Time for Youngsters to Step Up

There is no way that you can convince an entire team of professional athletes, collectively or individually, to “tank” a season for any reason. That’s just laughable to even mention as an avenue towards getting better. We will be drafting in the top 5, so there’s a good chance of getting a top-6 winger that way. If they are NHL ready is of no consequence to me as there is no way of knowing for sure. Trust in your scouts, prioritize your needs and draft the player that meets your requirements. No draft choice is a can’t miss. For this reason I wouldn’t rely on the draft for the instant top-6 scorer we need.

Regardless of where we are in the standings, it will not be high enough to move from the sellers to the buyers column at the trade deadline. Minimally we will trade Allen and Spacek. I also feel (assuming Ruutu is re-signed) that at least 2 forwards will be dealt as well, with Stewart and LaRose as the most logical candidates. I don’t think we will take back any NHL salary in the trades, opting for draft picks/prospects in return, leaving 2 D spots and 2 F spots open. Joslin will fill one of the open D spots, with the other filled by a call-up or Pitkanen if/when he returns this season. The forward spots should be filled with any combination of Samson, Nash, Bowman, Dalpe for the remainder of the season. Based on the recent rotation of the call-ups, these four have the inside track on securing a spot on the team for next year. Of the four I think Bowman and Dalpe have the skill sets most closely aligned with our need for top-6 scoring. Having them on the team for the final month of the season should give them ample opportunity to prove they belong. Based on what I have seen, one or more of this group of forwards may make the team next year, but I don’t think there isn’t a sure-fire top-6 scoring winger in the bunch.

The unrestricted free agent pool isn’t very deep. Teams are trending more towards keeping their own (see Gleason and probably Ruutu). I don’t see anything happening with the Parise for the obvious reasons. I think he is the only bona fide game changing scorer available in the UFA market, so, again this won’t be the answer for us.

That leaves hockey trades, or trading for players for the now (as opposed to trading pending free agents or “salary dump” trades.) We will be heading to the draft with minimally 2 first-round picks, a stockpile of other picks, a bevvy of prospects in all positions that have some tangible nhl games under their belts, and some desirable assets at the NHL level. We will have the chips and the money to make legitimate offers for virtually any player we would target. Hockey trades at the draft will give us the best chance of obtaining that sniper (and second line center) we so desperately need.

My take on Boychuk…kid needs a change of scenery, period. H has all the skills but I doubt he will ever be a regular on the Canes NHL roster.

I agree with you that no team will tank during the last part of the season to get a better draft pick. I wasn’t suggesting that. My mention of the draft as an alternative was to solicit your opinion (and others) about the viability of us relying on the draft because we will have a favorable draft position this year. Personally, I don’t see it providing us with the additional top six forward we need NOW.

I am in agreement with you that any trades at the deadline will not provide us with a top six forward either. I also agree with you that we will play our youngsters after the deadline to see what we have. My concern is they have been given several auditions already and while playing well defensively, they have not produced very much in the way of offense. in other words, they all have been replicas of Dwyer so far. This being the case, my question is should we depend on one or more to step forward as a bonafide scorer first, and then if they do not produce try to get a top six forward in a trade. Right now I have to agree with your surmise that there is no sure-fire top six youngster.

Your conclusion on the UFA market is kinda where I stand and, as you say, that leaves us with the trade market during the offseason as likely the only way for us to get that top six forward we seek.

Re Boychuk. His scoring stats for the 69 games he has played in the NHL would indicate he would be a 10-12 goal scorer over a full season. But these stats may be severely misleading as Mo played him mostly in a 4th line role. I just wonder if Muller gave him a look for several games in a top six role what he would show.