Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament 2010: Defending the Title
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 10, 2010 12:53 PM EDT
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In September of last year, the Carolina Hurricanes participated in a pre-season prospects tournament for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, with the belief that the club once again had enough young talent to really compete. Playing in Traverse City, on the scenic shores of Lake Michigan, this list of 2009 prospects, was headlined by now familiar NHL names like Brandon Sutter, Jamie McBain, and Zach Boychuk. The roster earned the entire Hurricanes organization a new level of respect around the league as they brought home the first place trophy. This year's Young Canes are headed to Traverse City again today, prepared to defend the title.
Winning this event was not only good for bragging rights and the privilege of the best and newest team locker room this year, but the opportunity to play on this stage changed the careers of a few of the young players who contributed most. One example was try-out player, defenseman Elgin Reid, who earned a pro contract (ECHL/AHL) with the organization, maybe thanks to his game winning goal in the final minutes of the first game against the Rangers (with an assist from McBain). Several more players were subsequently invited to the Hurricanes' NHL Training Camp here in Raleigh. Or not: the Canes 2009 first round pick, Philippe Paradis, did not make the cut and returned promptly to his QMJHL team, which in hindsight may have been the first indication that something was amiss.
It's almost an entirely new group of hopefuls who are set to faceoff against the prospects from the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, at 3pm. I thought we might scout the competition a bit, and seeing that there will be no video streaming, look at alternative news sources that will keep you informed on how the kids are doing.
The Hurricanes are sending the following roster of 21 players. Many of the names will be familiar to you, but for a refresher your best source would be the write-up Cory did at Hockeys Future last month, indicating Centermen Jeff Skinner, Zac Dalpe and Riley Nash are the top prospects of those listed below.
| Carolina Hurricanes Traverse City Roster 2010 | ||
| Forwards | Defense | |
| Matt Kennedy (C) | Michal Jordan | |
| Matt Pistilli | Rasmus Rissanen | |
| Zac Dalpe | |
|
| Mike McKenzie | Kyle Lawson | |
| Cedric McNicoll | Austin Levi | |
| Riley Nash | Tyler Stahl | |
| Justin Shugg | Derek Claffey | |
| Jeff Skinner | Jordan Hill | |
| Jared Staal | ||
| Chris Collins | Goalies | |
| Michael MacDonald | Mike Murphy | |
| Matt Caria | Troy Passingham | |
Defending his title, Goalie Mike Murphy is returning for his second tournament, but there are other netminders this year who arrive with some high expectations too. Dallas Stars' 2010 first round pick Jack Campbell, of Team USA U-20 fame, is clearly at the top of the heap.
I've highlighted the five players returning from last year's championship team in the pink fields, above. Rissanen was injured and did not play, though he was there. Those unfamiliar names in gray are the "free agent try-outs". Finally, I checked with Mike Sundheim, and because Finn prospect 09 pick Tommi Kivisto is playing in the starting line-up of the SM-liiga Jokerit team in Helsinki, he is not going to attend again this year. No word if they have invited any last minute replacement.
Last year, Nick Dodge, the oldest player in the room, was selected as the team captain. (yep - not Brandon Sutter? Nothing against Dodge but that would be proof positive that veteran leadership was a theme up-and-down the organization last year.) Will one of the returning vets get the C, or will they go with a new guy like Jeff Skinner (among the youngest) or perhaps Zac Dalpe, who knows many of these players better after a stint in Albany in the spring and 3 weeks skating here in Raleigh?
***UPDATE: Matt Kennedy, from the Barrie Colts (OHL) and a 2009 draft pick, has been named Captain of the Hurricanes team for the tournament.
Game Format and schedule
The format of the tournament divides the eight teams into two groups of four, within which they will play a round-robin series, giving each team three preliminary games. The Hurricanes are in the "Gretzky Division" with teams from the New York Rangers, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Minnesota Wild. The other group of four, the "Howe Division" is made up of the Detroit Red Wings, the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After the round-robin portion, the top team in each divison will play Wednesday for the first place trophy. The two second place teams will play for 3rd and 4th place, and so on. Last year the Canes won their division and beat the Wild's prospects in the finals.
The schedule of games for all eight teams is available at an independent Red Wings site, Red Wings Central. (The Red Wings training camp is held in Traverse City annually and begins immediately following the tournament.). Pointstreak.com is another good one focusing on just stats. Here is the schedule of play for Skinner and company :
| Saturday, Sept 11 | 3:00pm | vs Minnesota Wild |
| Sunday, Sept 12 | 5:30pm | vs New York Rangers |
| Tuesday, Sept 14 | 6:30pm | vs Columbus Blue Jackets |
Note the opening game is a rematch of last year's championship game as the Canes face the Wild. Also a nifty parallel to the NHL Premiere game set for Helsinki in 26 days.
Scouting the Hurricanes three divisional opponents
I've linked the rosters and highlighted the best players for each team, based on the rankings provided by HockeysFuture.com. Then I've noted teammates (or familiar league rivals) with any of the Canes prospects. If I could find a roster story/analysis from their team, I've linked it below too, along with the team page from Hockey's Future. Finally, Canes Country prospects uber-guru Cory Lavalette provides us with his scouting report.
