Today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a set of random Canes tidbits.
Brian Gibbons/future AHL help
With Martinook out first and then Haula for a few games, Brian Gibbons logged 11 games at the NHL level before being returned to the AHL late last week. Interestingly, the Hurricanes recalled Eetu Luostarinen from the AHL after Saturday’s game. That could mean that Erik Haula is again a question mark. More significant would be if Luostarinen slotted in as a wing which would suggest that his short audition bumped him above Gibbons. I would rate Gibbons as adequate but not better in any way. He gets what he needs to do on the forecheck for his role, but he did not register a single point in 11 games and does not have the size to be a physical disruptor. Another interesting thing is that the math on Gibbons’ $200,000 salary guarantee has built in payment for about 13 games at the NHL level. So up to 13 games, the Hurricanes were going to have to pay that much more salary regardless. But once he surpasses 13 games, his increase to play at the NHL level is no longer free/built in which makes the finances pretty similar for recalling someone else. Some are suggesting that the Hurricanes odd 11 forward / 8 defenseman lineup and not usually carrying extras is to try to preserve salary cap for later. But from watching the team do similar in 2018-19 when salary cap was a non-issue, there is also an element of expense management.
Ryan Dzingel
I touched on this in my game recap for Saturday. Ryan Dzingel continues to surprise me with different elements of his game. He arrived labeled a bit as instant offense primarily in the form of finishing. While his goal total is currently at a modest 16-goal pace over 82 games, he has impressed with other facets of his game. His pretty pass to feed Foegele at the top of the crease on Saturday was yet another heady passing play. In addition, what has me most intrigued right now is how well he seems to be meshing with Jordan Staal’s ability to transport the puck from end to end. The end result of many of these rushes is that Staal attracts a bunch of attention and needs an outlet to keep possession of the puck. Sometimes that is multiple players converging on him at the offensive blue line. Other times he carries wide and needs somewhere to play the puck from deep in the offensive zone. And last is sometimes he needs a cycling partner on the boards. Joakim Nordstrom more than any other player during Staal’s tenure was on the same page with Staal and knew where he needed to be/what he needed to do to support the puck. Dzingel’s play reminds me a bit of Nordstrom in that regard. Especially when one considers that he is only a few games deep playing with Staal, the duo is near the top of my watch list right now to see if there is something to this or if I am just over-optimistically misreading a few plays.
Brett Pesce
One thing that stands out to me about Brett Pesce is how much he has developed in terms of puck skills. The rookie version of Brett Pesce was mature well beyond his years and experience level in terms of defending, but in terms of receiving, handling and distributing the puck, his game was simple. It made sense for a young player adjusting the NHL level. Fast forward to today, and Pesce’s game in terms of puck skills is leaps and bounds better. He has a growing knack for figuring when he has room to carry the puck a bit and is also just more precise with his passes. Worth watching is if his continued growth in this area manifests itself in collecting more assists.
What say you Canes fans?
1) With Brian Gibbons mostly using up the NHL games built into his contract and with no points in 11 games, do you think the team will go a different direction for the next wing call up? Julien Gauthier? Eetu Luostarinen at wing? Someone else?
2) Does anyone else feel like the scouting report on Ryan Dzingel short-changed his offensive abilities?
3) Do you see Brett Pesce as making significant strides in terms of puck skills from his rookie year until now? If yes, what are the chances it results in scoring upside?
Go Canes!
1) It appears that Luostarinen will be the first option if he continues to play like he did in his initial 3 game callup. It wouldn’t surprise me if they also try him on the wing. While Gibbons is a crafty veteran who gets the most out of his skill, Luostarinen has the advantage of having a NHL-level skill of his own while being 7 inches taller.
2) I am not sure it short-changed his offensive abilities as some were predicting 25-30 goals. What I didn’t expect was the level of passing he has displayed. Dzingel has made multiple excellent tight space passes. As you mention his skill set complements Staal’s ability to carry the puck. Dzingel also created opportunities with Necas whose speed opened up the defense. While Dzingel had 30 assists last season, I wasn’t expecting him to be almost as good as Teravainen at setting up line mates.
3) Pesce continues to improve. Most fans don’t realize that Pesce was second to Hamilton among Canes defenders last season for 5-on-5 goals (7). I would go so far as to argue that if Gardiner continues to struggle, then Pesce should QB the second power play.
Luostarinen gives the Canes more options than Gibbons if you consider them equivalent. He looks good down the middle and I’m sure he could play wing if necessary. I think Gibbons is a stretch at the NHL level. he can hang in there, but there isn’t much upside, IMO. Luostarinen could be more than a fourth line centerman. Finally, Luostarinen can be sent up and down as much as needed without clearing waivers. Gibbons can’t, and Gibbons is a valuable player in Charlotte.
Dzingle is a nice player that seems to be trying to find his role with the Canes. I mean that in a good way. The Staal line needs someone to create chances. Staal is good and getting the puck deep and keeping it there. That’s about it. It’s great to have a flexible player like Dzingle that could be used in many spots on the team.
1. When we signed Gibbons it was as a 13F back when we weren’t sure who elese we might have in that role – there were only a few players we knew well in CLT that we could say were close to stepping onto NHL ice and Gibbons was already a known quantity. But that was the totality of his role. Luostarinen is simply better, already, at all aspects of the game from forechecking to passing to getting in front of the net (and staying there). He has to be the preferred callup, certainly for the center position and possibly now for the wing. We will learn tomorrow whether he is up for as insurance for Haula.
2. God observations on the Dzingel/Staal connection – they will turn Foegele into a scoring machine! Dzingel is definitely showing off passing skills and a playmaking mindset such that moving Turbo, who was playing that role with Staal, to Aho’s line really makes the team better on both lines.
3. Pesce is good.
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As a separate note – Roy was sent down to Chicago from VGK yesterday and with Jurco having been sent to the minors by the Oilers a couple of weeks ago the only player who contributed to the Checkers Calder Cup run who is still on NHL ice is Necas.
Poturalski, Brown, Roy, Jurco, Carrick, Renouf, Didier, and all those who remain with the Checkers this season never stuck on NHL ice. And that does make me wonder if some of us, myself included, regularly overestimate a player’s chances to make it in the NHL based on their AHL success (although I would not have slotted any of the players I listed other than Roy and Jurco as NHL likely).