2009-10 Canes Country Exit Analysis: Ray Whitney
by hockeymomof2 on May 8, 2010 4:54 PM EDT
in 2009-10 Exit Analysis
26 comments
We've started to look back at the individual performances of the Hurricanes players over the 2009-10 season, asking our readers evaluate and grade each player. We started with Erik Cole on Friday here, and today we're looking at one of Cole's fellow veterans of the 2005-06 Stanley Cup winning team, the Hurricanes Alternate Captain, Ray Whitney.
Ray Whitney seems to prove the exception to the rule that, at the ripe age of 37, he was too old to be a scoring leader in the NHL, too slow or too tired to play top line minutes. Remarkably, the winger was first among forwards in TOI this season, second only to ironman Joni Pitkanen on the team. And, looking at the chart above, this year's minutes are in fact his best of the last four years. Age doesn't seem to have caught up with the Wizard yet.
The Good: When Whitney shines the whole world stops to watch his magic moves, his daring tape-to-tape passes, and his remarkable vision and hockey sense, while his young teammates can only say "Wow". And for the 2 months leading up to the trade deadline, Whitney's star shown brightly. During that twenty-two game stretch, beginning the first of January, his stat line was 9G and 14A for 23 points, better than a point/game. He finished the season in the top sixty in the League for scoring points (ahead of the likes of Phil Kessel, Dustin Brown, Jason Spezza, Mike Knuble) and 24th for game-winning goals with five.
The Bad: Whitney, a right-shooting left winger, is hardly a titan on the ice when playing in his own end, and his "+/-" reflects that. In his five years in Carolina, including the Stanley Cup year, his cumulative +/- comes to -15 (The Canes were +15 over the same span). Also, perhaps for some fans, the uncertainty surrounding the "seemed-certain-then-somehow-never-happened" trade and the rumors about exactly what transpired between Whitney, Jim Rutherford, and the LA Kings will also leave a blemish on his record for the year.
The Money: We all know that Ray Whitney's contract with the Hurricanes concludes this summer, and he will become a free agent. This past season he earned $3.55 million which matched the cap hit as well.
Looking forward (which is not really what we're supposed to be doing here), Whitney isn't getting any younger. But let me toss out that the recent play of former teammate Mark Recchi, at age 42, is as apt a comparison as that heard often here to Rod Brind`Amour (age 39) whose production and minutes have fallen off dramatically the last two years. Where's that crystal ball when you need one?
Recchi, a left-shooting right winger, earned $1.7million with the Bruins this year, averaging about 17 minutes/game. He has also added 6 G + 3 A in 10 playoff games so far.
Update on Ray Whitney at Worlds:
Finally a brief update on Whitney's play in Germany for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships earlier today. For starters, Whitney played on the second line with a couple teenagers named John Tavares and Matt Duchene. It gets better. From the National Post, Canada downs Italy in opening game of World Hockey Championship Carolina Hurricanes veteran Ray Whitney, who celebrated his 38th birthday Saturday, set up two key goals as Canada outmatched an often feisty Italian team...Whitney was named player of the game. Happy Birthday, Ray.
You might also get a kick out of the comments in the gamethread from those watching the game posted over at SBN's new International Hockey blog, Puckworlds.
Playing with a pair of 19-year-olds, Ray looked like a young colt himself out there today. Easily could have had 4 or 5 points instead of just the 2 beauty assists.
Last season, the vast majority (80%!) of fans voting on our poll gave Ray Whitney an A for the 2008-09 season that included 18 post season games to feel good about. How does this year's performance look to you?
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I thought Ray really seemed to wear down or something down the stretch. After the trade deadline, he didn’t seem to be playing his normal game on a consistent basis. I hope it’s not a sign of things to come.
I somewhat agree with the Juice, I was a little pissed that he “rejected” the LA trade. But I do feel that Ray could be useful to the Canes next season. If he doesn’t ask for ungodly money, will only sign a 1 year deal with no NTC; I would welcome him back. I do feel with all of the youthful wingers, next season will be Ray’s last in Carolina. He still should be able to score around 20 goals and dish out around 30 or 40 assists.
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I’m just bitter. He probably deserves a C-B.
Although I’m not happy how he played like a demon in the month leading up to the trade deadline and then just packed his bags after that. He looked like he has some juicy vacation plans on his mind.
Yeah – mediocre IIHF hockey in Germany is the dream of most 37-year veterans in May.
Olympian Tim Gleason in Vancouver: "I don’t care what anybody says, to watch an exciting hockey game, there’s nothing like it."
Video highlights of today’s game in Germany. Whitney gets some time on camera (not surprising). Stamkos and Duchene have comments on “Rayzer” too.
Olympian Tim Gleason in Vancouver: "I don’t care what anybody says, to watch an exciting hockey game, there’s nothing like it."
by hockeymomof2 on May 8, 2010 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll be happy.
If Ray is resigned for even a year, I’ll be happy. Of the veterans, he played the best in my opinion. I agree that he did slack off after the trade deadline a little. But as a whole for the entire year, he did better than some of the kids 10-15 years younger than him. :)
Thank you Jim Rutherford and Ray Whitney for working together for Ray to stay a Hurricane! :)
I was stuck between B/C
Tough call b/c its hard to separate his lousy play at the end of the year from him being one of the best players on the ice earlier in the year.
