Confirmed Signing with Link: [CAR] D Sean Walker signs with the Hurricanes (5 years, $3.6M AAV)

[bossram]

He was the guy I wanted if we didn’t get Roy. Seems like Canes didn’t want to spend as much on D so very happy with this number

Slavin - Burns
Orlov - Chatfield/Walker
Ghost - Chatfield/ Walker

It’s not what it was last year but still happy with that overall

I'm really interested in what seems to be a playstyle shift with the Canes. Over the course of the season, they tried to diversify their attack more and create more rush chances - acquiring Guentzel and Kuzy to facilitate this.

The blueline is downgraded from Skjei/Pesce, but the Ghost/Walker additions are really different kinds of defensemen. More mobile, more offensively tilted. Do you think we'll see RBA loosen up his system tactically even more? Walker is a guy you need jumping up in the rush and activating to get the most out of him.

Ghost should improve the PP as well.

 

[CanadienShark]

Nice deal for Carolina. Another guy I would've loved to have in SJ.

 

[Lempo]

Def 1 of the best, if not the best value contract signed today.

That's probably Slavin with his 8 x 6.46M extension on the first possible day to sign one. Doesn't count as a Free Agent contract, but.

 

[Ironmanrulez]

Carolina is showing how a modern franchise need to operate! Every year they sign a pretty good player to a good deal. Most other franchises have such a deal once in 10 years!

I would love to be a Carolina fan. But iam Flyers fan my whole life so iam not able to switch ;D

I will suffer from the flyers my whole life like it always was ;D

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

They're spending about as much on defense as they typically do. The change is that they spread the wealth to Chatfield/Ghost/Walker in order for Rod to be able to run three premium pairs again.

Premium next to anyone but Slavin seems a bit of a mis nomer but it's the canes and their system tends to turn turds into diamonds.

Really curious as to why they let Brady go? Pesce I get but this money ball anylytics approach is causing too many really good players imo.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Carolina is showing how a modern franchise need to operate! Every year they sign a pretty good player to a good deal. Most other franchises have such a deal once in 10 years!

I would love to be a Carolina fan. But iam Flyers fan my whole life so iam not able to switch ;D

I will suffer from the flyers my whole life like it always was ;D

Until they actually win the cup or get out of the East it's no more successful than the next.

For all we know it's cost them, maybe one of the many players they refuse to extend would have been the piece that put them through.

To a degree what they do makes sense but at some point being a little flexible would help.
The Guentzel situation is a perfect example.
I refuse to believe he wouldn't have stayed.

 

[Ironmanrulez]

Until they actually win the cup or get out of the East it's no more successful than the next.

For all we know it's cost them, maybe one of the many players they refuse to extend would have been the piece that put them through.

To a degree what they do makes sense but at some point being a little flexible would help.
The Guentzel situation is a perfect example.
I refuse to believe he wouldn't have stayed.

This team is very good every season! If you would be a flyers fan for decades you would know what iam talking about! Not everything should be compare to win the cup! You can be very good without winning a cup! I would be satisfied with being in the conference final 5 times in 10 years for example! Or reaching the finals 2 times in 10 years with making the playoffs every year in this 10 years!

But thats just me

 

[WreckingCrew]

Premium next to anyone but Slavin seems a bit of a mis nomer but it's the canes and their system tends to turn turds into diamonds.

Really curious as to why they let Brady go? Pesce I get but this money ball anylytics approach is causing too many really good players imo.

We were actually apparently trying to keep Skjei, he's been fantastic for us the past few years after a rocky start. Ultimately, probably came down to a combination of money, term, and the arrival in another year of Nikishin (Orlov being the bridge to his arrival). I think they see Slavin-Nikishin as the LD core into the future, which means the $7M on Skjei can be used to improve the roster elsewhere while we sign supporting d-men on the 3rd pair. If he could play his off-side I think there would have been a better chance of keeping him as we don't have any top-pairing guys there (Burns is fading and only under contract for 1 more year), but he was quite bad in his limited time on the right.

 

[TGWL]

That's probably Slavin with his 8 x 6.46M extension on the first possible day to sign one. Doesn't count as a Free Agent contract, but.

He's a tremendous player, but the contract starts at age 31. 8 years in a very long time. I think he'll be worth it for a lot of that contract, especially when you compare it to the cap, but with the 8 year term, I start to struggle calling it the best signing. However, I thought there were a lot of signings that raised an eyebrow when it came to term and age.

 

[jay from jersey]

That's probably Slavin with his 8 x 6.46M extension on the first possible day to sign one. Doesn't count as a Free Agent contract, but.

6.46 is great. Having to pay him that til he’s 39 years old, not so much.

Don’t like paying anyone after 35/36 years old. Guys tend to drop off majorly at that stage.
There are some that can still play, but they are the exceptions, not the rule.

