March is officially here, and the Carolina Hurricanes unfortunately find themselves in a familiar position looking up at the playoff cut line and needing a minor miracle to climb above it.
Though the trade deadline has already been discussed in some detail HERE, the Thursday Coffee Shop today offers a couple more polls and discussion points on the trade deadline and what everyone hopes to see in March. Today’s Daily Cup of Joe also has a few discussions related to quick observations on Cam Ward, Phil Di Giuseppe, Elias Lindholm and Warren Foegele.
Carolina Hurricanes polls
Please remember to click ‘vote’ after each individual poll response.
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Loading ...Information on the Caniac Ice Cream Challenge for St. Baldrick’s is HERE.
Discussion questions
1) What are your thoughts on the trade deadline?
2) What should be the plan for March?
3) Who has suggestions for interesting ice cream flavors available at long-time Carolina Hurricanes sponsor Harris Teeter?
Go Canes!
1. The trade deadline is rarely a good time to make additions (unless you are a team on the verge and willing to give up a lot, which the ‘Canes are not). IMO last summer was GMRF’s trade deadline for the 2017-18 season. He came up short on obtaining scoring punch, as well as missing an additional veteran Dman. He should have brought in added character/grit before the start of the season as he knew we were a bubble team. If that meant selling on Faulk or Skinner before their respective deals are up, so be it. The core of this team is Aho, Staal, Necas, Slavin, Pesce and Hanifin. Everyone else will be expendable at some point. GMRF waited too long, and may be forced to now keep some players or sell low due to loss in value.
2. Play Darling in all situations, even some back-to-backs. We need to see what he’s made of in a starter’s capacity. Allow the majority of kids to play in Charlotte and make a playoff push (it’s best for their psyche right now). Hire former NHL players as consultants in advance of next year’s training camp (one for net presence and the other in shooting skills).
3. Wish I could add a suggestion, but dairy is not my thing. So I’ll raise a dairy-free adult beverage for the cause!
1. A couple of quotes from the N&O article after the trade deadlinw.
“Francis said in talking to new team owner Tom Dundon, both believe giving up any of their good young players or a first-round pick in a trade would not be the wise move, short term or long term.
‘In my discussions with Tom, that’s the way he wanted to proceed,” Francis said. “He feels good about the core of this team….“In the summer time you do your homework and you make your deals and you think you’ve got some things in place, but you have to get into the season to see how they pan out,’ Francis said. ‘Some work, some don’t and some it might still be early before we have a final decision on it.’”
In other words, Dundon was fully behind the non-action by the Canes on that day. He wasn’t going to try to force things, as some were clamoring for him to do.
Although BP may have wanted more, there weren’t players to be had for a reasonable price (if you heard what MTL wanted from the Kings for Pacioretty you would know that whole notion he would end up here was nothing but a fantasy).
And RF game himself a mixed grade for his work last summer.
What worked – Williams and TvR
What didn’t work – Jooris and Kruger
What needs more time – Darling.
2. Keep pushing for the playoffs – all it takes is a 4- or 5-game streak, and that is eminently doable. Bring players up from Charlotte – not for auditions but for energy and improving play. Wallmark is centering Skinner on the third line – that’s a start (Rask has been moved to left wing). Zykov is ready to play. Foegele would be an audition who might click.
1. I was surprised–only because I expected either Ryan or Stempniak to be traded. I am pretty sure Stempniak doesn’t return. Ryan is a tougher call, but if Wallmark performs at center and Rask works at wing (I like tonight’s “auditions”), then I don’t see a spot for Ryan because I would think the centers next season are going to be Aho, Staal, Necas, and Wallmark. That provides exciting possibilities. The veteran presence will be the wingers (Williams, Skinner, and JVR or a winger via trade). I really like the idea of four lines all getting about 12 minutes of 5-on-5 and the remainder being special teams. Speaking of which, I didn’t post not the game review after Tuesday, but I was really impressed with Wallmark on the PK.
