For anyone catching up, a menu of previous player (and also coaching and GM) report cards can be found at the bottom of the article.
Klas Dahlbeck’s starting point for the 2016-17 season
Dahlbeck was one of two late waiver wire type additions to the Hurricanes blue line just prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. (Jakub Nakladal, the other addition, was technically a free agent signing but similar in terms of price/experience.) With Tennyson being sent to the AHL early in the roster cut process and Francis and Peters apparently deciding not to go with rookie Roland McKeown at the NHL level, Francis reached for depth. Dahlbeck arrived as a young (25 years old) but reasonably experienced (94 games of NHL experience including 71 in 2015-16) stay-home defenseman who slotted as a #6 or #7 defenseman in the Hurricanes’ lineup.
Klas Dahlbeck’s 2016-17 season with the Carolina Hurricanes
Dahlbeck parachuted into a new situation only about a week before the start of the regular season. After being scratched for the first two games in favor of Jakub Nakladal, Dahlbeck garnered his first chance in the Hurricanes’ third game of the season against the Winnipeg Jets. He slotted on the right side of the third pairing next to Noah Hanifin. Dahlbeck got a run of 6 straight games in November playing next to Hanifin, but his start in a Hurricanes’ uniform was choppy. He looked uncomfortable handling the puck on his off side and was ‘meh’ at best defensively in that first stint. He averaged only about 11 minutes of ice time in those October games and ultimately ceded the #6 slot to Matt Tennyson in November.
He did not make a regular return to the lineup until late January. His second entry into the lineup was modestly better, and he did look more comfortable on his natural left side when the lineup shuffled after Ron Hainsey was traded in late February. What stood out about Dahlbeck’s game was physical play with a dose of nastiness that is mostly missing from the Hurricanes’ lineup, but at the end of the day, he never looked significantly better than the depth role that he was brought in to fill.
Dahlbeck finished with 2 goals and 4 assists and averaged 13:53 of ice time in 43 games.
Grading Klas Dahlbeck
Graded as: Third pairing defenseman.
Grade: C. Dahlbeck never did enough to lift himself above the level of a serviceable depth defenseman. In a couple tries, he never really found chemistry or cohesion playing alongside the Hurricanes’ #5 defenseman, Noah Hanifin. And with ceiling in terms of level of play at ‘serviceable’ with a couple rough stretches mixed in, his play was sub-par even for his role. Encouraging is the fact that Dahlbeck did settle in and look better on his natural side, brought some physical edginess to the lineup and also now has a full season under his belt with the team.
Looking forward to 2017-18
Dahlbeck was signed partly to fill the role of the ‘experienced defenseman’ that the Hurricanes must expose to the expansion draft thereby shielding Justin Faulk. But if he goes unclaimed as expected, I view him as being the #7 defenseman for the 2017-18 season. That will of course require General Manager Ron Francis to add a defenseman or two to the lineup either from the AHL or externally. The hope and expectation is that Dahlbeck can provide serviceable depth in the event of injury or need to shake things up a bit.
What say you Canes fans?
Do you think Klas Dahlbeck has upside from his modest start with a full season under his belt and maybe with a chance to play on his natural left side? Or is he simply an expansion draft shield and deep depth to step in if an injury opens a temporary spot?
Where do you rank Klas Dahlbeck relative to Ryan Murphy on the Hurricanes’ blue line depth chart?
Previous report card articles
Thoughts on Lucas Wallmark and Valentin Zykov’s short auditions
Go Canes!
C+. His initial time on ice on his off-side was weak. And he admitted he hadn’t played on the right but once in the previous 2 years. It was a mistake (or an experiment that didn’t work) by the coaching staff to put him there. He really stepped up though when he could consistently play on the left side (he was even better on the right side in an appearance or two there later). By “really stepped up” I mean he became serviceable and no longer a liability – i.e., about a “C”. The edge he brought to his game, particularly around the net, gets him the “+”.
I think the Canes are going to look for someone on the right-side to pair with whoever is on the left on the third pairing. I actually expect Fleury will be the left-side D-man which pushes Klas to deep depth. But if Fleury stumbles, Dahlbeck will be able to step in, again as the serviceable left wing. If he does, I expect his overall numbers will be better than last year. The key will be someone who can play on the right side.
Relative to Murphy, I think Dahlbeck is actually on the team but not Murphy. Murphy is even cheap enough to buy out his final year and I just don’t see any reason that Murphy plays for the Canes next year.
raleighj really has it covered as far as Dahlback is concerned. He is spot on as far as I am concerned and there is not much I can add to his comments.
Relative to Murphy that he mentions, I hope Murphy has spent the off season getting stronger and he starts showing some of the promise he showed as a high draft pick. If he doesn’t, then I hope we obtain a better replacement for him and we move him on to other pastures. Hopefully, we can obtain some worthwhile asset for him. He has been given a long tryout and just hasn’t improved beyond being a journeyman 6th or 7th defenseman which is not good enough.