Day One in Review - Day Two Open Thread
by Bob Wage on Jul 2, 2010 10:18 AM EDT
107 comments
There were several deals made and contracts signed on the opening of free agency, but there are still players out there to be had. The Hurricanes added Anton Babchuk, a defenseman the club said they would probably bring back. They also signed Jonathan Matsumoto to a two year deal, making that seventh round pick they gave up for him look like a bargain right now.
Most likely the Canes are about done, but you never know.
Ray Whitney and Matt Cullen both moved on, Whitney to the desert in Phoenix, and Cullen to his home in Minnesota. We wish both Carolina Cup winners the best.
So, what team made the best upgrade on day one?
The Pittsburgh Penguins certainly didn't hurt themselves when they signed two top-notch defensemen. Paul Martin and highly sought after Zbynek Michalek will both be patrolling the Pens blueline, but they did not come cheaply.
I can't help but like some of the moves the Thrashers have made. Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien can be beasts when they put their minds to it and Chris Mason is an upgrade in goal.
There were a couple of head scratchers. Andrew Raycroft will be backing up Kari Lehtonen in Dallas? That has disaster written all over it.
And Olli Jokinen is going back to Calgary?
Things could always be worse, Caniacs!
Feel free to discuss yesterday and today's events in this open thread.
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As someone who doesn’t hate Olli Jokinen I still have to ask WTF? How does either party agree to him going back to Calgary let alone both?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Thrashers
I hate to see both ATL and FLA improving on paper to this degree. I am excited about our youth movement, but am prepared for growing pains this season.
2 years to the Cup
Pittsburgh improved defensively and should make the playoffs. But, they did nothing to improve their powerplay. And while Florida may be really tough in a few years, I don’t see them being playoff contenders for at least a couple of years.
by Chuck Burns on Jul 2, 2010 10:52 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I think Martin and Michalek should be enough to replace what Gonchar brought to the table. They still didn’t address their issues at wing, but Guerrin can probably be retained for a reasonable amount.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I would say not very well. Plus, what does Carolina gain from having Guerrin on the roster?
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
I think if we were able to pull off a way in the near future to get a better than average defensive minded top 4 defenseman then I think we will surprise a lot of people this year.
Is it October yet?
Top 4 Defenseman
I have been thinking the same thing. If Jim Rutherford can sign a top 4 defenseman, the team will really be vastly improved. I like the idea of Sanguinetti and Babchuk paired together on the power play and perhaps as the third pairing.
I was somewhat surprised to read this morning that the pairings would be
Gleason – McBain
Pitkinen – Babchuk
? – Harrison
JR commented that depending who they get to play in the last spot McBain could move down to the last pairing so it looks like Pit and Bab are the odds on favorite to at least stay in the top 4.
Is it October yet?
by hotchipsnsalsa on Jul 2, 2010 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
replace “Florida” with “Carolina” in the last sentence, and you’ll be just as on target.
No Whitney, no legit, proven 3rd-line center, and JR talking about a guy who was scratched for a couple of games in the 2009 playoffs as a top-4 Dman. I appreciate what Babchuk brings to the PP, but otherwise he was a bottom-pairing Dman when he was here. We let a solid, homegrown final-pair Dman go, and signed one player (harrison)who couldn’t beat him out for playing time. Change it around, put Babs with Carson on the final pair, and sign one $3-million solid stay-at-home Dman, and you’ve got the best blue line in Carolina history. It’s too bad.
Keep in mind that JR likes to go bargain shopping in August and can usually find some good deals.
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting"..........holy cow.......what a ride!"
Don’t count out Vancouver this coming season. They made some pretty good moves yesterday as well. I wouldn’t be too shocked to see them and Pittsburgh in the finals next spring.
myself
day one was fast & furious…a few surprises as well…now i have 2 thoughts…1: what & who will LA Kings pick,trade or package…2:aside from here there was no real out cry the Whitney is gone…as is Cullen…but such is the business side of Hockey huh ?
and Coastal…I am sad to hear that, but remember that no mater how bad we got it..there are others away worse off that we are or is…and this is from a legless guy in a power chair…who did nothing but be at the right place at the wrong time…be safe and keep on healing up and if you are slacking off on the PT …get back in the Caniac !! you do have a Job to get back to there !! Boogity,Boogity,Boogity…!!!
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
You’re absolutely right, Steve. The worst part is not being on the street with my guys, especially this time of year. But, since I live at the beach, I shall drag myself down to the shore, make fun of tourists, watch my daughters run from the waves, and monitor Twitter on my blackberry for any new developments.
hehehe
you are very blessed…as if i went to the shore…I’d get washed out to sea !! and i haven’t seen my kids or my grandkids at the beach for far too long of a time…gee something to think about as we were talking that since they live on and at my old house before i come here to NC,we’ll take a trip to the columbia river basin and do some Salmon fishing…thanks for reminding me…:-}
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
Every time I hear Olli Jokinen’s name, I can’t help but think of the cadence when the evil monkey army is marching into the Witch’s castle in the Wizard of Oz.