MINNESOTA WILD
Minnesota's roster, GAME #1: Saturday, 3pm
Top prospects: D Marco Scandella, F Tyler Cuma, G Matt Hackett. Matt Hackett is ranked 17th by the Goalie Guild's prospects ratings published this month. Compare Hackett to the Canes Mike Murphy at 22nd, and Dallas' Jack Campbell, from Team USA U-20 championships, at a lofty 6th.
Connections: Goalie Matt Hackett is from the OHL's Plymouth Whalers (teammate to Canes Dmen Levi, Jordan); F Dylan McKinlay (2010, 7th-189) is a teammate to Canes D Tyler Stahl at Chilliwack, WHL.
Prospects Booked For Traverse City - Minnesota Wild says that "the Wild's roster features nine draft picks", (which suggests the other 13 are undrafted free agents?)
Minnesota Wild's top 20 prospects - Hockey's Future
Looking at this information, it would seem this is the weakest team in the Canes division. Guessing they'll need Hackett in top form to keep them in it, suggesting that having fellow Whalers Jordan and Levi on the Canes bench is a good thing.
Cory says:
The Hurricanes should get an up-close look at Matt Hackett, a goalie who plays for the Peter Karmanos-owned Plymouth Whalers and was a third-round pick of the Wild last year. There's not a lot of top-end talent on the Minnesota roster with 2010 fist-rounder Michael Granlund not participating. The lone first-round pick is defenseman Tyler Cuma (23rd in 2008), with wing Brett Bulmer (39th overall this year) and defenseman Marco Scandella (55th in 2008) the other top selections. Watch for Scandella, who has gotten better of late. German Bjorn Krupp is the son of long-time NHLer Uwe Krupp.
NEW YORK RANGERS
NY Rangers roster, GAME #2: Sunday, 5:30pm
Top prospects: Defensemen Dylan McIlrath and Ryan McDonagh were both first round picks. Also of note are F Evgeny Grachev, F Derek Stepan. G Cam Talbot is that undrafted goalie from the University of Alabama-Huntsville that made it to the NCAA tourney last spring. Great story.
Connections: Dan Maggio should know Jared Staal (Sudbury - OHL). Roman Horak will know Stahl from Chilliwack. You may recall that McIlrath and Stahl have history too:
Blueshirts' roster set for Traverse City - Blueshirt Banter Nineteen of the 22 members of the 2010 roster are players whose NHL rights are currently owned by the Rangers. Eleven players are Rangers draftees from the past two years, while eight others have already signed their first NHL contracts with the team.
Rangers junior prospects 2009-10 review - Hockey's Future Note that this hasn't been updated since the 2010 draft. (nearly 3 months ago - sheez!)
The Rangers bring the most veteran players within the "Gretzky Division" this year.
Cory says:
Keep an eye on Derek Stepan - captain for Team's USA's gold-winning entry at the World Junior Championships, and also the tournament's top scorer - he's a great leader and can will teams to victory. There's also some good blueliners here, with rough-and-tumble Dylan McIlrath participating and trade acquisition Ryan McDonagh, a former teammate of Stepan and Jamie McBain at Wisconsin, filling out the D corps. Russian Evgeny Grachev is a talent, having scored 40 goals for Brampton two seasons ago, but he was mediocre in the AHL last year. Forward Ryan Bourque is the son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Columbus Blue Jackets roster, GAME #3: Tuesday, 6:30pm
Top prospects: Newly-inked Ryan Johansen (this year's 4th pick overall), John Moore D, was drafted in 2009, 1st round, 21st overall. Also D Cody Goloubef, F Matt Calvert, D David Savard, and F Petr Straka.
Connections: Johansen will know Rissanen and Stahl from WHL play. Moore is from Kitchener and will be familiar with Skinner. Dalton Pout (Barrie, OHL with Matt Kennedy), Ted Ruth (Notre Dame, NCAA with Kyle Lawson).
Traverse City Tournament Roster Released - The Cannon A look at the roster the Jackets will send to the Traverse City Prospect Tournament
Columbus Blue Jackets top 20 prospects - Hockey's Future
The Jackets appear to be strong defensively (not that this would be out of character). Like Jeff Skinner, Johansen certainly stands out among forwards for the entire tournament.
Cory says:
The Blue Jackets' entry could prove to be formidable and that starts with 2010 fourth overall pick Ryan Johansen, who has been compared to Eric Staal. Dalton Smith, Matt Calvert and Petr Straka are all talented wingers, while the defense features former No. 1 John Moore. Also on D are Cody Goloubef, another former running mate of McBain's with the Badgers, and Ted Ruth, who played alongside Canes prospect and Traverse City Tournament selection Kyle Lawson at Notre Dame. The biggest question mark is in net, where there is no dominant presence.
Media covering the event
The Red Wings site that seems to be covering this most closely is at Red Wings Central, and they will focus heavily on the wings' entry. The arena hosting the event has this NHL Prospect Tournament Page but is less than detailed at the moment.
Pointstreak.com is providing stats, which should include live gamesheets, here. Here's their Canes roster page, for player stats.
