On recent television broadcasts, Carolina Hurricanes color guy Tripp Tracy has been raving about the team’s depth. His assertion is based on the volume of players recently recalled from Charlotte and now in the NHL lineup. In the sense that the team has back filled NHL roster spots, Tracy’s comments are reasonably accurate.
But when I assess NHL depth, I view there as being 2 kinds.
Depth within the NHL roster
First is depth of quality players within the NHL roster. This is what happens when a team has good players getting pushed down to the third or fourth line because there just are not enough spots. It is also what happens when a team gets scoring across 3 or even 4 lines. This kind of depth primarily comes in the form of players who are proven at the NHL level. I think this is the most important form of depth as it is used regularly to find sparks and also to supplement scoring from a team’s top scorers.
In this regard, I think the Hurricanes roster that general manager Ron Francis has built still has a ways to go. Francis did add a couple of experienced NHL players over the summer, but he also subtracted some. I wrote about the transition from 2015-16 to 2016-17 in part 1 of my season preview. At forward the Hurricanes lost top 9 forwards Kris Versteeg and Eric Staal and also cleaned house in terms of depth forwards. Francis added Lee Stempniak who I would consider to be somewhat equivalent to Kris Versteeg but probably a notch better. Francis also added talented but still developing Teuvo Teravainen and also Sebastian Aho from the prospect pool. He also revamped the fourth line with Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell (who is not on injured reserve with multiple sclerosis).
When you net it out, I think the Hurricanes roster at forward is trending in the right direction, but the trade deadline through the summer saw about the same amount of subtraction as addition.
More significantly, the desired results of ‘within the roster’ depth, namely depth scoring, has really not materialized. The Hurricanes have been able to muster scoring from the Skinner/Rask line and to some degree whatever wings have been paired with Jordan Staal. But the team really has not found a third line combination that has clicked and produced offensively. And while the fourth line has held up its end of the bargain scoring-wise, I do not see those players as being any kind of long-term solutions on a higher line.
Whether it is by the current young players rising up, new ones arriving or Francis making an addition or 2, true depth that sees 11-12 players truly capable of being more than an injury fill in in the top 9 has yet to be realized.
Just because players are called up out of necessity (playing with less than 20 obviously is not an option) does not mean a team has depth. Depth is realized when those players can step into the NHL lineup and contribute scoring-wise and helping drive wins. The Hurricanes are not there yet.
Depth outside the NHL roster
I think the Hurricanes score somewhat better in terms of depth ‘outside the NHL roster.’ This is ready depth at the AHL level with enough NHL experience that the players are known quantities when recalled. For this less important form of depth, I think the Hurricanes are making faster progress.
On defense, the Hurricanes are now 8 players deep with players with a reasonable amount of NHL experience with Ryan Murphy playing in Charlotte and 7 experienced players at the NHL level.
The same is true at forward. The Hurricanes were able to reach to Charlotte to recall Phil Di Giuseppe, who has a decent chunk of NHL experience, this week. The team is also building NHL run time for Brock McGinn and Derek Ryan right now.
The Hurricanes are getting to the point where they will be able to fill at least a couple roster spots from Charlotte with players with NHL experience.
The Holy Grail
The Holy Grail for NHL depth is not so much being able to recall serviceable but non-difference-making players from the AHL. The Holy Grail is having too many top 9 capable forwards or too many top 4 capable defensemen to fit them all into those roles. In that regard, the Hurricanes are progressing in the right direction, but are not there yet. I would call Ron Francis’ effort in terms of building both kinds of organizational depth at about 65 percent.
What say you Canes fans?
Do you think I am underestimating the team’s depth currently? Or do you agree that the team still has a ways to go in terms of having more than 9 players who would be top 9 forwards on playoff-capable teams?
Do you think the current prospect pool offers a fast enough path to having depth within the roster, or do you think Ron Francis still needs to add a few players from outside the organization?