I wish I have never read your post out loud. Now RaccoonFink is singing “Olli Jokinen.. O-Jokinen” to that tune. I think I’ll have to throw the Brindy puck that sits on my desk at him.
"The increase in pain is way beyond what you would expect a person to play with," said coach Paul Maurice. "Unfortunately it’s even beyond what Tim Gleason can play with, because he can play with just about anything."
hehehe...
at least it isn’t like that sonny & cher tune…and the beat goes on…the beat goes on…hang in there !!!
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
D-man
Wish we still had Alberts in the mix. I was upset when he got away last season. experienced, not to expensive, stay at home dman that brought us some toughness which we will be lacking this year…He had a few micscues last year, but his d was very solid…
Albert (first year of contract price version) is exactly the kind of player JR will sign sometime in August.
Some third-pairing defensive defenseman who’s looking for a job.
If we get incredibly lucky, say there’s a trade, he might get someone that can legitimately slot with Gleason to start the season, in which case we immediately start looking a LOT better on the back end.
I like Carson as a third-pair defenseman, that can perform injury fill-in for the top four without making me nervous…but, I actually hope we spend the money for a different product.
We need some ooompph, in my opinion. A thumper.
This team is going to get creamed by the more physical teams, because we simply have too few answers.
I agree 100%; one more dman to slot with Gleason and the chances of being successful in 2010-2011 goes up dramatically.
And then there’s Sanguinetti in the mix.
Twitter @HMof2
by hockeymomof2 on Jul 2, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Completely unproven to me. What, 5 games in the NHL, if I remember correctly?
I’m optimistic he’ll be serviceable. But, pretty scary to start the season with him penciled in as “the answer”.
You’ll like Sanguinetti, but he is still young. By season’s end, he will be getting substantial minutes, I predict.
I agree with this. Sanguinetti is ready to step into the NHL and it is no mistake that Hockeysfuture lists his as a possibly 1st pairing guy one day. He is extremely dynamic on offense, an A+ skater, and is working to improve his defensive game. He is no scrub, it is unfortunate he has been held down this long. The rapid development of Del Zotto and the hype of Gilroy simply kept him too low on the depth chart to make an impact. I definitely forsee this being a Jokinen type steal, people will be very pleased with Sanguinetti.
I was trying to figure out who was missing this morning and Sang is it. I think Sang and Harrision are the interchangeable 7th man.
Is it October yet?
by hotchipsnsalsa on Jul 2, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Sanguinetti vs. Harrison
Respectfully, there is no comparison between Sanguinetti and Harrison. Sanguinetti is a great skater, has great hands, can shoot and is really fast. Harrison is Harrison – a work in progress.
ok, so you wouldn’t scratch one and play the other because they have different styles?
Is it October yet?
by hotchipsnsalsa on Jul 2, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Harrison
I really hope my observations about Harrison are dead wrong. He was very weak at the start of the season. He was scary bad at times. During the end of the season, after the departure of A.Ward, Wallin, and Alberts (whose hitting I loved), he was the only Dman who seemed to have an out of body experience at times. During the AHL playoffs, he was in a word, awful. I read and believe he was injured this past season; but he was schooled so many times this year both in the NHL and the AHL that he makes me very uncomfortable. Still, the organization has faith in him; and perhaps he was a soldier battling through injuries and if so, it is not fair to judge him harshly for having the courage to play when hurt.
As funny as the Olli Jokinen deal is, it’s interesting to note some of the names signed yesterday that are making more money than him; Henrik Tallinder and Matt Cullen. Cullen/Tallinder overpaid or good deal for Jokinen?
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 12:59 PM EDT reply actions
on a side note, I laugh everytime I think of the British announcer during the olympics “There’s Olli Jokinen, and his porn star moustache.”
I don’t want to think of “porn” and “Olli Jokinen” at the same time. He looks like the guy from The Hills Have Eyes
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I can honestly say I did not envision a circumstance in which the Hill Have Eyes would get a mention in this thread. I’m glad to be surprised.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Anytime I can work in an obscure reference, I will.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I never finished it. Weird B-horror, gorefest movies aren’t my thing. But that dude is also in the movie Weird Science. I think he had giantism or something.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Tallinder is overpaid. I think Cullen at 3.5 per is a little high but just about right. 3 per seems a bit low.
Is it possible to be addicted to hockey?
Yeah, even if it is puzzling to bring Olli back to CGY, if he produces 25/25, $3mm is worth it.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
$3.5 per year is high for Cullen. I think around $3 mil should net you a 20-goal scorer, and Cullen only broke that once or twice. Of course, Cullen has a good defensive upside, but I wouldn’t have given him 3.5. But then again, I’m not a GM…
$3.5 for Cullen
I really liked Cullen, but it is more a sign of the desperation of some GMs that Cullen could command $3.5 million.
Chris Higgins
Signs in FLA 1 year, 41.6
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:08 PM EDT reply actions
At least they didn’t give him a ridiculous cap breaking raise. We’ll see if Kovalchuk manages to wreck the curve today.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Corvo and Carson
Bob,
What is your prediction on whether the Canes can sign Corvo and or Carson? It seems patently obvious the team needs at least one of them, if not both. They had the money for Whitney, so why not transfer that money to Corvo? They had some savings for Brind’Amour why not add that to Carson and get him signed? Is it more complicated than that?
