Today it was announced that the Carolina Hurricanes had placed Scott Darling and Valentin Zykov on waivers.
Given that I do not think his contract is movable unless the Hurricanes can pull off a deal where they exchange Darling for a similarly troublesome contract, I was a bit surprised that the Hurricanes did not ride a bit farther with three goalies until someone had more definitively claimed the #2 spot behind Curtis McElhinney.
But I guess the Hurricanes management team had seen enough to make Petr Mrazek the backup, get back to a normal two goalies and start the process of moving on from Scott Darling.
What is next for Scott Darling
Per Twitter early Thursday evening:
2/? I will be utterly shocked if he is claimed. He might be tradeable with #Canes eating big chunk of salary and taking back another bad contract, but no one is going to sign up for $4M per year for 3.75 years for what a goalie who is a reclamation project at this point.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) November 30, 2018
3.75 years is a typo, but the point is still the same.
3/? I also do not see this as a move to get Darling going in the AHL with a hopeful NHL return. The AHL crease is Nedeljkovic's and maybe to some degree Booth's. At best Darling is AHL backup with Booth heading back to ECHL for more ice time. #TakeWarning
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) November 30, 2018
4/? Rather, this is a move to clean things up and chart a course forward at the NHL level without the awkward three goalie situation. I would have expected team to wait bit longer, but I guess they have seen all they need to declare Mrazek the #2 and Darling out of the picture.
— Canes and Coffee (@CanesandCoffee) November 30, 2018
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple days. Checkers head coach Mike Vellucci made it clear that Nedeljkovic was still to be the #1 in Charlotte. Best guess is that the organization sends Callum Booth back to the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. With Nedeljkovic playing even some of the second halves of back-to-backs, Booth might be better-served playing more at the lower level regardless of the Darling situation. I guess that scenario puts Darling in the backup role in Charlotte.
The path forward
The term ‘dice roll’ was my favorite during the offseason in terms of describing the Canes goalie situation. The dice roll with Darling obviously did not come up a winner. I am in the camp that it was doomed from the get go. Despite the cost, I voted to buy Darling out last summer. After his struggles in 2017-18, I just think the hill to climb psychologically/mentally was going to be tough. This charts a course toward a buyout next summer if the Canes cannot swap him for another underperforming player on a pricey contract. If I am correct, the end result will be another Alexander Semin-like financial commitment. If bought out, Darling would be due $1.2 million per year for four years running through the 2022-23 season. The move is the only one for the Hurricanes, but I also think it is the best one for Darling. If he can find a fresh start with a new team, it represents his best chance to rebound at this point.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Was this result inevitable from the beginning of the 2018-19 season after what happened in 2017-18? Or could a healthy start or something else have yielded a different outcome for Darling?
2) If he proves immovable as I suggest, is anyone surprised that the team did not keep him in tow until Mrazek established himself as a capable #2?
3) What other comments do you have on today’s news on Darling?
4) What are your thoughts on Valentin Zykov also being put on waivers?
Go Canes!
Purely, as a fan, my patience with Darling was expired. The primary sense is relief, then empathy for the fans in Charlotte. While a demotion for Scott, this is best for him. Raleigh has become a toxic environment for his rehab. While a setback for Ned’s playing time in Charlotte (and perhaps a setback for the Checkers), those effects will be temporary. Both Ned and that team will be fine. In fact, Darling’s last very good game was in Charlotte. This is not permanent banishment for Darling, but likely a last chance to prove he could be back next year in a back up role. (Sooner, should an injury require.) He is still the only goalie signed for next year. Ironically the goal tending tandem (Ned and Scott) could be the goal tending tandem in Raleigh next season.
The move with Zykov has a few facets. The only way to return Zykov to Charlotte was through waivers. A necessary risk and perhaps a sign there is bottom six depth here that makes him redundant. Certainly a sign he was not tradeable. Were he to clear waivers (as with Darling) he could be traded to a team that wants him in their minor league affiliate without having to clear waivers first. Or, this could be a move that clears a roster spot, a signal another move is coming. Assuming the Canes have made an offer for Nylander, the league knows who the Canes would move for a forward that met their needs. There will be ripple effects from that knowledge.
The damage done to Scott Darling by Scott Darling last year was deep. Not with fans or management, but with his teammates. He really had no room for failure this season. When his play was poor out of the box it was over for him. Listening to the Canes talk about McElhinney you can just hear how happy they are to have him there. Darling is done in Carolina.