I found a unique viewpoint in the blog of one of the PA announcers for the tournament, who lives in Traverse City Here's Super Dave's well-considered take on "who to watch": Spittin' Chiclets: 10 Players to Watch at the 2010 NHL Prospects Tournament. Very helpful, though he missed Dalpe.
I've linked previously the NHL.com site that will have posts from Mike Morreale. Here it is again: Latest Stories and Headlines - Traverse City Prospects Tournament
I'm keeping track of a few others and will link posts and pictures as they come up.
If you're out-and-about this weekend and want some Twitter accounts to keep up via your phone, I've got a few to follow:
Professional Media: Kyle Hanlin from the Hurricanes @KyleHanlin, Mike Morreale of NHL.com @mike_morreale, Bob McKenzie is with TSN and also the father of the Canes' newly signed at AHL/ECHL forward Mike, is @TSNBobMcKenzie, Darren Pang, retired NHL goalie and St Louis Blues commentator @Panger40.
Blogger Julie Robenhymer who covers prospects at hockeybuzz.com, @JulieRobenhymer, is also making the trip.
Players: The Canes' very own Mike McKenzie @MikeMcKenzie11, and the Blue Jackets young DMan, Brandon Archibald @archibald9210
Fans: I'm aware of one keen fan in attendance who's promised to keep an eye on the Canes for us; s/he (?) is a fan of both the Plymouth Whalers and the Windsor Spitfires too. Goes by OHLSuperfan, a native of Grand Rapids, MI, s/he can be found at @OHLSuperfan
I've created a twitter list at @HMof2/Traverse City, which you can follow with one click. I've added additional (less interesting?) twitter names there. I'll RT myself as best I can - my kids have hockey and baseball events overlapping the Canes games this weekend, so regretfully I make no promises for timeliness.
This is your first taste of Hurricanes hockey for the 2010-11 season. Enjoy and Let's Go Canes!
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On the Wild...
Hackett needs to show something at this tourny. He was soft at the Wild’s development camp, though it’s not like anyone was really putting out 110%. He will be fighting for a roster spot with the Aeros this season in the AHL, and if he doesn’t show something in Traverse City or at Training camp, he could find himself in Bakersfield with the Wild’s new ECHL affiliate. The Aeros even went so far as to sign another goalie to give Hackett some competition.You should be more worried about Darcy Kuemper, who had a very solid development camp, and is making the Wild / Aeros’ decisions on goalies very difficult.
Cuma is a big, physical d-man, slated to be the next Brent Burns, so keep an eye on him. And Bulmer looked really good at the development camp. Good hands, solid speed, and he was shooting up the central scouting ranks when the final rankings came out. He is going to be a solid NHLer if his development continues.
A couple guys you missed that should play well would be Cody Almond, a player the Wild have slated as a center, but he can play any forward position, and take on whatever role he needs to… from defender to offensive powerhouse. He is still raw, but he fit in with the NHLers in his cup of coffee last year. Also, Nate Prosser back on D will be pushing for the 7th D-man in Minnesota. He is another one to watch, but he is more of a defensive d-man.
Despite not being drafted, center Casey Wellman will be tough to stop in a tourny like this. He played extremely well in his games with the Wild last season after signing as a college free agent. He will also be pushing hard for a spot with the Wild, and if he is sent to Houston will be a top line center. His moves are sick, and his shot is fast and accurate. Don’t overlook him, at all. He’s going to be an excellent player.
Hockey Wilderness
Assistant Editor:SBN Minnesota
Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.
Thanks so much – we all know how important it is to know the players to get the most from the games. Very helpful.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 10, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank You ! BReynolds
as and while we do have very informed fans & etc…all of us do miss a few details from time to time…Thanks again…
And if it Aint Hockey,It Aint Nothin !!
That Checkers 3rd Sweater ROCKS !!!
Jim Rutherford comments about Jeff Skinner
It really sounds as if Skinner is a presumptive roster member according to this article quoting Jim Rutherford at length:
Also sounds like a lot of front-office folks are attending to watch him and the others in action. Lotta pressure, I suppose, for some to make the best impression. (Nash, Dalpe, Shugg, I’m thinking)
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 10, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
JR has been saying that since before the Draft about our “mystery pick” Skinner. My bet is on Skinner blowing everyone away at this tournament, pre-season, and in his regular season tryout and forces his way onto the team. He could easily finish top-5 on our team in goals, he would be a huge threat on the powerplay, he is already NHL size, and as many have already said he will be a star for the Canes for a long time. The Kitchener Rangers want him back because they have a great team set up for a Memorial Cup run, but Skinner has little to nothing left to prove in the Juniors except winning that tournament.
I’m a bit less willing to give him “nothing left to prove” status.
He was stuck behind some big guns last season, so this is his chance to play top line minutes and first-unit special teams, the very role we want him to play for us.
Plus, he can work on his defensive game and now truly sees what it takes to succeed in the pro leagues as far as fitness and nutrition, and would have a year to take advantage of that knowledge.
A year in the juniors doing the very role we want for him here would allow him to more smoothly transition into that role here, instead of working his way up to first line wing from a third line center position here.
