Carolina Hurricanes Open For Business As Offseason Nears
The Carolina Hurricanes have already undergone massive changes to their front office and coaching staff since new owner Tom Dundon took over. Ron Francis and Bill Peters have been moved out, while Don Waddell and Rod Brind’Amour have taken over. Now it sounds like the playing roster might be next. On TSN 1050 yesterday, Bob McKenzie opined about the Hurricanes and how they will approach this offseason, explaining that there could be big changes coming for several players.
There’s one guy on the team that they’re not prepared to trade—Sebastian Aho. Everybody else, everybody else is available. [Jeff] Skinner, you name it. Skinner’s getting moved, I would think.
Everybody except for Aho. I think [Justin] Faulk’s very much in play, I think Skinner’s very much in play. Hey listen, there’s some guys who whenever they say there’s only one untouchable, obviously there’s a sliding scale of value where the price coming back the other way has to be off the charts.
It’s not the first we’ve heard of Skinner being available, as several different reports have indicated that teams are expressing interest in the three-time 30-goal man. Headed for unrestricted free agency in 2019, Skinner could be a target this summer for a team looking to improve their goal scoring. The 25-year old had a down year in 2018-19 with only 24 goals, but has proven he’s one of the best in the league at putting the puck in the net.
Faulk on the other hand is an interesting option, as he carries two years on his contract with a reasonable cap hit. The Hurricanes have been expected for years to move one of their surplus defensemen, with Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and others already able to carry the load. If Faulk was to be traded, he’d fetch quite a price from a team looking to upgrade their right side, though he does come with his share of inconsistencies. The 26-year old scored just eight goals this season after racking up at least 15 in three consecutive seasons, but is still a capable offensive puck-mover that could thrive in the right situation.
Will Jeff Skinner Be The First Big Move Of The New Hurricanes Administration?
After a league-worst ninth straight season without making the playoffs, changes were always going to be coming to the Carolina Hurricanes this off-season. Already, big moves have been made by new owner Tom Dundon, as he replaced Ron Francis as GM with Don Waddell and Bill Peters as head coach with Rod Brind’Amour. The team also brought in Rick Dudley as Sr. VP of Hockey Operations. Now, this realigned front office must decide how to proceed with structuring the roster in a way that can end their postseason drought.
Early on, the one name that has been floated around is homegrown winger Jeff Skinner. Skinner, 25, is one of the longest tenured and most consistently productive players on the Hurricanes. A supremely skilled forward, the former Calder Trophy winner has a knack for finding the back of the net and is a lethal weapon on the power play. Skinner has cracked 50 points four times in his career and has been improving in his defensive play and possession ability as his career has progressed. The fact that Skinner has been so successful on a team that has not once made the playoffs in his eight-year career tends to show that he could be even better surrounded by superior talent as well. The Los Angeles Kings were rumored to be looking into Skinner earlier this month, but now it appears that he has quite a few more suitors. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says that the number of teams making calls on Skinner is growing. There seems to be ample interest in the skilled scorer and the Hurricanes will certainly entertain offers for the impending 2019 free agent.
However, is this really the right move for the new Carolina administration to make to begin their reconstruction? Skinner undoubtedly is one of their most valuable players, but one has to question the purpose of trading him at this point in time. The Hurricanes have one of the best young defensive corps in all of hockey are are almost overflowing with talented blue liners. Meanwhile, their offense is composed of mostly complementary players, many of whom are playing higher up in the lineup than they would on most other NHL teams. What the ‘Canes need more than anything is a star forward, preferably a center, to lead the offense and bring the forward group together in a cohesive unit. A top center like this is almost certainly not going to be the return on a deal for Skinner’s expiring contract. Where they may land such a player is in dealing away one of their top defenseman. Skinner may be more valuable to the Hurricanes this season, and may even consider an extension, if the Hurricanes are able to add that top player that the team is greatly in need of. They could always trade Skinner in-season if they are unable to make a deal this off-season. If instead they choose to move Skinner right now for what would most likely be picks and prospects, it could only further impair their offense and would likely lead to a tenth-straight season without playoff hockey. For the Hurricanes’ sake, let’s hope Waddell and company carefully consider any deal related to Skinner this summer.
