An active draft for the Canes

Well, let's go over this crazy draft, hm?

First off, my selected pick for the Canes, Nino Niederreiter, was taken at 5th by the Islanders, so that was unfortunately not in the cards. Several top defensemen were still on the boards when the Canes picked at 7th, including the touted Cam Fowler, but the Canes went slightly off the grid and picked Jeff Skinner.

Skinner is known for scoring goals, which is always good, but his 5'-10" 190 lb frame makes me think that Rutherford is really, really adverse to getting forwards over six foot for his team. His skating is meh, which is odd because he used to be a figure skater.

Yes, the Canes drafted an ex-figure skater. Needless to say this factoid didn't go over well initially (He picked a short figure skater over a defenseman?! Defense, Rutherford, we need defense!).

But the defense issue was put to rest on Day 2 of the draft, where the Canes drafted 5 defensemen out of their 7 picks. They also traded for a defenseman, Bobby Sanguinetti, sending some picks to the Rangers.

Also gained in trades were forwards Riley Nash from the Oilers and Jonathan Matsumoto from the Flyers.

So it was a busy day in the Draft for the Canes. My first impression is that the plethora of defensemen is an excellent thing for the farm system, and Rutherford seems to generally get value out of trades, so hopefully these will pan out.

As always, time will tell who won and lost in this Draft. A more pertinent issue is the upcoming free agency date - July 1st. No real spectacular updates on that front, but I expect that to change quickly as the week progresses. I do believe the last day for contract buyouts is this Wednesday...

Draft Day 2010

Today is draft day!

As I mentioned in my previous post, the Canes have the 7th overall pick in tonight's draft. It looks like they're pretty content with staying at that spot, so I doubt they'll move up at all.

The Canes site has been previewing the prospects likely to be on the board when the Canes draft, and I have picked out my choice if I was the one making the picks tonight.

Nino Niederreiter. No, I don't know how to pronounce the name, but comparisons to ERIK COLE will definitely get my attention and approval. Apparently he plays a physical game and scored 60 goals in 65 games with his junior team - a power forward for sure. Please, Rutherford, draft this guy. You can always use a power forward.

Anyways, the Canes site also has what amounts to a summary of what's going on with the team. To do a summary of a summary, they might trade some of their later picks for another first rounder, but it would have to be a significant player to do that. Ray Whitney, sadly, seems to ready to part with the team, but Rutherford is still keeping the door open. Justin Peters looks to be the backup goalie and any buyouts will occur after the draft.

Making a splash around the league, the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks traded Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and a prospect to the Thrashers for a first and second rounder, Marty Reasoner, a prospect, and another forward. Which means that the Canes will have to regularly face Byfuglien's presence in front of the net - likely not a fun situation.

Draft starts at 7 tonight!

Lots of hockey stuff today

Well, today has certainly been a hockey-news-riffic day, especially considering it's before the draft and free agency.

To begin with, the NHL released the 2010-2011 schedule today, which holds some irregularities for the Canes. First, the Canes are opening the season in Helsinki, Finland against the Wild. Before this they will play six preseason games, one of which includes the KHL St. Peterburg team. Because of this overseas start, which is followed by a brief Western Conference road trip, the Canes' home opener is not until the 27th of October, which is really abnormally late.

Second, the Canes do not have a New Year's Eve home game for the first time in... forever? I honestly can't remember the last year in which this did not occur. However, the Canes do play on New Year's Day, which will make a nice doubleheader of sorts after watching the C[r]apitals-Pens Winter Classic earlier in the day.

Third, of course, is the All-Star Game, which isn't technically on the Canes schedule, but will be totally awesome nonetheless, and is possibly the thing I am looking forward to the most about this upcoming season.

To finish up with the Canes-specific news, they signed Jerome Samson today to a two-way contract. Which I think is good, as he played well when he had his brief stint with the Canes, and had the fourth most points in the AHL this past season. Not to mention, his name sounds awesome when spoken aloud.