Plus, we have a slew of centers to sort out already this season, without crowding the roster with another.
Finally, I’ll take that extra year of RFA eligibility when he’s in his prime, thank you very much, instead of burning it in a go-nowhere season at age 18.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Skinner would definitely play Wing for the Canes… It would take a lot of pressure off him and let him concentrate on putting pucks in the net which is what the Canes need. Skinner played top line minutes last year with Morin, scoring 50 goals in the OHL is a plateau (one few Draft year players reach). I agree that a year in juniors would help him, but a year on the Cannes might help the Canes more.
I don’t think the Canes would bring him up just to bring him up… If Skinner made the team it would be because the staff felt they NEED his scoring ability this season. They will put him in top-9 wing positions and give him plenty of PP time to work his magic. If he outplays Boychuk, Bowman, Dalpe, Nash, etc. then I think he deserves the spot.
Well, if we are to start him out in our top nine on the wing, then here is who is in his path:
Jokinen – Ruutu
Boychuk – Cole
Samsonov – LaRose
with those on the right side of the pairings being our usual right wings (which is presumably Skinner’s slot), along with Kostopoulos.
Plus Tlusty, recovering from his ACL injury, is also in the mix. But he normally plays left wing, so is perhaps not part of the log jam.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Surely we are not seriously talking about trying to stick him on the first line as an 18-year-old…or are we?
Here we are now...entertain us.
Not 1st line (1st PP although, yes). Stick him on the 3rd line Wing next to Dalpe/Nash and Cole. If he shows he can handle it well, move him up to the 2nd. Personally I think Skinner may actually be more fit for a 2nd line Winger role than Boychuk at this point. He is 15 lbs heavier and has an offensive component that Boychuk lacks.
Well, remember that in our current system, we don’t have a smooth hierarchy from third to second to first line, to the point where you would necessarily want your second player on the depth chart on the second line.
And that is due to the specialized role that second line plays for us, facing the opposition’s top line as a checking unit.
So, have to be very sound defensively to be on that line in order to face the Kolvachuks/Crosbys/Ovechkins of the league.
For second line right wing, I am expecting time to be split between Cole and LaRose for that very reason…and even they are probably out-classed.
Here we are now...entertain us.
against
the Kolvachuks/Crosbys/Ovechkins of the league….. even they are probably out-classed.
Who isn’t? a very short list.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 10, 2010 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s all relative. Young players tend not to be good enough to limit chances against, though. Skinner likely needs sheltered minutes.
by red army line on Sep 11, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree but in your set-up you have Boychuk – Cole. I’m just saying I don’t think Boychuk is any more ready to take on Ovechkin or Crosby as Skinner is.
And Sutter is the key to the 2nd line’s defensive responsibilities (as “the defining member of our line up” as I recall Mo said)
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 10, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t either, but who else are we to play in that slot?
Tlusty is perhaps who would normally be slotted on Sutter’s left, but he’s coming off the ACL injury and it will possibly be a while before he is able to assume those duties.
Other candidates are Jokinen, if you want to take him away from activating Staal, but he’s not terrific defensive whiz, either.
Samsonov becomes your other left wing option.
After that, no one is left but rookies, so might as well see if Boychuk can survive until Tlusty is able to assume that duty.
See how difficult it is to slot Boychuk? Maybe not defensively responsible enough for a checking role, not big or dangerous enough to be a first liner, and drafted too high to be a third liner.
This is why I agree with some others that he might well be the odd man out when it’s time for a blockbuster trade. He’d be a good second line wing in a system that does not use that line in a defensive role.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Another Preview of the Hurricanes; Boychuk and Skinner
Preview of the Hurricanes 2010-2011
by Sporting News (republished by Yardbarker).
The entire article is well worth reading. Here is an interesting quote:
“A bevy of young forwards could claim a role this season, and they are likely to be the focus of a competitive training camp.”
“Zach Boychuk, the team’s first-round pick in 2008, is the most likely candidate to earn regular time. Among the other kids in play are Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe and Jiri Tlusty.”
Skinner also received high praise from Jim Rutherford.
"(Skinner) was a high pick and he has a lot of ability, but more importantly he has a lot of tenacity and a lot of character to be successful. We’re going to keep a spot open for him or Riley Nash or these guys at center."
From this and other statements JR has made, this sounds to me like Skinner is being penciled into the “third line center” nominees list, moreso than being a candidate for a winger role his rookie year.
If so, the competition for third line center would be between Nash / Dalpe / Skinner from the rookies field, with sophomore candidate Dwyer or veteran Ruutu being the insurance policy if none of those three work out for the beginning of the season.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Today: only questions. Tomorrow: first answers?
Thanks for all the great updates, HMo2.
If Skinner is used exclusively at right wing in Traverse City, that may start to answer the question about where he’s going to play.
Also, in the excellent interview of Paul Maurice by Bob Wage, the coach acknowledged the big issue with face-offs. Perhaps we’ll see whether any of the kids who do play center has enough of an edge on face-offs to have a better shot at playing center in the NHL this year. Looking weak on face-offs could mean an early shift to wing or tougher odds of making the Canes’ roster.