Poll: Who Should Be The Carolina Hurricanes Captain?
Yesterday when the Carolina Hurricanes announced Rod Brind’Amour as the team’s next head coach, one of the first questions he answered was if the team would continue to employ two “co-captains” in 2018-19. The Hurricanes allowed Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk to share the duties this season, while Jeff Skinner was named an alternate.
Brind’Amour made it clear that there will be just one, and that he already has an idea who will be his team’s captain, but will talk to the leadership group before making that decision public. He should have a pretty good idea of the dynamic inside the dressing room, after serving as an assistant coach for the last seven seasons.
Staal and Faulk remain the obvious candidates, but it’s not a guarantee that Brind’Amour will give it to one of them. Justin Williams is the elder statesman on the club and was brought in for his steady performance and experience in the playoffs. Williams has won three Stanley Cups in his career, including Carolina’s only championship in 2006.
Jaccob Slavin though only 24 years old, logged the most ice time on the team each of the past two years and is signed longer than anyone else on the team. He’ll start into his seven-year extension next year, and is a steadying presence on the blue line.
Skinner himself is an option, though there are rumors of a potential exit from Carolina this summer if a trade can be found. The 25-year old sniper is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, and has garnered plenty of interest from around the league.
Who should be named captain for the team? Is there a chance that the eventual captain isn’t even on the roster yet? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments.
Who will be the Carolina Hurricanes captain in 2018-19?
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Jordan Staal 38% (233)
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Justin Williams 31% (189)
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Justin Faulk 11% (70)
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Jaccob Slavin 10% (64)
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Jeff Skinner 6% (34)
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Other (leave in comments) 3% (21)
Total votes: 611
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Carolina Hurricanes Will Make NHL Draft Difficult To Predict
The Carolina Hurricanes were lucky enough to get the second-overall pick in the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft, but who they will take will be even more interesting. While many believe that winger Andrei Svechnikov, who scored 40 goals for the OHL’s Barrie Colts mostly as a 17-year-old, is the obvious answer. However, there are plenty of other variables, according to the Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy.
An alternate option for Carolina would be to take winger Filip Zadina, countryman and world junior linemate of 2017 first-round center Martin Necas. Zadina put up 44 goals in 57 games in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads.
However, the scribe writes that neither player fills the team’s most important need for the future which is a first-line center, a similar problem that the Montreal Canadiens face later at the No. 3 spot. If Carolina decides that is more important, then trading down might be the team’s best option. Kennedy adds that has been discussed by the organization. A team like the New York Rangers or the New York Islanders, both with an excess of extra picks both in the first round and later, would be logical trade partners.
Although the team recently hired veteran executive Rick Dudley to fill in, the team needs to hire a general manager before any decision can be made about the direction of their selection. While the team bowed out earlier from the playoff race than they had hoped, Carolina has a significant amount of talent, although they lack a star player. However, with a new owner and eventually new general manager and coach, the team may make quite a few changes over the next few months. Even without a permanent GM, the team already traded off veteran Marcus Kruger and there are rumors the Hurricanes may trade off their top scorer in Jeff Skinner before he hits free agency in 2019.
So Carolina becomes quite a wildcard when it comes to this draft.
Kings Interested In Jeff Skinner
The Kings were a team on the lookout for scoring help throughout the season, something that isn’t likely to change this summer. With that in mind, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted in his latest podcast (audio link) that he has heard that Carolina winger Jeff Skinner is someone that Los Angeles has interest in.
Skinner has spent his entire career with the Hurricanes after they drafted him seventh overall back in 2010. He has been one of their more consistent scorers since then, reaching the 20-goal mark in six out of eight seasons; one of the years he didn’t was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. This past season, he tallied 24 times while adding 25 assists in 82 games which ranked him fourth in team scoring.
While he is still a key player for the Hurricanes, it will be interesting to see if this is the offseason where they shake things up. Former GM Ron Francis was let go in part because he was content to go with a slow, consistent approach whereas new owner Thomas Dundon is believed to be wanting someone a bit more aggressive in terms of making moves. With Carolina having missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons, Skinner could very well be part of any changes being made, especially with his contractual situation.
