Today’s Daily Cup of Joe aims to strike a tricky balance between seeking positives but also not denying the here and now of another dip downward on the #CanesCoaster that is the Carolina Hurricanes 2017-18 season.
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Loading ...Discussion questions
1) What is your biggest positive right now about our hockey team or your fandom?
2) What do you make of the loss the the Flyers on Tuesday? A clear sign of where 2017-18 is headed? Just another small setback? Or…?
3) Another turn playing GM and coach…If you had only a single move to make as GM and another single move to make as the coach right now, what would they be?
Go Canes!
1. Biggest positive is despite the team not performing well, it has managed to stay in the running for a playoff spot. The team has not folded, but it is at the point where it now needs to string together some wins.
2. A small setback. Our competitors for a playoff spot all have deficiencies and weaknesses. If our goaltending happens to come around (Darling gets on fire) we are a lock for a playoff spot I believe. If it doesn’t (remains the same), then it will be up to Aho, Skinner, Williams, Faulk, Lindholm and Staal to really have to have a great last 25 games.
3. One move as GM would be to get Pacioretty for defense “prospects” (Bean, McKeown, Fleury, etc.) plus our Number 1 draft pick this year. We are loaded with young defensemen and our number 1 pick will be in the middle of the round. We have enough talent in the AHL developing so we could stand not getting a first round pick this year.
Move for BP to make is to recognize you aren’t going to win any games, your players are going to do it if it is going to get done. No tricky coaching ploys is going to help anything, we need just basic down to earth coaching. 1) Play your best players (if they are in Charlotte bring them up AND PLAY THEM), 2) hold ALL players accountable by restricting ice time, not just play musical chairs with Jooris, DiG, Fleury, Dahlback, etc. 3) coach the players and don’t worry about your system. You have a team loaded with young players. You need to coach them DURING THE GAMES on what they are doing wrong as far as the basics go. For example, the basics are get someone in front of the net consistently if you wantto increase scoring chances. It’s your job to see that they consistently do that DUING THE GAME. If they don’t do it, it it is your fault for not demanding it. That will do more to get a victory than you shuffling up lines mid-game.
1. No real positives, other than a reduced negative…Ward (though not a good goalie) has been more competitive than last year and earlier this year.
2. How inept can one team be? One goal, despite oodles of scoring chances…urgh! The team who can’t shoot straight PERSONIFIED!!!
3. Francis has DONE NOTHING…WHY WOULD I EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT? Peters has to work with what he has, but he sure hasn’t benched half of the inept non-performers, has he?
When will the fans be given a team, coach, and GM THAT GIVE AN HONEST EFFORT?
Effort…is…what’s missing IMO…FROM THE TOP DOWN
1) The future is bright. Aho is the real thing, it looks like Necas may well be also. Lindholm if given the chance could turn into a solid 2 or 3C. The biggest problem the past 5–differenc-making centers–is going away. The second biggest–consistent goaltending–is still there if Darling doesn’t turn things around. But even goaltending has a solid future as one of Booth/Helvig/Makiniemi should be NHL-caliber in 2-3 years (glad to see Booth in Charlotte).
2)I want to forget Tuesday’s game–but given the standings it is only a small setback.
3) I would make a domino move. Sorry, but one move will make other things happen. While I have been a big Ryan fan all year, my one move as GM would be to trade Ryan to Pittsburgh for a 2018 first rounder (I would argue with JR that it will likely be in the 25-31 range so not much different from a high second rounder, which is going rate for a 45-point scorer near the deadline). As coach, I would then move Lindholm to center. The lines would be:
Aho/Lindholm/TT
McGinn/Staal/Williams
Skinner/Rask/Zykov (he comes up to fill the Ryan roster slot)
Nordstrom/Kruger/Stempniak
As I said, the single GM and coach moves have a domino effect. With two first rounders next year, the possibilities are there to 1) acquire Pacioretty, 2) package the two firsts and move up to get Wahlstrom, 3) Use both picks on say Martin Kaut (to give Necas a teammate who speaks his language hoping for the TT/Aho magic again) and Mattias Samuelsson to make trading a D-man in the offseason for one more scorer easier to justify.
Again, I think Ryan is extremely valuable given his role and salary, but he will cost more next year and Pittsburgh is probably willing to overpay. Being GM means making tough calls that make the organization better. That would be mine.
I agree with what you said here ct. It’s interesting to think what DR would get in a trade, I tend to think probably not a first round pick but could definitely see a second rounder.
I like the lines you have listed there although I wouldn’t split up TSA, just switch Staal and Lindholm and I think that would be ideal. Kruger was just put on waivers (thank goodness) so hopefully we’ll either call up Wallmark to take his place or move Lindholm to 2C and call up Zykov, moving Rask to 3C and Ryan to 4C for the time being.
