Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a small collection of random Canes comments, most of which play into the off-season work to build the 2019-20 roster.
Haydn Fleury
Fleury is at an interest crossroads. He has not developed to become a top half of the roster player as hoped when he was drafted. But he has become a serviceable depth defenseman who still has some upside entering only his second full season at the NHL level.
That makes him an interesting player in a few regards. On the one hand, I would not be in any hurry to trade him just because he has not lived up to lofty hopes. His salary is on target for his role, and a big body who can skate well enough, he is better than what most teams have to trot out for a #7 or even #6 defenseman. But interestingly, that same usefulness to salary ratio could give him some value as part of a package in a trade. Teams that need a depth defenseman on the cheap could do much worse especially if their scouting staff believes that Fleury could have another gear.
So I would not be looking to dump him for nothing, but if another team wants him as part of a package, maybe you collect the value.
The importance of chemistry
Yesterday I started into considering deals to improve the roster for next season. I do think the Hurricanes like almost every team should be trying to improve during the off-season. But whereas last summer, the team wanted to shake up the roster to effect a change in chemistry and attitude, this summer is the opposite. It is not realistic or generally a good thing to keep 100 percent of a roster intact, but this summer the leaning will be to keep most of the core of the locker room in place. Brind’Amour’s input in this regard could factor in how active the team is this summer in free agency and the trade market in addition to what deals are out there to be had.
What say you Canes fans?
1) How would you assess Haydn Fleury both as a viable part of the team going forward or as a trade chip?
2) To what degree do you think the Hurricanes will enter the off-season with a bias toward maintaining the progress made building a new culture?
Go Canes!
An important part of Fleury discussion is that he must now pass through waivers (right?) – and there’s no way he would make it back to Charlotte. I think he still has a ceiling and that can’t be overlooked. Given the Canes likely desire to spend a more on forwards and less on blueline, Fleury makes more sense to stay. On the other hand, if organization sees Bean as better fit in Raleigh because they need a PP specialist, trading Fleury could make more sense.
We all know Fleury is both young and cheap. It is true young defenseman may need extra time to adjust to the NHL game, so I agree he still has ceiling to reach for. I would keep Fleury for what it’s worth, even if that means his draft value was overrated (we need 6D).
That said, with TVR and deHaan less durable, and Faulk with an unknown future, I think we will see significant time from Fleury, Bean and McKweon next season. Perhaps one gets rolled into a deal to bring on a veteran D or help up front, but I think Fleury stays unless a deal is too good.
As much as Rod wants the entire team back, I think he says that in a way to compliment last year’s roster and rightfully so. Though in reality he probably (like all of us) wants to fill the gaps in several areas (center, power play, defense and answer the goaltending question).
Regarding the latter, I feel Ned gets his time in the NHL, so I’m sure the biggest question is do we obtain a big game goalie (say Quick) to allow Ned to understudy? Or give Ned equal starts and re-sign Mrazek/Mac? So I feel we will make moves based on those four parameters regardless of last year’s results.
The Canes will need to balance next season’s line up with an eye towards having openings for the multiple Checker players ready to make “the next step”. There will also need to be steps to prepare for the inevitable loss of a good player in the Seattle entry draft. Haydn Fleury will factor into both discussions. Fleury has only played in 87 NHL games, seldom getting more than 10 minutes of ice time per game. NHL defensemen are known to need to reach the 200 game mark to reach their potential at the position. There is still reason to be patient with Fleury, rating him realistically; not against expectations derived from his draft position.
1. Right now we have 3 d-men in CLT who could/should/will play in the NHL – Fleury, Bean, McKeown (I think Carrick is much more on the cusp – and possibly the wrong side).
Although I don’t think we will keep all top-6 D-men (Slavin, Pesce, Hamilton, Faulk, CdH and TvR) I do expect we will pick up a veteran d-man or two in the offseason. I doubt there will be more than one spot available for a CLT defender and I think Bean is the CLT defender who gets the go in October.