Darling in Charlotte is a minor issue. And Nedeljkovic is still in development mode. If the Canes hope to find someone who will take Darling and some of his salary he is going to have to have success in Charlotte. Problem. Frankly, I think Nedeljkovic is nearing the end of his rope as well. He’s shown he can be a very good goalie. He has also shown a lot of inconsistency, and from what I’ve heard that hasn’t changed this year. No way that works in the NHL. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Collum Booth. I guess they can get Booth more action in Florida and take some pressure off Ned as more inconsistency from Ned could have led to him losing his spot, which he may by next year anyway.
Zykov is a player with a very limited skill set. In the right situation, on a line with great offensive players, he could be productive in the NHL. Otherwise…. Someone will claim him and see what they can get from him. I don’t expect it will be much unless a team has some injury issues up front and he gets top 6 minutes. The mistake was Dundon signing Zykov to a one way deal. Shouldn’t have done it.
Based on the short trial in the NHL at the end of last season (10 games, 3 assists, 4 goals) signing Zykov at the league minimum salary was a reasonable risk. If he is picked up on waivers he will have cost a few months of that salary. If he passes waivers the Canes can continue his development in the AHL where he has been valuable. With Darling in net, Z may offer the extra goals there needed to keep the Checkers on fire. Maybe Velluci insisted on both, not just one.
You should never risk losing a player via waivers if you can sign him to a two-way deal. Not about the money. Wallmark has a two-way this season, but it is a one-way next year.
No way Vellucci insists on anything, especially at this point in the season. He takes the players the NHL club gives to him.
The contract doesn’t impact waivers rules.
The contract simply determines how much a player gets paid depending on NHL vs. AHL.
Whether a player needs to clear waivers to go to the AHL is not affected by contract but rather is a formula (age + games of NHL experience) from the CBA. So even if Zykov was on a 2-way contract, he would need to clear waivers.
Zykov may have refused a 2 way deal. His 7 points in 10 games was an impressive audition. Not signing him in the summer would have had the same effect, The Canes would have lost him for nothing. Multiple players are risked to waivers daily in the NHL, it is hardly an unusual event. My comment on Vellucci insisting on both players was tongue in cheek. None the less, it is safe to assume Vellucci would like Zykov’s production back in his fold. Given Vellucci’s long history in upper management with the Canes he likely has a important influence with the committee on the development of players. He should have their audience regarding Checker players and likely a committee vote when a Checker player is involved.
I was willing to be more patient that you were over the summer, Matt, and was a bit more optimistic that Darling could turn it around. The management principle I like, especially as it relates to people, is that the time to resolve a tough issue is immediately after you identify the solution; to management’s credit, they didn’t wait once they felt they had their answer. Culling the goalie field down to two now is another dice-roll, but looks to be one with higher odds.
I think it’s instructive to look at Jaraslav Halak. Remember, the NYI had a 3-headed monster at goal and Halak and his large salary was waived. He finished the year in the AHL and then signed with BOS and look at him now. Obviously, he had had plenty of success as a starter earlier in his career, but it’s not impossible that Darling turns it around and becomes an asset with some trade value during the offseason. A buyout is the likeliest outcome, but not the only outcome.
I’m still struggling with the Zykov situation. He played well with Aho/TT late last season but didn’t get that shot again when we obtained Ferland and became lost on the roster without a clear role. Even if he isn’t claimed, it seems his days as a Cane are seem over.
It has me thinking that the Checkers are killing it in the AHL this season, but other than Necas and Bean and Kuok, who on that roster do we think has a materially different trajectory than Zykov? We may have a great AHL team in CLT, but how many of them are going to move the needle in Raleigh? After watching the Zykov situation play out, I’m not so sure anymore.
As far as the Checkers go, a winning AHL team isn’t built with just prospects. Career AHL guys like Brown, Poturalski, Renouf, etc. are a big deal. Making deep playoff runs are important for young players to experience.
As far as prospects go Zykov was always a fringe prospect until his breakout last season. Dude can’t skate. Guys like Bean, Necas, Kuokkanen, Ned, and Roy have much better pedegrees as players. Still, if a few of them become solid NHL players that’s what you would expect. Most never make it. Next summer a whole new group of players will be there ready to push the guys up or out. There was a great article on the Athletic about this. If you have a subscription it’s a great read. Applies to life as well.
https://theathletic.com/681263/2018/11/28/bourne-on-the-early-comforts-of-being-a-top-prospect-in-the-minors-and-how-quickly-that-window-can-close/
Hoping Zykov thrives in LA.
The Canes need another LW. I like Martinook’s game, but think he is part of reason Svechnikov hasn’t scored more.
The Checkers will provide several players in the next few years. Most will produce like McGinn. One of Kuokkanen, Gauthier, Saarland, or maybe Maenalanen, need to become a 20-goal scorer or be part of a trade for one. Aho has been a ppg player as a center. He needs help. Svechnikov should be a big part of the offense, but until he is the Canes will struggle to score more often than not.
