State of the Canes

[RealBitsOfPanther]

So where do you see this team going into the off-season? I think its pretty safe to say that they exceeded expectations. I know I wasn't expecting them to push for a playoff spot this season. There is lots of good things going on in the organization and plenty to be excited about. 

[lightsout]

Well, decision time with Ward. UFA now, and even though Cam played better this season (2.41 GAA), his record still isn't looking like a reliable starting option (23-17-10). His save % was .909. Put in perspective, of goalies with at least 35 starts, only 7 had worse save percentages. However, Cam is 20th in wins. He had 7 games with a save percentage under 85%. The league-wide average save% comes to .915, so he's not TOO far off....but he only had 23 out of 51 games started where he had a save percentage better than the league average. The Canes rank second to last in the league in team save%, only edge out Calgary (who won as many games as us, though we went into OT more, thus how we finished with 9 more points).

Basically, Cam is NOT getting a big contract IF he wants to stay in Raleigh. If Ron gives him big money, then Ron is an idiot. Lack isn't a starter either, but he's a reliable backup who is 3 years younger and cheaper. Key will be finding a guy who can get a save% around .915-.920 and keep his GAA close to 2. I really hope we find somebody in the draft to put in net, honestly. Petr Mrazek worked out well for Detroit this season taking most of the starts away from Jimmy Howard, and I am pretty sure he was among the youngest goalies in the league.

Here's what we're looking at as far as players entering the market.

UFA

Cam ward
Nathan Gerbe
Riley Nash
Chris Terry

RFA

Michal Jordan
Victor Rask
Ryan Murphy
Danny Biega
Justin Shugg
Anthony Camara
Dane Fox
Brody Sutter
Zach Boychuk

I listed some of the more "big" names from Charlotte as well. Truly, Rask is the only one absolutely safe that is currently on the Hurricanes roster. I think we'll get back everybody in CLT except Boychuk, unless it's a short-term deal. Nash is probably safe too. Terry and Malone are both bottom 6 guys and they may be too old for the youth movement. Not good enough to really keep them IF their role is just being veteran guys on the team. Expendable, at least. Brad Malone turns 27 in late May, so we JUST miss the window to qualify him as a RFA, which sucks.

Jordan may see the boot as well, though I think he may get offers and if he does, it wouldn't surprise me to see him move, depending on what compensation we would get. He's a 7th d-man, so no big loss.

One other thing on the FAs we have...Dane Fox COULD be big to get back. He's a point per game kind of guy, and I think he could probably move to wing even though he's a center (he's 6' and weighs 188). 

After the Nordstrom signing, I'm interested to see where we're left in cap space. Has the cap for next season been set yet?

 

[lightsout]

Another thing to remember, apart from how young we are, is how little time they've had together as a team. Just look at our forwards. 5 guys were on the roster before 2014. That means 5 forwards got here in 2014, and two just came in this past season. I think that's part of the reason they finished the year pushing for the playoffs. They finally built that chemistry, and Eric leaving definitely helped in building that chemistry further (even if just out of necessity). Another off-season together and a more clear idea of each other on the ice is going to help start the year better I think.

Di Giuseppe: 2015
Lindholm 2013
Malone: 2014
Gerbe: 2013
McClement: 2014
Nash: 2013 (first year he got meaningful ice time with the Canes)
Nestrasil: 2014 (picked up over a month into the season, played in 41 games)
Nordstrom: 2015 (got here last September)
Rask: 2014
Skinner: 2010
Staal: 2012
Terry: 2014 (first year he got meaningful ice time with the Canes)
 

Defensemen have a similar story

Faulk: 2011
Hainsey: 2013
Hanifin: 2015
Jordan: 2014 (first year he got real NHL time)
Pesce: 2015
Slavin: 2015
Wisniewski: 2015....yet to play a full game for us.


So there ya have it. Not just young, but only JUST NOW coming out of the awkward "hi guys" stage.

[lightsout]

Draft wise, we're looking at 4 picks in the first two rounds. Keep all 4 of those. 3 picks in the 3rd. No 7th rounder. Maybe trade two thirds and a 5th or something and try to get another pick in the first two rounds. Need as much top level talent as we can get.

