MillionDollarCam

I know it’ll never happen but I’d like to see Necas at center so we can truly ice what I believe would be our best group. Svechnikov - Aho - Teravainen Bunting - Necas - Jarvis Martinook - Staal - Fast Kotkaniemi - Drury - Noesen

Possession wasn’t where it needed to be but the counter attack looked good and the defense was superb. I do have my doubts about Copetti and I think we could use impact players at both wing positions as well as striker. The midfield is good enough that if we had impact players up top then we’d be in real good shape. I’d never say no to an impact CAM though.

Malanda, Urso, and for the most part, Uronen, were studs last night. Even when Bronico is healthy, I’d have a hard time sitting Urso. I doubt Urso can go 90 on a regular basis so Bronico might be best served coming off the bench in place of Urso.

What a way to start! Dean Smith has the boys ready!

Being able to use Arfield and Nimfa off the bench is nice. Also think Diop and Petkovic could surprise this year.

Starting XI GK: Kristijan Kahlina RB: Nathan Byrne RCB: Adilson Malanda LCB: Andrew Privett LB: Jere Uronen LCM: Júnior Urso CM: Ashley Westwood RM: Brecht Dejaegere LW: Iúri Teixeira Tavares ST: Enzo Copetti RW: Kerwin Vargas SUBS: David Bingham, Jaylin Lindsey, Hamady Diop, JahLane Forbes, João Pedro Reginaldo, Scott Arfield, Nikola Petkovic, Nicholas Scardina, Nimfasha Berchimas

The season begins tomorrow at The Bank against NYCFC, kick off is at 7:30PM. Dean Smith guided the boys through a successful preseason and he’s gotten a lot out of a team that on paper, looks subpar. There’s been a lot of roster turnover but below is my best attempt at what our current roster looks like. GK: Kristijan Kahlina, David Bingham, George Marks, Chituru Odunze DEF: Adilson Malanda, Jere Uronen, Nathan Byrne, Jaylin Lindsey, Andrew Privett, Bill Poni Tuiloma, Hamady Diop, Jack Neeley, JahLane Forbes, João Pedro Reginaldo MID: Ashley Westwood, Scott Arfield, Brecht Dejaegere, Brandt Bronico, Djibril Diani, Júnior Urso, Ben Bender, Brandon Cambridge, Nikola Petkovic, Brian Romero, Nicholas Scardina FWD: Enzo Copetti, Kerwin Vargas, Patrick Agyemang, Nimfasha Berchimas, Tyger Smalls, Iúri Teixeira Tavares

There’s not a whole lot of guys I’m really interested in this trade deadline. I don’t see a game changer out there so I’d just look for a depth piece. Personally, I’d look at adding Anthony Duclair. He can probably be had for a pick and with some cap gymnastics the Canes should be able to fit him in. But I don’t think I’d move anyone from the active roster. Throw Raanta on LTIR and be done with it.

TDA has been very good since Chatfield went down. He has no points but is a +3. I’m hopeful that the Canes hang on to him because he could be a great depth piece in the playoffs.

Think tonight’s game will have a playoff feel to it, from both a spectator and player perspective.

Svechnikov

How does the linesman miss that… he’s fugging right there.

Holy poo KK scored… firing on all cylinders.

The Saros for Necas trade idea can be put to bed. That trade doesn’t get us any closer to where we want to be and fills one hole but creates another. Necas now has 14 points in his last 13 games.

Reverse checks usually piss people off the most because 1) they aren’t common and 2) you can’t really prepare for them.

I will say this. People have gone out of their way to play physical with Bedard. That didn’t really happen with McDavid or Matthews. Chicago needs to do a better job of sticking up for their franchise.

Good to see Bunts get a 5v5 goal. Statistically he hasn’t been great 5v5 but if he starts to produce more at even strength then we’ll be in good shape.

Fast

Once we’re the through the TDL the roster limit no longer applies. The Canes can have as many players on their active roster as they want so long as that player is signed to one of the 50 contracts allowed by the NHL.

If Martin wins again, I’d have a hard time trading him and I was very vocal about not wanting him to begin with. He’s been a calming presence in net and has beaten two Stanley Cup contenders. Factoring in injury history, I just can’t see us keeping Freddie, Raanta, and Kochetkov over Freddie, Kochetkov, and Martin. I’d either IR, trade, or waive Raanta with the intent of sending him to the AHL.

Well he’d just be a throw in salary. Basically if the Canes wanted to upgrade their forward depth and there was a guy with term they were interested in that had a cap hit of $3.75M the Canes could use Raanta’s and Lemieux’s expiring contracts as salary fillers along with the cap space they have and picks and prospects to get a deal done. You’d basically be giving picks and prospects and cap space to a team for a guy with term. In reality though it only works for a player with term that a team might be trying to shed.

Martin has been pretty good. I’d actually try to give him more work and see if he can sustain it before trading him. If he can sustain it then I’d look at making him the future backup to Kochetkov. I’d look at including Raanta’s salary as a part of a bigger trade.

Kochetkov now requires waivers so he isn’t going anywhere. If and when all four goalies are healthy, someone has to go, and I think that someone is Raanta. Other option is to take Freddie off of IR and throw Raanta on IR.

Love the Corley pick. Encourage anyone who hasn’t watched him to do so. He’s in that Steve Smith, D.J. Moore, Deebo Samuel mold. He simply doesn’t get tackled by the first defender and has very good speed.

I love this team.