I hate that Fleury is the odd man out – I am a fan of his – but RBA, who knows Fleury well, did not trust him in the playoffs and that is a signficant tell on his future with the Canes.
That said, Fleury has considerable value and his greatest value may be as a trade chip.
2. The axiom I have heard is that a hockey team needs about a 25% turnover to keep players hungry and competitivd. Last year we had 60%. That doesn’t mean we don’t need to make changes.
Even as RBA said he wants to keep the team together, he went on to say he had gotten as much out of the team as he could have and the we “need to get better”. And getting better isn’t just tinkering on the edges – more substantive changes are necessary but those changes will be made in the context of this “new culture”. But if we try to rely on the team staying mostly the same and “progressing” we will be disappointed next April.
Roddy said that he wants to keep the team together. Does any reasonable person think that he meant that that means we should add to and subtract from the team? Roddy is a man who says what he means and means what he says.
In my book, he doesn’t want anyone to make changes. That is pretty straightforward.
I agree with him. But if Dundon doesn’t agree, we will likely see a need to replace players who walk away to free agency because their terms weren’t met.
I do hope that doesn’t happen.
Our Haydn Fleury. We need to face the reality that we must decide whether or not to renew his contract.
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
C’mon gang. Other teams have scouts who have seen him play in the NHL. As part of a package, he might be worth some sticks, pucks and jockstrap. But that is all.
Sorry gang. That is my not-very-humble opinion.
A lot of good comments here. I think Matt is spot on with Fleury. He could still blossom. If he helps to get a good trade, and I do mean good, then okay. We should not move him for the sake of moving him. He is not bad, just hasn’t live up to high draft pick yet. He is not Murphy.
I would prefer to resign everyone, even though that is not the norm. I agree with pwrlss, RBA does not want changes. This group is close, that matters. I am sure we will not resign everyone. Somebody may move for more money. I am for minimal changes and if we go for a forward, make it real: Panarin (probably would not want to come here), etc. , a real difference maker. I would not change the D. Goalie is the big question mark for me. I would be happy resigning both but one may want to move on for more money. Ned is playing pretty well. Goalie is where I really do not have a good opinion, just don’t know.
I believe RBA when he said we effectively over-achieved and need to “get better” as a team. He doesn’t want to ride this same horse next year.
True, but he also said that he expected the guys on the team to get better. I read that more as younger guys (Wally/Foegs/Svech) progressing to be better offensive contributors. With Necas seemingly slated to come up this year, the depth we have in Charlotte and the expansion draft looming in the near future, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a quiet off season.
It sounds good to have everyone back, but it’s not realistic to think it will happen. In the summer is when players do, and should, think about themselves. Players have the right to get the best deal they can for themselves and their family. The Canes will never be a top of the salary cap team, so we have to be realistic that some players will go. Faulk, Mrazek, McElhinney and Ferland are four players that have decisions to make this summer. Do they want to stay? They probably won’t get top dollar if they do. The rest of the team will take shape based upon what these guys, and others, decide to do.
Even though there are many more positives to staying than after last season, what happened with Lindholm and Hanifin are an example of what can happen when contract talks go poorly.
The same team does not guarantee same results.
This year’s team had gaps that should be addressed in order to take a step forward.
In order to ice a competitive team without going to top $ you must take advantage of young players on cheap contracts, those contracts only last 3 years and the players typically require a year or two to hone their skills to be NHL impact players.
I don’t really buy the “players must maximize their salary for the sake of their families” argument, not when one year of even the most meager salary for a top 6 player or top 4 D exceeds the lifetime salary of most people, including those who earn just over 6 figures annually.
The difference between 40000 and 60000 matters a lot, difference between 400000 and 60000 matters a bit
The difference between 4 and 6 million does not matter all that much
That’s all prestiege. I’m not saying prestiege isn’t important, but I have to disagree with the argument that players are forced to leave the team they really want to play for for another team to earn a living.