Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a set of quick hitters.
1) Jake Bean versus Haydn Fleury
In case anyone missed it, both Calvin de Haan and Justin Faulk are day to day with injuries sustained in Tuesday’s game against the Kings. Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean were recalled from Charlotte and will be with the team on Friday. If the Hurricanes need only one defensman for Friday, I lean toward Haydn Fleury. While I think that Bean’s upside could be higher especially longer-term, this decision is made not based on who has the highest ceiling but rather who has the highest floor. When you drop a young player into the lineup this time of year, you are not looking for him to win a game. Rather, you are just looking for him to be sound and steady such that the higher-end players can drive a win. With significantly more NHL experience, I think Fleury is the safer play.
2) More minutes for the remaining top 4
The Hurricanes had two days off before this game and after playing a back-to-back on Saturday again has a couple days off. With the looming Saturday follow up, Brind’Amour cannot complete empty the tank, but if the game is close in its second half, I would fully expect Brind’Amour to lean really hard on the defensemen. If the game is close, I could see a couple of the defensemen being up in the 25-minute range.
3) Friday/Saturday combinations
Speaking of the Friday/Saturday back-to -back set, the Hurricanes have back-to-back set in either of the five weekends in March. Seeing how Brind’Amour strikes a balance between going for it each and every game versus also keeping players fresh down the stretch will be interesting to watch. His playing experience is not overly relevant for this because he was off the charts in terms of conditioning.
What say you Canes fans?
1) If only one of Jake Bean or Haydn Fleury are needed for Friday’s game, who would you put into the lineup and who you send to the press box?
2) If both Fleury and Bean have to play, would you play them together and use them opportunistically? Or would you split them aiming for a more balanced blue line.Â
Go Canes!
1) I agree that Fleury gets the nod tonight. Depending on how that works, Bean could be inserted Saturday.
2) Split them. Fleury with TVR and Bean with Pesce. Pesce has brought out the best in TVR, Slavin, and Faulk so far this season. There is no reason to think he wouldn’t help Bean succeed.
If Bean does play, I hope he is used on the power play–that is where he could help win a game.
Agree with ct’s assessment, and to Matt’s point we have the back-to-back so minutes on the back end will be tracked closely. We should not exhaust our defense Friday such that our defense is burned next night against a team below us in the standings. Hoping we get one of deHaan or Faulk back for Saturday at the latest.
I don’t understand why I am the only one who lacks confidence in our Haydn. He is not a good nor consistent defensive player. He has no grit. Unless I am mistaken, he has yet to score a goal in the NHL.
Bean has played 20 more games this year than our Haydn. He is a consistent scorer. Pair him up with Pesce or TVR.
Let Haydn sit in the stands, which is exactly where he belongs.
Haydn is the next man up, on the depth chart, in NHL experience and in knowing what he will bring. He is a predictable, functional #6 for tonights game. His primary knock is being below expectations as a #7 overall pick. He is also 22, very young in NHL years for a defenseman. Further, in the larger picture of overall development he needs to be on the ice before Bean. Jake. only 20, is largely an unknown at the NHL level, with a good but short AHL resume. His time will come soon just not tonight. With 2 games in 2 nights, assuming only one of of DeHaan or Faulk can play either night, start Haydn tonight. Tomorrow start him again if he earns the playing time tonight. Bean goes tomorrow night if Fleury disappoints.
Two observations:
1. Any disappointment from the “committee”s” inability to trade some of our depth at defense for a top 6 defender has disappeared.
2. The quality of competition in March is not a negative. It will be an instrumental part of this team’s growth into being “playoff quality” for this season and seasons to come.
Faulk was at the morning skate and de Haan was not – so it looks like one of Bean or Fleury. And I completely agree with Surgalt’s assessment of Fleury over Bean so I will not copy and paste his words.
That said, I do disagree that the “disappointment” (which may be too strong of a word) over the lack of a RDH-for-F trade has “disappeared”. We could definitely have a made of one of them – presumably Faulk – and still be okay. What is surprising is that we don’t have – other than Fleury – real depth in NHL experienced D-men. That was a piece we could have picked up with a trade of late-round pick for someone if one of our RHDs had been traded.
And, indeed, Fleury is in for de Haan tonight. Faulk will play.
Fleury is predictable. He can be relied upon to be caught out of position when the puck is in our defensive zone. He will predictably lose battles in the boards as well as behind our net. He can be relied upon to not clear attacking players from both the slot and the crease.
Oh! And he can be relied upon by enemy defenders to be a non-factor in our offense.
I guess it’s better to have a known quantity than someone who might surprise us.
In his 12 NHL games this season Fleury has 1 assist, is a +3 with 0 P/M. Decent numbers for an infrequently used 7th defender on the teams depth charts. apparently RBA, with the advice of his ass’t coaches and Mike Velluci aren’t willing to risk the surprise Jake Bean might bring.
The people in CLT I have talked to (and even Jason Shaya, the Checkers’ broadcaster) actually think it is a shame that Fleury isn’t up here in the NHL – he is considered that much better than any other d-men in CLT.
Bean is going to be awesome, but that is next year.
One thought on Bean is he only has six more games before his ELC kicks in – and before he would be eligible for the expansion draft. The ED is a factor, according to Vellucci, in keeping Necas in CLT. Bean is high-end talent and I can’t imagine management wants to put him at risk, or put themselves in a position to plan around his ED eligibility.
The ED point is very important. Also give them more time before he gets paid. Good for club, bad for player but thats bidness
Even if he isn’t playing, he is getting paid for being up right now.
Fleury is playing tonight? Oh Lord! Oh G–! Oh no!
Well I guess there won’t be a victory celebration tonight.
But has he worn black before? 🙂
Well, I don’t understand the Fleury negativity, we’re evidently seeing different players I suppose.
Fleury is definitely no Carlson and he has not lived up to his draft pedigree (but neither have a lot of guys, just look at Yakipov), but I see a fairly solid, big defender who is a services top 6 or 7 defenseman, a young kid that still has upside.
Let’s hope my rose-colored glasses view works out tonight, or at least that the Canes can manage a W or at least an OTL despite Fleury’s presence.
In Fleury’s last 5 starts in the NHL the Canes record is 3-2-0. The 2 loses were in December (when the team managed to lose to just about everybody regardless of who was on the ice). In those 2 loses (against Montreal and L.A.) he was a combined -1 in those 2 games. He played 6:48 against MTL and 12:59 against LA. In the 5 games he played 9 minutes/game and blocked 12 shots, had 16 hits, 1 takeaway and 5 turnovers. He needs to reverse his ratio of steals to turnovers tonight.