Nearing the second half of the slowest month of the hockey season, today’s Daily Cup of Joe offers a random collections of Hurricanes musings.
Is Edmonton now primed for a Justin Faulk trade?
Today it was announced that former Hurricane Andrej Sekera would be out indefinitely with a torn Achilles tendon suffered during offseason training. Many thought that the Oilers could be in need of a defenseman like Faulk even prior, so Tuesday’s news could increase Edmonton’s incentive to do a deal for blue line help. Sekera is a left shot and Faulk a right shot, so Faulk would not directly fill that slot. But at a broader level, Edmonton needs defensive help, and even with Sekera out, the team is still shallower on the right side where CapFriendly shows only Adam Larsson and Matthew Benning as right shots currently on the roster.
The name that goes back multiple years is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I would do that deal in a heartbeat. Nugent-Hopkins has three years remaining on his current deal at a reasonable $6 million per year. Recently in Edmonton, he had assumed a role a bit like Staal’s centering a line that took as many of the tough match ups as possible while McDavid’s line drove the offense. Nugent-Hopkins could also shift to left wing possibly on Staal’s line if Sebastian Aho’s transition to center continues and Martin Necas proves ready for the NHL.
Free agent options for blue line depth
If Faulk stays, the Hurricanes are seven deep and at or near the top of the NHL in terms of salary committed to the blue line. In such a scenario, there would be no need to add on defense especially with Roland McKeown and Trevor Carrick in waiting at the AHL level. But if Faulk departs, I have to wonder if the team could add one more veteran NHLer to the mix.
One way to do so would be to work the late September/early October waiver wire like they did when they added Jakub Nakladal just before the start of the 2016-17 season. But another possibility is to spend a modest amount more and add a more proven player, albeit late in his career. A couple names on the free agent list stand out. Tobias Enstrom is likely not a top 4 anymore at 33 years old, but might he be serviceable depth if he can be signed for an appropriate salary? Alexei Emelin brings a different skill set in the form of an older player still available as a free agent. He served a lesser role, but was still a regular on a very deep Nashville blue line. In the form of a depth player, he could bring some physicality and nastiness in addition to still being a capable penalty killer. Luca Sbisa is another veteran still available via free agency. The 28-year old does not bring a ton offensively, but he could be a serviceable third pairing defenseman. To be clear, none of these players are the type that are intended to bump someone else out of the lineup but rather bring experienced depth.
Why not go with an internal option like Roland McKeown or Trevor Carrick?
The Hurricanes do have a couple internal options that could be viable.
I like Roland McKeown as ready depth in the event of an injury. He has only 10 games of NHL experience, all during the 2017-18 season, but has never looked to be in over his head. Thus far, he has always risen to the occasion when given the chance to play in a Hurricanes uniform. His starting point was winning the training camp try out for the last NHL roster spot before the 2016-17 season only to have the team think better of it, replace him with a waiver claim and send him to play a bunch of minutes in the AHL as par tof his development. My issue with McKeown is not whether I think he can handle it but rather that at his stage of development, I think he is better served playing 20 minutes per night at the AHL level instead of sitting in the press box as a #7 at the NHL level.
Trevor Carrick is the other likely option from within. He has been sitting at or near the top of the Charlotte Checkers blue line depth chart for a few years now, but for whatever reason the team has not given him much of an NHL audition. He has logged only three games at the NHL level including one during the 2017-18 season. My read on him from yearly preseason check ins is that he is likely a fringe AHL/NHL player who might/might not prove serviceable in a regular NHL player. At the same time, I continue to hope that he at least gets his chance. If Faulk departs and the team does not go the free agency or waivers route, Carrick has a good chance to start as the #7. Unlike McKeown, he has little to gain from more AHL experience having already logged 274 games at the AHL level. As such, he could make more sense than McKeown for a #7 role that waits in the wings for ice time.
What say you Canes fans?
1) As we push farther into August, do you think the probability is rising that Faulk starts the 2018-19 season with the Hurricanes?
2) If Faulk does depart, would you consider adding a veteran free agent for blue line depth if the price is reasonable?
3) Or if not, who do you like between Roland McKeown, Trevor Carrick and other Charlotte Checkers options for blue line depth?
Go Canes!