The 25-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract next season, one that carries a cap hit of $5.725MM (with a $6MM salary) so this may be the right time to move him so that the acquiring team gets him for a full year instead of being a midseason rental.
Meanwhile, the Kings have over $70MM committed for next season per CapFriendly but have very few players to re-sign; with the expected increase to the salary cap, they should be able to fit him in under their existing salary structure. The fact Skinner has one year left may also be of interest to Los Angeles as they have quite a few long-term deals on the books already and may not want to add another at the price that Skinner is likely to command next summer on the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away, we continue our closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.
The NHL Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 2:00PM CT. Not only have the Carolina Hurricanes yet to make a move, but there have hardly been any whispers of GM Ron Francis and company talking to to other teams. The Hurricanes are in a tough position with the deadline growing closer and closer. Carolina is in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race, three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final postseason spot, grappling for position with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. They also have an NHL-worst eight-year postseason drought to think about when considering their deadline position. At the same time, few would call the ‘Canes lineup a true contender this season. Carolina is a bottom-ten team in both goals for and goals against with a -25 goal differential that ranks last among any team remaining relevant in postseason contention. So while the team is desperate to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, they may be lucky to still even be in contention and could question giving up assets at the deadline without a real chance at a title run. The fact that the Hurricanes have had no presence on the trade market thus far speaks volumes about their own indecision on how to handle the 2018 trade deadline.
Record
27-25-10, seventh in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Standing pat
Deadline Cap Space
$72,699,714 in deadline cap space
49/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th, VGK 7th
2019: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CGY 6th
Trade Chips
If the Hurricanes are sellers, then they have a few impending free agents with value to contenders. The main target would likely be Derek Ryan, who has had yet another strong season in Raleigh after breaking into the NHL seemingly out of nowhere. A versatile, two-way forward with strong possession abilities, Ryan is an ideal pickup for any team looking to add depth and fill out their bottom-six. Veteran Lee Stempniak is also a serviceable bottom-six forward who is no stranger to being dealt at the deadline and finding a role for himself on a new team. Of course, the big name that could move from the Hurricanes would be career keeper Cam Ward, the hero of Carolina’s magical Stanley Cup run in 2006. Ward is an impending free agent and, although he has taken the starting job back from newcomer Scott Darling, is not likely to stay with the ‘Canes for much longer. There are one or two teams out there looking for relief in net and Ward could be an attractive target if made available. For anyone expecting the Hurricanes to “sell” players like Justin Faulk and Jeff Skinner, don’t hold your breath, at least at this deadline.
If the Hurricanes are buyers, they offer several promising young prospects and a near-full collection of draft picks to sellers. Blocked by a deep top-six with staying power, young defenseman Roland McKeown is becoming more expendable as the days go on. The highly-regarded 2014 second-rounder could use a change of scenery to somewhere with more opportunity and Francis would be willing to deal him for the right return. Similarly, forward prospects like Valentin Zykov and Lucas Wallmark have been kicking around the AHL for long enough, without a real chance to showcase their NHL ability, that the value of their recent draft positions is beginning to wear off. The Hurricanes would be wise to move on from them if the right deal presents itself.
Players To Watch: F Derek Ryan, F Lee Stempniak, F Josh Jooris, D Klas Dahlbeck, G Cam Ward
Team Needs
1) A Star and A Starting Goalie
The main reason that the Carolina Hurricanes are most likely to stand pat at this deadline is because the two things they need to take the next step are the two things that are most difficult to find in hockey: a game-changing player and a top goaltender. It’s not unreasonable to think they can acquire these players somehow, but at the deadline it’s next to impossible. More than anything, the ‘Canes need a legitimate first-line power center and that player simply isn’t available at this deadline. Maybe this summer, but not right now. The Darling experiment has been a failure, but there’s no one on the market who is a lock to outplay him long-term in net. Carolina’s two biggest needs are much easier to address in the off-season. Expect their efforts – and top trade assets – to be put to use then, rather than during the next 24 hours.
