• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

GDT: Sens at Canes 1/25 Noon

Ran into a nice guy from Ottawa on the concourse. After asking him to thank Murray for signing Corvo (so JR would not be tempted), he just laughed. Said Corvo has been a healthy scratch in about the last 10 games and doesn't expect him to get in a game the rest of the season.

Guy's no dummy--he winters in Myrtle Beach.
 
I was really hoping someone would pop Gryba in the mouth. He tried to run a few guys early on. The pass from Gerbe to Malhotra, who then tapped it in from midair, was a thing of beauty. It was great to see Manny get the extra goal at the end. I really hope he likes it here, and wants to sign for one or two more years. The Canes need him. Gerbe scares me a bit more, when it comes to a contract. Signing a guy after a career best season, can be disastrous.

I think the Canes are one good defender away from being a contender. Komisarek and Harrison are liabilities. I can't help but wonder what dynamic Pitkanen would have on the team right now.

Would have liked to see a better game defensively, but as long as you can outscore them in a frenzy, it works.
 
Well...that was fun.

Most action in an Ottawa game in like...forever. Many seasons worth of watching those two teams muck it about in the neutral zone during the Mo years has made me come to instinctually dread Ottawa games. Seen people literally doze off at them before.

So nine goals scored was quite the pleasant surprise. Survive and advance. Let's keep it rolling.

Huge head-to-head game is next against one of the few division teams we need to pass of which we don't have games in hand.
 
Just secured our Feb 8th tickets vs. Montreal....that game is going to be a sellout for sure, there are very few tickets still available and people are asking for premiums on Stubhub. Better get to that one early for your Semin bobblehead, its going to be a great crowd.

Good game for the Canes today....5 goals from players on the '3rd' and '4th' lines. You can't do much better than that.

The Canes of course have to make the playoffs first, but JR is going to have a lot of tough calls in the offseason with some of these guys that look to be keepers.

* How much is Gerbe really worth? Is he willing to take a Chad LaRose like 2 year $3.4 million deal? What happens when he gets paid?
* Malhotra? 2 years $4 million? He was coming off a 3 year $7.5 million deal when he signed that tryout contract with the Canes. I don't expect him to get that much this time around given his eye injury and age, but he's not going to play for $600k next year.
* Sekera will have one year left on his deal. He's playing himself into a sizable raise on an extension (4 years $18 million extension? Even that might end up too little?)
* Justin Faulk will be a RFA (7 years, $28 million is around the going rate for similar players at a similar career point)
* Khudobin a UFA. Who knows what he might get.

Lots to think about with these guys.
 
cmaleski2 said:
Just secured our Feb 8th tickets vs. Montreal....that game is going to be a sellout for sure, there are very few tickets still available and people are asking for premiums on Stubhub. Better get to that one early for your Semin bobblehead, its going to be a great crowd.

Good game for the Canes today....5 goals from players on the '3rd' and '4th' lines. You can't do much better than that.

The Canes of course have to make the playoffs first, but JR is going to have a lot of tough calls in the offseason with some of these guys that look to be keepers.

* How much is Gerbe really worth? Is he willing to take a Chad LaRose like 2 year $3.4 million deal? What happens when he gets paid?
* Malhotra? 2 years $4 million? He was coming off a 3 year $7.5 million deal when he signed that tryout contract with the Canes. I don't expect him to get that much this time around given his eye injury and age, but he's not going to play for $600k next year.
* Sekera will have one year left on his deal. He's playing himself into a sizable raise on an extension (4 years $18 million extension? Even that might end up too little?)
* Justin Faulk will be a RFA (7 years, $28 million is around the going rate for similar players at a similar career point)
* Khudobin a UFA. Who knows what he might get.

Lots to think about with these guys.
Click to expand...
I like our dilemma...
 
cmaleski2 said:
Just secured our Feb 8th tickets vs. Montreal....that game is going to be a sellout for sure, there are very few tickets still available and people are asking for premiums on Stubhub. Better get to that one early for your Semin bobblehead, its going to be a great crowd.

Good game for the Canes today....5 goals from players on the '3rd' and '4th' lines. You can't do much better than that.

The Canes of course have to make the playoffs first, but JR is going to have a lot of tough calls in the offseason with some of these guys that look to be keepers.

* How much is Gerbe really worth? Is he willing to take a Chad LaRose like 2 year $3.4 million deal? What happens when he gets paid?
* Malhotra? 2 years $4 million? He was coming off a 3 year $7.5 million deal when he signed that tryout contract with the Canes. I don't expect him to get that much this time around given his eye injury and age, but he's not going to play for $600k next year.
* Sekera will have one year left on his deal. He's playing himself into a sizable raise on an extension (4 years $18 million extension? Even that might end up too little?)
* Justin Faulk will be a RFA (7 years, $28 million is around the going rate for similar players at a similar career point)
* Khudobin a UFA. Who knows what he might get.

Lots to think about with these guys.
Click to expand...

It'll help a little to get Ruutu off the books. Pitkanen will likely be gone as well. I see no reason to keep Dvorak. Komisarek can walk as well.


The Columbus game on Monday is HUGE!!!
 
cmaleski2 said:
..

The Canes of course have to make the playoffs first, but JR is going to have a lot of tough calls in the offseason with some of these guys that look to be keepers.

* How much is Gerbe really worth? Is he willing to take a Chad LaRose like 2 year $3.4 million deal? What happens when he gets paid?
* Malhotra? 2 years $4 million? He was coming off a 3 year $7.5 million deal when he signed that tryout contract with the Canes. I don't expect him to get that much this time around given his eye injury and age, but he's not going to play for $600k next year.
* Sekera will have one year left on his deal. He's playing himself into a sizable raise on an extension (4 years $18 million extension? Even that might end up too little?)
* Justin Faulk will be a RFA (7 years, $28 million is around the going rate for similar players at a similar career point)
* Khudobin a UFA. Who knows what he might get.