While we wait on Bob’s opinion, I’ll offer mine.
I don’t think we really “need” either of them. Got puck-movers with Pitkanen, McBain, and presumably Sanguinetti, so why a fourth in Corvo?
Need a hitter/thumper, stay-at-home defenseman to cover our adventurers in the O’zone. Carson’s a stay-at-homer, but not a thumper.
I’m afraid re-hiring Corvo is just a crutch for the hunt that’s really needed. Which is perhaps why JR’s staying away from his office…to avoid temptation. :-D
I think Corvo is a pipe dream, but Carson is a pretty good possibility. I doubt they have totally given up on him.
5% chance we sign Corvo
60-70% we sign Carson.
Corvo really likes it here, but he’d have to take too much of a cut in pay.
Editing Manager of CanesCountry.com
Bob, thanks for the insights. I really like Carson; and I agree with the sentiment that McBain doesn’t need to be put into the fire without being able to see the top lines from the bench. It seems a shame that the Hurricanes can’t find another $2.5 million or so to sign Corvo or some other Dman with experience and then some more money to sign Carson.
Apparently Kovalchuk and Kings are close, but this is coming from Eklund, so take that with a grain shaker of salt.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 2:02 PM EDT reply actions
I think JR and PK had a plan all along and the Canes were making room for Kovalchuk. We finally go out and get a top line LW to compliment Staal! We sign him for $8M a season and still have plenty of room to sign some other free agents.
Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!
by PackPride17 on Jul 2, 2010 8:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
corvo
Since hearing that corvo is in town working out with cole, I have expected to see a 1 year deal bring him back. I think we can get a discount.
2 years to the Cup
by Caniac233 on Jul 2, 2010 2:03 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Carson (and Picard) status?
So what id Carson’s (and Picard’s) status? Are they both UFA now?
Butt UFAs?
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha, got ya. I need to spell check my Twitter more often.
http://www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jul 2, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Another post Friday evening at CanesNow from Javier Serna. JR expects quiet weekend and re-visits D options.
Re-cap of Rutherford’s comments:
- Corvo’s too expensive
- Carson/Picard welcome to return (offers still open)
- Sanguinetti in mix for 3rd D pairing
- Needs more depth at blueline in case of injury so it is a priority; no hurry
- He thinks McBain and Gleason sound like a great top pairing.
Twitter @HMof2
He thinks McBain and Gleason sound like a great top pairing.
Wow! From the “splash/swim” school of player development…
Mr. McBain, meet Mr. Ovechkin/Crosby/Kolvachuk/ (fill in top line opposing forward’s name here).
I think they’re a great pair also…but after Jamie gets more than 15 NHL games under his belt.
He’s not even seen most of these guys yet.
My bad. I was paraphrasing – he did address need for McBain’s proper development, so it might be worth it for those attentive fans such as yourself to read the whole article.
“He’s clearly a top-4 guy," Rutherford said of McBain, the Canes’ first pick of the 2006 draft (63rd overall). "But we want to do what’s right for his development. That being said, we feel completely comfortable with him paired with Gleason. We just need more depth."
Twitter @HMof2
Yeah, okay, I have read it now, and it sounds much more rational.
Don’t get me wrong, I had McBain pegged as being our best two-way defenseman ever since his college years at Wisconsin.
I do believe in the kid, and think he’s really, really going to be something. But, he needs to see these player’s moves for himself from the bench before he takes them on head-to-head on the ice.
Work your magic, JR. Get us something good.
Needs more depth at blueline in case of injury so it is a priority; no hurry
True to his bargain-bin August desperation deals pattern.
We get the leftovers, after everyone else gets through picking.
I’m hoping that a trade somehow materializes that will bring better quality depth D than the August bargain bin, but that’s probably more realistically an event associated with the traditional GM “uh oh” adjustments that are done around December when the first waves of injuries strike and/or disappointments are realized.
The Hurricanes need a minority share owner who is obsessed with hockey and who will insist on the Canes taking advantage of their position by spending more money to get a top 4, physical defenseman. Is that too much to dream for?
Nothing about Pothier? That kinda sucks. I thought he did a great job in the short time he was here. :(
Jim Rutherford is a moron.
I agree that Pothier was a good player for us while he was here. He was solid for the most part, and didn’t make too many mistakes. He was a part of a very good Caps team last year, too. If the Canes can’t get another top-4 defenseman via a trade or free agency, maybe JR should just offer Pothier a 1 or 2 year deal. I don’t know what Pothier wants salary-wise, but if it shakes out that way, he may have enough money left to get Carson back. Bringing back Pothier should be a last case scenario, though, as I’m not sure if Pothier is a top-4 defenseman. Bringing Pothier and Carson back would at least make the Canes D mildly respectable this year, but won’t do much to make me feel comfortable.
The bottom line here is that JR desperately needs to add a legitimate top-4 defenseman and not a top-6 guy who JR thinks can play in the top-4 (see Babchuk).
by DesertCaniac on Jul 3, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
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