I think we get a winger with both first round picks, and a center/defenseman in each of our 2nd rounders. After that, BPA and hope.
 

 

[lightsout]

Back on our goalie situation, which honestly terrifies me, I think John Muse gets a chance in pre-season with us. Give him some quality starts against good shooters and see what he does, because he has played WELL within our system. Spent some time checking him out and...yeah. He may be somebody we can depend on.

[RealBitsOfPanther]

I think I read somewhere that we'll have about 20 mil in cap (don't quote on me that) and we have to get to the cap floor so we're going to bring some vets in. Hopefully some wingers that can bury it. 

 

This season is going to be a changing I f the guard. I don't see Cam coming back,nor do I see anyone else that's a UFA. 

We will bring in another goalie to platoon with lack. 

[lightsout]

12 hours ago, RealBitsOfPanther said:

I think I read somewhere that we'll have about 20 mil in cap (don't quote on me that) and we have to get to the cap floor so we're going to bring some vets in. Hopefully some wingers that can bury it. 

 

This season is going to be a changing I f the guard. I don't see Cam coming back,nor do I see anyone else that's a UFA. 

We will bring in another goalie to platoon with lack. 

I don't know. Riley Nash had a decent year and he is a good locker room guy apparently. He'll take a friendly deal because he doesn't exactly command money by being a tremendous player.  Gerbe and Terry are both gone most likely, unless they get sent down, which is unlikely.

Need a couple pure scoring wingers. Guys who can go out and get us 30+ goals a year. We have big bodies in the middle, so there should be room cleared to shoot, and there has been. Just can't bury it when we need it.

Who is there to really go after in net? I can't think of anybody who can come in and get it done consistently for us.

[RealBitsOfPanther]

Some of the morr not worthy UFAs this summer 

Stamkos 

Kopitar 

Voracek

David Backses

okposo

kessler 

andrew Ladd 

lucic 

david Perron 

Jagr (lol)

[lightsout]

10 hours ago, RealBitsOfPanther said:

Some of the morr not worthy UFAs this summer 

Stamkos 

Kopitar 

Voracek

David Backses

okposo

kessler 

andrew Ladd 

lucic 

david Perron 

Jagr (lol)

David Perron and Jakub Voracek. Please and thank you. Rounds out our top 6 nicely, really.


EDIT: Only want Perron if he can return to his Edmonton form of scoring at will. 

[iamcline]

 

Some of the morr not worthy UFAs this summer 

Stamkos 

Kopitar 

Voracek

David Backses

okposo

kessler 

andrew Ladd 

lucic 

david Perron 

Jagr (lol)

This list is very old. Voracek signed a deal last off-season to stay in Philly. 

Give Stamkos what he wants or if nothing else grab Okposo.

[RealBitsOfPanther]

Whoops, my bad on the list fellas. 

 

Anyway Okposo would be nice. No way Stamkos is coming here. He's either staying in Tampa or going to Toronto. Perron would be nice as well. 

[Crazydounut]

If we could get Lack back and let Nedolkijic start this year. Our goaltending will be solid this year and great next year. Nedo will get good time in net for experience and Lack will still get around 25-30 starts this season. Play Faulk and Hanifin together. Play Flurey and Murray together. Than Slavin and Pesche. Move Wisnewski out and keep Hainsey as depth.

Nestrasil-Rask-Skinner

Nordstrom-Staal-Okposo?

Di Gisueppe-Nash-Gerbe

Malone-Mcclement-Terry 

[RealBitsOfPanther]

Teams not going anywhere. Expansion is way more likely to happen than relocation. 

[lightsout]

On 5/27/2016 at 5:03 PM, El Dandy said:

It sucks that they're finally building a decent team and now they're going to relocate

Ronnie has said several times, including a couple of times the past couple of years, the team is not going anywhere. They're under contract at PNC until like, 2021 or something like that.

Ulf Samuelsson hired to coach the Checkers, btw.