Lots to think about with these guys.
Click to expand...

The Canes look great today, but I hate to say I still have serious doubts they will make the playoffs. They are playing a pretty good stretch of hockey and haven't made up a ton of ground which is the problem when clustered with or behind so many teams. Everyone seems to get hot at one point, but they all have trouble maintaining it.

About the list above, Khudobin, Faulk and Malhotra would be my priorities. Khudobin is best goalie in organization. Faulk is future on D and Malhotra is the new leader and heart of the team.

Gerbe has looked outstanding at times but seems kinda streaky and I hear warning bells about contract year play. I fear he would dip off in production and/or get hurt. Very high risk to lock up for long term. Sekera looks great so far but I would let him play next year and make sure he can follow up the strong year before resigning him. Even though it will likely cost more, I think it may be a prudent move given JR's recent history with contracts.

Regardless of playoffs this year, I think the roster is an improvement over last and headed in right direction especially if they can resign Khudobin and unload Ruutu and probably Ward. The team seems to have a future direction for the first time in a couple years.
 
I'm more optimistic about our playoff chances as some of the missing cylinders in our engine begin to fire.

We're only a point out of the last wild card slot right now (wild card standings) with two games in hand over the Flyers and holding the ROW tiebreaker over the Red Wings, who currently hold that slot. But, who wants that slot, for the chance to be the Generals to the Penguins' Globetrotters?

Instead the Metro division's second and third slots are very much in play (division standings). And the Bluejackets blowing their game in hand on us tonight against the Sabers is huge.

A regulation win against them Monday night would now leapfrog us over them and into third place. Even a Devils victory over the Rangers tomorrow wouldn't stop us, as we would break that tie with one less game played.

And, speaking of the Rangers, we are now only two points behind them with two games in hand. So their hold on the second place in the division is vulnerable, as well.

It was going to take a winning streak to get us back into the picture. And we got one.
 
Last edited:
We need to win everything between now and the Olympic break, though. After the break, a five game roadie with Dallas, Anaheim, LA, San Jose. Then two home dates against the Rangers wrapped around a roadie to NJ. Then Boston, Chicago, and Columbus, plus a couple of other games thrown in. All in a three-week span. Brutal.
 
When the schedule came out I noted we had a tough finish.

Ideal scenario would be to gain the second place slot in the division standings by the Olymic break and then defend it afterward.
 
HNIM said:
We need to win everything between now and the Olympic break, though.
Click to expand...

Huh? You're saying we have to go into the break on a nine-game win streak? Yes, our post-break schedule is brutal (although don't forget that we start with the make-up game in Buffalo), but saying we need to win the next win a row is a little overboard.
 
cmaleski2 said:
Just secured our Feb 8th tickets vs. Montreal....that game is going to be a sellout for sure, there are very few tickets still available and people are asking for premiums on Stubhub. Better get to that one early for your Semin bobblehead, its going to be a great crowd.

Good game for the Canes today....5 goals from players on the '3rd' and '4th' lines. You can't do much better than that.

The Canes of course have to make the playoffs first, but JR is going to have a lot of tough calls in the offseason with some of these guys that look to be keepers.

* How much is Gerbe really worth? Is he willing to take a Chad LaRose like 2 year $3.4 million deal? What happens when he gets paid?
* Malhotra? 2 years $4 million? He was coming off a 3 year $7.5 million deal when he signed that tryout contract with the Canes. I don't expect him to get that much this time around given his eye injury and age, but he's not going to play for $600k next year.
* Sekera will have one year left on his deal. He's playing himself into a sizable raise on an extension (4 years $18 million extension? Even that might end up too little?)
* Justin Faulk will be a RFA (7 years, $28 million is around the going rate for similar players at a similar career point)
* Khudobin a UFA. Who knows what he might get.

Lots to think about with these guys.
Click to expand...

Khudobin is worth the money...sign the guy now to a 3 year deal for decent money...you can always shop Cam around this summer and find a taker with only two years left on his contract.

Sekera is making Buffalo look really dumb, he is another guy that deserves an extension.

Faulk will get his big new deal without a problem.

Gerbe, Malhotra...no need to lock those two into long term deals.

Priority one is trade Ruutu, priority two is find a taker for Cam only after you lock Khudobin down.
 
HeyKurtz said:
Huh? You're saying we have to go into the break on a nine-game win streak? Yes, our post-break schedule is brutal (although don't forget that we start with the make-up game in Buffalo), but saying we need to win the next win a row is a little overboard.
Click to expand...

I'm serious. I'd like to be wrong, but t's hard to see more than eight points out of that three-week stretch. If the Canes build a cushion, they'll fall back on it; if not, some of the seven-odd teams fighting it out are going to blow right by them, and they'll be outside looking in. Again.
 
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This team is still pretty deeply flawed even if they are a notch ahead of last season's mess. I think Rutherford has plenty on his plate trying to make a change or two to get the club a little better chance at this season's playoffs rather than having to set next season's roster right now. After all, if he's got both Ward and Khudobin playing well at some point down the road, that's not exactly a bad thing. You can still deal Cam in the off season if that's the right play, and I'm not nearly as scared of having to negotiate with Khudobin as a lot of you seem to be. Most of the rest of it comes down to math and match.

Right now we could BADLY use another center. That's plenty to worry about in the short term.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top