Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a small grab bag of catch up items.
Cam Ward
The big news today was that Cam Ward had signed a 1-day contract to retire from the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes. The move leaves only Eric Staal and (possibly?) Justin Williams from the 2006 Stanley Cup champions still slated to play NHL hockey in the upcoming season.
As a player in a key role during both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for the franchise, his name still conjures up a wide range of thoughts and emotions. But above the fray of a thousand different angles on his Hurricanes hockey career, three things stand out to me. First, during good times and bad, he never once once wavered from being a class individual. Second, he along with Eric Staal have been as big of a part of our hockey community as any player during the past decade-ish for better or for worse. Finally, though there were obviously significant dry spells around them, his highlights truly fit into the special category. The bookends of his shootout win that launched his NHL career and receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy made for one of the most magical seasons in team history. And though the run ended sooner, Ward featured prominently in the 2009 playoff run that also had its share of magic.
Stelio Mattheos
Earlier this week, it was announced that Canes prospect Stelio Mattheos had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He has diagnosed shortly after the Checkers season ended and has been undergoing treatment. Per the press release, he will miss training camp as he continues treatment. Here is wishing Stelio all the best with his treatment and a speedy recovery.
Growing up — Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin
Drafted as 18-year olds who are still transitioning from boys to men, it is common for players to still have a ways to go in terms of reaching full size. In browsing the Hurricanes roster today, the weights of Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin caught my eye. Jaccob Slavin is now listed as 6 foot 3 and 207 pounds. Brett Pesce weighs in at 6 foot 3 and 206 pounds. Both players were a lean kind of strong even as rookies but did have room to grow. A look back at the 2014 development camp roster that would have been almost exactly five years ago shows Slavin at 180 pounds and Pesce at 190 pounds. If one takes both sets of numbers as accurate, Slavin has added 27 pounds and actually grown two inches in height. Pesce has added 16 pounds. Both players are obviously in great physical condition, so that is a significant amount of good strength added as they have grown up.
Cory Pronman’s prospect rankings
At a basic level, prospect coverage breaks down into two categories. The first includes numerous writers/analysts who research players and provide secondary coverage and/or summaries of what is out there. The second is a much smaller group that actually does primary research by watching the players as regularly as possible and providing firsthand scouting and analysis. Pronman is one of the few who spends his days as a primary source for prospect coverage, and he does it well. So one of the positive annual rites of passage into the next season is Cory Pronman’s August countdown ranking all 31 NHL teams’ prospect pools. After coming in at #4 last summer, the Hurricanes just landed at #8 out of 31 NHL teams. The drop was to be expected with Andrei Svechnikov, Warren Foegele and I believe Lucas Wallmark playing their way out of the prospect category and with Nicolas Roy, Alekski Saarela and Adam Fox departing. The extra haul of players from the 2019 NHL draft probably helped the current ranking but more significantly adds another batch of players to watch a couple years out. Pronman’s article is HERE but requires a subscription to The Athletic. With Sara Civian’s regular coverage and occasional bonuses like this, a subscription is well worth it to stay on top of Canes news.
What say you Canes fans?
1) What is your favorite Cam Ward memory? (or more)
2) For those who track prospects, what do you think of the Hurricanes #8 ranking despite having multiple players graduate to the NHL and a few others leave?
3) Who has other topics for late August Coffee Shop debate?
Go Canes!
For those of us who are concerned about Stelio Mattheos and his cancer diagnosis, consider the case of Phil Kessel.
Months after he signed an entry level contract with the Bruins, Kessel was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Just a few months later (after surgery), he was proclaimed to be cancer free. The rest is history.
1) The piece Cam wrote about his son’s courage is more than an athlete showing his human side, it is a wonderful piece of reflection. Watching players/teams win is fun. Having one improve your insight into what is valuable in your own life is truly special.
2) The Canes have prospects at all three positions (forward, defense, goalie) that are near elite (Necas, Bean, Ned) and depth behind each of them. In fact, the goalie pool is deep enough that I am concerned about stagnation for Booth and Helvig. Also, one thing that hasn’t been mentioned often is that Makiniemi was outstanding at the prospect scrimmage—in that very brief game he outplayed the highly touted Kochetkov. The Canes now have five goalie prospects who look to have legitimate shots.
3) How to fix the power play; who is the team’s most underrated player; are the Canes now a contender or in the last stages of building something more.
