Carolina Hurricanes Training Camp Positional Battles To Watch For
by Mark Jones on Jul 23, 2010 8:24 PM EDT
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As a summer of surprises around the NHL rolls on, the Carolina Hurricanes have begun to quietly fill out their roster.
All of the Hurricanes' restricted free agents heading into the off-season have been signed. In addition, 15 players have been inked to one-way contracts for the upcoming season. However, with nearly $12 million left in cap space, Carolina has plenty of room to fill the remaining holes in their depth chart.
Many of the new-look Hurricanes players are also younger than those who were starting in their places last season. Carolina has moved up from the second-oldest team in summer 2009 to the seventh-youngest team in the NHL today. Additionally, only four contract holders for the 'Canes are above the age of 30 (Erik Cole, Sergei Samsanov, Tom Kostopoulos, and Joe Corvo).
This plethora of prospects translates into a number of position battles as the youngsters fight for their NHL job during training camp, which begins September 17th. While that date is nearly two months off, competitions like these are already objects of speculation on the teams that already have determined much of their depth chart.
Position Battle No. 1: Third- and Fourth-Line Center
The first battle to watch for is for the third and fourth line center positions. Unless Carolina decides to fill their third line gap with a free agent such as Kyle Wellwood, Eric Belanger, Dominic Moore, or Brendan Morrison, two prospects could begin the year in Raleigh.
However, the candidates for those two slots are not lacking. Newly-acquired Riley Nash (from Edmonton) and Jon Matsumoto (from Philadelphia), both of whom were traded to Carolina during the draft. They will join Zac Dalpe and Patrick Dwyer to fight for those two positions.
Seventh overall draft pick Jeff Skinner may also join the mix if he decides to leave the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this off-season, which could add yet another interesting twist.
All four current candidates have very good chances at making the team, but all four also promote radically different resumes.
Riley Nash, who was 21st overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL Draft, held out at Cornell University without an entry level contract for three seasons, resulting in a loss of patience by youth-lacking Edmonton. Ironically, following his trade to Carolina in late June, Nash signed a three-year deal with the 'Canes earlier this week.
The Canadian's time at the collegiate level wasn't without its benefits, though; Nash logged 102 points in 102 games with the Big Red, and is now making the jump to the NHL comfortably.
Unfortunately, Carolina's other "new kid in town" may have an even better shot at earning a roster spot. Jon Matsumoto, who was signed to a two-year deal with Carolina July 1st, already has three seasons under his belt with the Phantoms, the Flyer's AHL affiliate.
Matsumoto improved upon his 20 goals and 24 assists in 2008-2009 with 29 goals and 34 assists last year. He added 10 of those goals on the power play and four more while shorthanded, giving Matsumoto a special teams aspect not seen in any of his "opponents".
Another great candidate to beat out the others for a roster spot is Patrick Dwyer, the only of the four to have any NHL experience.
Although Dwyer is significantly older than the other three at age 27, he has made a respectable 71 NHL appearances with the Hurricanes, including 58 last season. Dwyer put up seven goals, two of which were game winners, and five assists in those 58 games to go along with just six penalty minutes.
Dwyer made a good impression with the Hurricanes staff last season, and may be the most confident going into training camp. Some of that poise may have to do with the fact that the fourth player in consideration, Zac Dalpe, may not be very likely to make the team.
Dalpe was recently signed to an entry-level deal, but is coming to Carolina directly from his sophomore year at Ohio State University.
While these four prospects are undoubtedly not "opponents", their fight for two bottom-six forward roster spots over the rest of the summer may be worth keeping an eye on, especially if Skinner joins them soon.
Position Battle No. 2: Fourth Line Left/Right Wing
Erik Cole, Sergei Samsanov, Tom Kostopoulos, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, and Chad LaRose are all definite bets to fill out the top three lines on the left and right sides. Jiri Tlusty, who had six points in 20 games after being acquired from Toronto last Christmas, is also nearly assured due to his new one-way contract.
That still leaves one spot open, though. While prospects such as Jared Staal, Nick Dodge, and Chris Terry may hope to be included, the race for that slot could probably be narrowed down to Zach Boychuk, 20, Jerome Samson, 22, Drayson Bowman, 21, and Oskar Osala, 22, at this point.
Boychuk would seem to be the front runner. He made a significant impact at the NHL level last season with nine points and a solid plus-one rating in 31 games. The former 14th overall pick also put up 41 points in 60 combined regular and postseason games with the Albany River Rats.
