Depends whom they play him with. They're going to be experimenting with line combinations.
Carolina cornered themselves with this move because they didn't bring him here to pay him six million to play third line minutes. He's going to get an opportunity in their top six. If he's playing twelve minutes a night in Carolina like he was in Montreal, they're basically capping his production at 35 points and he's going to become disgruntled (again)... and again stunting his development, because players don't tend to develop much playing 12 minutes a night in roles of diminutive responsibility where they're cleaning up the power play... and doing that night after night.
Truthfully, I think Carolina was impressed by his play in the playoffs. He's one of those guys that seems to have an extra gear in important games.
They're not going to send him to the minors... not at that price anyway... so I kinda think they brought him here to play 15+ minutes a night. If they can be successful with him in their top six, then they've executed the offer sheet properly, but if they're just going to do to him what Montreal did to him, then the offer sheet was the dumbest thing they could do. If they fail with him in their top six but succeed with him in their bottom six... an interesting dynamic develops.
I believe they're going to give him time with Aho and time with Necas and see which line he fits with better. My guess is that he settles into a second line winger role, probably doesn't see that much more PP time, but his production will improve because Carolina actually has breakout players on their defence more than just Jeff Petry and an under-used Romanov.
If I had to guess, I'd say he'll put up between 35 and 55 points. If he's in the high 40s, it's a successful season and a step forward, and if I'm Brind'Amour... I look for that pace in that player... around 0.55+ ppg. If he's lower than that...and if they want to keep him, they're going to have to convince him that he's a third liner who'll slot in the top six if someone's injured. But at 21, him and the agent whispering in his ear will think he's capable of top six minutes.
