From his first days as the Carolina Hurricanes GM, Ron Francis’ mantra has been building a deeper system that can help the team not just return to the playoffs but also stay there.
A promising defensive corps that was expected to be 2-3 years away arrived ahead of schedule. This summer that transformation has begun to take effect at forward too.
Looking at the average age of the Hurricanes opening day roster for 2015-16 versus 2016-17 (projected obviously) highlights this:
On defense
2015-16: Justin Faulk, Ron Hainsey, James Wisniewski, John-Michael Liles, Ryan Murphy and Noah Hanifin averaged 27.0 years old.
2016-17: Swapping in Slavin and Pesce and swapping out Liles and Murphy would see the average age drop to 25.5 years old.
Not bad work for 1 year. With 35-year old Ron Hainsey and 32-year old James Wisniewski’s contracts set to expire at the end of the 2016-17 season, the current core of 5 (Faulk, Slavin, Hanifin, Pesce, Murphy) would make for an average age less than 23 years old for the 2017-18 season.
At forward
2015-16: Eric Staal, Kris Versteeg, Elias Lindholm, Jordan Staal, Joakim Nordstrom, Andrej Nestrasil, Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask, Chris Terry, Nathan Gerbe, Jay McClement, Brad Malone and Riley Nash averaged 26.0 years old.
2016-17: Swapping out EStaal, Versteeg, Terry, Gerbe, Malone and Nash and inserting Teravainen, Di Giuseppe, Bickell and Aho drops that average by a similar 1.5 years to 24.5 (with 2 players yet to be added).
The forward ranks also see 2 veteran fourth-liners in McClement who is 33 and Bickell who is 30 become free agents at the end of the season presenting the opportunity to insert more youth.
In goal
With the same 2 goalies scheduled to return as of right now and become a year older, this position is still a work in progress with an average age of 30.0 years old. But 20-year old Alex Nedeljkovic will make the jump to the AHL this season and continue his progression toward hopefully manning the net in Raleigh soon.
Depending on continued development of young players and who fills the couple holes left by four 30+-year old veterans, the Canes 2017-18 roster has the potential to include no skaters over 30 years old and an average age near the bottom of the NHL despite growing in experience level.
The future continues to look bright with the Hurricanes getting both younger and better at the same time.
Go Canes!
Can someone tell me how to pronounce Nedeljkovic? I’ve been butchering his name for far too long now. Kind of like the Braves and Foltynewicz. Player I like alot but can’t pronounce the damn name.
I think it is Ned (like the first name) – L (like the letter)- Ko (like Coke) – Vic (again, like the name).
So far I am on record for liking not only what RF has done but being able to keep a low profile. Cam is an affordable gamble.
Maybe he needs an easy nickname… like ned-n-net, or nedz, nedsi??
Frequently European names that end in vic, dic, etc. Pronounce the vic, as vich (rhymes with rich)… but I don’t really know how Ned says it…?
I’ve seen “Needaspellcheck” going around…
I am not a Ward fan at all, but would have been fine with 1 year or 2 years at $2.5M/year.
I am not impressed with the Free Agent goalies.
With that said, I like that we are not giving up drafts or prospects for a goalie who maybe a bust (which is what Rutherford would have done).
Go out and get Matt Duchense from Colorado and one more forward.
Note: I still think there is a chance Ward gets traded during or after this years draft.
I sense he is being promoted and will be part of a package deal for a top six forward.
Also, Go after Logan Brown in the draft (if you cannot get a top 5)
Build a young and talented team Ron F.!!!!
If a talented D-Man is at 13, take him if he is best player!!!
Go Canes.
With 18 guys under contract (counting Aho) and assuming that Rask gets signed, we need 2 forwards and a defender to finish out the roster (assuming 22 players counting a 13th forward and a 7th defender – the standard roster we iced last season). I’ve got us at about $48.7 million in salary cap outlay which means we need to spend in the neighborhood of $4.1 to get to the floor (which could rise a little if the NHLPA exercises their escalator). Signing Rask will likely eat that up (I think he gets a longer term deal, not a bridge deal). I DO NOT think Ryan Murphy is on the team come October; my guess is he’s gone at the draft. If that’s the case it does make us thinner on the right side, but with Slavin’s ability to play his off side well, I’m less worried about that in the short run.
I also don’t see us going after a centerman exclusively. I think we’ll go after scoring, probably a bigger body even if they don’t play big, somebody to take up space. I think we’ll sniff around at some of the higher end free agents but wouldn’t be surprised by a David Perron signing, somebody like that. I’d even go back to some of the old stand by’s that have been mentioned: Teddy Purcell, Lee Stempniak, or even Mikkel Boedker if GMRF reaches some.