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Carolina Hurricanes 2024 Summer Talk ... press the reset button?

The one thing that I don't care for is the idea that an Ehlers trade is Necas + something for Ehlers. Umm...no...Necas is younger, is not a pending UFA, and honestly is every bit as productive as Ehlers is. If anything its Necas for Ehlers + something else.

Question for the group....if you could choose between Ehlers and say a 3rd round pick for Necas OR Rutger McGroarty and a B level prospect for Necas, which would you prefer?

I would take a chance on McGroarty for multiple reasons, starting with the cap room the Canes could bank by not having Ehlers using up $6 million in cap space for his 50 points of offense. We of course would need to know that McGroarty is willing to sign with the Canes and is not going to Adam Fox us. Thoughts?
I think the Canes would prefer Ehlers specifically because of the lack of contract commitment past this season and because it would be a relatively simple deal that puts a guy in Carolina's top 6 this year. I'd ONLY think about McGroarty if he was signed already. Given what's been going on with top college players, this "willing to sign" crap means less than it used to. I like the kid a lot and I think he's got a decent chance to be better/more productive than either Ehlers or Necas, but there's zero chance I'd risk the possibility of getting Fox-ed again. You want real value for that kid's rights? Get him to agree to a sign and trade.
 
Dangle is still good (and hilarious) for Leafs content, just don't confuse that with him knowing about all hockey.
 
The one thing that I don't care for is the idea that an Ehlers trade is Necas + something for Ehlers. Umm...no...Necas is younger, is not a pending UFA, and honestly is every bit as productive as Ehlers is. If anything its Necas for Ehlers + something else.

Question for the group....if you could choose between Ehlers and say a 3rd round pick for Necas OR Rutger McGroarty and a B level prospect for Necas, which would you prefer?

I would take a chance on McGroarty for multiple reasons, starting with the cap room the Canes could bank by not having Ehlers using up $6 million in cap space for his 50 points of offense. We of course would need to know that McGroarty is willing to sign with the Canes and is not going to Adam Fox us. Thoughts?
It makes zero sense for anyone to think the Canes should just trade away Necas straight up for a guy like Ehlers...who is older, injury prone, runs hot and cold in terms of scoring, is one year away from wanting perhaps more money than Necas and is frankly not as good as Necas from where I sit. The Canes have to find the right deal for Necas or should sign him and hang onto him until a better trade comes along. He is likely to get between $5.75-$6.75 m in arbitration...he is more valuable on the Canes right now than to simply give him away in a trade you will lose. I like McGroarty as a straight up trade target aside from a bigger Necas/Ehlers trade...go ask about McGroarty for a second round pick and a prospect the Jets may like not named Nikishin or Morrow or Unger-Sorum!
 
I like McGroarty as a straight up trade target aside from a bigger Necas/Ehlers trade...go ask about McGroarty for a second round pick and a prospect the Jets may like not named Nikishin or Morrow or Unger-Sorum!
That's a distressed value price for McGroarty, which you'd only get if the clock was ticking on Winnipeg's rights ... and that's not happening yet. I suspect he's going to end up trying to leverage his way away from the Jets eventually, but so far as I'm aware McGroarty's camp haven't started that ball rolling yet. Maybe they've started pushing to be moved behind the scenes, I dunno. But he's going to want to step right in and play for any NHL team that gets him, and I don't see that happening here. I could be wrong, of course, but Carolina has been much more guarded than a lot of clubs about promising playing time to their NCAA prospects.

Nah, if the Jets are going to move McGroarty then they've got time on their side ... until they don't. But for right now, they can take their time and find the best deal. And again, I'm absolutely disinterested in taking a chance on another one of those college hotshots again. You make that move ... you better know for dead sure you can sign the kid.
 
The Canes can loan Unger Sorum back to Sweden at any point in time if they deem that beneficial. I definitely prefer having the kids close by just in case we need one of them to cover an NHL roster spot for a spell.

Chicago's full roster will most certainly include some direct AHL signees later on, but assuming that none of our kids force their way onto the NHL starting roster, Chicago could start the season with:

Bradley Nadeau, Jackon Blake, Gleb Trikozov, Felix Unger Sorum, Justin Robidas, Josiah Slavin, Ryan Suzuki, Tyson Jost, Eric Robinson

Don Fensore, Scott Morrow, Charles-Alexis Legault, Anttoni Honka, Ronan Seeley, Ty Smith, Riley Stillman

Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets (and maybe Ruslan Khazheyev but I still think he belongs back in Russia for another season)

I have no idea how a roster anchored by those players will actually look and perform once the season starts.
 
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They may well have the kid penciled in on the big club's roster for next season. The only guys that have generated as much buzz from Canes staff in their first camp in the recent past are Necas, Aho and Jarvis.
 
They may well have the kid penciled in on the big club's roster for next season. The only guys that have generated as much buzz from Canes staff in their first camp in the recent past are Necas, Aho and Jarvis.
He was very good in the games I saw last preseason, he certainly didn’t look like a guy that had just turned 18. But IMO a year in Chicago will do a world of good.
 
Oh, I agree. It's just that the people around the club rarely talk that way about a first year camper. I'm generally a fan of getting a kind a year in North American pro hockey before you subject them to the grind, but given how things sit right now ... it's not like there isn't room in the top six.
 
The kid looks special in terms of his talent, get some man muscle and meat on him and he is definitely not that far away from playing big boy games here soon enough.
 
I was really impressed with him in preseason last year. He looked like he could easily make the club even then.
 
He wasn't a world beater in the SHL so you might want to tone down your expectations a notch. Remember that he got pretty manhandled in the world junior tournament, so I would be very hesitant to put him on the big club. Unless he stays in the SHL he should get a full season in Chicago I hope.
 
He wasn't a world beater in the SHL so you might want to tone down your expectations a notch. Remember that he got pretty manhandled in the world junior tournament, so I would be very hesitant to put him on the big club. Unless he stays in the SHL he should get a full season in Chicago I hope.
I don't have ANY expectations, honestly. The club however have made all sorts of pleased noises. Just pointing out what that normally means.
 
As we sit around waiting for nothing else to happen anytime soon, some stats related to the new additions:

Last season, our top 3 'hitting forwards' (hits per 60 minutes) were:

Lemieux 16.62 H/60
Svech 8.50 H/60
Noesen 7.36 H/60

William Carrier's career H/60 is 16.82
Eric Robinson's career H/60 is 7.89

Our top 3 'hitting Dmen' were:

Orlov 4.90 H/60
Chatfield 3.18 H/60
Skjei 2.43 H/60

Sean Walker's career H/60 is 4.06

If you like hitting, the Canes are going to be doing more of it this season.
 
Yup. There's a reason that they've bulked up the physicality in the bottom 6, and I suspect it has as much to do with the commitment to Brind'Amour's extension ... and thus his style of play ... as the contract cycle. I think they've putzed around trying to add scoring pop with the usual skilled types and found that the vast majority of them don't do much to help what really defines this team ... which is the forecheck, all around puck pressure and the grinding possession game. Forwards who mind their business, take away space and get busy on the boards. Defensemen who skate, pass it with purpose and soak up loose pucks in the neutral zone. Look forward to some serious lunch pail hockey next season, my friends.
 
The Canes 2 way style will benefit from more guys willing to lay a body on someone; the old make them not want to win philosophy. Svech is a great example, he plays his best when he's an active participant in hitting and going into corners.
 
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