2) A Scoring Forward
If, and it’s a big if, the Hurricanes decide to go for it this year and make a deal that significantly increases their odds of making the playoffs, they need to improve their scoring. The team is solid on the back end and the situation in net is what it is, but up front they have many nice complementary players, but lack that one player who can transform them into a cohesive unit (hence the need for a star forward). A player who can improve the team’s ability to put the puck in the net, not specifically a shooter or play-maker but simply a player with great offensive instincts, would be of interest to Carolina. An impending free agent or a player with term could be sought out; they certainly have the cap space to afford a long-term, expensive contract if need be. With a horrid playoff drought and a new, proactive owner, it’s definitely possible that Carolina could jump into the conversation for a Mike Hoffman or Max Pacioretty, but more likely than not, they save the assets needed to acquire either one for the summer trade market.
Jeff Skinner Latest To Enter Trade Deadline Rumor Mill
The Carolina Hurricanes made a strong statement today when they waived Marcus Kruger and Josh Jooris, unwilling to continue their current level of mediocrity. That comes just after Frank Seravalli of TSN included forward Jeff Skinner on the latest edition of his Trade Bait board, stating that the Hurricanes could listen on the 25-year old sniper.
Skinner is no stranger to TSN’s Trade Bait board, having first appeared two seasons ago. But this time there seems to be a growing friction between him and Peters that is likely destined to come to a head – whether in the next two weeks or the summer.
While it’s not overly surprising that Skinner would find himself among the rumor mill, the idea that there is a friction between player and coach is certainly one to monitor over the coming weeks. If there is something irreparable between the two, trading Skinner before he enters the final season of his contract would offer an increased value. The three-time 30-goal scorer is poised to be part of the incredible class of unrestricted agents in the summer of 2019, alongside other names like Tyler Seguin, Artemi Panarin, Blake Wheeler and many, many others.
The Hurricanes currently sit a single point out of a wildcard position in the Eastern Conference, but have lost their last three games and are just 4-5-1 in their last ten. Skinner meanwhile has just two points (one at even strength) in those ten games, and carries a -6 rating. His overall production on the season sits at 15 goals and 31 points, but hasn’t come close to matching the 37-goal output from a year ago.
Still, the Carolina forward would have plenty of suitors if he were to be willing to waive his no-movement clause. Teams from all over the league would love to add a dynamic offensive presence like him, and his $5.73MM cap hit is far from prohibitive. With less than three weeks before the trade deadline, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Carolina Hurricanes “Won’t Lose Players We Want For Five Percent More Money”
For years, the Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the league’s lowest spenders. This season, they rank 30th in the league in terms of payroll, only ahead of the penny-pinching Arizona Coyotes. With the recent sale to Dallas billionaire Thomas Dundon, many Hurricanes fans would hope that would change, at least partially.
In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman shares some of the conversation he had with Dundon about payroll going forward. One thing sticks out, and that’s the new owner’s insistence that they won’t be outbid for current players they want to keep.
Put it this way—we won’t lose players we want for five per cent more money. Now, if someone does something irrational? Losing the players we want will never be because of the money—it will be because someone does something irrational that makes us question the value. I believe we can run the business in a way that will make it work.
That is music to the ears of many Carolina fans, who are starting to see the fruits of a Ron Francis-led rebuild in the standings, with the team just two points out of a playoff spot (despite technically being in last place in the Metropolitan). The team has locked up many of their homegrown assets, and made trades to acquire various pieces at a discount when other teams are in trouble.
Now backed by a more involved owner, who also spoke about increasing investment in analytics and scouting, the team may be able to turn some heads on the free agent market or when it comes to retaining some of their own players. Jeff Skinner, for instance, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019 and is in for an enormous contract if he continues to play well. The 25-year old has 29 points on the season, and is coming off a 37-goal campaign that was generally overlooked by many fans around the league.
Evening Notes: Skinner, Debrusk, Ducks, Chiarot
One of the hardest things the Carolina Hurricanes have had to deal with is finding the perfect lines, especially for winger Jeff Skinner who has played with quite a few players so far this year. Yet Friday night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs may have suggested that Skinner might have finally found a perfect line as he had one of his best games alongside Derek Ryan and Justin Williams, according to The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander.
Skinner has found himself with almost everyone at different points in the season. The former seventh-overall pick in 2010 had 37 goals last year, but while he has tallied nine goals this year, has had a harder time adjusting. He has found himself playing next to Ryan, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Brock McGinn, Josh Jooris, Phillip Di Giuseppe and Janne Kuokkanen.
