Hurricanes Trim Roster to 31: Checkers Camp Opens On Monday

by Bob Wage on Sep 25, 2010 1:55 PM EDT

The Carolina Hurricanes sent 13 players to the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, trimming their roster to 31. Nicolas Blanchard, Stefan Chaput, Nick Dodge, Matt Kennedy, Mike McKenzie, Oskar Osala, Chris Terry, Brett Bellemore, Casey Borer, Zack Fitzgerald, Michal Jordan, Kyle Lawson, and Mike Murphy were the players reassigned. They will join the Checkers for the team's first day of training camp on Monday.

That leaves the Hurricanes with 9 defensemen, 3 goalies, and 19 forwards.

Coach Paul Maurice said after practice on Saturday that he still had not determined how many players the club would bring with them to Europe. The CBA requires that the rosters be trimmed to 23 players before opening night, but teams traveling to Europe are allowed extra players, in case of injury.

"The standard roster is 23, but we won't carry 23 here," the coach said. "So we will bring 3 or 4 more guys which will bring us to 24 or 25. I think the deciding factor regarding that is, how is the health of the 20 guys you're going to play? If they are completely healthy, then maybe 24. If we've got somebody that maybe we are worried about, then 25."

That could spell good news for a couple of borderline players, who will have another week or so to earn a spot on the final roster.

The players remaining in camp are:

Defensemen: Jamie McBain, Tim Gleason, Bobby Sanguinetti, Joni Pitkanen, Brett Carson, Anton Babchuk, Jay Harrison, Bryan Rodney, and Joe Corvo.

Goalies: Justin Pogge, Justin Peters, and Cam Ward.

Forwards: Patrick O`Sullivan, Zach Boychuk, Eric Staal, Sergei Samsonov, Tuomo Ruutu, Brandon Sutter, Jon Matsumoto, Jiri Tlusty, Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe, Riley Nash, Erik Cole, Tom Kostopoulos, Jared Staal, Jussi Jokinen, Patrick Dwyer, Jeff Skinner, Chad LaRose, and Jerome Samson.

Some members of the team will fly to Atlanta for an exhibition game tonight. The game preview will be up next.

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Comments

I’m interested in Mo’s comment that one guy who might be semi-injured determining if they take 24 or 25 players. I’m thinking that would be Tlusty, and really hope it doesn’t refer to Ward. Guess we’ll know more tonight.

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Sep 25, 2010 1:59 PM EDT reply actions

Is there a thought that Ward is injured? I haven’t heard this?

by nccaniacfan on Sep 25, 2010 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

First I’m hearing of it too! What up HM? What did you hear?

Phoblographer and Finn Aficionado
SISU

by Jamie Kellner on Sep 25, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

please don't panic!

Nothing – wasn’t trying to sound the alarm. I just feel like he’s our teacup now. Maybe the Harding incident last night is giving me the heebie-jeebies. I want to see him play 60 minutes strong, for like the next 3 games, and I’ll feel much better.

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Sep 25, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m also a bit surprised Pogge was kept up – They’ll need 2 goalies at Charlotte. Maybe the ECHL/AHL contract they signed needs some work at camp. ?

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Sep 25, 2010 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

You know how in baseball, teams have an emergency catcher, only to be used if somehow the starter and backup both get hurt. It’s usually some position player who played some catcher in high school or something. Do the Canes have an “emergency goaltender?” And if so, who is it?

by pancanbra on Sep 25, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Its Harrison! No one else can just stand around and watch the game happen like him.

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by PackPride17 on Sep 25, 2010 2:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

It wil be interesting to see if they even take Tlusty to Europe. I wasn’t at practice today but yesterday he spent about half the practice in a regular jersey then switched to a yellow no-contact jersey. I know it’s still a week away but If there’s enough talent without him why even risk it?

Phoblographer and Finn Aficionado
SISU

by Jamie Kellner on Sep 25, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Tlusty skated the whole practice today wearing yellow.

Editing Manager of CanesCountry.com

by Bob Wage on Sep 25, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m surprised Osala was sent down. Does that mean Opie Staal has passed Osala as the token big forward for the Canes? Or are they just going to play the 2 Staals together in the preseason for PR?

Triple Gold Juice - It's Potent and Guaranteed to Help You Score!

by PackPride17 on Sep 25, 2010 2:04 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

IMHO, I think they just wanted to give JStaal an NHL game to show his stuff. Mo also led off talking about JStaal, very positively, in that audio clip the Canes released.