Samson may be close on Boychuk's heels, though, as his 78 points were among the best in the AHL last season and earned him a seven-game NHL stint to boot.
Those two could be challenged by Drayson Bowman, who scored his first (and second, for that matter) ever NHL goals in the 'Canes second-to-last game in the same season as his first ever AHL goal (actually, his first 17 AHL goals).
Osala, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Joe Corvo to the 'Caps, could very well make the team, too. An impressive 24 goals went beside his name last season at the AHL level, and Osala was deservedly recalled for his third career NHL game on March 10th.
Those four youngsters could make Carolina's second positional battle even more competitive than their first. But the options don't stop with the offense; Carolina's defense is not quite set yet, either.
Position Battle No. 3: Third Defense Pairing
Albeit having added Joe Corvo and Anton Babchuk to their core of Tim Gleason and Joni Pitkanen on the blue line, the third defensive pairing still has a few questions surrounding it. One-way contract holder Jay Harrison may have the inside track, but prospect standout Jamie McBain and former Ranger Bobby Sanguinetti have their reasons to believe, as well.
With injury troubles striking Carolina's defense last season, 28-year-old Jay Harrison transformed from an injury replacement to a regular. He improved his career high for games played in a single season from eight to 38. Harrison wasn't particularly impressive in those 38 starts, however, posting just one goal, 50 painful penalty minutes, and a minus-eight rating.
Jamie McBain, 21, didn't see NHL ice until March, but made the most of his opportunity. I rated him the Hurricanes' best rookie at the end of the season, and he deserved it. McBain had three goals, including a last-second overtime winner in Pittsburgh, seven assists, and a team-best plus-six rating in just 14 game s !
Last but not least (excuse the cliché) is 22-year-old Bobby Sanguinetti. After coming from the Rangers for a 2010 seventh round choice and Washington's 2011 second round pick, Sanguinetti could be ready to make the starting lineup.
The defenseman had 38 points in 61 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL in '09-'10, and played well enough to earn his first NHL stint with New York.
In the end, it will come down to how each player performs in training camp before anyone will know which players we'll see in red and white on opening night in Finland, and which players will be staying for a while with the 'Canes new AHL affiliate, Charlotte.
One thing we do know now is that all three positional battles are certainly going to be worth watching. While I personally would bet, albeit hesitantly, on seeing Dwyer, Matsumoto, Boychuk, Harrison, and McBain beat out the competition and leave Nash, Dalpe, Samson, Bowman, and Sanguinetti in the minor leagues, it's almost impossible to know who will fill out the bottom lines of the Hurricanes roster for the moment.
We'll just have to wait until the long-awaited NHL preseason comes around before anything is on paper. In the meantime, there are quite a few situations to speculate about.
NOTE: This article was originally published on Bleacher Report under the same author, Mark Jones.
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I’m not sure I agree that Sergei Samsanov and/or Tom Kostopoulos aredefinite bets for top 9 minutes. Kostopoulos was originally signed as 4th line ;PK material, and Samsonov hasn’t found a secure niche. If the Canes want to roll 4 lines, they could be slated for those roles. Their veteran status might make them better suited. Your assessments also might be changed by any trades JR might make later in the summer, or even after training camp opens. One never knows what tricks he might pull out of his hat.
No doubt about that. This was a slightly early look, but I think the roster is still mostly worked out and that we shouldn’t see too many changes left to come. That is a good point on Samsonov and Kostopoulos – perhaps Rutherford will use the few veterans remaining on the same lines as the prospects who make the team simply as a mentoring strategy.
Thanks for the comment!
Samsonov and Kostopoulos - which lines?
I personally very much doubt Samsonov and Kostopoulos with be on the third line on any consistent basis. In my view, they will both be fourth line players most of the season.
Here’s the updated depth chart from Paul Branecky with the Hurricanes organization:
http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/depthchart.htm?dcid=12
Those lines are
Jokinen Staal Ruutu
Tlusty Sutter LaRose
Boychuk Nash Cole
Samsonov Dwyer Kostopoulos
The Sutter line and the Nash line have great speed. I think a Boychuk Nash Cole line could create some havoc in getting down the ice in a hurry.
As per my comment below on the depth chart site for all NHL teams, this depth chart is more of a relative ranking of the positions than it is a line predictor.
Third best wing might well end up with second best center because they fit the role of that line better or have chemistry with that center.
