For quick and simple chronological clickable links, please check out our “2017-18 Carolina Hurricanes Roster Building Central” for roster moves and “Carolina Hurricanes 2017 NHL Draft Central” for coverage specifically for the draft.
On Wednesday night in scorching hot Las Vegas, the formal part of the 2017 Las Vegas expansion draft officially came to an end. There will surely be additional after effects as Las Vegas now enters the trade market with a current roster of about 35 players.
The direct effect for the Carolina Hurricanes
The direct effect on the Hurricanes is that the team basically paid a fifth round pick and an AHL forward (Connor Brickley) to get back either Lee Stempniak or Joakim Nordstrom who would most likely have been selected otherwise. That seems like a very reasonable price to keep a good depth forward.
The biggest impact of the trade is that the Hurricanes start the rest of the off-season one forward deeper on the depth chart. Stempniak figures to slot somewhere in the top 9 and provide depth scoring again. And Nordstrom figures to play on the fourth line and in a penalty killing role or at a bare minimum serve as a veteran #13 forward who is capable of stepping into the lineup if an injury occurs.
Francis did well to give up only a fifth round pick and a good AHL forward to preserve what he has for forward depth.
Shopping the Las Vegas Golden Knights initial roster
The other potential upshot Hurricanes-wise is the potential to acquire a player or two from Las Vegas to fill needs in Raleigh. The Knights will undoubtedly be open for business tomorrow when the bell rings to reopen the  NHL trade wires for all 31 teams.
A mixed amidst some young players likely earmarked to become part of the Las Vegas core and some ‘meh’ veterans, there are some players who could theoretically help the Hurricanes.
I am passing on James Neal again
Neal is a good player. He is a goal scorer. The Hurricanes need goal scoring. The next leap for many will be that the Hurricanes should at least consider pursuing him to boost the team’s scoring. I am on record (and standing by it) as saying that the high-end need for the Hurricanes needs to be more of a playmaker or catalyst type of player and not a finisher who really needs help to play at his highest level. In sticking firmly to those requirements, I will consider higher-end playmakers at high prices, or I will consider depth players at much lower prices. In my article on June 14, I included Neal in a group with T.J. Oshie and others who are good players but not in my opinion what the Canes need most.
Interesting options for the blue line
My article yesterday did a bunch of rummaging without much finding for a #4/#5 defenseman who met a bunch of requirements spanning level of play, price, trade cost and ideally ability to play either side of the ice.
One of the players that I identified yesterday (Jason Garrison) found his way to Las Vegas, as did two more interesting options.
Jason Garrison: Garrison is a unique financial situation. He has a big $4.6 million salary cap hit for the 2017-18 which is the final year on his current contract. But significantly for the Hurricanes who could care less about salary cap, his actual salary is only $2.5 million. IF Francis and his team think Garrison is still capable of being a #4/#5 defenseman and the asking price from Las Vegas is not too high, he could provide a combination of a plan B and injury help for building the top 4 or otherwise a solid veteran presence on the the third pairing. On the downside, a couple checks with contacts who follow the lightning closely had both people saying that they did not think he was still a top 4 at this stage of his career. So it’s possible that he is fool’s gold who is really only capable of being deep depth.
Alexei Emelin: Emelin is a left shot defenseman who brings elements of physical/rugged play and a bit of nastiness to boot. The Hurricanes are light on this skill set and could benefit from adding a player like Emelin. Further, Emelin is an experienced penalty killer with a penchant for blocking shots. As such, he could slide right into the penalty kill hole left when Ron Hainsey departed. Emelin could theoretically be a stay-home complement for Justin Faulk in the event of a top 4 injury or if Noah Hanifin does not stick in this role. Like Garrison, Emelin has only one year remaining on his contract which is perfect. It buys Francis the year he needs and also the ability to reassess next summer based on how the young Hurricanes defensemen progress. The downside with Emelin is his salary. He is scheduled to make $4.4 million which probably invests too much money in something that is not the top priority. But perhaps he becomes more appealing if the trade cost is modest and if Las Vegas retains a part of his salary.
Trevor van Riemsdyk: Another interesting option is former-Blackhawk Trevor van Riemsdyk. Riemsdyk is not as proven in a top 4 role and looks a little more like the other young top 4 possibilities already with the Hurricanes, but if Francis and his scouting team like him, he brings multiple interesting traits both on and off the ice. First, his contract for 2017-18 is a dirt cheap $825,000 before he gets a raise as a restricted free agent next summer. So that obviously works wonderfully. On the ice, van Riemsdyk is capable of playing either side of the ice. That flexibility is significant in puzzle piecing together the lineup with a couple possible variations. Despite being a right shot, he could seemingly slot on the left side next to Faulk if Hanifin does not seize that slot. If not, he could play on his natural right side on the third pairing and provide some experience and stability despite being only 25 years old. van Riemsdyk has already logged 158 games of NHL experience.