 

[MarchessaultCantRead]

Walker had his ups and downs with the Avs, but he genuinely seems like a good guy, and he tried his best, so I’m happy for him.

 

[LTIR]

One of the best value for money deals yesterday.
Congrats CAR fans

 

[Curufinwe]

The rumor was he wanted 5 x $5m from the Flyers, so they signed Seeler to 4 x $2.7m and traded Walker.

I would MUCH rather have Walker at 5 x $3.6m than Seeler.

 

[BKarchitect]

Wanted him on the Oil last year. Thought he'd be valued right around 3M-4M if he extended him. Fair deal for the Canes. Good player. Surprised Avs fans didn't like him, I think he was asked to take on too much for their high flying style of play.

We don’t dislike Walker he just was the 3rd pair RHD in the playoffs so he didn’t make much of an impact. If anything, we asked him to do too little.

Much like Trenin, we would gladly have kept him but we don’t have the cap structure to be paying our 3rd pair RHD at $3.6 million even if it’s a perfectly sensible deal for him to get in an environment where his usage is higher.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

I'm really interested in what seems to be a playstyle shift with the Canes. Over the course of the season, they tried to diversify their attack more and create more rush chances - acquiring Guentzel and Kuzy to facilitate this.

The blueline is downgraded from Skjei/Pesce, but the Ghost/Walker additions are really different kinds of defensemen. More mobile, more offensively tilted. Do you think we'll see RBA loosen up his system tactically even more? Walker is a guy you need jumping up in the rush and activating to get the most out of him.

Ghost should improve the PP as well.

Rod is extremely stubborn in his ways and philosophy of play. In all honesty it has somewhat been the teams downfall in the playoffs. Canes are a great reg season team because that style of hockey works overall and against lesser teams (which you play in there’s season) the team is able to win much more than they lose.

In the playoffs, the inability to score in different ways and change up the game plan when we are getting goalied or having to counter another top team hasn't been successful.

I think we do need to be a bit more free-wheeling. Who knows maybe with the Necas trade stuff seemingly falling through Rod will go 180 and just unleash him as 2C and tell him to just go for it.

 

[Budz]

Gotta be pleased with that contract. Well done Carolina.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

That's a solid contract deal.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

He sure didn't last in Colorado, he was pretty average there in his short time.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Quality rush chances are generally a function of turnovers. A team can only turn it over when they have the puck. If Carolina has the puck all the time, they don't give the opponent the opportunity to turn it over. Some nights, I call them Corsi Canes games, it's just spamming low danger scoring chances from the perimeter not by choice, but because there's nothing else to do.

It's not the coach's fault that they're so good at what they do. And the system is working in the playoffs. They haven't scored a lot, but they have given up even less. +22 5v5 over 74 playoff games under Rod.

The issue with the Hurricanes in the postseason has been the PP. 14.9% since 18-19. Dreadful. Even 20% would have meant 13 additional goals. That changes games and potentially series.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm really interested in what seems to be a playstyle shift with the Canes. Over the course of the season, they tried to diversify their attack more and create more rush chances - acquiring Guentzel and Kuzy to facilitate this.

The blueline is downgraded from Skjei/Pesce, but the Ghost/Walker additions are really different kinds of defensemen. More mobile, more offensively tilted. Do you think we'll see RBA loosen up his system tactically even more? Walker is a guy you need jumping up in the rush and activating to get the most out of him.

Ghost should improve the PP as well.

Canes defensemen have always jumped up into the rush and activated. Skjei and Burns did it the most, but Chatfield, Orlov, Slavin and even Pesce did as well.

Canes don't get as many "rush" chances because as BDC said above, Canes are so good at possession.

 

[bossram]

Canes defensemen have always jumped up into the rush and activated. Skjei and Burns did it the most, but Chatfield, Orlov, Slavin and even Pesce did as well.

Canes don't get as many "rush" chances because as BDC said above, Canes are so good at possession.

They need more OZ "activations" and player rotation.

In the OZ, their defensemen mainly just fling the puck at the net from the point. Those aren't dangerous attempts. They need some more creativity and to try to hold onto the puck more. I wonder if Walker/Ghost are a shift in that direction.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

They need more OZ "activations" and player rotation.

In the OZ, their defensemen mainly just fling the puck at the net from the point. Those aren't dangerous attempts. They need some more creativity and to try to hold onto the puck more. I wonder if Walker/Ghost are a shift in that direction.

That's fair, although I will say that Burns and Skjei did that a lot as well. Pesce and Slavin were the more stay at home guys covering for them.

 

[Shane Diesel]

One of the best free agency contracts, no doubt.

 

[S E P H]

Awesome player with great puck-moving ability, but his offensive game is overrated. The main issue for him though is he's not built for playoff hockey. Hopefully, Brind'amour can turn him into a playoff performer, but I have my reservations as his entire game and frame looks worse when the checking gets more brutal in the postseason.