Thanks for reminding me ... my son announced that he has an SO again, so I'll need to add one to maintain what cool Dad points I've managed to cobble together. I don't get that many chances, given my starting point
Hurricanes Off Season Thread 2022
- Thread starter jeffbear
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She's right
Surely she’s just disputing the existence of the points right?
Pucking Lamplighter
Well-known member
Confirming the existence of Cool Uncle Points. I take the nephews fishing, shooting, and to fun restaurants the parental units never would.
Jim
Jim
This is also accurate. Somehow Uncles get the benefit of the doubt in ways that Dads don't. Nobody seems particularly interested in making me a Grandad anytime soon, so I often settle for Cool Uncle points.
The Athletic has their Metro preview out today. Like me, the staff sees Carolina and NYR as the class of the Division followed by Pittsburgh, Washington, Columbus, NYI, New Jersey and Philly.
Thoughts ... I think the gap between 3 and 7 is a lot tighter this year. Columbus and Jersey continue to improve despite remaining flawed in important ways, and the Islanders can't possibly be as bad as they were last year despite remaining offensively stunted. I'm not sure the Rangers didn't over-reach last year and I'm not convinced they actually got better this summer, and I'm not sure Carolina is quite as good overall either. I figure they step back a bit, but not enough to open the door so much that the two oldster teams break through. I do still feel like both Washington and Pittsburgh have enough going on to stick in the 3/4 slots in some random order. And I don't think Carolina and NY have really slipped enough to allow them to creep up ... but this is hockey so one of this bunch is going to surprise us all.
Not Philly though. They're awful even though Torts will have them collecting enough loser points to look better than they actually are in no time.
Thoughts ... I think the gap between 3 and 7 is a lot tighter this year. Columbus and Jersey continue to improve despite remaining flawed in important ways, and the Islanders can't possibly be as bad as they were last year despite remaining offensively stunted. I'm not sure the Rangers didn't over-reach last year and I'm not convinced they actually got better this summer, and I'm not sure Carolina is quite as good overall either. I figure they step back a bit, but not enough to open the door so much that the two oldster teams break through. I do still feel like both Washington and Pittsburgh have enough going on to stick in the 3/4 slots in some random order. And I don't think Carolina and NY have really slipped enough to allow them to creep up ... but this is hockey so one of this bunch is going to surprise us all.
Not Philly though. They're awful even though Torts will have them collecting enough loser points to look better than they actually are in no time.
cmaleski2
Well-known member
Still have the Whalers/Canes scars that make me nervous going into every season.
The reality is that the Canes team SHOULD be just about as good as last season's team. I'm not at all worried about Burns for TDA...then the 3rd pair is a 3rd pair. But I am worried about KK and Necas and the 'need to step up to fill the Trocheck/Nino' hole. Less so now that we added Stastny, but until KK produces, he is a risk.
And as solid as Freddy/Raanta was last regular season, you can't tell me anyone is 100% sure about those 2.
But yeah, we are top 2 in the Metro, so long as everything goes to plan.
The reality is that the Canes team SHOULD be just about as good as last season's team. I'm not at all worried about Burns for TDA...then the 3rd pair is a 3rd pair. But I am worried about KK and Necas and the 'need to step up to fill the Trocheck/Nino' hole. Less so now that we added Stastny, but until KK produces, he is a risk.
And as solid as Freddy/Raanta was last regular season, you can't tell me anyone is 100% sure about those 2.
But yeah, we are top 2 in the Metro, so long as everything goes to plan.
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Yeah, all of that is why I've notched down my regular season expectations a bit. Last year we were pretty much all dead wrong on the Islanders, but I fully expected Carolina to post something pretty similar to what they actually put up for a point total. The Rangers surprised by being a year ahead of schedule, but nothing about Carolina's season was surprising. And that's was really the 4th year in a row where they either fulfilled or exceeded expectations. At this point, we should be getting used to it but ... yeah. 10 years in the wilderness is a long time even without the Whalers baggage.
I see no reason that this roster won't contend for the Division and qualify for the playoffs, even if Patches doesn't really get going until the final third of the season. Of course there are concerns, but EVERYBODY has concerns, if people are savvy enough to pay attention.
After the Finals appearance in 2002, we started the next season well and were in first place in the division after beating the Wings the day after Thanksgiving. But Weekes got concussed and the season turned to the brown stuff, as did the next. So really, it’s 15 non-consecutive years in the wilderness, broken up by one glorious season and a 2009 surprise.
Fair ... and that stuff leaves scar tissue, no doubt. But under this ownership/management group the results have been remarkably consistent, even with all the roster churn from year to year.
I just got around to reading that article on The Athletic. Did anyone notice that the Canes preview was written by Aaron Portzline, who is the Jackets beat writer? It’s been radio silence on who is replacing Sara Civian over there. They need someone in place when camp opens, no?
I mean, yes and no. Yes, if they want to avoid a lot of complaining from the fairly active fan community that Civian built in her comments section. No in terms of practical concerns. They don't have a beat writer in every NHL market and currently have several who cover more than one club. Plus, this is the first time The Athletic is going into NHL camps under NYT management so I've got no idea if what the budget situation looks like.
The News and Observer managed to get to Week 1 of the college football season with no NC State beat writer in place. Stuff happens.
ThinIce
Well-known member
Really miss Sara Civian's regular columns - which was one of my reasons for maintaining a subscription to The Athletic. If she's gone and not replaced, then that will be a real disappointment. As for the N&O, I gave up on that rag a few years ago, when its freshness, quality and content collapsed to a shell of its former self.
BadgerCane58
Active member
I missed it, what happened with Sara?
NoMich
Well-known member
Word on the street has it that her future husband is now in Arizona and she went as well. Maybe? Perchance? No more Abby Labar either. Apparently her and Ian Cole got a li'l too close this past season and broke team rules. Maybe? Both are what I've heard from people not named Sara Civian, Abby Labar, or Ian Cole, so take those as the rumors that they are.
EDITED TO ADD:
The Athletic still has Sara listed as their Hurricanes beat writer. So maybe she's just taking a break and will be back with the start of the season? I sure hope so.
EDITED TO ADD:
The Athletic still has Sara listed as their Hurricanes beat writer. So maybe she's just taking a break and will be back with the start of the season? I sure hope so.
NoMich
Well-known member
As much as I love The Athletic, I'm mainly there for the Sara Civian articles and since she apparently is no longer the 'Canes beat writer, I tried to cancel the $75 charge for another year. However, after clicking on the Cancel link in my account, they gave me a sweet retainer offer of only $20 for the next year. So, there I am, still a subscriber to the Athletic.
Meh ... I enjoyed Sara's nonconventional approach to covering a beat, but I'm hardly going to bail on The Athletic if she's not around anymore. I enjoy their soccer coverage and they finally have a decent Cardinals beat writer (or more accurately, the kid they hired to cover the Cardinals beat finally got enough experience to actually do a good job) so I'm sticking around anyway. At least until the Times figures out how to ruin it by making it too much like a traditional print outlet ... which is only a matter of time.
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