At least they have Jokinen listed at the left wing position at which we tend to use him instead of listing him as center as the larger depth chart website does.
So, instead of being our third best center, as they note, he’s actually our best left wing…at least for the moment.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
I think Paul Branecky would say that it is his best guess as to how the lines will look. Paul has a good history of being on or close to the actual lines in his charts. I doubt, however, anybody on the planet really knows how the lines will shake out for the start of the season. There are too many iterations to be able to tell other than Staal is on the first line and Sutter is on the second line.
Well, again, I don’t think this has anything at all to do with how lines might shake out. Nor am I aware that Branecky has ever represented this depth chart as being such a line predictor (as if there could ever be such a thing under Mo’s regime! :-D).
I believe it’s just a listing of depth for each position. A ranking of who’s first to last at each position.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a called a “depth chart”. It would be something else. Because the third best center is not necessarily paired with the third best left or right winger.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that the depth chart as currently posted certainly does form at least one permutation of lines that we might see.
Staal flanked by two Finns, with possibly Pitkanen’s pairing on the ice making it three Finns, is certainly interesting. A banger (Ruutu) and a passer (Jokinen), both threats to score on their own, and good with rebounds, which Staal can certainly produce. Yes, that could work.
Similarly, the second line happens to have defensively responsible wingers flanking Sutter, so that works as one form of a checking line.
Cole shaking out as the right wing with a couple of prospects is interesting. He at least has the speed to keep up with them and is a good thread-the-needle passer on the fly. Reincarnation of the BBC third-line role he played in the ’02 Cup run, when Brindy was his center and Battaglia the left wing net-crasher and puck-mucker.
Samsonov sticks out like a sore thumb on the depth chart, a misfit in a fourth line role, but slotting as our fourth best left wing at the moment, with Jokinen shifted from center to that role.
However, a good start on a contract year could have him pressing both Tlusty and Boychuk for minutes and line positions. While we have him, a top nine role is more suitable for his skill package, probably third line and not Sutter’s checking line.
But, no question, he’s taking a slot that someone in Charlotte will fill later in the season or certainly the following one.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
Actually...
They typically have stated that they try and make their “depth chart” as close to real line combos as possible, at least as far as the guys who are actually Hurricanes.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 25, 2010 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Who’s “they”? And got a citation for that hijack of the traditional depth chart?
Honestly, from looking through the wrong end of binoculars in mid-summer and with Mo picking line combos, the depth chart is just that at best. It’s no 8-ball for line combinations.
Only Mo’s set of mystic runes and bones knows that.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
I believe it's Branecky or another of the CH.com guys.
And whoever it is typically mentions when a line change happens in skatearound, and references the corresponding change on the CH.com depth chart.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 25, 2010 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Good stuff !
and I am looking forward to waiting and watching what will happen as the few slots there are left will be filled…and yes I too agree that we have NOT heard the last out of JR….have good & safe day !
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
...and the winners are...
starting with the D 1st- from a previous comment by JR, i think we’ll start the season w/ 8 guys on the roster. (the obvious ones) That means if we have a 22 man roster, that we’ll only have 12 forwards! (could go w/ 23 roster ??)
The top 12 F – should include all the vets (though i’m expecting a trade of 1 or possibly 2-cole, samsonov…if they don’t look AWESOME in camp)
3rd C- Nash 4th C- Matsumoto
7th and 8th wings – Boychuck, Bowman
…on the fence Dwyer, Dalpe, Samson
Yes – you can have 23 on the roster. That is actually more standard I believe. The problem is then the kids who need as much ice time as possible are watching from the press box (and less you healthy scratch an expensive vet). Not a longterm solution. I think this will not be fixed in any sense of the term and so we really need to keep track of about 40 players, maybe 15 ()?) of whom will be shuttling back and forth between Raleigh and Charlotte.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Jul 24, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Agree
i think because of the short distance to charlotte, we may start w/ 22 on roster, which allows the "guys on the fence) as much playing time in Charlotte as possible (when not here)
Plus there’s the 1-2 game injury replacements. It’s 55 days till Training camp! can’t wait.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Jul 24, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Individual battles, position switches, overall talent mix vs. team needs
I’d have my favorites in the competition for each open position, but see the competition as a little broader than suggested above. For example, like Skinner (if he’s on the roster), Dalpe is likely competing for time at forward as well as center.
