The D: Summer of 2012 version

by Elsker on Mar 12, 2011 3:21 PM EST

Whatever mess renewal of the CBA turns out to be, it's behind JR as he surveys the landscape of the off-season prior to the 2012-2013 season.

No present contracts extend past that summer, except for Cam's and Eric's, along with a handful of prospects on the entry-level deals.

So, as JR begins to assemble the D-corps for what should also be a good season for the forwards, here's what he has with which to work, at least within the ranks of RFA's:

RFA left shots:

Brian Dumoulin - drafted 2009 (2nd round, 51st overall) - 6'4", 210 lbs

Derek Joslin - drafted 2005 (5th round, 149th overall) - 6'1", 210 lbs

RFA right shots:

Jamie McBain - drafted 2006 (3rd round, 63rd overall) - 6'2", 200 lbs

Bobby Sanguinetti - drafted 2006 (1st round, 21st overall) - 6'3", 190 lbs

Justin Faulk - drafted 2010 (2nd round, 37th overall) - 5'11", 200 lbs

Danny Biega - drafted 2010 (3rd, round, 67th overall) - 6'0" 200 lbs

UFA's:

The UFA's that are currently in the system all are left shots.

JR may (or may not) have under an extended UFA contract, left-shot Joni Pitkanen (6'3", 210 lbs).

Plus, a trading deadline decision may be made on left-shot Tim Gleason (6'0", 217 lbs) in '11-'12 that may or may not result in his contract being extended or him being re-signed that summer.

Finally, if he's still around that summer, Jay Harrison (6'4", 211lbs) is also a left shot.

Still not a #1 D-man anywhere in sight amongst that bunch, at least in my opinion. But, a strong candidate field upon which to base a defense-by-committee approach, and perhaps some excess assets for which to use as tradebait for something even better.

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Pitkanen is gone… If the Canes would be willing to fork over the cash for a guy like Christian Erhoff, James Wisniewski, or Jan Hejda we might be in better shape. But more likely we are going to get an “OK, now we are super cereal rebuilding this year” speech a week after season ticket money is due and start the season with:

Gleason – Corvo
Allen – McBain
Joslin – Harrison

by JussiJuice on Mar 12, 2011 4:17 PM EST reply actions

That may well be our ‘11-’12 D-corps, since Gleason, Corvo, and Allen are all under contract through that season.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to it, if so.

Which is why I’m already beginning to look at the ‘12-’13 season beyond this next one, when hopefully the talent level begins to rise…unless some off-season magic occurs this summer.

Here we are now...entertain us.

by Elsker on Mar 12, 2011 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

Offer sheet/huge trade for Shea Weber? That is one of the few moves I could see to make our D Cup-contender worthy (which is pretty sad).

Maybe Justin Faulk can surprise everyone and pull off his best Skinner-like Rookie imitation, prove he is a top-pairing D, and win the Calder.

by JussiJuice on Mar 12, 2011 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

I know Joni Pitkanen is a very interesting subject. Some fans here believe he is clearly our #1 defenseman and is irreplaceable. Others find him an enigma and think the team would be ok without him. I am more in the corner of letting him walk. I believe Joni’s money could be used on other players and improve the team in ways Joni cannot. I am a little concerned with the Allen acquistion. I original thought he would be a nice addition, but I am really disappointed in his game so far. For the amount of money he is making, I am expecting a middle pairing guy and I’m only seeing a 3rd pairing guy at the time (and on this defense, that is a BAD thing).

I would love for us to go after an Erhoff or Wisniewski (or the impossible of an offer sheet to Shea Weber), but I find that highly unlikely. I hope that Gleason could return to form next season and Corvo seems to be solid. Harrison, to my surprise, seems to be a good 6th defenseman. I think Joslin could be a pleasant surprise. He seems to have some good instinct and some offensive abilities. McBain has some improvements to be made, but he is probably a 2nd pairing guy at least half the time.

To really get this team to the next level, defensive improvements will half to be made. That could potentially mean getting rid of a few players and bringing in others. The current make-up is not to the level needed to be a playoff team and the truth is, next year’s projected D group is not any better. I would not be surprised to see Pitkanen, Corvo, and Allen traded in the offseason to bring in a new, different group.

The All-STAAL game is going to be CAMtastic!

by PackPride17 on Mar 13, 2011 9:49 PM EDT reply actions

Pitkanen, et al.

I also feel that Joni’s salary allocation could be better utilized next season. Hate to see him going out the door for nothing, but I’ve rationalized that trade deadline loss of assets as essentially being JR’s “rental”, with presumably nothing really available that interested him that wasn’t deemed as being too expensive at deadline prices.

But, I do believe he’ll try again in the off-season, perhaps trading O for D to bring in a top-4 D-man and throw in one of our defensive prospects, if necessary, since it’s looking pretty crowded on the right-shot side, in particular.

A player-and-a-half, if not two players, could be had for Joni’s next big UFA contract, plus I just don’t see JR committing beyond the CBA date for someone other than assets at the Cam/Eric level of importance to the team, and Joni will rightfully be looking for some length on this next contract.

So, I agree there’s probably no Joni going forward and, in fact, I’d love it if he shook up the entire D-corps group, as you suggest.

Because what we have is just not working.

Here we are now...entertain us.

by Elsker on Mar 13, 2011 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Inventory

Looking at the list of potential assets currently in the system, I just flat do not see a true #1 top-pairing defenseman anywhere in sight, so that component is going to have to come from somewhere out of the system…if at all.

