Matt Karash: Tue practice notes/Best source for real-time Canes info/The Russian circus

do you think murphy will make the team? i honestly think he is too soft on defense and will be more of a liability this season

do you think murphy will make the team? i honestly think he is too soft on defense and will be more of a liability this season
- jerbear53

Your eyes assessed Murphy the same way my eyes did. He needs time in the AHL. Glad to hear that Semin has some chemistry with our new backup goalie.

Your eyes assessed Murphy the same way my eyes did. He needs time in the AHL. Glad to hear that Semin has some chemistry with our new backup goalie.
- Barbecued Hockey

yeah, im not too worried about the offense, i believe hainsey and sekera may not be great offensivley but i think they can get the job done.

Your eyes assessed Murphy the same way my eyes did. He needs time in the AHL. Glad to hear that Semin has some chemistry with our new backup goalie.
- Barbecued Hockey

I am on record as thinking that he needed time to round out defensively. I have not seen anything that has made me consider changing my mind. He looks phenomenal carrying the puck in drills/open ice situations. The real checkpoint for me is how he looks in real competition. Per my write-up on it, I do not think he looked great in Sunday's scrimmage. He should get another round of real hockey tomorrow night in the preseason game.

I think some people are way over-focused on the size issue. That is not it. It is the complicated decision-making especially for an offense-leaning defenseman. It is not at all uncommon for young players with skill to have the switch stuck on "go" because at all previous levels they were elite scorers despite being defensemen, and they also had the ability to skate themselves out of trouble. The transition is to be able to quickly calculate on the fly when to push for offense and when to play percentages and live to fight another day. Same split second decision-making is required to play defense (especially off the rush) without the puck. When can you step up? Which of 2 guys do you go to if they cross at the blue line? Etc.

So I continue to think that Ryan Murphy has a place in the NHL someday even if it ends up being as a good 3rd pairing defenseman who can create offense/play PP, but I also continue to think that his this place is not in 2013-14 except possibly as an injury fill in.

With all due respect to Murphy, he is still a young kid thats needs more seasoning at the AHL level. His defensive game with and without the puck, as Matt has already mentioned, is the issue. Its also unfair of many to think he's ready for NHL competition. As many of us know.... it does take often, a bit longer for some players to round into a solid NHL defensemen. His potential is the upside, we just need to be patient with him, IMHO.

With all due respect to Murphy, he is still a young kid thats needs more seasoning at the AHL level. His defensive game with and without the puck, as Matt has already mentioned, is the issue. Its also unfair of many to think he's ready for NHL competition. As many of us know.... it does take often, a bit longer for some players to round into a solid NHL defensemen. His potential is the upside, we just need to be patient with him, IMHO.
- CappyJr.

i could not agree more and i don't know why they are forcing this, even though pitkanen went, i believe this is the best defensive unit that we have had in years

I believe this is the best defensive unit that we have had in years

I'm quite optimistic about this new set of D too. I really like the Hainsey, Sekera and Komisarek additions. Should definitely be tougher to play against, and minus the offensive minded leanings of Corvo and McBain, the Canes' are in better shape than last year's start.

I'd to see them get Meszaros or Grossman from Philly for added D insurance. It may prove to be too challenging from a cost/salary perspective, though.

I'm quite optimistic about this new set of D too. I really like the Hainsey, Sekera and Komisarek additions. Should definitely be tougher to play against, and minus the offensive minded leanings of Corvo and McBain, the Canes' are in better shape than last year's start.

I'd to see them get Meszaros or Grossman from Philly for added D insurance. It may prove to be too challenging from a cost/salary perspective, though.
- CappyJr.

Pending the results of the 4-game run that starts tomorrow, I think I am ready to go with what we have at least to start the season and save the financial flexibility until it is clearer where best to spend it. The problem with Mezsaros is $. He is a $4M cap hit, but his actual salary (which matters for the Canes) is a whopping $5.5M. Grossman is a 3-year commitment at a fairly expensive $3.5M, so you would need to be sold on the fact that he is part of the longer-term answer. The player who is more interesting is Tom Gilbert. He is a pretty good right shot offensive, puck-moving power play capable defenseman who can skate. If Hainsey was $2M, how much is Gilbert now for a 1-year deal? If his price starts to dip below $2M, his price starts to line up okay with a 3rd pairing/depth type of role.