I will also put 1-2 of these out on Twitter with #RandomCanesComments. Any hockey desperates who cannot believe real hockey is STILL >1 month away willing to play on Twitter if not in the comments here?
On a slow hockey day in August, here are 5 random Canes thoughts.
#1-With the new direction blue line that is lighter on the puck-moving defensemen, the Canes could use a Cory Stillman. Stillman gets credit for the more obvious things that he was incredibly good at like playmaking, scoring, power play proficiency, general hockey smarts, etc. But a more subtle thing that he did better than any other Canes forward in history is creating short outlet passes for defenseman that somehow simultaneously made for short, easy passing outlets for Canes defensemen and changing angles after receipt of the puck that briefly opened seams to quickly move the puck up the ice before defenseman and forechecking forwards could reposition. Remember that 2005-06 was the first season that allowed the 2-line pass. Remember too that the Canes were similarly light on puck-carrying/puck-moving defenseman. Wesley-no; Wallin-no; Commodore-no; AWard-no; Hedican-he could skate but was not at all a pure puck mover; FKaberle-to some degree he was the only one. Yet the first half of the 2005-06 season saw Eric Staal and ErikCole streaking over the blue line for breakaway chances at a pace that would have seen both players reach 40 goals had Cole not been injured. How? It was Cory Stillman. It was Stillman’s ability to take tiny passes (many literally 15 feet), quickly find or create a passing lane and spring spring a rushing Cole or Staal. A combination like Komisarek/Harrison could use some help moving the puck out of its own end. And the Canes lineup that leans speed over size could benefit from some ice-stretching playmaking to speed the game up.
#2-Jiri Tlusty excelled with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin because of 2 reasons: 1) He could think the game as fast as Staal and especially Semin could play it; 2) He trusted. By trusted I mean that he consistently went to the right place on the ice where a scoring chance could happen regardless of probability of the puck getting there. The fanciest example of this was Semin’s through his legs, through the defender’s legs blind pass for my Canes play of the year. Had Tlusty stopped to consider where the passing lane was, if a pass was possible or anything like that he would have pulled up and never bothered to go to the net. This is the best example, but he consistently did his job and did not concern himself with how or sometimes when the puck would arrive.
#3-The 3 players I watch most closely in the 1st scrimmage and preseason game are: #1-Lindholm: Are the Canes brass right that he is NHL-ready at 18-years old? Nicklas Backstrom took 1 more year in the Swedish Elite League before joining the NHL; #2-Victor Rask: Will the team move him to wing and can he adjust quickly; #3-Brock McGinn: Can he transition his physical/puck-dogging style to the NHL ahead of schedule. Both of these players are on trajectories to be NHLers probably 1-3 years out, but I think their style of play and potential ceilings are higher than the other options if they can accelerate their NHL adjustment. The first couple game situations should show pretty clearly whether there is a chance for either McGinn or Rask to make an early jump or if it is just premature wishful thinking.
#4-How long until this team wishes it had Jussi Jokinen as a forward option? The team could use another experienced upfront penalty killer. The team could use another 2-way wing with offensive ability for either the 3rd or 4th line. The team could use a veteran influence who can play a heady game to slot next to Lindholm. I realize that Jokinen just did not work out last season, but for only $2.1M above the $900k that the Canes are supposedly picking up anyway (source CapGeek). Even coming off a rough 2012-13 season, you cannot beat his combination of talent, versatility and experience.
#5-2013-14 is a key season for Tim Gleason. With Jay Harrison and Mike Komisarek currently slotted for the bottom pairing, there is no room at the inn to put another big, physical defenseman to be sheltered a bit from the difficult minutes against the other teams’ best lines. Even if there was room, the bottom pairing cannot hold his $4M+ salary anyway. For the Canes defense-lite (salary-wise) approach to work, Gleason must regain his top 4 form.
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