I have a partially-written goalie article, but life got in the way on Wednesday such that I ran out of time and energy before I finished it, so hopefully that will be ready for Friday.
Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a handful of player observations with the aim of seeing if readers see things similarly or not.
Phil Di Giuseppe
Is it just me, or does Phil Di Giuseppe seem to be on the same page as and mesh with Jeff Skinner as much as any role player on the Hurricanes? That is not necessarily to say that he should be on Skinner’s line because ideally Skinner fits with another higher-end player or two capable of creating a true scoring line that runs three players deep. But as far as seeming to complement Skinner, Di Giuseppe seems to stand out in that regard whereas many other players just seem lost.
Elias Lindholm
Is it just me or does every player the Carolina Hurricanes have available to play center (other than Aho) just look like another of the good version of Victor Rask? I think Lindholm has been solid in his on and off audition at the center position, but he too much looks to be another defensively capable but offensively light center who is third-line-ish in terms of possessing playmaking ability that will boost scoring for two line mates. That is not to say Lindholm is not capable, but I think it only works if the team either adds or finds internally a true first line center who can boost a scoring line. On a more positive note, Lindholm continues to make strides as a low forward on the power play. He has become incredibly consistent at parking in front of the opposing goalie as a screen and has been right in the middle of a number of goals because of it. Combined with his playmaking ability from the side of the net and decent face-off ability, and this is an area of Lindholm’s game that has become a strength.
Brock McGinn
Does Brock McGinn have a higher gear, or has he simply matured and developed into a capable depth forward which is his ceiling? I am on record as being impressed with Brock McGinn’s 2017-18 season and also admitting that when I pegged him as a #13-ish type depth forward that I underslotted him for this year. But that said, the 2017-18 version of McGinn is basically that of a great fourth line forward who brings consistent energy, physical play, more than enough goal scoring for that role and the ability to at least fill in on a higher line. The question is whether he has another higher gear yet. He has 11 goals which is respectable in its own right, but in leading the league in clanging the post, is it possible that he could be on pace for 20 or more goals right now? If so, that is incredibly impressive given that he averages only 14:02 of ice time and has received scraps of power play ice time. My gut instinct is that he is a great #10 type forward, but I underestimated him once and acknowledge that he is at least worth watching.
Cam Ward
What is his role next season, if any? Lost in the team’s struggles and the broader issue at the goalie position again during the 2017-18 season is the fact that Cam Ward made a very successful transition to a backup role and has exceeded expectations if evaluated specifically for that role. His .908 save percentage is not spectacular, but his 17-9-4 is more than good enough for a backup. The issue with Ward is not whether he is good enough to return as a backup but instead whether the Hurricanes can afford to slot him there given the broader situation.
Warren Foegele
Is he ready to fill a depth forward slot at the NHL level, or is he still a year or two away? Of all of the players in Charlotte, he is the one I would most like to audition in Raleigh down the stretch if the team officially reaches the ‘AHL audition’ stage of the season. The reason is not because I think he is necessarily the best player in Charlotte but rather because I think the readiness of a player or two with his skill set could dictate if and/or how much depth Francis adds at forward this summer. A player like Foegele who is defensively responsible and capable of filling a penalty kill slot is the kind of player who eliminates the need for safe and sound veterans who mostly do not score enough. Whereas players like Aleksi Saarela, Martin Necas, Valentin Zykov and others could potentially fill top 9 slots, Foegele is the type of player who can replace an underperforming depth forward like Marcus Kruger or Joakim Nordstrom out of the lineup.
Matt. Good observations.
On Phill D I think it might be just you. Because at the beginning of last year it looked like Rask was Skinner’s best linemate. Then during the March streak Ryan and Stempniak seemed to get the best out of Skinner. From my perspective, it probably doesn’t matter a lot who is on the ice, what matters is if Skinner is on a hot streak or at least playing fully engaged hockey.
Lindholm is a top 6 RW–I know some folks like him at center, however he hasn’t shown the ability to take over a shift with the puck on his stick in open ice. Aho has that ability. Lindholm is very good as you mention down low, whether in front of the goalie on the power play or behind the net, but that is only one facet of being a difference-making center. Given the future of RW for the Canes (Stempniak not likely returning and Williams nearing the end), I think Lindholm’s value is far higher at RW.
McGinn has developed into a nice hybrid 3rd/4th liner. He is good on PK and has shown the ability to get in front of the net on the PP. I said a while back he might have 20 goals in him. But realistically I think this season is likely what he can provide–12-15 goals, physicality, making life difficult for opponents. I value McGinn much more now than I did prior to the season.
Ward. is going to remain a Cane. My guess is he signs on for 2 more years with a discount (something like 2.2 per). He has stated on multiple occasions that Raleigh is home–because of the medical care his son has received and more recently in an Sports Illustrated piece because he loves the wine cellar in his home. Two years will allow the organization to fully determine if one of Ned, Booth, Helvig (maybe even Makiniemi) is a true NHL goalie.
Foegele. Agree. Foegele will be the “jack-of-all-trades” that Nordstrom can’t quite be because he lacks finishing skills. I think next year the fourth line could well be Foegele/Wallmark/McGinn. They would provide much the same possession ability that Nordstrom and Kruger did earlier this year, BUT they should score more goals.
Another commenter asked about the expansion’s impact on players seeing games in the NHL this season. Would that have any role in who the Canes do/don’t bring up?