A big move in the Southeast today - the Panthers traded Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to Boston for Dennis Wideman. I think Boston gets the better talent in Horton - us Caniacs can vouch for his offensive ability - but the move also puts themselves in a tough position under the salary cap. Or rather, doesn't relieve their cap issues at all.

Scott Niedermayer retired today, ending an era on the blueline.

And, finally, the Hockey Hall of Fame class was announced today, consisting of people that I don't recognize because I'm not old enough or because I don't follow women's hockey. Definitely not that Francis/Messier/MacInnis/Stevens class of a few years ago.

The NHL Awards banquet is tomorrow. I'm not canceling my plans for it.

The NHL Draft is this Friday and Saturday. Canes draft 7th overall - could've been higher, but noooooo, they had to decide to win halfway through the season. (How dare they!) I'm hoping for a pick that's not a dud!

It's the most wonderful time of the offseason

Let's see, what all has happened with the Canes since Friday afternoon?

On Friday, the Canes selected Philippe Paradis with their first round pick. Apparently there were something like twelve players ranked above him that were still on the board when he was picked. I guess the Canes' scouts must've had some really solid material on him - you can only hope so...

The Canes also picked five others in this year's draft, three defenseman and two wingers.

Then on Monday came some good news from the re-signing front. Jussi Jokinen signed a two year deal, gets $1.5 mil this year and $1.9 the next. I think a very good deal, especially if Jussi can carry his playoff voodoo into the regular season.

Of course, today is the beginning of free agency, which means a huge amount of deals to sift through. The most important for the Canes (and my sanity)? Erik Cole signed a two-year deal for about three mil a year. Probably would've been better for the Canes cap situation if he got a bit less - but I'm not complaining! No exile in Edmonton this year for my man Cole, thank goodness.

Also in Canes-land, no news (as of 9:03pm EST) about Chad LaRose. Is no news good news? As long as he ends up signing with the Canes, then yes.

Elsewhere around the NHL, both of the Sedins resigned with Vancouver for 5yrs/$6.1per. Marian Hossa got a crazy contract with the Blackhawks - 12 years for $5mil per. Marian Gaborik signed with the Rangers for 5yrs/$7.5per (how the heck do they still have cap room for these kind of contracts?). Going back to draft day, the Flyers shipped out their entire future for Chris Pronger.

Y'know, it's almost a good thing that the Canes are stingy with their money - that way I don't have to bother trying to justify some of these outrageous contracts.

As always, updates whenever I get them. I can't tell you how good it feels to have an internet connection and access to hockey news again.

Midsummer Action!

So it's the eve of my semi-annual trip to family in the middle of technological nowhere (I think I'll have access to email this time...), and of course I'm going during the most interesting part of the offseason.

Tonight and tomorrow are, of course, the 2009 NHL draft. The Canes first pick is 27th, so that means we are nowhere near involved with the Tavares/Hedman debate. My full insight on the draft is at Cycle at the Sedins, which makes me look awesome because I have mostly the same opinion as the dudes at Canes Country and also kind of makes me look like a retard because I confess that I can't keep the NHL and NFL drafts straight. But, honestly, I can't, which is why I generally only list who the Canes picked up and don't do any kind of analysis. Because analysis is severely overrated.

Then the next few days become crunch time for the Canes to sign their UFAs before they hit the open market. Unfortunately, Rutherford has said that contract negotiations are slow, so signs point to a Cole-and-LaRose-less hockey team. Which makes me want to weep tears of infinite sadness because those two are my two favorite players... argh!

Finally, July 1 (next Wednesday) is the first day of free agency, also the day I am returning. Expect either a long, rambling post or a short detail-less post towards the evening with all of the crazy happens of the most exciting day in the offseason (read: the only day with any hockey news).

Draft Day recap

The NHL Draft occurred this weekend, and the Canes picked five guys altogether.

The first rounder was a guy by the name of Zach Boychuk, who is fast and a whopping 5'10". Although, according to the N&O article, he seems to have Ron Francis' approval, and that makes it fine with me.