Scanning the Traverse City roster, the biggest difference from last year is probably the absence of McBain. The Canes have brought in another wave of talent at forward, but won’t have the college-bound defensemen they drafted or Sanguinetti. It will be interesting to see how Lawson, Jordan, Rissanen, Levi and Stahl hold up.
Some of the other teams in Traverse City seem loaded on D by comparison with the Canes.
by curiouscanesfan on Sep 10, 2010 5:22 PM EDT reply actions
Its really starting to get interesting with all of our young players/prospects. The more I read and the little I have seen of the players; the more it looks like certain players will be elsewhere to get their opportunities. With Staal, Sutter, Jussi (if resigned), and Ruutu slotted in the top 6; Skinner expected in the top 6; and Dalpe and Nash in the top 9. We only have 2 open spots in the top 9. Osala would seem to fit on the 3rd line in 11/12 due to his size and the Canes needing at least 1 big guy. So that would leave only 1 opening for Boychuk, Bowman, and Tlusty. Bowman looks like the odd man out. Boychuk could probably provide more offense, but Tlusty would probably slot into positions better because of his all-around game.
Whatever the case in this upcoming audition year, it sure should be interesting to watch. I’m thinking Boychuk will be traded after the season.
Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!
by PackPride17 on Sep 10, 2010 10:32 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Seems premature to forecast trading Canes' prospects: performance this year will decide futures
You’re right, PackPride, about the Canes having fewer spots open than they have promising prospects, but isn’t this the year for the Canes to see what most of them can do? Rutherford sounds serious about putting the young forwards on a Canes-Checkers shuttle and letting the way they play determine when they stick on the Canes’ roster.
After the season, the Canes’ brain trust can sort things out. I’m thinking Boychuk can be a star for the Canes. It’s far too soon to think about shipping him out. He has shown flashes of impressive offensive talent, but also hustle on defense that uses his impressive speed as a safety net when the Canes turn over the puck.
Like you, I’m thinking Osala’s size should give him an edge in grabbing a spot. However, his size won’t help him unless he uses it to play a very physical game, win every puck battle, and go to the net consistently. If Osala doesn’t do that, Lindstrom and Jared Staal will move past him in the Canes’ plans for next season and Osala may be headed out of town, perhaps for a promising young stay-at-home defenseman more in the Gleason mold. The Canes don’t need another pretty skilled forward who happens to be big. They need a big power forward. That can be Osala’s spot if he plays that role to the hilt, and his skill and skating will be bonuses.
Tlusty could also be on some type of injury list early in the season, allowing the Canes to give another young forward—perhaps Bowman—an early shot.
If Samson is fast enough for the NHL, his tenacity and ability to win battles on the boards may make a spot for him.
I don’t think we should count out Matsumoto at center either. He’s a skilled play-making center. I haven’t been able to find stats on face-offs in the AHL last year, but if Matsumoto is willing to play defense and does better at face-offs than Nash and Dalpe in training camp, Matsumoto might get the first shot at 3rd-line center. Those are big ifs, but at this point, it’s all up to the new players to show Maurice that they deserve the roster spot in Raleigh.
One of the great things about this preseason is that it doesn’t just pit the most highly regarded young forwards against one another. It isn’t just Boychuk against Bowman against Skinner against Dalpe, and at center, it isn’t just Nash against Dalpe. The young guys also have to beat out some pretty good players who have already played well in the AHL—Samson, Matsumoto, Dodge, etc. Maurice’s talk about the importance of winning puck battles, of working hard, leaves the door ajar for those guys too. If Samson outworks Bowman—and his performance in Albany last year was much stronger than Bowman’s—I don’t think the Canes will keep Bowman and send Samson to Charlotte. Why should they? Even if Bowman has more talent to showcase in a skills contest, he should have to earn the spot.
by curiouscanesfan on Sep 11, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Again, I mentioned this season as an audition year. But we have more prospects than open slots. Its natural to look at the possible players that will be on the short in of the stick.
Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!
by PackPride17 on Sep 11, 2010 12:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Agree some players have to come out on the short end of the stick, and Boychuk could end up being one of them. I just doubt the Canes will give up on him quickly because he seems one of the most talented prospects, and I think he plays hard and battles for the puck, too. But those are just my impressions. Boychuk will have to prove himself this year just like everybody else. It will be fun watching, won’t it?
by curiouscanesfan on Sep 11, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Boychuk and Impressions
I agree with your impressions about Boychuk.
Nobody has a free ride this season to be certain. The Hurricanes, however, have tried for a long time to get faster; so it strikes me as unlikely that Boychuk is going to be ushered out the door. On the other hand, one can self-define the answer to a question when looking to the future, such as saying, yes, if Player X is really bad and fails to score and is otherwise useless the Hurricanes (just like any other NHL team) won’t keep Player X around as a decoration on the bench.
To some degree when I read self-defining answers, it reminds me of taking the deposition in Chicago of a self-proclaimed expert in accident reconstruction, who charged around $400.00 an hour for his special knowledge. When confronted with the fact he has miscalculated the speed of a tractor trailer in question, he resolved that dilemma by opining that in fact rocks could fall up when knocked off a table if there were a huge magnetic field that suddenly and unexpectedly formed around the table there in Chicago, Illinois.
