Red & Black Hockey

Canes re-sign LaRose

by David Lee on 07/02/09 at 08:12 PM ET
Comments (0)

After a couple of rough days, the Hurricanes and Chad LaRose have finally come to terms. This is a two-year deal worth a total of $3.4M, Sharpie will make $1.5M in 2009-10 and $1.9M in 2010-11.

Perhaps LaRose found the market to be not as awesome as he figured it might be. Frankly, I’m surprised that he wasn’t snatched up quickly. I guess this ends any speculation about signing any forwards out of free agency.

Anyone who watched the Eastern Conference final series would say that LaRose was Carolina’s best skater in that series. In fact, he was one of Carolina’s best players throughout the playoffs. He finished the postseason with 11 points (4/7) points in 18 games. In the regular season, he set a new career best with 19 goals and tied his career best with 12 assists for a new career best of 31 points in 81 games played.

The rugged, versatile forward is much more than a utility guy who will do a good job as a top six fill-in. He’s a great teammate, a great guy in the room and a very popular player with the fans.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, free+agency,

Canes busy trying to replace LaRose

by David Lee on 07/01/09 at 10:45 PM ET
Comments (6)

After a rollercoaster couple of days when we were told that the Hurricanes and Chad LaRose were miles apart, then told that they were getting close, we’ve now been told that it’s over. Jim Rutherford put his final, final, totally final, absolutely final offer on the table earlier this afternoon. LaRose’s agent said that they would call Rutherford back “in an hour”.

Rutherford’s phone still ain’t ringing. He assumes that it still ain’t LaRose. He assumes that LaRose has something else working and he claims that the Canes are working on signing someone else. There’s no indication of who it might be, but I suspect that Mike Zigomanis might find his way back to Raleigh before the dust settles. The Penguins have parted ways with him (and also with defenseman Rob Scuderi). ---->EDIT<---- I should apologize for jumping the gun here. While the Pens have decided to move on without Mike Zigomanis, they have NOT made that decision about Rob Scuderi. The only thing they have done is allowed him to enter the free agent market, where he remains unsigned. They’re still trying to iron out a deal with him, and although some reports indicate that the Penguins are going to look elsewhere, they haven’t given up on those negotiations.

I had a few guys on my wish list, and they’re already gone.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, free+agency,

Erik Cole re-signs for hometeam discount

by David Lee on 07/01/09 at 06:48 PM ET
Comments (1)

Even though it seemed like the Erik Cole chapter was finally over, it continues. Today, the Hurricanes and Erik Cole agreed to terms on a two year deal that will pay him $2.8M in 2009-10 and $3M in 2010-11. The 30-year old right wing was paid $4M in 2008-09.

I gave up on him a long time ago, and I’ve written in a number of ways and on a number of times that I’m not a big fan of his anymore. Now I’ll be forced to either stand my ground or eat my hat. Honestly, I hope I’ll be eating my hat, but either way it’s a good sign that he agreed to take a pretty significant pay cut.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Cole,

Still no progress with Canes UFAs

by David Lee on 06/30/09 at 10:06 PM ET
Comments (5)

Today is the last day for teams to re-sign their potential UFAs before they enter the market at noon on Wednesday. Everyone in Raleigh was hoping that an announcement would come that the team had come to terms with Chad LaRose. It didn’t. As expected, there was also no announcement about Erik Cole. Jim Rutherford has made it clear that he will not initiate any more negotiations with them. He has put “final offers” on the table. Ryan Bayda has also declined Carolina’s “final offer” and will test the free agent market. Although no doors are permanently shut and no bridges are burned, this has ruffled Jim Rutherford’s feathers.

“If they go into tomorrow then they’re obviously making the choice to go somewhere else,” he said. “We’ve given our best offer within our budget to try to keep them, and at this point it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”

Contrast that quote with one about Jussi Jokinen, which I’ll point to later in this post.

Rutherford has also pledged not to be aggressive in the FA market and might wait until August to sign anyone. He went as far as to tell Puck Daddy that the only thing he’d be signing on July 1 would be a birthday card to his cousin. ...

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, Erik+Cole, free+agency,

Hurricanes re-sign Jokinen

by David Lee on 06/29/09 at 06:54 PM ET
Comments (0)

On Monday, the Hurricanes agreed to terms with forward Jussi Jokinen on a two-year deal. He will earn $1.5M in 2009-10 and &1.9M in 2010-11.

This is a huge coup for the Canes, as they have saved a bit of money by signing him before he became a RFA on Wednesday.

Jokinen made $1.875 last season, and was one of many casualties in Tampa. He joined the Hurricanes in February after a trade sent Wade Brookbank, Josef Melichar and a fourth round pick in this year’s draft to the Lightning. Brookbank and Melichar were pieces of garbage, so this was really a fourth round pick for Jokinen.

