This afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes announced the re-signing of Brendan Woods, Keegan Lowe, Brody Sutter and Dennis Robertson.
Then shortly thereafter, the Carolina Hurricanes announced the re-signing of Ryan Murphy.
It was as if Ron Francis was just like the rest of us and scrambling to finish up a couple projects before heading off to the beach for the week.
Today’s work puts the Hurricanes at 48 players out of a maximum 50 under contract and also at an estimated 44 players to fill NHL and AHL rosters. (If they do not make the NHL team, Nicolas Roy, Julien Gauthier and Jake Bean would be required to return to juniors if he does not make the NHL team, and Aleksi Saarela might return to Finland if he does not make the NHL roster.)
So that begs the question: Is Ron Francis done for the summer?
I think the short answer is that he could be. He has what projects to be a full NHL roster and some depth below it with NHL experience currently slotted for Charlotte. He has a few young players who could push their way up into the mix. He is above the salary cap minimum. Though Ron Francis will explore additional moves over the course of the summer, especially the opportunistic kind that sees teams desperate to make salary cap math work, I think he is also content to enter the season with what he has.
What kind of deal might he consider doing?
Young (that is an important first word) help at forward
I think he would consider doing a deal that boosts the 2016-17 roster, but only if the cost is very modest and/or the player added fits the general game plan of getting younger and better at the same time. The Teuvo Teravainen/Bryan Bickell deal is a good example of that. Francis gave up a second and a third round draft pick and in a roundabout way cash (because he knew he was overpaying Bickell to also get Teravainen). For the type of player that Francis would target to become available would require an NHL GM to instantly become both crazy and stupid, but then it has been a good summer for that, so who knows.
Probability=15%; Names=Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Duchene, Alex Killorn or another Lightning forward.
An upgrade at goalie
I think Francis would be willing to do the right deal to upgrade Eddie Lack’s goalie slot, but I think the possibility of it happening are a long shot. There are actually 2 decent options who are likely available. Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury both represent expensive contracts on teams with cap issues (not so much this season but looking forward) that have young goalies who are expected to supplant them anyway. Both also have the potential to be lost for nothing next summer, Bishop as an unrestricted free agent and Fleury as an expansion draft selection. But despite the probable availability, I will be surprised to see Francis pull off a surprise trade in this direction. Either player would require an increase in budget with their nearly $6 million salaries, and either would probably require a decent bid in terms of trade assets. Then there is the issue of packaging Lack in the deal (Canes are not paying 3 goalies) and also inking a new contract with Bishop which might not line up with the expected/hoped for Nedeljkovic schedule.
Probability=5%; Names=Ben Bishop, Marc-Andre Fleury.
The addition of a veteran depth defenseman
Signing Murphy for 2 years to at least be a potential ‘expansion draft shield’ suggests that Francis is probably also finished adding defensemen. I like the idea of adding 1 more veteran defenseman on the cheap to hopefully be the #7 (pushing Tennyson who is on a 2-way contract down to Charlotte), but I think Francis disagrees and wants to go with all of the youth. If he did want another veteran depth defenseman in the mix, easiest would just have been to keep James Wisniewski.
Probability=<5%; Names=Kyle Quincey, Matthew Carle, Dennis Seidenberg.
A free agent forward on the cheap
I think Francis intended for Lee Stempniak to be his last addition at forward, but with the team shallower at that position in terms of young help, is there a price at which a decent depth forward with decent scoring ability just becomes to hard to ignore. Jiri Hudler put up 76 points (yes 76 points!) only 2 years ago before a less productive 2015-16 campaign. Also 2 years ago, Radim Vrbata put up 63 points. Signing either of them and expecting those totals would be foolish but if their prices fall to the low $1 million range, might Francis reach back into his wallet to add more quality scoring depth?
Probability=10%; Names: Jiri Hudler, Radim Vrbata, Kris Versteeg.
Nothing
I think the odds are greatest that Francis is finished unless he walks into a deal he just cannot refused because 1 of the crazy GMs is suddenly willing to part with a good forward for less than market value or possibly if a free agent who might be second line-capable is suddenly available on a 1-year deal for a fourth line price.
Probability that Francis is finished for the summer=60%.
What say you Canes fans? Is Ron Francis finished for the summer? Should he be? What is the probability that he pull off another savvy deal late in the summer like the Versteeg/Nordstrom deal last September?
Go Canes!
