Ben Shelley: Projecting the Hurricanes’ lineup next season: Defense/Goalies

Slavin - Hamilton
Skjei - Pesce
Fleury - Vatanen
Bean

Slavin - Hamilton
Skjei - Pesce
Fleury - Vatanen
Bean
- BINGO!

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With Vatanen though, there's a good chance he'll be paid quite a bit on his next contract, probably around a $6M AAV for five or six years. I don't see the Canes committing to him as a bottom-pairing defenseman for that long and being willing to pay that much.

Gardiner is as good as Doughty, why wouldn’t he be on the top pair?

-James Tanner

What would you anticipate a deal sending Gardiner out would look like. Not saying it would be tough to move him but injury issues, and coming off a mediocre year teams may not be jumping at the but. Especially gm’s that aren’t fond of his playing style, mind you wasn’t it like a month into FA before he signed

There were several years when Gardiner outperformed Doughty. I can't say exactly which years, but there were several of them. - James Tanner

What would you anticipate a deal sending Gardiner out would look like. Not saying it would be tough to move him but injury issues, and coming off a mediocre year teams may not be jumping at the but. Especially gm’s that aren’t fond of his playing style, mind you wasn’t it like a month into FA before he signed
- RedC21

I imagine someone would be willing to pay a small price to get Gardiner- a mid-round pick and maybe a B-level prospect would be my guess.

Gardiner played every game this year so that should go quite a ways for teams who may have been afraid of injury trouble with him and hesitated to sign him last summer. He also had a very strong end to the year offensively and from Jan. 1 onwards, he was tied for 24th in the league in points by a defensemen (16 points in 28 games).

His contract is reasonable and only has three years remaining on it, so my guess is that someone would be willing to buy low on him.

Thanks for reading!

With Vatanen though, there's a good chance he'll be paid quite a bit on his next contract, probably around a $6M AAV for five or six years. I don't see the Canes committing to him as a bottom-pairing defenseman for that long and being willing to pay that much.
- Ben.Shelley

It's possible, but given his injury history and the Hurricanes situation, I think there may be an opportunity to essentially replace Gardiner with him for minimal added cost.

Gardiner is as good as Doughty, why wouldn’t he be on the top pair?

-James Tanner
- Garnie

That's more and indictment of Doughty than praise for Gardiner, imo.

Slavin - Hamilton
Skjei - Pesce
Fleury - Vatanen
Bean
- BINGO!

That's an embarrassment of riches. WOW! Would love to be set like that on the back end

That's an embarrassment of riches. WOW! Would love to be set like that on the back end
- Crushers68

Too many mid-tier guys in that group. Keep Slavin and Hamilton. Get rid of the rest. Use the cap savings to give Pietrangelo $10M+. Then sign 3 guys at $1M or less.

Slavin-Hamilton
Pietrangelo-Rundblad
Franson-some other AHL guy

That's how you win! #ELITE players.

-James Tanner

They should keep both Gardiner and Bean, since they'll lose a dman in the expansion draft. Re-assess the situation next summer depending on the player that gets picked.

Question to Canes fans...what's the deal with your beat writer for the Athletic, Sara Civian? I briefly followed her on Twitter but she seems like a nut job!?

If writing was radio, Howard Stern would be Sara's role model. She believes sock value gets more readers.