Good post!
I agree that PDG and Skinner often seem to find chemistry, and Skinner is the only guy who can jolt PdG ot of the invisibility cloak he wears too often.
I agree that Lindholm is best slotted as an RW, while not great, this year has been better from him (not counting his super surge towards the end of last season), especially his powerplay parking.
I wonder if the canes got any inquiries about Ward, e.g. from Pit. I said in a different post that the canes should have considered trading him to a playoff contender team. His numbers are acceptable and he famously catches fire come playoff time. Since he is a UFA this would just have been temporary for him and he could simply ree-sign in Raleigh or retire. If he loves Raleigh this much, why doesn’t he take a 1.5 mill per year contract for 2 more years? The canes organization has paid him somewhere in the area of 40 to 45 million dollars over the years, so why doesn’t he give back and help the team, I’m sure he’s not exactly pinching pennies and printing coupons. I wish I saw more players truly showing commitment to their teams by taking real discounts.
Mcginn was a pleasant surprise this year, a perfect third/4th line hybrid. If he can work on his shot and catch a little bit of luck, he could be a consistent 15 to 20 goal scorer/role player type guy, we need those.
And Walmark/Voegele/Mcginn would be a great 4th line with upside. If it worked out it could be one of the better 4th lines in the league. I’d be excited to see the team try this line out before golf season.
PDG – He seems to be playing with more confidence lately but I’m not sure it matters much who Skinner plays with. Skinner seems to generate most of his own offense or just clean up messes around the goal with his great hands. I loved PDG’s energy two seasons ago and he’s getting back to that level but he doesn’t have the same upside as McGinn.
Lindholm – I voted to give Lindholm a run at center but I’m starting to think RW is maybe a better spot for him. After Aho and TT, I think he’s our best passer, plays solid D, and is a decent (and improving) faceoff man, so that begs playing C; but if you project out a year or two, we actually could be very deep at Center with Aho, Staal, Necas, Wallmark, Rask, Saarela, and Roy – not all will stay with the team or play up, but it’s certainly promising, and that doesn’t even include Lindholm or trades/UFA’s. Again, he’s very quietly growing into a very well-rounded player; the option to move him to Center makes him even more valuable.
McGinn – Add me to the list of those that underestimated him. Until he hits his ceiling, I’m not sure where it is, but it’s probably higher than what we’ve seen so far. Again, scoring 15-20 goals without PP time is a very useful total. I think that drops if he plays mostly on the 4th-line though, so having a known-entity slotting higher makes more sense to me for now.
Ward – Again, call me crazy, but I think we’re going to see Darling at least one more season and probably longer, not because of the money but because he finds his game and actually plays better. That said, I’d love to sign Ward to a series of fair 1-year deals as a bridge to Ned or Helvig, etc. He’s been more than adequate in his current role.
Foegele – I haven’t seen enough of him to comment but he sure seems to be playing well in CLT.
Ward is going to come back. Unless they want to drop mad bank on Raanta, Ward will be the best option to bring back and it’s not close. Of course if we’re that set on moving on from Ward, Carter Hutton will be available lol.
I haven’t seen Charlotte play this year, but from write-ups and statistics Foegele appears to be the most ready to make an immediate contribution. He deserves a look this year for all of the reasons you stated.
Excellent post Matt.
With Diguiseppe I think unfortunately there are plenty of players that bring his type of skillset – on his own he is a depth forward/mediocre 4th line fwd but anytime you get the chance to play with a forward the calibre of Skinner you are going to get a chance to shine. That being said, I think the Canes should be shooting much higher in terms of calibre of player they plan to use with Skinner. I mean we saw enough of Eric Staal having to carry absolutely terrible upside wingers more than enough, and even Jordan Staal forming 2nd lines with guys like Gerbe, Dwyer, Nordstrom and Nestrasil is subpar to say the least. Lets not allow it to become expectation that Skinner plays with these calibre guys. I do think Skinner is a puck carrier who needs to have diggers/puck retrievers on his line meaning you aren’t necessarily looking at adding another elite scorer – but a guy who alone could net you 30+ pts as a 3rd liner would be nice to see. When Stempniak is at his best I admit Skinner-Ryan-Stempniak is a passable-decent 3rd line.
To me Mcginn is simply a better Diguiseppe in the sense that on his own he can definitely be a good 4th line winger capable of providing scoring , and he can passably play in the top 9 for limited stretches. I agree completely with your assessment of #10 ish forward – and I also admit I had him pencilled in as a 13th and he has well surpassed my expectations.
As for Lindholm the issue with him is that as a winger he provides versatility to move up and down the top 3 lines plus can take faceoffs for left handed centermen. While he is not a great scorer in the top 6 capacity to me he fits as a 2nd/3rd line RW depending on his linemates. As a center at BEST he is a 3rd line center – maybe a really good one. The issue is the team is also very short on solid RWs – especially true right handed shots. There are holes offensively at both center and RW and Lindholm is not part of the solution to that. Really he is a jack-of-all trades player who can play throughout the top 9 at RW and C, the type of guy all winning teams need to have. But he’s a support player that probably gets 40-55 pts a year no matter which lines on. I don’t think there is a long term answer to where Lindholm plays – the coach will use him where needed and I think he’s the type of guy who will effectively slide between multiple roles.
No opinion on the rest or you said it best.