1. Nothing in sports is “inevitable” – I think the injury really hit him hard; it was the type you couldn’t work out with while rehabbing. Conditioning takes a hit, plus he is sitting around. Second was the way we brought him back after a solid start in CLT. One game there, bring him back and sit him for 5 or 6 games. Darling needed to be treated differently coming back from his injury. We will never know if it made a difference.
2. There is no advantage to carrying 3 while Mrazek proves, or not, that he is worthy as a backup. Darling was going to sit during that process. If Mrazek fails as a backup you swap them out – Mrazek back on waivers and bring Darling back, provided he is doing well.
3. I think enough has been said about Darling! LOL! But I also thought it was interesting that he was quoted as saying he wanted to be assured that his primary job was to continue to groom Ned as the goaltender of the future, i.e., he is not being told to resurrect Darling for the bigs. With Booth not getting much ice time, that suggests that Darling won’t get much ice time either.
4. I don’t think Zykov got the opportunity under RBA that he had with Peters. People can point out his skating deficiencies and his limited skillset, but that limited skillset is killer – both in the AHL and when he was paired with Aho/Turbo. I think Ferland on the left would have elevated any line – think about him on the Wallmark/Svech line, with Zykov on the Aho/Turbo line. That would have been worth a try before jettisoning Z. Certainly with Ferland out with a concussion, it would have been worth keeping Z for another game and plugging him into that role. Anyway, I hope EDM gives him the opportunity to succeed that he didn’t get here.
The other thing about Z is that he was a tradeable asset – he was well thought of in the league at the NHL level. But we threw whatever return we could have gotten away. Even Vellucci, who is also an asst. GM of the big club, was puzzled about the waiver move. O/M had to have the reasonable expectation that we would lose him on waivers – with that expectation why not look for a trade and get something back in return.
According to some of the tweets from the Canadian press the Canes had been shopping Zykov for some time.
The baffling thing about Zykov on waivers is the timing. Tonight there is an opening with Aho/Teravainen. If TAZ worked as well as last season, then tj suggests what makes sense to me—try Ferland with Svechnikov on a second scoring line. Alas, that option is gone forever.
Seems like Darling was penciled in to play two of the three games this weekend. So much for Darling not getting much work. Then again Ned hasn’t been very good. He gave up 5 last night.
Another grade of D- (or a Z) for the O/M, Carolina sure are generous at Christmas time.
I’m sure Aho will be traded for a 6th round pick soon. How is the team ever to succeed when managed this badly?
The must be more to this story or we are wrong about his trade value. I do agree the timing was odd unless everyone thought Ferland would be back tonight.
What I can’t fathom with Zykov is the same thing as with the Skinner trade.
It’s not about whether the player should have been traded, I’ve made my opinions on the Skinner trade pretty clear in the past, it’s the way in which players (wel assets) are traded that just blows my mind.
It feels like that if someone, be it management or coach has decided that a player is not a fit, that player is given away at the lowest possible value to the first possible bidder.
In skinner’s case it was made very clear by team management in media and around the league the team would give him away at any price, and he ended up goin for a marginal AHL player, a second round pick and two lower picks, now he has more goals than the canes top line combined, almost.
If I don’t like my house, do I publish an ad in the newspaper listing all its faults and my willingness to give it away to the first person who shows up with 50,000 dollars, or do I clean the house, paint it, stage it and try to sell it for 350 grand (my house is worth around 300 and I have no intension of seling it)? Which one is good business sense?
In the case of Zykov, here is a player with a pretty impressive AHL breakout last year and a magic NHL debut to boot. He was never given a chance this year,, and he was given away, literally.
Why? There was no need to make room on the roster, not unless something is in the works.
Is salary is 650K, NHL bottom, a total bargain for aplayer that can chip in on any line, even with a moderate 5 to 10 goals and 20 to 30 points that’s a bargain dollars per point.
Other teams could see a lot of value in getting this player for one of their assets.
See the Max domi trade, see what the Blackhawks got from Az (the canes could add a pick or another player and get at least one of the two players who were traded) , see a certain Finish winger in Edmunton with a high draft pedigree but in the coach’s doghouse.
the team was dealing with injuries and about to meet the most physical team in the league (the ducks) where Zykov’s style would have been perfect.
But, again, the player was waived, with a 90% certainty someone would gratefully claim him.
Obviously we don’t have insider info on these things but that is just terrible asset management.
to build a winning team you have to make the most of your players, either on the ice or as trade chips. It takes a shrued manager who pulls of trades to address the team’s neds and create a winner.
A manager who trades his players and prospects for nothing is never going to build a winning team.