Team needs may also trump individual merit. As many have noted, this Canes roster lacks size, strong net presence, and a tough guy or two to protect the kids in games against teams that see fighting and intimidation as major competitive advantages. Gleason, Harrison, Ruutu and Kostopolous are willing, but the only one rugged enough to make it through last season was Kostopolous.
It’s unclear how much Osala would help but at least he is big. Jared Staal seems like a long shot because he’s so inexperienced, but he is really big and looks tougher than the average Canes’ forward.
On defense, the preseason may show whether any of the candidates with size can provide more of a physical presence than the others. Corvo, Babchuk and McBain aren’t going to do that and Pitkanen has his limits. It’s unclear whether Carson or Sanguinetti, both of whom have good size, would help Gleason and Harrison with the dirty work on nights that force the Canes to defend themselves.
The most talented roster might be on the small side and pretty vulnerable against some opponents. The Canes may have to select players with that in the back of their minds.
by curiouscanesfan on Jul 24, 2010 12:21 PM EDT reply actions
i had to smile at CCF's last post
as and when i was playing on the city leauges in Chicago as a kid…I was the tallest and most solid oplayer on our team and the other kids were like what CCf mentioned…after the first 2 games, many of the other players from the opsing teams were sore and bruised …and our team didn’t even break out a good sweat, as we know aside from me the other guys were shrimps and would be targets and along the boards take a beating if left there…with the size we had ..we had to play a half step ahead of them at all times…as a D man on the back end…I had 2 players on me like flies on a meadow muffin…but because of the agility and quickness we out passed,out shot & scored them…and i think many of our younger guys like Bowman,Dalpe,Osala and etc…can and could do the same thing…but like many of you here i too have my fingers crossed…
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
Position Battle No. 1: Third- and Fourth-Line Center
The great takeaway from all of this is that we do indeed have auditions that will be occurring throughout training camp, pre-season, the inter-continental road trip, and perhaps beyond.
The depth in center is just incredible and almost guarantees something will get sorted out, by sheer numbers alone. There’s got to be some talent in there somewhere. :-D
Fortunately, in the Canes current manifestation, the first and/or second lines are facing the opposing team’s top scorers and defenders, so third-line center is an excellent intern position, even for those that might be moved to winger once acclimated to the NHL.
And, for fourth-line center, we need ability to pull PK duty and provide some energy when in opposing arenas coming off an unsuccessful 4-minute powerplay, including 0:35 seconds of 5-on-3, with their crowd roaring, all the momentum swung their way, our top three lines all pressed into powerplay duty, their top offensive guys fully rested and champing at the bit…
Bottom line, as those of us that advocate for role players, not just lines 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, is that you need three guys (and a third D pairing) that you can send over the wall into that maelstrom and not only stem the tide, but hopefully pin them down in their own zone until we can rest and roll the reinforcements.
So, let’s discuss the candidates, because they are plentiful.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
Staal, Sutter, Ruutu, and Jokinen will be in the top 6. Cole, LaRose, and Samsonov will be given every opportunity to fill the other slots because of their salaries.
Bottom 6 will be a fight between Boychuk, Bowman, Nash, TKO, Tlusty, hopefully Skinner, and any other Checkers that step up their game.
The 3rd line will need to establish an identity early in the season. They’ll need to be responsible defensively and have some scoring punch. Line 4 will need to be an energy line that flies around, hits anything that moves, and generally irritates the other team (think LaRose in 08-09).
The Canes have some depth, finally, in the forward lines but a lot of it is unproven at the NHL level. If 4 or 5 of the young guys can step up and show they belong in the big leagues — even if only 10 games at a time — then our team has a chance to compete in the EC.
Third line center
There are lots of candidates for this open slot, even with Dwyer’s able substitution duty once Cullen was traded last season.
Even if we feel we need to start the season with someone that at least has some NHL experience in this postion, the org is rich with center experience, so there are many options.
However, I believe in this transition season that the org will be using the third line for a center/forward auditioning slot for the prospects. It’s a low-stress line within our system, from which good things can happen with few disasters likely, so open for some chances to be taken.
Leading contender, in my opinion, will be Riley Nash, although he may be assigned some AHL duty early in the season under Coach Daniel’s watchful eye before getting his chance at the NHL level when injury strikes or his slot is earned.
However, third line center is also a potential break-in spot for a couple of drafted centers that we have speculated might be moved to the wings: Zac Dalpe and Jeff Skinner. Reasoning might be that it’s better to keep them in a familiar role on the ice until better acclimated before slinging a different line role at them to also absorb.