2. As tj said–PUSH
1. I will call my thoughts on the trade deadline indifferent as I’ve gone back and forth several times wondering whether we should’ve made a move or not. What actually bothered me was GMRF’s press conference at the deadline. He just seemed completely disconnected from the fan base and even BP; almost apathetic. I want to see some fire from him, something, anything. I love BP getting upset after losses and “wearing his heart on his sleeve”, I love Justin Williams calling the team out and saying we need to up our compete level, I love Cam Ward breaking his stick and throwing it towards the bench in frustration. In the words of Jimmy McGinty – You’ve got to have heart; miles and miles of heart.
2. If we really want to see what we have as GMRF said in the post-deadline presser we need to do some experimenting. We already know the results of mostly doing the same thing all year with some “minor” line shuffling. Let’s give Aho an extended run at center. Give Darling back the starter spot and let him sink or swim. Give a combination of AHL guys (Wallmark on the 3rd line, Foegele, Zykov) significant ice time. If we get hot and catch a streak to make the playoffs great, our young guys could definitely use the experience. If it doesn’t work and we continue in this slump we have a slightly higher chance at drafting an impact player this year. Either way we’ll be better prepared to make the correct decisions this offseason.
3. Can’t speak to the Teeter but I picked up some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and adult root beers at the Aldi for tonight.
1/ I’m not surprised we didn’t add a Rental, even for a mid/low pick and I’m not surprised we couldn’t pull off a hockey trade. Like ct, I’m mildly surprised that we didn’t trade Ryan/Stemp but there must not have been a market for either player. (I have greater appreciation now for how well GMRF did over the last few deadlines to pull off the trades he did.) Obviously, I would like the team to have improved given that all our real competition did (other than FLA), but this team didn’t really earn it – that’s a tough thing to say but true.
2/ I agree with everyone else except I’d be even firmer: my #1 priority is to give Darling every chance to find his game over the last 19 games, both for this year and for the future. This team, for whatever reason, has not played well in front of him very often and that has to get sorted out (or not). He won’t get better sitting on the bench. I’m less concerned with seeing Aho at Center – that’s a fait accompli for next season – but priority #2 is in some selective battlefield promotions from CLT to field the team we think can score the most goals. I believe that saving the season by making the playoffs is only going to happen if our blue-liners and goaltending improves, and that means fewer d-zone oopses and soft goals, neither of which is all that related to the defensive play of our forwards.
I think you have it – if this season goes by the wayside it is a combination of poor d-zone passing and clearing which has lead to too many grade-A chances which are making both goaltenders look foolish.
1)I was hoping GMRF would be able to work out a deal for either Pacioretty or Hoffman but understand not doing so if the price was exorbitant. I’m guessing it was since neither of them were moved. My hope is that the plan is to work out s deal for one of them in the offseason if the price becomes reasonable. Or better yet, sign JVR and lose nothing. Maybe TVR can make the case and get him here. Would love to see him on Aho’s wing next year.
2) I think Darling should play at least 15+ games down the stretch to see if he can get it together. Aho should play center the rest of the season . Zykov, Foegle and Saarela should all get looks down the stretch as well. Foegle should be a no brainer w Nordstrom out.
Wow. The Caniac Nation is a tough crowd right now if you try to spin up an ‘eat ice cream’ group and can only net 4 participants.
We are the “Overwhelming Underdogs “.
1) The trade deadline has been and will continue to be one of the most over hyped and over rated days in hockey. I just cannot fathom paying potential long term assets to get a player for literally 20-30 games. I would have been happy if he had found someone under contract for more than one season. With that being said I would expect this summer Francis will be active both via trade and free agency. He did fine in my opinion – looking around at deals I would have stolen there was really none despite there being players I would have liked to see the Canes add.
2) Just keep playing hockey – keep going through the grind of the season and see what resiliency this club has left. They have proven one thing all season long and that is they are inconsistent. I expect them to continue to be inconsistent moving forward and probably miss the playoffs and draft outside the top 10. Another unfortunate position to be in realistically but at very least I think it is becoming easier for all of us to identify who can stay and who can go on the current roster more or less. I think it would be a good idea to give all the prospects an opportunity to see some NHL action because inevitably the Canes need these AHL players to be part of the solution in the top 9. Can Saarela become a scoring winger, can Wallmark become a 3C, will Kuokkanen become a new multi-position top 6 player (a 2nd Terevainen?).