Potential topic for debate: Out of Nino, TT, Svech, who are the ideal two wingers to put with Aho?
What players might be darkhorse candidates to rise up during the year and force their way onto Aho’s line (i.e. Necas, Dzingel, playoff Foegele, etc) at some point (due to injuries or underperformance by other wingers).
Darth. I like Nino/Aho/Svech as a line, then Dzingel/Staal/Teravainen. That balances the team’s best playmakers (Aho and TT). Also, I think playing with Aho gives both NN and Svechnikov the chance to approach 30 goals. While Dzingel is considered below-average defensively, his speed should be able to create some forechecking pressure on a line with two excellent defenders.
While I am giving my thoughts on lines, I would use Wallmark on the “3rd line ” with Haula and Necas. Wallmark didn’t get on the scoresheet much last season, but he has more offensive upside than Foegele or McGinn. It is fairly common to play a center at wing as well.
The fourth line (Foegele/Martinook/McGinn) is the disruption line I have been arguing for the past two years. Those three should be tough to play against and provide serious scoring compared to most teams.
Where’s Williams? Has his indecision on retirement begun to effect the team? Is he actually just a hold out, leveraging last season for another multi-season deal? Is there a lingering long term injury that needs to heal first? Why have their been no reports of his training regimen? His retirement decision is a big deal, and shouldn’t be treated as less. However, his decision will have a big effect on the team, perhaps as much as some of the high profile RFA’s still holding out. There is some responsibility on his part to give the team certainty on his decision out of respect for his teammates. Players are returning to town, working out together. That question, Where’s Williams?, must be on their minds more than ours.
“There is some responsibility on his part to give the team certainty on his decision out of respect for his teammates.”
There is a long history of Williams being a top-notch professional. He was the captain whom many said led the culture change that returned the Canes to the playoffs. So why would he suddenly not respect his teammates?
This is why I truly believe that Williams wants to return but he is not satisfied with the offer. My guess is the organization has offered him something like $2M to play another year. They figure they have him in a corner as few teams have the cap space left (especially teams Williams would even consider). There are few of us who are among the best in the world at what we do who would willingly take a 50% pay cut, even if we loved the work and didn’t need the salary. It is a matter of pride.
I think that scenario makes more sense than Williams not respecting his team/RBA/the game. Though I also expect we will never know this. Williams is both too professional and likely would like to be part of the organization after her does retire—so I doubt he will ever make it known if he is being offered a lower salary than he deserves.
As of today Williams not being signed casts no shade on his being a good teammate. But that day is approaching. Making assumptions regarding his negotiations by necessity involves hypotheticals. My observation is based on what we have been told by both parties, he has a job if choses to not retire, no more no less. There is the possibility both parties are fabricating the “retirement decision story” to obscure the fallout from testy negotiations. FWIW, my hypothetical is similar to yours. There will be easy agreement on a salary in a cap compliant $2mm range. Since JW is over 35 he can receive bonuses. The size and conditions of those bonuses is where the negotiations may be occurring. Only the salary needs fit under the cap, bonuses can be carried forward to next season when Marleau’s cap hit disappears. Regardless, the “retirement decision” is running out of shelf life for the well being of the team come the start of training camp.
I have my doubts as to Willy’s hesitation. I do not think money or contract term has anything to do with what is going on.
I believe that he has doubts about personnel selections being made by management. The past two seasons have been telling. Willy has found himself in the position of having to challenge a bully to fight in order to protect a teammate. Willy is not a fighter. He is too old and too small to start now.
During the playoffs last season, Willy wound up reacting uncharacteristically on impulse to Brad Marchand’s harrassment. Willy was in pain and there was nobody to fight for him.
I could see it on his face as well as his body language saying to himself, “I am too old for this sh–!”.
We lost Ferland. Ferland is a lightning rod for a team. Any bully (like Marchand or Wilson) becomes his target. He attracts the negative attention of bullies away from his teammates.
We have guys who can hit. We have guys who can fight. We have agitators. But we don’t have a player like Ferland.
We have a full complement of forwards. We have a gaping hole on our left side d. None of the players competing for the job are obviously adequate replacements for Ferland.
If we do not get that replacement for Ferland, I think Willy will pass on coming back.