David Schlemko: Somewhat similar to van Riemsdyk is David Schlemko formerly with San Jose. A key difference is that Schlemko is five years older at 30 and has significantly more NHL experience because of it. He also has a three-year contractual term which would be a show-stopper at a high price but might not actual be bad since the actual salary is just under $2 million annually. The question with Schlemko is similar to Garrison and van Riemsdyk. Is he capable of being a serviceable top 4 if necessary in which case he is incredibly inexpensive for that role. Or is his ceiling that of a third pairing depth defenseman in which case he fits into the category of players that are a dime a dozen and not so much what I think the Hurricanes need.
Browing the other options
Past Neal and maybe Perron, the forward group is light on difference-makers and populated with quite a few younger players likely intended to become part of the core going forward. There are a few depth options, but no one who jumps out as a player that I would do a deal for in the next few days without exploring better options first. The blue line is definitely the more interesting part of the roster. I think Methot is likely too pricey both contract and trade cost-wise, and I figure that Shea Theodore and possibly Nate Schmidt could be slotted to be part of the core (though I guess technically so could van Riemsdyk).
Is now the time to move Eddie Lack to the desert?
I was not right on much stuff in my early musing on the expansion draft, expecting Lee Stempniak to be protected and expecting much more trade activity prior to the roster freeze. But I was right in that it would not be possible to move Lack as part of the formal expansion draft. That showed up pretty strongly in that Francis was able to entice the Knights to take an AHLer. If I am correct that Francis does want to part ways with Lack, one could infer that the price do so on the front end was to pricey. But once the next round of wheeling dealing starts, just maybe Las Vegas parts with enough salary that it could take more on.
Straw man deals
I would offer Ryan Murphy or Klas Dahlbeck plus a third-round pick for either of Garrison (only if scouting staff sees him as a #4/#5) and maybe even a bit more if necessary to lure van Riemsdyk.
I would offer similar for Emelin either with Las Vegas retaining salary or even better with Eddie Lack added into the deal to offset Emelin’s pricey contract.
A couple other indirect impacts
Another interesting angle is to think about what the expansion draft might have done for/to other teams who could be potential Hurricanes’ trade partners. I do not see much effect for Colorado (Duchene, MacKinnon) in losing a goalie. In Tampa Bay, with another chunk of salary hit gone in Garrison, the prospect of prying a good forward out of Tampa Bay (Johnson, Palat) out Florida because of salary necessities has all but evaporated. And with Montreal losing a top 4 defenseman in Emelin after trading depth in Beaulieu last week, the chances of winning Alex Galchenyuk without including a good roster NHL defenseman now looks much less possible.
What say you Canes fans?
Check out also the Thursday Coffee Shop where draft, trade, jersey and other discussions will be teed up by mid-morning Thursday at the latest.
Are you in the sizable camp that likes James Neal to help boost scoring?
Do you like any of the three defensemen?
Who else looks interesting on Las Vegas’ current roster?
Go Canes!
I have already read blog posts and tweets than van Riemsdyk is headed to Carolina from Vegas. I don’t do speculation myself and I won’t assess the integrity of those posts.
But I don’t see Vegas keeping Pickard when they have Fleury – they should want a real back-up for M-A.
This might be when it all gets interesting.
Fleury’s 32 and Pickard’s 25. Given Pickard’s overall performance, I think he’s an excellent option for Vegas. Plus, Fleury’s contract is up after next season. There could ultimately be a flip-flop in roles.
The TVR thing is interesting, but only if the assets going back to Vegas are not too dear. As Matt said, there are other options out there. I don’t want to give up multiple picks/prospects for a #5 defender. I’d like to keep that powder dry for the forward we’re likely to add.
Marchessault isn’t something you would consider? A 30-goal scorer on a $750k contract looks good on any team. I know the bidding will be high, but Canes could get it done.
Hey MLeeTaft…Welcome to the Coffee Shop! Grab a chair and a cup of Joe and keep chiming in. It is always great to add more/different opinions to the conversation.
I’m on record as saying that we need finishers as much as playmakers and James Neal is a finisher, but I think he stays in Vegas unless they get a fabulous offer that – to your question – that I doubt comes from us unless it involves mostly futures, something that Vegas seems to want.
Agree with above comments above that TVR is intriguing at the right price (something like Ryan Murphy and a 2nd) IF he fills our 4/5 hole. Trading with Vegas for defense opens up (and makes more probable, but not necessarily likely) the chain of events that sees us trading a Top-4 for a Center. I don’t know enough about TVR to comment on how big a downgrade to the Blue Line that would be; I’m assuming his ceiling is at least a 4/5, maybe a 3/4 but I don’t know.
Emelin would be a nice bridge and mentorship for Fleury but expensive. The only consolation is he would probably have decent value if flipped at the deadline.
Marchessault is interesting because of his contract/age but I think he also stays in Vegas; he’s much less of a known commodity with only one solid year so I’d be wary here.
Obtaining TVR could be step one in a multiple step deal that eventually yields the offensive firepower we so badly need.