It will be fun to watch the talented players battle and the future is not knowable; so all we can do is learn to depend on time. The Hurricanes will be one amazing team if there are forwards dramatically better than Boychuk to the point that he becomes trade bait.
But my point is that it’s not necessarily about “good” or “bad”, just “different”.
If we don’t have a prospect comfortably slotted within the time frame of their talent peaking, whether that’s due to no slots available or the prospect perhaps not quite possessing the facets of skill set the org needs for a certain role on the team, then both for that prospect’s good and the org’s, a trade is a good option.
Not to pick on Boychuk, because it could be any one, but because of the peculiarity of our current (and near-future) makeup of having our second center also anchor a two-way checking line, then it is imperative that his wingers also be two-way players.
It would be fantastic if Boychuk is or can be that two-way left winger for Sutter and take on the NHL’s top offensive talent while potting a few of his own.
Incredible bonus if he can be Staal’s left wing (more emphasis on offense than defense, but able to hang with the big dogs).
But, if not able to rise to top line level (and that’s understandable from his draft position) OR if he’s not that two-way player we NEED on the second line, then he does become a candidate for a trade to an org looking for a more traditional second line winger, because he would be that player for that org.
Slotting a #14 overall into a third line role is fine for development, but not where we would hope he would peak, so freeing him to rise to an offense-first second line role should bring good return in both now and perhaps future assets.
Point being, a trade does not necessarily mean the org thinks the player is “bad”. In fact, it’s their good aspects that make them valuable trade assets.
Here we are now...entertain us.
FWIW, I don’t know that I would assume Jussi or Ruutu will be on the team for very much longer. Again, not that I have anything against either player, but if any young player looks as if they can take that spot away then Jussi and Ruutu become expendable. If Boychuk or Skinner have a good year on wing, Jussi could be traded at the deadline. I could also see Ruutu traded for a younger version of himself. Again, nothing bad about either player or a desire to get rid of either player, just realistic about the depth of the organizational talent.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Oh, what you said! LOL!
Of course I have looked beyond our current Finnish contingent, whose time, like all players, will eventually come to an end with the org.
We do pay a lot ($4.0M/$4.4M over the next two seasons) for Ruutu’s services and level of point production, but it’s a critical role on the team. Furthermore, I have not yet seen just where it will be fulfilled among the prospects, so it’s a good thing he’s under contract through the ‘11-’12 season.
It also is hard to predict just how JR would approach an extension right before the expiration of the current CBA. Definitely would depend on the development rate of the right wing prospects, specifically Bowman.
Still, looking ahead, we have two right wing prospects that need a slot in the top 9, with Skinner either right away or certainly in ‘11-’12. Bowman’s development is a bit harder to predict, but probably ready by ‘11-’12 for at least a third line role.
But, both could be accomodated by not re-signing Cole at the end of this season, thereby opening up a slot for Skinner next season, and trading Kostopoulos whenever Bowman is ready and moving LaRose to the fourth.
So then we would have Skinner / Ruutu / Bowman / LaRose on the depth chart for our right wing positions. Certainly a state of readiness with which I could live.
If we move Dalpe to left wing, that side becomes very crowded indeed, so someone has to go. Both Boychuk and Tlusty are on that side, so may come down to only one of them can stay, still leaving us with: Jokinen / Boychuk or Tlusty / Dalpe / Osala on the left wing in future seasons.
Therefore, we may need to extend Jokinen’s UFA contract this summer, since it is difficult to imagine that either Boychuk or Dalpe are going to be ready (if ever) to take on first line duties in ‘11-’12.
So, while I recognize that the time will come when we need to move beyond our current Finnish contingent, I’m not seeing that as something that happens next season.
Here we are now...entertain us.
Let me preface this by saying:
1. the young players will only be as effective or as good as their playing time. And veteran players can only get their spot taken away if the rookie gets the playing time. In other words, Maurice has to play them. He seldom does. How long did we see Sutter hunkered down on the 4th line with very limited minutes when he was the best player on the ice night in and night out? Just saying……
2. I haven’t been following the draft picks or AHL/OHL prospects very closely until this year (except Casey Borer. Been following him for 3 years).
__________________________________
Re: Ruutu: 4.0Mil+ for a ‘critical role’ when points have been hard to come by is NOT where I want this franchise to be headed. (For 500k, I’ll put on skates and slam people against the boards).
FWIW, Jussi’s value as a shoot-out specialist would get more scrutiny IF IF IF IF Maurice ever concedes to put Sutter (or any player NOT a veteran) out there. This season, Jussi’s SO stats were less than average 4 out of 9. Not the number you want your specialist to have. http://www.nhl.com/ice/app Basically, we sucked it on shoot outs and OT.