The 26-year old Finn, who is no relation to Olli Jokinen, scored just one goal and ten assists in 25 regular season games for the Hurricanes. Not counted in those stats was a shootout winner against the Sabres. He was a stud in the playoffs, scoring seven goals and adding four assists for a total of eleven points in 18 postseason games played. Of those seven postseason goals, three were game-winners, including the game four winner against New Jersey with 00:00.2 showing on the clock.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Jussi+Jokinen,

Canes start big, stay big in draft.

by David Lee on 06/27/09 at 09:19 PM ET
Comments (2)

Jim Rutherford promised that the Canes would add some size and some toughness this weekend. There was some speculation that any number of trades might go down, but none did. For the first time since I can remember, the Hurricanes got a big man with every one of their draft picks. There’s always a run of 5’10” Ontario-born skaters, and a Michigander or two, but there was none of that this draft.
I already commented about the unusual selection of a French-Canadian. I’m still not sure why the Canes didn’s select Carter Ashton with the 27th pick. Their selection, Philippe Paradis, probably would have still been available at 51. I’m not sure who was driving the crazy train there, and I hope that all of us doubting Thomases will be proven wrong about this. From then on, there were some good picks, even if they continued to be unusual ones.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink

Canes go off the board with Paradis

by David Lee on 06/27/09 at 10:53 AM ET
Comments (0)

In the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Hurricanes went “off-board”, selecting a player that nobody really expected to go in the first round. With Carter Ashton, Zach Budish and Landon Ferraro still available, the Hurricanes selected center/left wing Philippe Paradis from the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. This is an unusual pick in a number of ways, not the least of which is that he’s French-Canadian.

While the Hurricanes are disposed to pick North American players in the first round, they very seldomly pick a player from La Belle Province. In fact, the Hurricanes have never selected a Quebeccer in the first round. The Whale drafted J-S Giguere 13th overall in 1995

Paradis helps to fill one of Carolina’s needs, which is size. Jim Rutherford made it known that the Hurricanes were going to get a player with some size this weekend, whether through the draft or via trade. Paradis stands 6’2” and is 195 pounds, but he’s just 18 years old and will probably fill out (and possibly grow) some more. He registered 50 (19/31) points in 64 regular season games for the Cataractes this season. He also had 12 (6/6) points in 21 postseason games, going to the finals of the President Cup playoffs.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: 2009+Entry+Draft, Carolina+Hurricanes, Philippe+Paradis,

Canes not making any progress with UFAs

by David Lee on 06/26/09 at 12:04 AM ET
Comments (3)

According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the Hurricanes aren’t making any progress in their efforts to get UFAs Chad LaRose and Erik Cole re-signed before the July 1 date when they can enter the market. I’m fully supportive of any and all efforts to keep LaRose in Raleigh, but I’m not convinced that Cole should stay on board.

Nobody is surprised by this development, though. Erik Cole has always been a bear to work with when it comes time for contract negotiations. He was already overpaid at $4M, and despite all of his “Rah, rah, I love it in Raleigh” talk, he’s doing the same thing he always does. In my mind, I had already figured him out of the equation anyway, so I’m not going to lose sleep over it.

If Cole isn’t around, this might make room for the addition of a veteran right winger from free agency. I’ve heard a rumor that I haven’t seen in print and I’m completely unable to substantiate, but it’s one that I kind of like…

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink

Seidenberg not in Canes future

by David Lee on 06/22/09 at 08:20 PM ET
Comments (7)

Today the news came that defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, scheduled to become an UFA on July 1, will most likely not be back in Raleigh this fall. According to the News & Observer, the Canes won’t be willing to pay him what he thinks he’s worth. Jim Rutherford had this to say:

“Based on my conversation with his agent, and where they think he’s at, he’s a long way out of our reach.

The 27-year-old German has spent the last two and a half seasons with Carolina after coming over when the Hurricanes traded Kevyn Adams to the ~~Hamilton~~ ... ~~Kansas City~~… Phoenix Coyotes in January of 2007. He put up career bests in goals, assists, points, games played. He also managed to stay, for the most part, injury free.

This, coupled with another possible exiting blueliner, means that Carolina’s defense will have a different look next season, and they’re probably gonna have to break tradition and become a buyer in the free agent market.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Dennis+Seidenberg, Frantisek+Kaberle, free+agency., Rob+Scuderi,

Chairman Mo gets three more years

by David Lee on 06/15/09 at 07:06 PM ET
Comments (0)

On Monday, the Hurricanes finally made the announcement that we all knew was coming. Paul Maurice has officially been signed to a new three year deal to coach the Hurricanes. Ron Francis will be retained as an associate coach and will be the Director of Player Development. None of this should be a surprise to anyone.

Carolina will now get to working on getting some of those forwards re-signed. And on looking for a cheap alternative to Erik Cole. Jim Rutherford has done a good job picking up quality stuff out of the bargain bin over the last few years. He has also always worked with a limited budget well below the upper limit of the salary cap. This will naturally preclude going after a big dollar free agent. To clarify my stance from yesterday’s post, my opinion is that the Hurricanes won’t be big players in the FA market. I wish they would get a top notch winger for Staal, but I know that the reality of it is that they won’t be spending big dollars.

Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Paul+Maurice,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next »

Page rendered in 0.8814 seconds
Total Entries: 35646
Total Comments: 158371
Total Members: 1910
Total Logged in members: 5
Total guests: 191
Total anonymous users: 1
The most visitors ever was 1347 on 02/26/2008 03:41 pm

About Red & Black Hockey

David Lee is a restaurant manager with an unused degree in political science. He can be found at Carolina Hurricanes games, Scrabble tournaments and indie-rock shows. Sometimes, all in the same day.

David has contributed to CBC.ca for their Stanley Cup playoff coverage in 2006 and to the New York Times Slapshot blog for theirs in 2008. Red and Black Hockey was founded in July of 2005.