GDT: Oilers at Hurricanes | March 16, 3 PM | Fox Sports

[DaveG]

Looks like they may draft 6th at this point. Keep losing boys! Don't ruin it and get on a run now!


Ehlers? Dal Colle?

Shot at one of those two, could also end up with Ritchie, Perlini, or Draisaitl.

 

[HisIceness]

If Sami Kapenens son was a Center we would probably take him.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I know nepotism blah blah blah, but is there any reason not to take Kapanen's son? He's filthy is he not?

 

[TheBigKahuna]

If Kapanen is still there when the Canes select, it's a no brainer. I imagine they'll take Wesley in the 2nd.

 

[HisIceness]

I know nepotism blah blah blah, but is there any reason not to take Kapanen's son? He's filthy is he not?

I actually have no idea. I just know he is expected to be top 15 pick and with bloodlines, we'd probably take him.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

Sounds like Kapanen is a Flyers fan. Yuck!

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Sounds like Kapanen is a Flyers fan. Yuck!

Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be? Sami was a Flyer for nearly as long as he was a Cane, and during Kasperi's more formative years, too.

--hank

 

[VAcaniac]

3-5 against the worst hockey team the last 7 seasons. That's all you need to know about Jimmy Boy's hockey club over this last decade.

 

[VAcaniac]

I haven't been so embarrassed to tell people I'm a Canes fan since '02-'03. That was the last time I was this cynical.

P.S. Don't go off message. It is the third coaches fault as well. Don't get any ideas about JR.

 

[Stickpucker]

Did it ever occur to anyone that we really aren't much better than the Alberta teams???

We're better than them??

 

[bleedgreen]

Semin worked hard tonight, one of his better games overall IMO. Created a lot without making a lot of errors, out worked guys off the boards. Was it his hard work or their lack of size and defense? Either way he played.

We aren't better than these guys, if we are it's by a hair.

 

[Vagrant]

This team needs a big bodied physical player with skill. It's a hole. It's a legitimate one. If we're in striking range on Ritchie and don't take him, I will be one sad panda. These shifty skill types are great, but we need some balance. Moreover, we need an actual bottom six of actual NHL players. The fact that this team isn't even remotely hard to play against is a major factor. We've drafted soft skill in the past few years... hell for the past long while. Skinner, Murphy, Lindholm, Boychuk, Dalpe, McBain.... many others. Mainly because I think the "bust rate" is perceived to be lower in those cases but looking at that list it kind of makes the case of it being 50/50. I know some may take issue with the soft designation for Lindholm but it's true. He may be able to battle and go hard into the corners, but he's not a tough guy to play against.

We need to roll the dice on another Andrew Ladd type prospect. Ritchie is the best we've got this year at the top.

 

[USNCANIAC]

So disappointed, after driving 3 1/2 hours to see the game yesterday, with the outstanding effort put forth by the men in the sightless eye. Not only did we lose the game, but I was supposed to have my retirement flag flown over PNC yesterday. I asked guest services which one was mine, and they had no idea. It was a double good time. That was definitely my last game to see in person for the year. I really need some incentive to drive that far one way again.

The good news we are only 6 pts from the 4th or 5th pick in the draft now. Woohoo (sarcasm, its fantastic)

 

[My Special Purpose]

This team needs a big bodied physical player with skill. It's a hole. It's a legitimate one. If we're in striking range on Ritchie and don't take him, I will be one sad panda. These shifty skill types are great, but we need some balance. Moreover, we need an actual bottom six of actual NHL players. The fact that this team isn't even remotely hard to play against is a major factor. We've drafted soft skill in the past few years... hell for the past long while. Skinner, Murphy, Lindholm, Boychuk, Dalpe, McBain.... many others. Mainly because I think the "bust rate" is perceived to be lower in those cases but looking at that list it kind of makes the case of it being 50/50. I know some may take issue with the soft designation for Lindholm but it's true. He may be able to battle and go hard into the corners, but he's not a tough guy to play against.

We need to roll the dice on another Andrew Ladd type prospect. Ritchie is the best we've got this year at the top.

Why draft big-bodied players when you can just ask your shrimps to play "bigger" and then bury them in Charlotte when they fail? I think we should continue to ask players to do things the aren't capable of doing, then blame them for not doing it.

Every year we say the Canes need to get bigger and stronger. Every year, they go even further in the opposite direction. This could be the softest team in the entire league, and the top six is clearly as soft as it gets in the NHL. AINEC. Two Staals, Semin, Skinner, Tlusty and Lindholm? Really? And it's not like it gets any better in the bottom six, of course, but when your top six is that soft, it doesn't really matter how the rest of the team is made up. Against teams like Boston, Los Angeles, Anaheim ... we've literally got no chance. It's men against boys.

Like I've said for a while now, this team lacks identity. JR's "plan" has always been to look for value, with no real idea on how it's all going to fit. That's why he continues to make good moves (Sekera-for-McBain, etc.), without having it translate to the standings. We don't know what kind of team we are. We don't have anything to hang our hat on. We're just an assortment of talent. Pick a direction and go with it. *Any* direction, to be honest.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Like I've said for a while now, this team lacks identity. JR's "plan" has always been to look for value, with no real idea on how it's all going to fit. That's why he continues to make good moves (Sekera-for-McBain, etc.), without having it translate to the standings. We don't know what kind of team we are. We don't have anything to hang our hat on. We're just an assortment of talent. Pick a direction and go with it. *Any* direction, to be honest.

