A change for the better
by Kurt Dusterberg
Erik Cole followed the cash to Montreal.
That works for me.
Joe Corvo politely asked out of Carolina, and the Hurricanes provided a soft landing with the Stanley Cup champs in Boston.
Good luck, Joe. No hard feelings.
Don't get me wrong, I thought both players were real assets to the Hurricanes last season. I would have gladly welcomed them back.
But someone had to go, and I'm not picky.
I'm also not being derisive. I just believe that change is good in professional sports.
That's not always an easy notion to accept. Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford has a soft spot for his returning players, particularly those who have had a hand in the Hurricanes' success.
"Maybe it's one of my shortcomings, that I err on the side of loyalty and don't make as many changes in the offseason as some teams," Rutherford told me. "But this year we did."
Did they ever. Carolina signed five players in the first days of free agency. The last time the Canes wrote checks like this, they won the Stanley Cup.
That's not to say that Brian Boucher, Tim Brent, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Anthony Stewart and Tomas Kaberle will have the Canes hoisting the Cup again. But they will write a different script from last year's team.
And let's be honest about the 2010-11 Hurricanes. That team tapped every ounce out if its potential. Cam Ward had his best season, the key offensive players had typical years, and rookie Jeff Skinner exceeded every expectation with 31 goals. The whole team remained remarkably healthy too. And yet, after 82 games, it was still a near-miss playoff team.
That's why you don't bring back the same cast. We've seen that show. We know how it ends.
Success in the NHL is a year-to-year proposition. Motivation does not carry over from one season to the next. We saw that after the Canes won the Cup in 2006, then again after their deep playoff run in 2009. Each season requires its own story line, each roster its own personality.
Had Cole and Corvo returned, next season's team would have looked pretty similar to last season's team. And players are no different than fans — they go home for the summer hoping the team will sign a few guys to get them over the hump. Playing the same hand two years in a row is a pretty big psychological hurdle, if nothing else.
Will the Free Agent Five make Carolina a playoff team? I don't know. But there will be new possibilities this fall. Coach Paul Maurice will have two elite puck movers on the blueline with Kaberle and Joni Pitkanen. He will set his lines with a couple net-crashing forwards in Ponikarovsky and Stewart. He will even have a backup goaltender who can give Ward a strategic breather.
But that's just the beginning. Eric Staal will get new linemates in September. Maybe one of the youngsters (Zac Dalpe? Zach Boychuk? Ryan Murphy?) will be the talk of the league. Kaberle could provide the missing ingredient on the power play.
Among the free agents signees, only Kaberle comes with an elite resume. Ponikarovsky is a 50-point, two-way forward when healthy, but he scored just five goals last year while battling injuries. Stewart is a former first-rounder who put up a career-best 39 points last season in Atlanta. Prior to that, however, he scored just four goals in 105 NHL games.
The Hurricanes are clearly hoping the two forwards can find their form here. Whether they can make up for Cole's production is another issue. Realistically, the Hurricanes still need an established right wing.
But for now, it doesn't matter really. It's a new team. New combinations will produce different results. Think back to last spring when Cory Stillman returned to Carolina at the trade deadline. He energized the top line with his breakout passes, and he added a playmaker to the power play. That one lineup change rippled through the entire offense.
But that was last year. The 2011-12 Hurricanes are a new model. They are bigger up front and should be a better team in transition from defense to offense.
And whether they make the playoffs or not, they will make their run with a new combination of talent, personality and temperment.
That's reason enough to look forward to a new season.
Comment by Mark Haustein on July 18, 2011 at 8:39am Comment by Doug Abrams on July 18, 2011 at 10:29pm I have stated in other posts that the law of unintended consequences has made the Hurricanes a better team without Cole and without Corvo; despite the fact I like both players. Jim Rutherford had the salary room to add Stewart and Ponikarovsky. The Hurricanes have been desperate for add players of their size, speed, and skills. Cole was excellent, and could use his speed to get to the net unlike any other Canes player due to his size and speed. Cole, however, was not gifted at battling in the crease or screening the goalie. Ponikarovsky and Stewart both are skilled in the crease battles and in creating havoc in front of the net.
In terms of right wings for Staal's line, Stewart and Ponikarovsky are candidates for that position. I also continue to read that the Rangers may buy out Wolski. Wolski has the skill set to be a first line right wing. The issue with him is whether he will maintain the consistency that is needed. I personally much prefer the team Jim Rutherford has assembled to the team with Cole and Corvo. I agree that some changes were needed by the Hurricanes to change patterns of thought and behavior.
Comment by Mark Haustein on July 19, 2011 at 12:10am 
Comment by Kurt Dusterberg on July 20, 2011 at 9:50am Mark,
Following the Canes from Texas? Now that's committment! I don't have a particular right winger in mind that the Canes should acquire, especially now that most of the key free agents have signed. But some teams remain near the salary cap, like Buffalo, and the Sabres have three quality guys on the right side. Brad Boyes is in the final year of his contract there, so he would seem like a potential fit. Jim Rutherford has told me he won't initiate trade talks at this point, but he would consider a "hockey trade" (meaning player-for-player) if someone proposed one. That makes sense to me, because the Hurricanes have so many prospects. Chances are, they won't all get an extended chance to audition in Raleigh during the regular season.
Comment by Mark Haustein on July 20, 2011 at 10:08am Comment
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