More interesting to me is that, in the second round with Jared Staal still on the board, the Canes chose Zac Dalpe. I would've thought they might have stayed along familial lines... but it sounds like Dalpe is a steal as a mid-second rounder.

Disturbingly, the Canes only picked one defenseman... but, sometimes you just have to go with the best player on the board, no matter what the position. I guess. I don't know actually, I'm not really good with analyzing drafts. Pretty much, if the prospects pan out, good, if not, bummer.

Anyways... something that might have an impact on the Canes immediate future is one of the trades that occured during the draft. The Florida Panthers traded Olli Jokinen for two defenseman from the Phoenix Coyotes. Which makes me happy because the Panthers just seem to trade away their best players (see: Roberto Luongo), and because Jokinen was always a thorn in the Canes side - but he's no longer in our division! Haha!

And the countdown to the beginning of free agency ticks away...

Canes make some moves

Canes made some moves yesterday. The first one being signing Tim Gleason to a 4-year/$11 mil contract. Which is good, keeping him here when our defense is rather lacking personnel right now. I thought he really started to play well last year, and I'm glad to have him locked up for four years.

The second move of the day was trading a fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft to the Predators for the rights to sign Darcy Hordichuk. If the Canes don't sign Hordichuk by the start of the season, they'll get the Predators 5th round pick in 2010.

Not sure exactly what this does for the Canes. From the looks of Hordichuk's career stats, he's definitely a goon and not a goal-contributing forward. But, I guess we have enough of those, and we could use an enforcer to protect our stars.

So, the draft is today. Canes pick 14th in the first round.

*EDIT 10:43am* So, after I looked at Darcy Hordichuk's website (via CanesCountry) and saw some of the fight videos on there... I have come to the conclusion that if the Canes can sign this guy, they will definitely be no worse off. And games might be a little bit more entertaining.

Possible trades (?)

During Saturday's second day of the draft, talk flooded the draft floor that the Canes were working on a three-way deal that would send Erik Cole to the Edmonton Oilers and bring defenseman Joni Pitkanen to Carolina from the Philadelphia Flyer

Reading that in the N&O article this morning almost gave me a heart attack. Luckily:

Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford denied Cole was in play -- "wasn't, hasn't been, no," Rutherford said -- and Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe said Cole's name had not come up, joking that if Cole was available, he'd pick up the phone.

Rutherford better be telling the truth, that's all I can say.

Anyways... the article goes on to tell about the trade the Canes did make, and that was their seventh-round draft pick for a goalie to go down to the minors. Also, some sort of trade for a defenseman may be in the works.

The Canes drafted four people in the later rounds on Saturday: article here.

Next Sunday: Free agency!

Canes pick Brandon Sutter

Well, the first day of the draft came and went (I kind of forgot about it - I kept thinking it started on Saturday... oops...) and the Canes chose Brandon Sutter with the 11th pick.

As for if this is a good pick or not, don't ask me, as I have no idea. All I know is that this guy is the second generation of the Sutter family, which has had, like, twenty million people play in the NHL.

Yep, that's it. Canes have no second round pick.

Another To Do List

Nothing happening. The NHL Entry Draft is at the end of this week. Canes have the 11th pick. (That's one good thing about missing the playoffs - a better draft pick)

Anyways... as it is summer, it's time for another Summer To Do List. (YaY?) Like last year, this is only posted on this blog for my reference and because there's nothing else to take up space in the blog posts. The difference from last year is that I'm starting this in mid-June (as last year I had rather a lot to post about in mid-June...).

Complete AP English III summer assignment.

Complete AP Environmental Science summer assignment.

Complete AP US History summer assignment.

Yeah, three summer assignments this year. I can tell this is going to be a real fun school year.

Clean up this room

Actually, I don't have much to clean in this room. Just shove some things into the corner, and I'm done.

Clean up my room

Yeah, my room's possibly even messier than last year.

Clean the bathrooms

Complete hockey shrine

Never did get around to this last year.

I think that's it, for now. Like last year I will keep my loyal readers updated, because I know you're just so interested in my Summer To Do List.