If he wants to make the playoffs this coming year, Ron Francis should not be finished. While I mostly like what he has done in terms of building a team to be competitive in 2-3 years, there are still too many holes in goal and up front in the current lineup. And Ryan Murphy (needed as expansion fodder, likely to see him a lot) as the #6D is a bit scary.
I would love to see a deal for a young #1C and/or better goaltending. Without more moves my optimism for the coming season is not high. However I don’t think we’ll see much more happen as I imagine Francis is under tight budgetary constraints until the team is sold. I hope I am wrong.
Agree TOTALLY!
I dispair at the Complacency of the fans who think RF can do no wrong. Our goalie tandem is probably the worst in the league, we need at least one top3 forward (realistically two), and too many fans seem delusional about our prospects/ rookies capabilities??
Meanwhile Ronnie sits on more capspace than any team out there…
is he saving it for Quebec? …or is he actually going to use some of it, to improve this team?…not optimistic-at this point!
Hey thats true!!…..except for, you know, the Jets, the Blue Jackets, the Canucks, etc. Shoot, even Pekka Rinne had a worse save percentage last year than Cam Ward.
But hey, let’s trade our young talent for a big-money player, all in the name of change. All change is good right?
I’d agree with the argument about our rookies capabilities….then I saw Gauthier play.
Hoping we are not finished.
If within reason, go after that 1C. I have said from day one and still would love to see Matt Duchene on his team.
Adding Duchene to our top line, with this team (yes, even same goal tending), elevates this team into top 5 in Eastern Conference.
I would agree to a Canes package (with one or two young defensman) for Duchene!!!
I think we’re absolutely set for right now. I would like to see Gauthier and Roy get their shot to make the team and if they aren’t ready, then we still have Woods and Brown, if we can’t add one of the multiple vets still on the market.
There is absolutely no reason to sacrifice our defensive talent for a forward now, when people are going to be much more willing to trade position for position after next season to make expansion protection work.
I don’t know how you can go into this season without optimism, with the potential for us to watch a Teravainen-Aho-Lindholm line get it’s chance to shine. If it doesn’t work? We still have a TON of D talent to trade. If it does? We have a brand-new scoring line and one of the best blue lines in hockey. In Ron we trust!
A bit of a rant, tired of this being brought up in some articles in the fastest growing city in US and fastest growing NHL market!!!
IF YOUR a Canes fan, enough of the relo talk. If it happens, it happens, but it’s not going to happen (Phoenix is a well below average sports city, as is Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland (just a hell hole), Jacksonville, Charlotte and a few others).
Start talking about other relo’s, the Canes relo is getting freaking old. Atlanta cannot support 2 teams let alone 4 (one is gone, another should go – Braves are one of worst MLB organizations ever – they are losing money), Miami NFL and NBA venues – so many seats empty for both, even when they are winning (watch how many empty seats surface from here out with absolutely no good players on team!!!!), Charlotte, cannot support two teams -NBA should not be there (Hornets are UNC South, you know why?, because if they did not have UNC players, most locals would not attend – fact!!!), talk about relo’ing the awful Hornets team or the Panthers, they will relo once current ownership passes – that is a discussion that has been ongoing).
Bottom line, if not for some TV contracts/revenue, most of the above cities teams would be out of business.
NHL did not move Phoenix and that situation is at the top of all time list of poor city/team relationships. Also, that team has consistently lost revenue year after year and they have accomplished absolutely nothing in their history (Canes have accomplished some impressive feats since moving to The Triangle, most important – NC first Pro Championship and will get the second soon).
So let’s all drop the senseless relo talk. Population in Raleigh grows by 68 people per DAY!!!.
Once lower bowl (which is a problem, we have most seats in lower bowl than any other arena) is consistently full and product competes game in and game out (and that started second half of Peters 1st season), this team will be exciting to watch for years.
Rutherford made to many set back moves for this organization (he has NEVER been a consistently good GM). RF already being smart, wants a playoff team every year, this was NEVER said or implied by Rurherford, and his actions never proved that to fans.
Let’s get the 2nd Cup Championship in next 2-3 years if not sooner RF and Bill Peters!!
The Quebec comment was sarcasm, not serious, the point is you have to get into pos ONCE, before you can do it again! Everybody who confuses the idea of picking up ONE 5-6M player with teams that are AT the cap (all the time), are missing the point! Star players are desirable to have on a team with young, learning, future stars… and when you have the resources RF has, it’s crazy to hope all your cheap players will bring us a championship, or even a PO spot!