It has taken us all summer, but we have finally made our way through the Hurricanes lineup and will finish our end of season reviews with the exit analysis for Tim Gleason. 

The "tough as nails" defenseman will probably always be known as the player the Hurricanes received when they traded away Jack Johnson, the very highly regarded first round draft pick, (and third overall pick) in 2005.   The deal was a bit more complicated than that though as the Canes also ditched overpaid Oleg Tverdovsky and received Eric Belanger in addition to Gleason.  But Belanger never fit in and was eventually traded.  Tverdovsky ended up going back to Russia.

Regardless, Gleason has turned into a fan favorite and is a vocal and physical leader on the blueline.    He was a first round pick himself and was selected 23rd overall by Ottawa in 2001, who then traded him to LA for Bryan Smolinski in 2003.

Continue reading this post »

Scott Walker's 2008-09 season will likely be remembered for three sequential events: "the punch" of Aaron Ward in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals; his Game 7 overtime goal against the Bruins that included an emotional postgame interview; and the revelation that Walker was playing with a heavy heart — his wife, Julie, had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. 

It was like a Hollywood sports script: questionable judgment, followed by redemption, with the reality of life beyond sport woven in. But there was more to Walker's season than a week in mid- May.

Continue reading this post »

At the midway point of the 2008-09 season, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward looked like he was again destined for the kind of up-and-down year he produced the previous two seasons. In March, The Hockey News ranked Ward the No. 21 goalie in the league — probably too low based on his pperformance, but it was a reflection of his perceived play due to his inconsistency. 

But after dominating down the stretch and carrying the Canes deep into the playoffs for the second time in four NHL seasons, Ward's name is now being included in discussions on who should be on Canada's roster for this winter's Olympics. It's hard to question Ward's upside now that he's twice been the lynchpin for long postseason run. But can the 25-year-old goalie — still one of the youngest starters in the league — put together the start-to-finish, dominant season that would make him a part of the Vezina Trophy discussion each year?

Continue reading this post »

It is often said that the goaltender position is the toughest to play in all of sports.  But what about backup goalie?  Some might say that is the easiest, but nothing could be further from the truth.  It is very difficult to prepare mentally when you rarely know for sure when you are going to play.  And if the starting goalie gets hot, it could be a month before you get a sniff of the ice again.   

That is what happened to Michael Leighton last season.

Continue reading this post »

Joni Pitkanen is one of those players many fans disagree about.  After a game, some will say he played very well, while others think he did not.  There is no arguing about his skating ability and skill, but his stride is so effortless that it can give the impression that he is barely trying. 

The defenseman led the team in average time on ice during the regular season and really picked up his game in the playoffs.  While he did not score a goal, he had some huge assists and played a near perfect game seven against New Jersey as he assisted Jussi Jokinen for the game-tying goal.  He plays in all situations, the penalty kill, powerplay, and at even strength.

Continue reading this post »

We got a little side tracked because of conditioning camp and the numerous July signings, but we still have a few more exit reviews to complete.  Next on the list is alternate captain, Ray Whitney. 

"The Wizard" had one of the best seasons of his career last year as he scored 24 goals and chipped in 53 assists for a team high 77 points.  He also had a respectable 11 points in 18 playoffs games.  But perhaps the most amazing thing "Sugar Ray" accomplished last season was the fact that for the first time in his career, he never missed a single game.  He played in all 82 regular season games as well as each of the 18 playoff games the team participated in.

Continue reading this post »

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joe Corvo came to town with a bit of a reputation, and it was not necessarily a good one.  The all-knowing Ottawa press dubbed the Illinois native with the non-flattering nickname, "Uh oh, Corvo".   But Corvo has been one of Carolina's best shut down defensemen since his arrival in Raleigh.  

The Hurricanes traded away popular players in Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman in order to obtain the rights to Corvo, who has always been known to have excellent offensive instincts and a booming shot from the point on the powerplay.  (Patrick Eaves was also included in the deal).   Carolina was desperate for someone to quarterback the powerplay, but matched the blueliner up with Tim Gleason to create the team's number one pairing on defense as well.

Continue reading this post »