1. Right now it looks like Faulk will be with us at the start of the season. IMO not a bad thing as him and Hamilton could give us some real firepower from the blue line.
2. Seems like we would NOT need to add a veteran as Fleury would fill Faulk’s roll and Carrick/McKeon seem to me to be good for the seventh man in. If we did go for the veteran my choice would be Emelin.
3. Carrick and McKeon ae okay with me as stated above.
It’s kind of exciting to think about Faulk being on the 3rd line and 2nd PP unit, getting better match-ups and focused more on offense. And with the complete gamble in net, maybe Canes NEED a stacked blueline to win.
Prior to the Sekera news, I would have said 80% probability Faulk starts the year in Raleigh. Now I’d put it at 50%. A Canes-Oilers trade made sense before, and it still makes a lot of sense to me. But I think Oilers value RNH in the way that Canes value TT. Toronto makes a lot of sense as another possible trade partner.
I think if Faulk departs, it could make sense to add 7th D. But as stacked as our D would still be, I’m not sure it’s necessary.
A couple of things to consider-
1. It would be shocking if the Oilers trade RNH. That GM has been burned trading big name forwards at least twice with Hall an Eberele.
2. The Canes are Aho’s team by all indications.
3. Both teams have cap concerns in a trade. Edmonton toward the high end and Carolina toward the low end.
If I could make a trade it would be Faulk and a winger prospect for Strome and Puljujarvi. Strome would help on PK and play on Staal’s RW. Puljujarvi would play on a scoring line with Aho/TT. Who knows if a trade happens but that is the kind of deal that I would like to see.
1). I think DW needs to become Vito Corleone. Edmonton fans have been posting that the Oilers can’t afford to give up a goal scoring winger. So offer them Faulk and Ferland for RNH and a pick. I really like Ferland’s story and realize he brings a physical presence. However the lineup needs a LW for Necas/Svechnikov and a penalty killer and someone who can take face offs. Plus as discussed yesterday and previously the team is going to depend on youth no matter. So give the youth the best options for success.
Zykov/Aho/Teravainen
McGinn/Staal/Williams
RNH/Necas/Svechnikov
Foegele/Rask/Martinook
PDG is 13
PP1= Aho-TT-Svechnikov-Staal
PP2=RNH-Willams-Zykov-McGinn
PKers= Staal-RNH-McGinn-Martinook-Foegele
In the above lines McGinn, RNH, and Foegele could all play with Staal if needed to take advantage of matchups.
If Aho or Necas struggle at C, RNH is available. Sure the team gives up Ferland’s willingness to play with an edge, but it gains four needed tools: veteran for Necas’s wing, PK improvement, face offs, and another veteran center option.
I really like those lines aside from Foegs over PDG – PDG’s shown he’s got some goals in him and adds a little NHL experience to a really young team. There’s physicality and at least a touch of scoring threat on every line and some backup if either Aho or Necas are struggling.
1. Since the Skinner trade my thought has been it is likely that Faulk stays on the roster into training camp and the beginning of the season until teams start to realize what they have and what they need – contingent, however, on those needs developing beforehand I suppose. Yes, an opportunity like Edmonton’s is an opportunity to explore – but there will be others going forward.
I do think the Faulk-RNH trade ship sailed two seasons ago – the question is how bad is EDM’s pain point on defense. Faulk represents one of the higher end D-man “available” via free agency or trade. The trade works to the Canes’ advantage if the Oilers’ perceived need on defense is greater than our desire to trade Faulk.
2, 3) I don’t see a reason to sign a depth D_man talent-wise – and, in fact, it counters a lot of what O/M has shown which is a desire to keep costs low, particularly on the players on the margin. I see Carrick as the logical choice for 7th D. I think McKeown’s value is higher as trade bait at the deadline than as a 7th-D roster player, so let him show his stuff in Charlotte.
Still thinking Faulk is out before the beginning of the season. How many players come back after being stripped of a C? How many third line D have that contract? If ever a guy seemed to need a fresh start it’s… well Skinner… but Faulk’s right behind him.
Seems like it’s time to finally give one of Carrick or McKeown a better contract and the chance to play for an injured player, but it does make a lot of sense to just hire a Dahlbeck type and let those dudes play quality minutes.