I have never agreed more with anything that anyone has ever said about the Carolina Hurricanes.

--hank

 

[bleedgreen]

Agreed with vagrant on Ritchie, he's a great fit for us. Also agreed on the identity point by Kev and hank. I have no idea what kind of team we are, aside from bad.

We've been the biggest bunch of wussies in the league for years. We got lucky that won the cup the year after the rule changes. Aside from that, the idea of going into the rough and tumble nhl playoffs with a combo of smurfs and gentle giants is comical...let alone the regular season.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Agreed with vagrant on Ritchie, he's a great fit for us. Also agreed on the identity point by Kev and hank. I have no idea what kind of team we are, aside from bad.

I don't really think it matters what kind of team you are if your best players don't produce at an acceptable clip, and if your role players are fringe NHLers.

I think it's fine if your team has a little bit of everything (skill, speed, toughness, etc.). A team doesn't need to focus on one aspect to the detriment of others. Case in point, Pittsburgh - other than the identity of "leech off of two of the most talented players in the league" can anyone definitively tell me what *kind* of team they are?

 

[CioCio]

Normally I defend the Canes when my dad or brother knock them for being soft, or JR for being anti-fighting. When you grow up on ECHL hockey and then have the frikkin Hurricanes of all teams to pull for, that passion is hard to recall. We are boring and have been for years. I enjoyed watching the Monarchs play more than most of recent Canes games. This year was the first in many that I've given a cent to the team, or league in general, by subscribing to GCL. I consider that money wasted.

I can't even get Google Home to remember that I pull for the Canes; they update me on the score of every other game the same nights we play.

 

[What the Faulk]

I saw this floated on Twitter earlier.

Assuming Ward's salary can be totally wiped for next to nothing (say a 6th round pick), how do people feel about trading the first, if it's outside the top 5, for a legitimate top pairing defenseman? Let's say Murphy or Rask is involved too.

I know it guts an already shallow prospect pool, but is this team that one step away from a playoff berth? Would that, as well as plugging some actual bottom six forwards into the lineup, put them on the verge of being a contender? Everyone is having off seasons this year. Eric should be 10+ points better, Semin will probably crack 70 points, Jordan's shooting percentage won't be abysmally low, Lindholm/Skinner/etc will be another year developed, and so on.

Is this a better solution than taking a guy who may or may not be a decent second liner in 3 years? Of course, it depends on the player returning, and you have to shoot higher than Marc Staal, but I'd lean towards exploring that option.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'd very gladly swap a 1st for a top pairing defenseman. Hell, that wouldn't even be cause for a second thought.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

But which team is willing to trade a young, top pairing guy? Most teams that have those guys don't want to part with them so I really don't think that is a realistic option.

IMO, I think the Canes need to ****can the "win now because Staal and Ward are in their prime" mentality and start building for the long haul. I'm tired of trading high picks and prospects (Jack Johnson, Andrew Ladd, #8+Sutter+Dumoulin, etc..) for immediate help. It's not working.

We've talked about this before and I agree with what Kev said. This team has zero identity. They aren't physical, they aren't overly fast, they aren't good on the forecheck, they aren't good defensively, they aren't good on special teams, they don't score a lot of goals, they aren't overly skilled, etc... Decide what type of team you want to be, keep the picks / prospects and start building a team for the long haul to match that style of play.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Ward
Murphy
Rask
2014 1st
2014 2nd



Kesler
Edler
Markström

Jordan//Kesler//Eric
Skinner//Lindholm//Semin
Tlusty//Loktionov//Gerbe
Bowman//Malhotra//Dwyer

Sekera//Faulk
Edler//Hainsey
Liles//Bellemore

Khudobin
Markström

Multiple
Stanley
Cups

 

[What the Faulk]

But which team is willing to trade a young, top pairing guy? Most teams that have those guys don't want to part with them so I really don't think that is a realistic option.

Yeah, that's true. Off the top of my head I don't know any team that has a guy like that they'd move for picks/prospects, except MAYBE Byfuglien.

We've talked about this before and I agree with what Kev said. This team has zero identity. They aren't physical, they aren't overly fast, they aren't good on the forecheck, they aren't good defensively, they aren't good on special teams, they don't score a lot of goals, they aren't overly skilled, etc... Decide what type of team you want to be, keep the picks / prospects and start building a team for the long haul to match that style of play.

It's funny you said that. Muller was sort of asked about that, saying where on the spectrum of Boston to Edmonton does he think the Hurricanes are?

"I don’t think we were going to walk into Boston yesterday and try to go pound for pound, try to get in a big physical match with them. I was disappointed that we didn’t outskate them and play a quicker game than them."

Then he started rambling about Edmonton and said they were a young, skilled, finesse team, but didn't really have an answer to the question. I'm not sure he knows what the team's identity is either.

 

[Stickpucker]

Team Identity is more of an equation.

TI = 9E.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm not sure he knows what the team's identity is either.

When he first arrived, he talked about the team becoming "harder to play against". What I envisioned with those words is that they'd eventually be kind of like Columbus is. Aggressive forecheck, strong on the puck, not allowing the other team to have any breathing room...and over time a more physical team that finishes checks.

I realize he's really only been the coach for 2 full seasons, but that's not at all how they play (nor the personnel they have) at all. They continue to be one of the easiest teams to play against.