Many years ago in a faraway place called New York City, the Philadelphia Flyers were playing the New York Rangers in MSG for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers had the lead in the series as well as in the game. Flyers winger Dave Schultz went after the much bigger Ranger d-man Dale Rolfe. Rolfe, a very good defender but not known for physicality, was surprised by Schultz’s attack. Rolfe was viciously beaten by Schultz. The beating went on for several minutes. Not one Ranger even made a move to come to Rolfe’s aid.
Orest Kindrachuk (a Flyers forward) later said that while witnessing the beating he realized that if these Rangers lacked that much togetherness, the Flyers could beat them.
The Flyers did beat the Rangers in that game and the series as well.
Rolfe, seeing first hand the lack of a Ferland that existed on his team, he chose to retire from hockey that summer.
He said that he had planned to play another couple of years, but after that incident….
Well, you mentioned Dion Phaneuf. He would certainly add the toughness that the team may lack. If he can still keep up with the play on the ice.
The team needs someone in the top 4 D or top 9 forwards to become that in your face kind of player- a player like Tom Wilson(except for the suspensions).
The Caps are the team to beat in the Metro and they added even more physical players this off season.
So I guess one big topic is how ‘heavy’ a team needs to be successful in the NHL.
Phaneuf is an option. So is Ben Hutton. Smith-Pelley.
I hated seeing Pat Maroon sign with the Bolts.
If we do not replace Ferland and lose Willy, we have lost the team’s heart and soul.
The Williams scenario doesn’t seem to make sense; when that happens, follow the money.
Williams is a great team player. To re-sign him and be over the cap, the team loses all leverage in a salary dump. By waiting to sign until there is more cap space, the team retains leverage in negotiations while both Willy and the team know they will be together come start if camp.
My guess: watch for a trade & sign.
You may have actually nailed “the committees'” strategy. That is, the roster is not as finalized as we assume. There could easily be real hockey trade yet to come that makes the confusion surrounding Williams, the lack of real muscle in the line up, and the backup of waiver vulnerable defensemen make sense.
I think DW and management are always looking for ways to make the team better. I doubt there is an overall strategy involved, but they know the pieces they have and DW knows how to make a deal.
I was going to relay some personal stories involving Cam, but my energy has been pretty low the past couple of days so those are stories I won’t tell here.
I thought Pronman’s writeup was quite good – I disagree with a few of his levels (Priskie, for one) and not mention of Booth and Helvig, but found a lot of value in his words. I can’t judge whether #8 is right because I don’t follow other teams’ prospects.
As for Williams, read the N&O article yesterday in which RBA after playing golf with JW and Cam indicated he knew where JW was leaning. Reading between the lines of RBA’s words it sounds like JW is not returning – but not because of money (or any other ridiculous thesis presented). We have $4M+ in cap we can use right now (although it ties our hands in some ways) and as Surgalt says we can pack a lot of bonuses to apply to next year. I just think he knows he is not going to be able to guarantee 100% this year. Now JW will prove me wrong I am sure! LOL!
Cam Ward was plagued by numerous bad defenses in front of him and even worse back up goalies behind him.In 5 out of 6 seasons from 2006-07 to 2011-12, Cam played in 60 or more games. In his best season as a pro, 2010-11, he not only had a save % of .923, he did it across 74 games. Quite frankly, the organization rode him into the ground leading to a series of injuries, his back being the most notable. It would have been very interesting to see him in his prime playing with a defense like we have now in front of him.
I’ll always be grateful for the Stanley Cup season. He helped give my two sons the memory of a lifetime.
As far as the prospect rankings are concerned, I cannot argue with Pronman’s logic, although I do have some disagreement on his characterizations. Priskie is the most obvious, but I also think he sold Sellgren, Killinen, and Cotton a little short. Be that as it may, EliteProspects had us #3, I believe, and the Sporting News had our system ranked 6th. Having a top 10 set of prospects with 6 picks next Summer in the top 100 should give us all a lot of hope for the next half decade or so.
Our very own Hamlet seems like he’s struggling mightily with his decision. I believe Williams sees a team that is more skilled than last year’s and maybe a little less tough. I’m not sure the latter characteristic scares him, but I would understand if it gave him pause. Still, I truly believe he is weighing whether or not he can give it his all for 82 games plus whatever a playoff run would bring. Regardless, I’m grateful for everything he’s done for the organization. His leadership along with Rod’s has brought confidence and a winning mindset back.