I’m angry at the no-trade as well which effects this. Next year—I’d say 1 year if we aren’t getting a great monetary deal or 2 years for cheap.
If he is re-signed, I really hope whatever contract we sign him to does not include a NTC or NMC. Again I feel like him taking up a top-6 spot would simply be detrimental to the development of our potential top-6 young guns. The only value I see in him is if we can sign him cheap and move him for a 1st Round Pick or Prospect (maybe a great, hard hitting D prospect like… Colten Teubert) at the Trade Deadline even if we are headed into the Playoffs.
Hard to see any of the prospects putting up 50+ points. Ray is still a top-line guy on the Canes. I would like to see a $4 mill 2-year deal, $3mill in 10-11 and $1 mill in 11-12 for a little flexibility for both parties.
Are you thinking Whitney/Staal/Jokinen as your first line? If not, what first line do you envision? Whitney has been one of the team’s most productive wings for years; and shows no sign of slowing down (other than the inexplicable slump post trade deadline). I have read or heard that Whitney was fighting some injuries during the slump; and I’ve never seen him slack off when healthy; so that makes the most sense to me. As humorous as Whitney is, he has been an impact player in the NHL for a long, long time in large part because he has such a drive to win. It’s how he’s wired. He is not an up and down effort player; and instead he is an over-achiever who wants to win at whatever he does, pool, back yard basketball, tennis, whatever.
absolutely that would be my first line. As much as we love to look at prospects and project how good they’ll be, Staal centering Jussi and Ray is the best line the Canes have.
Or we could save the money we would waste on Ray and get an actual 1st line Winger (something we have been missing for ages) instead of accepting mediocrity. It humors me that people will complain about Staal having no talent around him and then turn around and complain about getting rid of Whitney.
We can’t have our cake and eat it too. If we want to keep all our pseudo top-line fan-favorites like Whitney and Cole then we won’t be able to afford anything better.
I actually tend to agree with JJ. Whitney is a good player, good leader, and one hell of a nice guy; but I have always stated that IMO he is a 2nd line winger not a 1st. If he is resigned, I do see him starting the season with Staal & Jussi on the 1st line, but only until another player proves himself worthy of that spot.
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by PackPride17 on May 9, 2010 5:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The search continues
That’s a lot of if’s, but if Whitney’s signed it would be for the same reason you’re sort of saying: because they just couldn’t figure out who else would be a good left-winger for Staal to at least start the season.
I, for one, would be fine with plugging Jussi Jokinen as Staal’s left wing while that auditioning process continues.
And, failing a successful audition, look for the blockbuster trading deadline move for some serious LW talent, if it looks like we’re going to the dance.
Hey, that’s not a lot of “if’s.”. I only used 1 in my post. :)
I think Whitney will do for another season. I would just like to see a net-crasher (not Cole) on the line with Staal & Jussi. I think that would make a very formidable top line.
Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!
by PackPride17 on May 9, 2010 6:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, I guess I was counting the “if” of Ray not only being signed, but paired with Staal. :-D
But, right now our choice of RW net-crashers are Ruutu, LaRose, and Cole…not necessarily in that order.
Which, while all quite adequate for the task, really highlights that we do have to find Staal at least one elite winger if we ever truly want to see just what he can accomplish.
Longshot right now is Bowman…longshot, I said.
Boychuk and Dalpe also out there with some odds attached.
Maybe Connolly, if the draft breaks that way. The search continues.
I gave him a B
I would have given him an A but the non-trade soured his season for me especially if we could have gotten Teubert and a draft pick for him. Sign him for a year or two. My view of Whitney is going to really be soured if decides to sign elsewhere in the off-season, basically leaving us with nothing when we could have had a great prospect and a 2nd round pick.
I gave him
Ah “B”…and as Baretta used to say.." And dats the name of dat tune"…
When The People Fear Their Government,There is Tyranny;
When The Government fears The People, There Is Liberty
B for performance, F- for poopy behaviour
Like most on here, very happy with Ray’s pre-deadline performance. Not so much after wards.
JR needs to play hard ball with Ray this year. IF we re-sign him, no more than a two year agreement. Nix the NTC’s and such.
Are performance incentives allowed in players contracts? If so, it gives him extra incentive to play at a higher level, then we can trade him at the deadline. I used to like Ray a lot, but this past season showed some true colors. Now he could stay or go.
Ray has good years left in him. How many is the question…
B – He had decent numbers this year and he was pretty consistent for most of the season (minus after trade deadline). I don’t have a problem with re-signing him for 2 years of less and for less money/year. He still see’s the ice better than 98% of the NHL and I still think he can probably stay close to a point per game. However, it would not surprise me if he walked or JR didn’t offer him anything. There are a lot of teams that would love to have a guy like Whitney and have the cap space to make him fit. I realize he love’s the area, but he’s not from here, he’s played in FLA, SJ, Detroit, EDM, & CBJ, and he seems a little bitter towards JR, so whatever happens it shouldn’t be too surprising (retirement would be surprising).
B
I think you have to look at career constancy when grading – so +/- numbers don’t bother me in this case.
in regards to points – the whole team sucked for half a year, he can’t be faulted on joining the suck-fest.
But on the other hand I did smack him down from an A b/c his veteran leadership aspects evidently didn’t help the team any during said suck-fest. Leaders have to be leaders, otherwise, they’re just another player, whether in success or failure.
Bring Back Ray!
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