Could be that JR just limps along, over-slotting second-pairing (and lower) D-men into the top pairing, at least until we look like we’re ready for a deep run, when he’ll maybe try to grab one at the deadline. But, those are mighty expensive deals to make with lots of competition.

So, instead, I’m hopeful that he’ll just keep shopping until the right deal comes along, whether off-season or mid-season next year, and take someone with contract years still remaining and/or RFA status, so they can be easily extended.

Until then, and until help in the middle ranks occur by infusion of our current collegiate talent, we’re just as thin (maybe thinner) in the top-4 D-corps as we are in the top-six forward ranks.

But, such is the lot of a budget team.

Here we are now...entertain us.

by Elsker on Mar 13, 2011 11:08 PM EDT reply actions

Or the Canes could start drafting D-men in the first round now and then like everybody else.

The Canes have no top pairing D-men because they don’t take the first step to get one. It’s very hard to get any other team to give up a top-pairing D-man. If you won’t draft a potential top-pairing D-man and can’t develop your own, you have to do without.

by curiouscanesfan on Mar 14, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

To their credit, at least JR said they were bundling draft picks trying to get back into the first round in order to grab the top D prospects that were falling in the first round of the 2010 draft.

And, although I had a cow when JR passed on Fowler to take Skinner…boy was I wrong. :-D

See also, Jack Johnson in 2005 (3rd overall), although he was most likely a BPA selection, and Igor Knyazev in 2001 (15th overall)…who was a complete bust.

It’s not like they’ve never done it.

Here we are now...entertain us.

by Elsker on Mar 14, 2011 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Not all bad

Defense by committee seems to be the shape of things. It worked in 2005-6. We really had a collection of pretty interchangeable parts then. The trick is to get them all playing well at once.

I think Pitkanen can be let go because McBain will develop into an as useful, perhaps even a better player. Hopefully Corvo and Gleason can continue to provide steady contributions, though I’d like to see more from Gleason personally.
Allen and Harrison are interesting, but really I think bottom 3 players ideally.
I hope Joslin turns into something good. He has shown flashes to be sure. Same for Sanguinetti. Maybe we have something there.
I expect Faulk and Dumolin will both make the NHL eventually (1-2 years), and I hope at least one turns into a good top four d man.

But really, if McBain gets better, Gleason regains a bit of swagger, and Corvo keeps playing decently, we have a good core to build around. I’d love to have a real number one defenseman, but realistically…?

by prplmnkydw on Mar 14, 2011 11:34 PM EDT reply actions

I was just looking at the 2005-2006 stats. Remarkably little offense from the blue line, especially after Kaberle. Hedican was better in the playoffs. Commodore, Wesley, Wallin, and Ward were totally non-factors offensively. Wallin and Commodore provided a lot of size, but none of them were terribly intimidating physically (Commodore had his moments, as I recall). This really was truly a defense by committee team.

by prplmnkydw on Mar 14, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Defense by Committee

You are exactly right. Realistically, a budget team has no other choice.

If true talent is drafted, by the time they get enough size and experience to be unleashed, the org can no longer afford them. Can’t afford to pay free market price for a true #1, or even some other org’s trade demands for their high-priced spread. Even a deadline rental is expensive in that it costs a bit of the Future.

It did work in ’06, after all. So, maybe we just need some better committee members. :-)

Here we are now...entertain us.

by Elsker on Mar 15, 2011 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Big Difference

As mentioned—not much offense—but we had good, sound positionally correct Dmen—and guys who were good at 1 v 2 rushes. Hedican could move the puck extremely well even if he didn’t shoot much. Ward, Commodore and Wallin were big bodies who could make you pay and were capable of stopping a forward with a check thereby creating a turnover.

This type of defense made good sense with a bunch smaller, fast scoring forwards. But JR continued to want to get puck moving defensemen, and that created an issue for this team—we still have smaller, fast forwards with offensive skills, but we went away from the defensively sound defensemen. Without bigger forwards who play good defense and can check to make turnovers or win puck battles, having offensive Dmen who are poorer against odd man rushes, poorer positionally isn’t helping the team stop the bad guys from scoring.

I’m more OK with Allen, Joslin, Gleason, Harrison McBain and Corvo for next year because we would have a few bigger bodies who are tougher to play against, are more stay at home Mo types who shouldn;t be playing as risky as Pitkanen, while still haveing a couple of puck movers in McBain and Corvo. If we can get the more skilled forwards up in Boychuck and Dalpe, and get them in the Top six with Skinner and Staal, and maybe get Osala and Bowman closer to NHL ready and able to score, we’ll have plenty of offense from the front with still a little threat from Corvo and McBain.

Offense hasn’t been the issue from the back line—it’s been defense. And next year’s committee—-if Gleason looks more like last year than this year, looks much more sound (especially if Pitkanen walks…)

by Squeaky83 on Mar 15, 2011 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Just a question, might Sanguinetti be called up since McBain got hurt. Assuming he returns.

by Crazychf on Mar 15, 2011 5:56 PM EDT reply actions

Called up when – this year? No – he won’t be called up nor will anyone else as long as the current D stays healthy. Even then it would be doubtful in my opinion. He’d have an awful lot of work to do to get game ready…

by caniacmum on Mar 22, 2011 2:26 PM EDT reply actions