With the August doldrums of the NHL off-season officially upon us, Carolina Hurricanes’ and broader NHL news is sparse these days.
The big item still looming for the Hurricanes is a final decision on Justin Williams’ return. I would have expected that to be finalized within a week of Brock McGinn’s signing. At that point, the the financial situation remaining was finalized, and Williams had about two months to let go of the 2018-19 season, recharge and make a decision on his hockey future. But until that decision comes down, the Daily Cup of Joe will mostly be from the ‘random musing’ category that usually spurs great conversation at Canes and Coffee even in the dead of summer.
If anyone has specific topics he/she would like to see me address please include it in the comments or zip me a message. Also, if anyone would like to tackle a topic herself/himself in a guest post, please send a short description, so it can be considered. My tentative plan is to push about another week or so deep with daily posts before taking a week-ish break to recharge before the start of training camp.
Today’s Daily Cup of Joe takes a try at coming up with comparables for a few Canes players.
Sebastian Aho => Brayden Point
Both players are just completing their entry-level contracts and are a bit undersized but with more than enough skill and smarts to make up for it. I think a key difference is that that Point benefited from being able to break in somewhat as a complementary player because of the other elite scorers on the Lightning roster, whereas Aho really had to be the catalyst and the top dog offensively from the beginning. I have a half-writter article that compares Aho to a broader class of players who are similar in age and level of play, but if I had to pick one comparable, it would be Point.
Justin Williams => Patrick Marleau (before leaving Maple Leafs)
Never mind the one year diversion, but Justin Williams was brought in the help provide the leadership needed to get a young team up over the playoff hump. He did exactly that in his second year. Marleau’s role in Toronto was a bit different in that the team had already rebounded when he arrived also in that he was not so much tasked with being ‘the guy’ to lead a significant culture change. But the way both players took young stars under their wings almost like father figures is similar in my opinion.
Petr Mrazek=> Martin Jones
Not generally considered to be in the top tier of NHL goalies who are elite or close, Petr Mrazek and Martin Jones have been close enough. Mrazek had a strong second half of the 2018-19 season to help boost the Hurricanes into the playoffs. Jones did not have a great 2018-19 season but in general has been really close to the level of the goalies often considered to be in a tier above him. If they can keep it up, both players represent a key component in terms of being able to build a winner without having what many would consider to be a true top goalie.
I had good intentions of making a slightly longer list, but ran out of time today. That should leave more room for readers to build out a bigger list of comparables.
What say you Canes fans?
1) What do you think about the comparables listed above?
2) Who has additional comparables for Canes players to build a bigger list?
Go Canes!
I am not really into player comparisons – I think each player bring unique attributes to a team and the team, itself, influences the player.
I do question the way you describe Williams as “[taking] young stars under [his] wing almost like father figure..”.
I really didn’t see that in him either on the ice or off. He was more the experienced veteran.
For what you are attributing to JW, I attribute to Martinoo in the way he took over a “big brother” for Svech. Another example from previous seasons would be Gerbe and fellow BC product Hanifin.
Unlike tj, I like to compare players. However, I think the only reasonable comparisons are around production and career trajectory. Otherwise it ends up being totally subjective.
I will continue to say that the closest comparable for Aho is Tavares. Aho first three seasons—24g/49p, 29/65, 30/83.
Tavares—24/54, 29/67, 31/81.
They play different styles and have different strengths. Yet they are centers who are near-elite and control the play on the ice.
Similarly, I think Teravainen compares favorably with Blake Wheeler as both are wingers who produces significantly more assists than goals. TT is slightly ahead on an age comparison as Wheeler. This is why I think Teravainen can become an 85-point winger.
As a 2nd overall and “power” winger, the best comparable for Svechnikov is probably Landeskog. Though Landeskog had quite a few more assists his rookie season.
A set of random and mostly unrelated notes and tidbits )these will probably make it to separate Matt-penned blogs during the cat days of August).
1. The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired defenseman Kyle Wood from the San Jose Sharks for Trevor Carrick.
)I suspect this will be the topic of tomorrow’s blog).
Sounds like Wood is big and hopefully mean. He’s also 23 so has a few years to turn into an NHL D man (if he isn’t one already). Not sure this is a good trade, I have to do some research (or someone has to).
2. Don Wandell is interviewing for the Wild GM position. Apparently he is a free agent (his GM contract was up on 06/30 and he has not been resigned). He’s just one of a group of 8 or 9 candidates, but the fact that he is interviewing with another team and does not have a contract yet is in itself interesting.
3. We think highly of our forwards, but the rest of the Hockeybuzz community doesn’t. Aho got an honorary mention when listing the 5 best centers in the eastern conference and understandably no Canes player got a mention in the top 5 right wingers. I think those ranking are fair, the names I saw there I would all put above Canes names, but it just highlights the fact that we rely on D, passion and chemistry to win. Last year the team showed some magic and made it further than pretty much all the players on those lists (well Boston had one C and 1 RW in the top 5 list) but it is a reminder that the Canes must do it again. We don’t have a superstar player or two that will put the team on their backs, not yet, and that’s ok with us (unless we believe a team without a superstar is never going to make it, I don’t believe that).
Wood is big at 6’5″ and 235 lbs. but if my mean you mean he is a fighter then no he is not.
https://www.hockeyfights.com/players/19771