even know if it is fair to give him a grade. We are talking about someone who is battling with coming to grips with not only retiring from a “job” but knowing that he cannot go out there and live out his dream and passion another season. This is not what they do – it is WHO they are. Professional athletes are a differnt breed and as much as we want to tell him what he should do…I don’t think any of us would be as gracious as he has been about it. I am sure he (and the rest of us) wish he would be able to go out on a high note.
Now does his play relative to the amount of $ he makes deserve an F…YES, but I would not give that F to Rod, I give it to JR. That type of contract should have never been negoicated for someone so far into their career, with so many unknowns and the only “known” being is that he would not be able to keep up that type of play forever and was eventually going to slow down.
Whatever he decides a wish him the best…and if it is to come back I will be rooting for him to have a better year so he can end on that high note.
RAKASTAN SUOMEN!!
Gave him a D. Granted he played decently towards the end of the season, he didn’t play well enough at the end of the previous season and this entire season to merit anything higher. He needs to retire. He’s past his prime. He doesn’t have the gas left in him like fellow veteran Ray Whitney does. Graciously retire, Rod. Accept a buy-out and replace our current conditioning coach.
Hopefully the 'Canes re-sign Ray Whitney to a nice 2 year deal and he retires comfortably at age 40. Maybe even 1 more Stanley Cup? :)
Incomplete
I could not find it my heart to give Roddy an F, he is the reason we won the CUP in 06. His leadership and hardwork led this team. Even with his lack luster play as of late you can not take away what the man has done for us and the impact he has had on so many younger players some that have gone on to other clubs. Does he earn his 3 mil, not hardly in terms of his play, but as a leader and voice in the community he more that earns it. I would love for him to come to Charlotte and work with the young guns, he has so much class and heart to offer. The way I see it it’s not all about the money it’s about doing what’s right by a guy that has poured his heart out every game and deserves our respect.
We own him that much
No big comments needed, it has all been said already. Retire, you can lead from the bench or the front office..Stop dragging down the team, that will end up being your legacy if you continue to play. Whoever gave the A grade must be a Flyers fan. Brindy is a class guy, probably one of the classiest in the league that was demonstrated during the Captaincy switch. Class is not worth 3 million and a roster spot… That is what the hanging point in this whole Brindy situation rests on…
I too
Gave Rod a “D” fir his play…but if i could I’d give him an “A” for his Charactor.despite the fact the man has had 2 back to back crappy years…he still showed up and tried…even if it was in vain most of the time…
When The People Fear Their Government,There is Tyranny;
When The Government fears The People, There Is Liberty
I couldn’t bring myself to vote. I love Roddy and respect his leadership and class so much——I couldn’t bring myself to mark D or F. He is still a leader, in so many ways.
Age has caught up with the body—————but not the heart !!
I hope he and management can come up with a retirement arrangement that preserves his legacy and leadership. He will always be our “cup” Captain. I think of him now as our Captain " Emeritus".
I think I will go back and vote incomplete——because the rest of the story hasn’t happened yet.. :)
GO CANES! Go Heels!
+22
When The People Fear Their Government,There is Tyranny;
When The Government fears The People, There Is Liberty
by CaniacSteve on May 25, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Maurice - D
If Rod couldn’t play up to standards, then Mo should have scratched him. Rod did what he could! Do you think he didn’t try? We got all he had, and he didn’t deserve a “d or f”… maybe mo does!!!
D
the only reason I don’t give him an F is because of the classy way he handled all of the adversity. I agree with UNCCaniac8 that he is sort of the “Captain Emeritus” instead of being an alternate. I don’t think he has any place on the team next season, his time was up as soon as he blew out his knee then came back to early. I hope he retires and I look forward to seeing his ‘17’ up in the rafters where it belongs.
A lot of the poor grading is due to Rod’s $3 million salary. However, in his post-Cup contract, he took lower salary over a longer period of time to help Carolina retain players. If his salary had been higher in the first three years of the contract and $1 million for the last two years, as many contracts have been written in the past and are currently being written, the cap hit would have been the same but the salary would have created problems for the Canes management during 2007-2009. But, if his salary were currently $1 million, then he would be being paid closer to what a fourth-line center who can win 58%+ of his faceoffs should earn.
Respectfully, is there another 40 year old, slow, and non-physical forward playing fourth line minutes who is plus minus minus 29 this year and who was plus minus minus 23 last year who is commanding a $1,000,000 salary? Brind’Amour is a very honorable and nice man. He is a lousy hockey player. The truth is very few 40 year olds are still good hockey players no matter how great they were at 28.
I agree that Brind’Amour is not playing at the level we need. I am just saying that much of the anger and lower grading seems to be the result of a contract written four years ago that was written to help out the team at the time. Just as we have bought out other contracts, so should we possibly do so here, perhaps as part of a retirement agreement.
D
I would give him an F, but it’s Rod for crying out loud. He’s a team guy and didn’t flinch a whole lot during the captaincy change. Still good in the circle, and in the locker room. Just not on the rest of the ice.
I’m a little at odds over the retirement issue. I want him to. I hate to see him struggle. I hate to see the team struggle. I guess I’m like JR – It would be hard to ask him. B/C the best dogs: (the tough, lovable, and ugliest ones) they don’t really fade away when they get old, they just disappear.
mF
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