There’s a tier below that talent level that includes Dwyer, with his experience, and possibly even Masumoto.
Plus, if none of the above are considered worthy, we could always shift Tuomo Ruutu or Jussi Jokinen into that third line center, although surely they’re both top 6.
I could see a rotation of Nash, Dalpe, and Dwyer, at a minimum for this slot until a candidate emerged. Nash and Dalpe don’t have waiver issues, so could bounce back and forth between here and Charlotte. Dwyer, I believe, would be subject to waivers, since he’s 27, so would move between the fourth and third lines, as needed.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
Third pairing D
Some combination of Gleason/Pitkanen/Corvo occupy the top three slots.
McBain probably eventually joins them in the top four, if not there from the beginning. Maybe Babchuk starts there to see what he’s got, but it feels like an over-slotting to me.
So, third pairing contains Babchuk/McBain, depending on who is up in the top four, and someone.
For “someone”, there’s Carson, Sainguinetti, and Harrison. Carson has the two-way, but is subject to waivers (I believe). Harrison has the one-way, but is also subject to waivers, so it’s unlikely he’s sent down unless there’s an extreme D emergency in Charlotte. Sainguinetti has a two-way and should be able to freely move between Charlotte and Raleigh, unless someone has info to the contrary.
Injury is bound to hit the top 4 at various points in the season, so there will be opportunities for those on press row or starting the season in Charlotte.
I’m also not personally sure we’re done on the defense for the season. Wait until we sort out just what the pecking order is on the forward prospects and let a waive of injuries take out key role-playing or bottom 6 forwards around the league.
JR may yet find a taker for Samsonov with a prospect kicker or two for a dependable top-4 defenseman that can hit. That would make even our third pairing look good, pushing Babchuk downward and/or making him available for trade.
We’re rich in forwards, but could stand a temporary solution on the top-4 D until Dumoulin can join the fun.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
FWIW...
They’ve (JR, CH.com) referred to Babchuk as a second-pair guy almost exclusively since his signing.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 26, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Elsker
you are correct in many ways in what you see in what possible set ups, but 2 things we as fans don’t know and will not know until it happens is:
A: does or IF JR brings someone in via trade & who goes
B what IF there is or are no trades until later…and many of the young blood players do well and slid in and fit well and do well in the times they are @ the RBCC with the canes…
and for me that makes all of this that much more exciting and will make the new(er) players come out smokin from the get go and no fooling around as this is the time for them to shine or to go down and work harder …well it be time for bed for this fan…catch ya later…
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
Depth Charts for All NHL Teams
I came across this website that lists and updates the depth charts for all NHL teams.
It is from the website: www.hockeyutopia.com. I think this site must not follow the Hurricanes closely. With Tlusty’s one way contract, he is going to get either top 6 or top 9 minutes. The Hurricanes are going to give Boychuk either top 6 or top 9 minutes, or they will shuttle him back to Charlotte to work on whatever skills they feel keep him from being a top 6 or top 9 forward.
This site has the depth chart for the Hurricanes as:
Left Wing Center Right Wing
Chad LaRose Eric Staal Tuomo Ruutu
Sergei Samsonov Brandon Sutter Erik Cole
Zach Boychuk Jussi Jokinen Tom Kostopoulos
Jiri Tlusty Riley Nash Jerome Samson
Drayson Bowman Patrick Dwyer Oskar Osala
These depth charts, in my opinion, are not intended, nor should they be used, to deduce line combinations.
They are simply what they say they are. A ranking of the left wings, centers, and right wings within each org.
Lines are assembled differently and the third best right wing might end up with the second best center, simply because they fit the role of that line or have chemistry with that center.
Plus, when I see errors with our own team it makes me immediately suspect the other rankings as being equally misinformed.
So, they rank Jokinen as our third best “center”, when actually he’s frequently used on the left wing…and might well be our best left wing at the moment.
These charts are still useful, nonetheless, to gauge relative worth to other players at that position within an org.
Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers.
CBS and Rotoworld both make their efforts to do depth charts, as well, at least in season.
Neither seems to have been updated recently, though.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 26, 2010 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Dalpe actually isn't coming straight from tOSU.
He signed after their season was over, and was very impressive in a nine-game stint at Albany, scoring six goals and adding an assist.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 25, 2010 11:58 PM EDT reply actions
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