For the newbie’s to make a place for themselves AND push out the veterans, I want them to bleed defense. And that means skating back as hard defensively as they do rushing into the offensive zone looking to score….. and backchecking. Face it, our vets RARELY do this. The only thing I like about the Red Wings is this defensive dedication. Every player buys into the defense. Love it. If the opposition gets the puck, Detroit wants it back bad and works hard to get it. We don’t. I think the rookies are more apt to play this way and buy into what the coach is telling them. (However, if they see Staal coast and glide, that’s not a roll model I want them to follow.)
I’m not ready for Cole to be shown the door, though. However, if he has another ‘injury plagued’ season, then let ‘em go. We need healthy power forwards. He can’t help us when he is nursing one nagging injury after another.
TomK & Rosey should have at least a role on 4th line, and PK. Nice thing is, LaRose can jump up a line.
In short – (too late), if the veterans remember to play each shift hard then they will make it difficult for the rookies to make the team. (Unless of course they are traded, etc). That’s my wish for this year:
MAKE EACH SHIFT COUNT……
Twitter @ ivyleager
Re: Ruutu: 4.0Mil+ for a ‘critical role’ when points have been hard to come by is NOT where I want this franchise to be headed. (For 500k, I’ll put on skates and slam people against the boards).
Well, great, because that’s exactly what we need. A $500K power forward. :-D
It’s that “just hit somebody” role to which I’m referring when I assigned a “critical role” to Ruutu as a variable in worth assessment.
I truly do not see just from where that aspect of needed services will emerge from the current crop of prospects.
Therefore, it may always be a role that’s fulfilled through trades. And, if that’s the case, I’m content with the player that we have under contract for the next two seasons to perform that role.
Would be nice to get a bit more point production out of him. He’s due, so perhaps this will be the season.
Here we are now...entertain us.
I think that Ruutu could probably switch the LW rather easily. He not the type of player (like Cole) that has to play a certain position because of his one and only move. Also, two seasons ago, Ruutu did play LW with Staal and Cole.
Jussi will need to be resigned or another quality player needs to be signed. The Canes need a couple of experienced players; they can’t all be in their first or second full season. Well, I guess they can and we could become the NYI of the south.
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by PackPride17 on Sep 12, 2010 11:21 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yes, I view Ruutu as able to play all three forward positions, if needed. Pretty crowded over there on the left hand side of the depth chart, as well, but nice insurance if Dalpe doesn’t pan out as a near-term LW in the next season or so.
Bottom line, both Ruutu and Jokinen are in their prime years for forwards right now, each at age 27 with birthdays a scant 90 days apart.
They’re keepers for the near term, until someone literally takes their jobs away, that is…which will be a while.
Here we are now...entertain us.
curiouscanesfan: I appreciate your thoughtful post. Each prospect is going to have to work hard to beat out other talented forwards to gain a roster spot. I also agree with your assessment of Boychuk. Jim Rutherford was excited to be able to draft Boychuk and has consistently been a strong advocate on behalf of Boychuk. It is rare to find a player with Boychuk’s speed, hands, and level of aggressive competition. I’ll try to see if I can find some quotes from Jim Rutherford, Jason Karmanos, and Paul Maurice. Obviously, any player, including Boychuk, could play himself out of a job. I don’t see Boychuk as being a player the Hurricanes have any plan to trade.
Yes, but substitute “Ladd” for “Boychuk” and some of us have heard this before.
It can happen that an org loves a player, but then decides that the particular way the player is developing (in design “the way it wants to be”) is not the best fit for the org’s ever changing needs.
So, you get Ladd for Ruutu trades that re-position the asset on the time curve of development and/or skill set.
Something like that can happen with any of our valued prospects, as other GM’s come to similar conclusions (like Chicago did with Ruutu) and look for win-win trades.
It’s not a “hold ’em” game.
Here we are now...entertain us.
+1
None of us know now how these prospects will play. All we can do is take the information we have and theorize how things will work out. If Skinner and Dalpe become top 6 wingers like I expect and Jussi is resigned; then Boychuk doesn’t have a place in the top 6. Then you have to decide if Boychuk or Tlusty is a better fit on the 3rd line. One thing Boychuk has on Tlusty is offensive potential. That could make Boychuk more attractive to another team and we might be able to fill another organization need trading him. I’m not saying Boychuk will be definitely be traded, but this year will determine his placement in the organization.
Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!
by PackPride17 on Sep 11, 2010 3:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Here’s the roster card for today’s game, with jersey numbers.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 11:05 AM EDT reply actions
Thanks, HMo2. Do you think Kivisto’s being assigned a number mean he’s in Traverse City after all?
by curiouscanesfan on Sep 11, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
I think that’s just left over info. If Mike Sundheim says he’s not there, then I’d take that as a fact.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you participate in the gamethread last year when we all had the gamesheet window open and were refreshing ourselves since the auto-update wasn’t frequent enough? Seriously die-hard hockey nuts.
I am worried that our D is not very deep. I’m thinking Jordan and Lawson are the top pair, and they’re long shots to be full NHLers in their careers.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Our D isn’t very good true… But we have one of the best goalies in the tournament. I’m so excited to see what Dalpe, Skinner, and Nash can do offensively.