The idea of having possibilities such as trading for Pacioretty or trading up to get Wahlstrom is exciting. If we could get a first for Ryan that would be a steal. Either trade up to get Wahlstrom or right now I’m really high on Filip Zadina. Zadina is Czech as well and played with Necas at the WJC and he’s a scorer and two way player.
ct, I don’t know if your ideas or reasoning have merit or not. I do know that they would sure get everyone’s attention and are as good as anything I could dream up. I like the Pittsburgh trade the most of all your suggestions.
Since 2005, I have not seen a roster as loaded with potential scoring punch as I see in the roster today. Unlike many others, I see our goalkeepers as potentially great as well.
The loss to the Flyers was a surprise to me. I expected to see a lot of hustle and hitting and shooting. I saw none of that. It wouldn’t have been close, but the Flyers had a bad night too.
But the biggest surprise was the metamorphosis of Bill Peters. After the Sharks disaster, he stood before the camera angry, highly critical of the team, and threatening changes. After the Flyers game, he liked the way our guys played. He was happy. Bill, we lost! We only scored one goal! I don’t know what any of that means, except that there are things going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about.
If I were GM and could do one thing, I would do whatever I had to do to get either Milan Lucic, Patrick Maroon, or Max Domo. I just heard that Conor McDavid has said that he wants Maroon on his line next year, so Patrick will not likely be available.
My one move as a coach would be to strip the C off Staal’s and Faulk’s sweaters and put ONLY one on the sweater of Justin Williams..
I absolutely would love Zadina in Raleigh. But he is going top 3–maybe even 2nd. So the only hope is not making the playoffs and then pulling a Philadelphia/New Jersey and winning big in the lottery. I don’t think that is realistic. I realize getting a 1st for Ryan might not be terribly realistic either, but Rutherford is known to act desperately. So it might happen. And I do think a team with the 6th or 7th pick, which is where most folks have Wahlstrom right now, might trade it for two picks in the 20s.
I’ll have to respectfully disagree with the assertion the roster is loaded with potential scoring punch. Aho and Skinner are the only two, and obviously one of those is not currently holding up his end of the bargain, players one can realistically say can be counted on for somewhat consistent offense. The rest are never going to be better than average (Rask, Staal, McGinn, et al) and others that have only exhibited sporadic offensive prowess (Teraveinen, Lindholm). And that doesn’t even include 1/4 of the line up that isn’t expected to score and unfortunately are holding up their end (Jooris, Kruger, Nordstrom). You’re right in that the lineup may be the best in a decade, but that’s like saying Bud Light is the best light beer. It doesn’t matter, it still sucks. Not that the Canes suck….they just have some serious gaps in the lineup that need to be addressed to start scoring goals on a regular night in and night out basis.
I must absolutely agree with the realism (despite the sadness of it) of this comment. The offense is inconsistent and the best players aside from Aho (who I genuinely will become a legit number 1 line player who consistently produces) are streaky offensive players (Staal, Lindholm, Skinner). I do believe the Canes have a good forward corps in terms of defensive responsibility and tight checking but they are lacking consistent scoring forwards. If the answers are to be found internally then this club is still 3 years away from being a legit contender and if it happens before it will have to be from outside additions.
1/ It’s mid-February and, as frustrating as this season has been so far, we’re right in the hunt. Aren’t meaningful late-season games what we’ve been asking for?
2/ A blip. Plenty of season and divisional games left.
3/ As GM, with the news of waiving Kruger and Jooris, we now have two open roster spots. Insert Zykov somewhere; he’s earned it and we need what he brings. As Coach, start Darling: he can’t fix his problems on the bench and we aren’t going to the playoffs without him. Making the statement that we are going to win or lose behind him might just be the kind of confidence boost he needs.
Using your insider connections I see–apparently Darling is starting tomorrow. And I would think Zykov is one of the call-ups.
dmiller, as usual you have taken a calm reasoned approach to the Canes situation. Could argue with you, but if history is any judge, you would end up being right and I would be feasting on crow once again.
1. The passion of the fans, the new owner, Slavin, Pesce, Aho, Necas, Skinny playing hard even after the captain debacle.
2. A blip…
3. if we could get a first for Ryan, get it and use it and maybe goat to get Max…don’t really think that is realistic. Bring in some callups. I like the lines ct had… with some changes. I do think the biggest way to get more scoring is to put someone else other than Staal on the line with Aho.
Aho/Lindholm/TT
McGinn/Staal/Williams
Skinner/Wallmark/Zykov(or folleg???better defensively)
Nordstrom/Rask(Ryan)/Stempniak
1) The best thing is our young players, including the pipeline.
2) The loss Tuesday was indicative. The canes struggle with a dense schedule (3 in 4 and 4 in 6), and we have a dense schedule from here on out.
3) Bring in Foegele, Wallmark, Saarela, and Zykov. Send PDG and Nordstrom down, we need to generate some offense. The young players would be so excited it will spark the team.
1. We’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot, in spite of everything.
2. A setback. How big depends on the weekend’s games.
3. GM: Explore a Pacioretty trade.
Coach: play Zykov on the third line