Jussi Jokinen returned to Finland last night to be with his family after the death of his father.  It's expected that he will be gone for a week. 

Sincere condolences to Jussi and his family.

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According to Chip at Canes Now, Dwight Helminen has been recalled from Albany to take his place.  Apparently, Jim Rutherford wants to keep Brandon Sutter in Albany for another week.

That seems to contradict reports from last week indicating that they were trying to get Sutter back here before the Thrashers game, but he had a flight canceled at the last minute.  Confusing times at Edwards Mill Road.   

The Carolina Hurricanes reassigned forwards Michael Ryan and Jakub Petruzalek to Albany today.  Both skaters made nice contributions for the Canes while they were with the club.  More information from the presser:

Petruzalek, 23, made his NHL debut, and earned his first NHL point with an assist, in the Hurricanes’ 4-3 shootout win at San Jose on Feb. 5. The Litvinov, Czech Republic, native also skated in Carolina’s 7-2 win at Phoenix on Feb. 7, and returns to Albany with a team-leading 22 assists and team second-best 34 points in 47 AHL games this season.

 Ryan, 28, returns to Albany after having played in four of the Hurricanes’ last five games, averaging 5:42 of ice time in those contests. The Boston, MA, native leads all River Rats skaters with 23 goals and 36 points in 36 AHL games played this season.

Ryan was healthy scratched for the Phoenix game after the acqusition of Jussi Jokinen, but Petruzalek played in the 7-2 shellacking. 

What this means is that Scott Walker or Rod Brind'Amour, or both of them, are ready to take the ice again.  The Canes looked faster without the older players during the past couple of games.  Will the loss of the two youngsters hurt the Canes?  

Another question needs to be asked.  If both Walker and Brind'Amour are ready to return, then who sits?  Ryan Bayda?  Jussi Jokinen?  Patrick Eaves?  A valid argument could be made for each of these players to stay in the lineup.  Paul Maurice has some difficult decisions to make.  It's going to be tough to break up the present lineup after such a dominating performance like the one in the desert.

Last season the Canes did well when reinforcements from Albany came to the rescue.  Then at the end of the season when the previously injured veterans returned, the team faltered.  Will history repeat itself?

The Carolina Hurricanes attempted to address one of their needs, scoring depth, when they traded with Tampa Bay for Jussi Jokinen today.  The Canes gave up Wade Brookbank, Josef Melichar, and a fourth round draft pick for the Finnish forward.

Jokinen is expected to play tonight in Phoenix.

The Canes will take on a bit more salary with the deal as Brookbank and Melichar earned 1.475 million combined, while Jokinen has a salary of 1.875 million.  Melichar was sent to Albany and Brookbank hadn't played in weeks, so the move does not adversely affect the current Hurricanes lineup.

At one time, Jokinen was known as being one of the top shootout performers in the league.  He was originally drafted by Dallas, but was sent to Tampa Bay last year in the Brad Richards deal.  He has scored 53 goals and has 161 points in 281 career NHL games.

Discounting the extra salary, the move is a good one for the Canes in that they gave up two players whom the organization had given up on.  But it does leave the team without a bonafide "enforcer".  Melichar and Brookbank will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year while Jokinen is restricted.   Jussi could have been picked up on the waiver wire a bit earlier, but this way the Canes dump two dead contracts of their own.

It's interesting that the team now has three players from Finland, Ruutu, Pitkanen, and now Jokinen.