I’m guessing Kennedy surprises a lot of people and has a great tournament too. We don’t mention him a lot (especially after his brutal concussion last year and speculated retirement)… But he is still a very solid role player with pretty decent scoring ability. He played very well for the Barrie Colts during the OHL Playoffs last year. He probably won’t compete for a Roster spot this year, but he will be a great addition to the Checkers.
Anyone found a live gamesheet to track beyond the dribbles from Kyle Hanlin?
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:40 PM EDT reply actions
Wild’s Tyler Johnson score PP goal at 12:53, shortly after Canes’ Michael MacDonald took delay of game penalty. 1-0 MIN.
Mike McKenzie’s breakaway chance thwarted by Wild netminder Matt Hackett’s glove w/ under 3 min to go in 1st.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Hanlin's finally got something to tell us. Not what we want to hear tho.
Wild take 2-0 lead on goal by Joel Broda at 17:51 of 1st. MIN leads 2-0.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
End of 1st per, Wild lead 2-0. Shots: MIN 11, CAR 6.
Only 6 shots from our highly touted forward lines? What’s that about?
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
esp’ly when it seems one penalty was from a tryout guy, leading to a goal.. Boy, that’s not good for his career. ;)
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
If you’re not on twitter, Hanlin tweeted the lines before the game
Canes forward lines: McKenzie-McNicoll-Pistilli, MacDonald-Dalpe-Staal, Collins-Nash-Shugg, Caria-Skinner-Kennedy
Carolina defensive pairings: Levi-Jordan, Rissanen-Lawson, Hill-Stahl
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 3:57 PM EDT reply actions
Man...
I can’t believe there’s no way to watch this. They’re missing out on some consumer cash, here!
Heck – not even a working scoresheet online. The one on pointstreak.com isn’t working.
This is irritating.
"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."
Sounds like they are have communications issues. Traverse City must have been hit with an EMP
"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."
I’m following everyone I know of and they’re not really focused there. More interested in introducing Koivu w/new contract and Cullen, Madden, et al to the fans.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Canes lose 2-1. Mike McKenzie w/lone goal, assist from Austin Levi.
Hanlin tweeted: Exciting finish. Canes had chances w/ extra skater. Final: MIN 2 Canes 1. Shots: MIN 22 Canes 30.
OHL Superfan had these comments
2nd per Canes started to team more effectively. Hackett [goalie] was the difference for MN
Canes had 2 wide open chances/fanned. 3 or more excellent efforts snuffed out by MN.
Canes had a little trouble finishing but if they keep heading in same direction as 3rd per they will vie for another title.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 5:53 PM EDT reply actions
Kyle Hanlin's updates
Well after the game was over, I discovered this at the Canes site, where it looks like Kyle was supplying more updates than through his Twitter feed.
We’ll have to look for something similar for the next game.
Here we are now...entertain us.
That is his twitter feed. I got all those on my phone while I was out much of the game.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions
But pointstreak.com is not nearly what it was last year. They don’t even have the scores of the game yet.
CBJ lost to the Rangers 5-4. We play the Rangers tomorrow, and if you believe their PR stories, they’re loaded for bear.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Meanwhile, tomorrow’s opponent, the NYRangers beat the Columbus team 5-4. boxscore.
CBJ’s Steven Deisle injured his shoulder in a fight with the Rangers McDonagh.
The Rangers were 1 for 7 on the PP.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 6:22 PM EDT reply actions
Correction: the Ranger player fighting with Delisle (with an “l”) was Randy McNaught. (kind of similar when you’re reading and don’t know the roster well – sorry! )
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s a game re-cap, according to the Minny site. It does sound like Hackett was the biggest factor.
Flahr’s Top Play:
The Wild were playing sloppy and on their heels to open the second period when Hackett made a huge stop on a breakaway to keep the Wild up two and calm the team down. Letting a goal in could have drastically swung the momentum in favor of the Hurricanes.
That was probably the one where Mike McKenzie was “robbed” according to Hanlin’s tweet.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 9:40 PM EDT reply actions
Here’s a recap of the NY Rangers’ 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets.
the Bourque-Stepan-Grachev line showed how lethal it could be in a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Huntington Rink. The trio dominated the game, and it was only appropriate that they combined for the winning goal with 6.1 seconds remaining in the third period after Stepan won a crucial faceoff in the Columbus zone.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 11, 2010 10:17 PM EDT reply actions
Game sheet - yesterday
First game-sheet I have seen from yesterday. Only really thing of note on there is Jeff Skinner’s 7 shots. Hey, he was trying.
Well, except where I linked it above at 6:19 pm last night. ;)
It’s all pretty current at pointstreak.com
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 12, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
No worries – just shows me that when the comments get lengthy, people tend to skim them lightly and miss stuff. You’re a loyal reader and if you missed it, then those who aren’t regulars likely did too.
Maybe I’ll do a new post for today’s game vs the Rangers and re-capture all these links.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 12, 2010 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I read everything damn near everything, so saw it. But it would be admittedly easy to miss after wading through the side discussions above it.
Perhaps using a bold title would help draw the eye of the more casual skimmer of comments to an important piece of inserted information such as a boxscore link.
Like “Boxscore and gamesheet link”
Here we are now...entertain us.
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