With the combination of Ryan, Skinner and Williams on Friday, the line combined for 13 shots and two assists. “It’s a long season and things are going to change,” Skinner said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt and communicate with your linemates and try and find that success and get on a roll.”
- Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports writes that Boston Bruins’ rookie Jake Debrusk has started to look more comfortable out on the ice after head coach Bruce Cassidy made him a healthy scratch a week ago. In four games since, the 21-year-old winger has two goals and five points and was instrumental with a pair of assists in their 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. “It goes back to the mentality of playing fast,” said Debrusk. “I think that was one of the focuses. And ever since I got scratched, I think that I’ve had some jump in all the games or at moments.”
- Mike Coppinger of The Los Angeles Times writes that the Anaheim Ducks’ biggest problem is the team’s lack of speed. Obviously, the injuries to Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler doesn’t help, but the team is getting outskated. “We have fast players, too,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “I just don’t think we’re playing fast enough for 60 minutes.” The Ducks currently sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 10-9-3 record.
- Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that after the NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed down a $3,763.44 fine to Winnipeg Jets’ Ben Chiarot for butt-ending Anaheim’s Corey Perry, Winnipeg fans came to his defense. They have started a GoFundMe to raise the amount of money that Chiarot has been fined with the intention of donating the money to the Christmas Cheer Board, a charity that donates food and toys to children that are less fortunate during the holidays. The fundraiser has already reached half its goal as of earlier today, according to Billeck. Perry has been infamous for pestering Jets’ players for years.
Eastern Notes: Bergevin, Skinner, Sproul, Harpur
At 1-6-1, the Montreal Canadiens are off to their worst eight-game start since the 1941-42 season. Sounds shocking. Doesn’t it? Much of the problem is the team’s inability to put the puck in the net as the team is currently ranked last (31st) in the NHL in goals scored at 1.5 per game (just 12 goals scored all year). However, despite that fact, Elliotte Friedman said Saturday on the Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada (via Emily Sadler of Sportsnet) that the team isn’t going into panic mode just yet.
“It’s the biggest story in the league and probably for no good reasons,” Friedman said Saturday. “I think the sense you get just from looking around is the Canadiens are determined not to make any panic moves.”
Sadler writes that the team’s start looks even worse compared to last year’s phenomenal start to the season when they were 7-0-1 after the first eight games. To make matters worse, the team is also among the worst in goals allowed as they are ranked 29th after averaging 4.13 goals in these first eight games. That’s with the NHL’s top goalie in Carey Price.
Friedman also said that it’s unlikely the team would make a general manger change and get rid of Marc Bergevin, even though Friedman said that four of the last five GM changes the Canadiens have made were in-season changes.
“I don’t get the sense … that there’s any desire to remove Bergevin right now. He’s under contract until 2022,” Friedman said.
- Michael Smith of NHL.com writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner, who added his fourth and fifth goals of the season in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars is continuing where he left off. Skinner attempted to fuel a comeback with his team down by four goals, but the team fell short. Already a three-time 30-goal scorer, the 25-year-old has been the main offensive firepower for the Hurricanes this season. Smith writes that if you go back to March of last year, Skinner has scored 22 goals in his last 25 games.
- Peter Wallner of MLive.com writes that the Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Ryan Sproul Saturday to the New York Rangers to alleviate a logjam of defensemen. Sproul was not likely to ever crack Detroit’s defensive rotation. Talking to Detroit general manager Ken Holland, the scribe writes that the Red Wings made the move to open up playing time in Grand Rapids, where the team hopes to give more minutes to prospects Filip Hronek and Vili Saarijarvi. Hronek, the team’s second-round pick in the 2016 draft, has only played in two games for the Griffins this year, while Saarijarvi, a 2015 third-round pick, had an assist in three games for Toledo of the ECHL, but is expected to get promoted to Grand Rapids shortly.
- The Ottawa Senators announced that they have reassigned defenseman Ben Harpur to Belleville of the AHL. The 22-year-old was called up early in the season to help with the team’s defensive depth only to get injured in his first game with Ottawa. He was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and now that he is healthy again, will return to his AHL team.