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Sep 25, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

J. Staal and Long Term Development

J. Staal has good hands and vision to go with his size. Over the long haul, he can help the Hurricanes. I was surprised Osala wasn’t given a game to demonstrate whether he could make the step to the NHL. I think Tlusty’s injury gives the coaching staff a little more time to put off the hardest decisions of which forwards to send down to Charlotte. Thus far, Boychuk is behind Bowman but things can change over the remaining pre-season games. I am guessing the coaches send Rodney down to Charlotte, although I’d send Harrison down in a nanosecond. I think Samson, Matsumoto, J. Staal, and Nash are sent down. It’s a horse race for the last spot at forward, I think. Too close to call, but with Bowman and Dalpe at this point running ahead of Boychuk.

by abramsdoug on Sep 25, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

So you think Sanguinetti and Skinner are locks to be taken to Finland then? And if so, do you think they’ll be sent down afterward?

by pancanbra on Sep 25, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope Skinner is a lock for Finland – I hope he’s a lock for the season. From the video I saw last night, I can’t tell you the last time I’ve seen some skating like some of the turns, etc. he can make. Plus the fact that twice I heard the reference to Crosby in reference to Skinner. I’ll be honest here, I just feel like there’s something special about this guy and he might be the jumpstart needed to keep us from the 10+ loss streak of season past.

by nccaniacfan on Sep 25, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d say that is spot on. I was surprised Osala didn’t get a chance, but a lot of things have surprised me thus far (seriously, why not play the Staal brothers for the home crowd?!?).

Skinner is still teetering for me, I think he needs another few games like last night (he looked great IMO) and a goal or two. Last night he was creating chances left and right, specifically I remember two of his better chances were 1) when he was completely off-balance after getting hooked from behind and 2) a beauty when battling 2 opponents for the puck in the slot. The puck seems to find his stick in scrums, despite usually being the smallest guy.

He is getting knocked off the puck easily, but he is also skating extremely well and seems to have great balance. I honestly don’t think another year in the CHL would help him in that aspect that much anyway, he is always going to be smallish. The only thing that will really help him learn to play against the bigger, more physical NHL players is practice. I never really saw him taking a big hit or even in the position to take a big hit. His overall awareness and skating style seems conducive to minimizing injury which may be the biggest concern for an 18 year old kid.

by JussiJuice on Sep 25, 2010 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m beginning to come to the same conclusion about Skinner. I was thinking it would be best for him to spend another year in the CHL but like you said – he needs to play with bigger and stronger players which he won’t do there. If he was eligible for the AHL then I’d send him there for but it seems plugging him on the roster now seems to be the best option.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

by anonymousJ on Sep 25, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Goalies/Overseas trip

I heard John Forslund say on 99.9 last night that the Canes plan to take three goalies on the trip. Looks like Pogge will be the third. (And I have heard several times the possibility of taking 8 defensemen. That would be 3 extra players right there.)

If that is true, what will the Checkers do for a second netminder?

GO CANES! Go Heels!

by UNCCaniac8 on Sep 25, 2010 2:27 PM EDT reply actions

I'll fill in for the pro-rated league minimum. :-)

by pancanbra on Sep 25, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Well if we can get Crisp to take Tripp’s place in the booth….

by nccaniacfan on Sep 25, 2010 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's bring back Irbe!!

by pancanbra on Sep 25, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions

They have a guy they signed to an AHL/ECHL 2-way (like Micflikier or Mike McKenzie), Goepfert, who is their additional goalie.

They’ve put up the current roster at the Checkers site with the guys who were assigned today. Still no jersey number indicated.

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Sep 25, 2010 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions

??

will their be ANY streaming of this game at allll?

by RU4RU on Sep 25, 2010 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

by game i meant at Atlanta tonight

by RU4RU on Sep 25, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions

there should be radio and @BenThrashers is going to tweet as well.

by nccaniacfan on Sep 25, 2010 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Finland roster

As JR has previously said, they might go with 8D to start the season. Taking 9D to finland is a possibility? With 3G in the plans, that leaves 13F, if they settle on 25 total.
If money is the deciding factor on how many players go, then my guess they stay with 8D, 3G, and 13F, though an extra F with make sense to me!!

by randycane on Sep 25, 2010 3:20 PM EDT reply actions