James Neal is a finisher and proven consistent goal scorer. In addition, he has a hardness to is game. He played in Laviolette’s uptempo offense and thrived. What’s not to like? He can go several games without scoring. Jeff Skinner does that. Crosby does that. They all do that!
Emelin is the only defenseman listed above that I would think would be an improvement over what we already have. I’m not interested in all the “take salary back”, over hyping of the talent any of the other three have, or who we have to give up to get any of these players. I’m only interested in each of their on-ice performance. Garrison is on his way over the hill. VanReinsdyk is no better than Murphy or if he is the difference on are record will be negligible. Emelin would bring us a hard nosed defensive first defenseman who could be slotted up the pairings in emergencies. He would provide these traits better than Schlemko IMO.
As far as other players selected by Vegas go, there’s no need for a goaltenderand we’ve discussed the defensemen. That only leaves forwards and that is where Vegas is thinnest after Neal who we have discussed. Marchessault (thanks dmiller for spelling it) goes, he’s a small forward who has one year of goal scoring when he shot over 15% on a team loaded with other playmaking forwards. IMO there’s no way he shoots over 15% again unless he’s playing for Pittsburgh with Crosby as his center. Otherwise, I don’t see us as a trading partner with Vegas other than possibly trading up to get their 1st round pick (6th pick overall) because RF and our scouts see a forward in the draft worth trading up to get.
Disclaimer: One thing all of you Caniacs should have learned if you already didn’t know it already. MY astute observations seem only to be astute in the Land of Oz when the Wizard is not in. I add this for our newcomer mleetaft in particular. You are probably right about March…ault (see dmilleravid above for correct spelling) and if we get him I’ll deny all of my comments above and swear I was clamoring for us to get him.
Cut/paste works great for hockey-player names.
Here’s the thing that needs to be remembered. Vegas is not looking for roster players. As McPhee himself said last night, they’re trying to build up futures and draft picks. That plays completely into our wheelhouse.
Honestly I believe the Canes (and myself) would be happy with either Marchessault or Neal, for different reasons. Dmilleravid is right about March, in that he’s had only one good year, and the price may be slightly too high. Still, at 26 he fits into our youth movement, he can score and he can play center. He’s not a 1C, but he scores, so thats a major plus.
As for Neal. Is he exactly what Canes fans are looking for? No, but he could be a crucial add just the same. Shockingly, he has never won a cup, but he still has 80 games of playoff experience in addition to his 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF OVER 20 GOALS (Inner puckgod satisfied). We only had two 20 goal scorers last year, we should jump for joy at another one. I also disagree with the assessment that we need more of a playmaker. Yes, they’re always nice, but how about we find someone who can take the beautiful passes from Lindholm and Aho and actually put them in the net. Enter James Neal.
Clearly, neither of these players are prime targets for Canes fans but they absolutely could both fill the current offensive needs that we have. They said it on TV last night, ‘Teams don’t trade 1Cs.’ We all have our dreams (The MacKinnon Miracle is an awesome example of what we all want that will never, ever happen) In the real NHL world, however, either player on the Canes roster would likely be a vital and reasonable add.
All that being said, screw the offense. If these TVR rumors are true, then just ponder this top six (w/ Dahlbeck as the 7):
Slavin-Pesce
Hanifin-Faulk
Van Riemsdyk-Fleury
Potentially elite defense. That is all
Flip TvR and Fleury to their natural sides. 🙂
Well, it does appear as if Stempniak may be on his way back to Raleigh so there’s that. Emelin would be a perfect pick-up but not likely Francis’s style or in his price range – both in salary and what it would take to get him here. I’m with the others, I don’t know much about TVR to have an opinion one way or another but I’d rather have a bit more experience in the back end. There has been a lot or discussion regarding the importance of experience and/or “grit” but it seems to me there must be at least some veterans to lean on and the Canes are really lacking in that regard. Neal would be ok and in fact, he would be a real good pickup but again I don’t see Francis giving up the store for him and I think it will require a pretty strong package to pry him from Vegas. Bottom line, I have no clue.
I like the trade for TvR. I didn’t know he played with Pesce at UNH. He should be an excellent fit for us at 3P-R – provided we don’t use him as trade bait.
TVR to the Canes for a second round pick is done.
I am not familiar with him enough to have a strong opinion on whether it was a good deal. It was a cheap deal and probably worth a second round pick.
But now we have the curious case of being overstocked in goal (3 goalies) and defense (basically defensemen) but nothing has happened at forward yet.
Now RF must put on his best game face and get us what we need the most, someone that can help us score more goals.
It is getting increasingly difficult with Tbl out of cap mess more or less, Edm sending Eberle to NYI, and Col and Pit rumored to be close to a deal for Duchene (not sure how Pit always manages to get the players they want).
I am still in the “talk to the sabres about Sam Reinhart” camp, as well as acquiring one nasty (in a good way) goal scoring forward like James Neal. That would be an interesting combo.