What other thoughts do you have about the Hurricanes “depth” right now?
Go Canes!
I think you maybe on the right track, and I don’t really think the the organization is truly “Deep”. I do wholeheartedly believe that the Hurricanes are moving faster than should be expected when you also include two other areas that must be included in determining depth.
I think there has to be consideration when talking depth, that revolves around two additional pieces.
1. Compared to other teams that have been turned around and are perennial playoff teams. How does our timeline compare to theirs, three years in.
The Chicago Blackhawks started in 2002 with Duncan Keith, and really didn’t get going until 2006-2007 with Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks first championship year was 2010. The puts the Blackhawks into the 4-8 year build.
The Anaheim Ducks started in 2003 with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, and really relied on trading to get things moving. The Ducks championship year was 2007. The puts the Blackhawks into the 4 year build.
The Pittsburgh Penguins started in 1998 with Rob Scuderi or 1999 with Brooks Orpik and Ryan Malone, and really didn’t get going until 2004-2005 with Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins first championship year was 2009. The puts the Penguins into the 4-11 year build, depends on how you look at it.
The Los Angeles Kings started in 2003 with Dustin Brown, and really didn’t get going until 2005 with Kopitar and Quick. Doughty wasn’t drafted until 2008. The Kings first championship year was 2012. The puts the Kings into the 4-12 year build.
That combined with at least 1-2 top 5 picks in the timetable of the rebuild, I think we are just ahead of schedule, I personally believe that the Hurricanes won’t become an impact team until 17-18 season.
2. Is there a winning culture in development? I believe that the Hurricanes are way ahead of the curve on that aspect of development. The successful General Manager and Coaches have all required a commitment that is enforced with ice time and other player driven desires.
So as a whole, I think we have great depth based on re-build timelines that have been established by consistently high preforming playoff teams.
grahamr72…GREAT history of other teams in a somewhat similar rebuilding position to the Canes.
I should have picked this up before you posted it and stolen it for a part 2 tonight to take a day off of writing. 🙂
What is interesting about all of the other teams you mentioned (and Tampa Bay could be included too) is that the rapid part of the ascent was built upon a couple high draft picks turning into elite players. (Pit=Crosby, Malkin, Letang; Chi=Kane, Toews, Keith; Ana=Perry, Getzlaf; Tam=Hedman, Stamkos; LA=Kopitar, Doughty)
The Hurricanes 3 high draft picks were Lindholm, Fleury and Hanifin. Will any of these players rise up to elite status?
I agree with you that depth within the roster is in bad shape…but that’s kind of what you get when you are 30th in the league in terms of salary. With Bickell out, we are skating $47M worth of salary each night. Most teams spend to the cap so have an extra ~$25M of depth. (With Staal now out, we are skating closer to $40M of salary.) How can we expect Francis to provide depth when he’s not allowed to spend competitively?
I think depth outside of the roster is in bad shape too at least for this year and likely next. Ryan, PDG, and McGinn have skated a combined 30 games this year and have a combined 3 points and are -12. Tripp doesn’t know what he’s talking about, I can’t stand listening to him anymore.
Yup, all of said Stanley Cup winners have at least one superstar and a few other All-Stars on the team. I don’t see any of the recent high draft picks as potential stars. Maybe they’ll be good players but you really need to have the stud to win it all. What was the last team to win a Cup that didn’t have a true top star? Boston in 2011 maybe and then you go back to 2006 when some small market team won it all. It can be done, but it makes the task a lot more difficult. Now if you had a stud goalie….that makes a huge difference and covers up some of the other shortcomings. The Rangers managed to be in the top tier for the last 4-5 years with a fairly average to good squad, but have a world class goalie that covers up a ton of mistakes.
Unfortunately, RF is tone-deaf when he hears the word goalie!!
Of course he’s also VERY CHEAP… HE LIKES BARGAINS even when they can’t play??