Confirmed with Link: Canes sign Calvin de Haan 4 years 18.2M

[Anton Babchuk]

Ya know, even with the wonder twins — Jaccob & Brett — our defense wasn’t all that great last year. Maybe having an average D will cause us to see better goaltending, who knows. Darling still has issues with his mechanics, but stranger things have happened...right?

I’m delusional, I know.

Hanifin-Faulk replaced with De Haan-Hamilton is a massive upgrade.

I'd love to replace Fleury with an actual NHL defenseman instead of pretending he's one because he was drafted 7th overall. Enstrom?

 

[Lempo]

Apparently I was wrong in suspecting that Enstrom would be heading for Sweden now:

Tobias Enstrom is focused on remaining in the NHL next season | Illegal Curve Hockey

Today at the NHL Entry Draft in Dallas Chris Johnston of Sportsnet indicated “Toby Enstrom is focused on remaining in the NHL next season. He’s feeling healthy after a long playoff run and will test the open market after 719 games with the Jets/Thrashers organization.”.
Further to that Pierre LeBrun of TSN added that Enstrom has new representation with Dan Milstein and Keith McKittrick of Gold Star Sports Management

 

[Vagrant]

Hanifin-Faulk replaced with De Haan-Hamilton is a massive upgrade.

I'd love to replace Fleury with an actual NHL defenseman instead of pretending he's one because he was drafted 7th overall. Enstrom?

i would imagine there has been some serious consideration regarding fleury. the positive is that van riemsdyk really elevated his game with fleury on the ice. he babysat him nicely.

 

[Vagrant]

it's actually interesting to think about the timing of the moves. it seems like carolina used their window of arbitration with tvr in order to see if they could get de haan done, which would complete the defense. they needed to swap out a lhd for a rhd in order to move faulk out and balance the pairs.

it's also a factor that when considering fleury's most common linemates were faulk and van riemsdyk, we have a pretty clear insight into who is on the way out based on how awful the former was with him. i feel pretty strongly that the organization wants to clear faulk sooner than later but the karlsson saga might be clogging up the works. the fact that the de haan contract got done and then we magically found a number that made sense to tvr seems less than coincidental.

 

[SeaBasstian]

Please Ottawa....just get your damn deal done and trade EK so we can get our underwhelming return on Faulk already

 

[StiffSquid]

Enström plays about 40 games a year. He also takes dumb penalties

 

[GoldiFox]

I have no problem bringing in Enstrom on a 1 year deal to act as Dahlbeck did last year (spelling Fleury ever 4-5 games).

Last year the defense was good on paper and sucked on ice. I think that was because 1) they were very young and inexeperienced and 2) Hanifin and Faulk both needed the same type of 2nd pairing safety net.

Fleury should have spent the year as a #6/7 learning the ropes from a veteran D corps but instead was thrust onto the 2nd pair because he was simply a better defender than Hanifin. No need to throw the baby out with the bath water with regards to Fleury during this transition. Let him spend the year on the 3rd pairing with TVR and gain some experience.

Hell Haydn Fleury might be the best LHD (and best D behind Petry) on the Montreal Canadiens right now with Shea Weber out. That’s the story for a number of teams. Here we are complaining about whether or not he can be a solid #6.

These issues are peanuts to an elephant in comparison to the goaltending dumpster fire. Canes would be better off spending that D money on bringing in another 2-3 goalies to compete with our current SPHL all-star and Uncle “Back in the early 2010s I was a the best dang goalie prospect in the world” Rico

 

[Lempo]

Please Ottawa....just get your damn deal done and trade EK so we can get our underwhelming return on Faulk already

Counterpoint: as EK trade is dragged, some mid-process dropout may move to get the second best thing from CAR before the rush and pay little extra to secure a timely trade.

 

[SeaBasstian]

Counterpoint: as EK trade is dragged, some mid-process dropout may move to get the second best thing from CAR before the rush and pay little extra to secure a timely trade.

Nice point playing devils' advocate here. Obviously there was a bit of sarcasm in my post (even though I didnt include the ) but yeah. im just ready to know what our haul is gonna be. Im getting impatient a little haha

 

[tarheelhockey]

Have to think that Faulk is the odd man out here. They committed long term to Pesce at a lower number, and he gave them a solid season. Meanwhile Faulk is already making more money, is probably looking for a raise, and has underwhelmed. I can’t think of an angle where it makes sense to do anything but clear out Faulk.

 

[bleedgreen]

I’m curious to see the new d without him to be honest. When we removed Rask and put Lindy at center we looked like a new team, and I expect a similar result here.

I imagine he’d still look good on the third pair, it I agree he clearly seems the odd man out. Unless they’re more annoyed by TVR’s raise then with Faulks play.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Have to think that Faulk is the odd man out here. They committed long term to Pesce at a lower number, and he gave them a solid season. Meanwhile Faulk is already making more money, is probably looking for a raise, and has underwhelmed. I can’t think of an angle where it makes sense to do anything but clear out Faulk.

I would think the angle would be if Pesce returned someone like Nylander and Faulk didn’t. Even if they need to move on from Faulk too to pay Hamilton eventually they still have Hamilton-TVR-McKeown-Fox-Martin.

 

[Moosetache]

I'll be really interested to see what Faulk's next contract looks like, assuming he has a similar season this year as his last couple. Of course if he goes somewhere and puts up 50 points and is only a -5/-10 this question will mean nothing.

I also cant wait to see what the contracts look like for Lindholm and Hanifin. That has the potential to make me feel even better about that trade. I won't feel bad either way, but I could feel way better. Has there been any talk about Hanifin extension? I saw Lindy opted for arbitration.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I have no problem bringing in Enstrom on a 1 year deal to act as Dahlbeck did last year (spelling Fleury ever 4-5 games).

Last year the defense was good on paper and sucked on ice. I think that was because 1) they were very young and inexeperienced and 2) Hanifin and Faulk both needed the same type of 2nd pairing safety net.

Along with them being young/inexperienced, I think part of it was the system played. Peters had them playing very tight gaps in the neutral zone, pinching aggressively in the offensive zone, and always skating/making plays with the puck in the defensive zone. It was great for possession, but to excel at it, players needed to have very good lateral movement (transitions), good ability with the puck, and excel at decision making. I'm not suggesting that the team should just throw it along the boards or dump it in the zone all the time, but playing that style leave defensemen and goalies exposed a lot. A bad bounce, a turn-over, a bad read, etc...and suddenly it's a solid scoring chance against. It will be interesting to see how aggressively Brindy plays his defensemen since Smith is still the defensive assistant.

I think Calgary will have more success with it as their D is more experienced and they are a stronger OA team as well.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I would think the angle would be if Pesce returned someone like Nylander and Faulk didn’t. Even if they need to move on from Faulk too to pay Hamilton eventually they still have Hamilton-TVR-McKeown-Fox-Martin.

I’d feel a lot more comfortable with that plan if McKeown had taken the next step, but I feel like he’s still AHL fodder at this point. Seems like keeping Faulk (or acquiring another decent RHD in process) would be pretty important.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I also cant wait to see what the contracts look like for Lindholm and Hanifin. That has the potential to make me feel even better about that trade. I won't feel bad either way, but I could feel way better. Has there been any talk about Hanifin extension? I saw Lindy opted for arbitration.

I still think the contract stuff on Hanifin/Lindy was a bit of a smoke screen from Waddell and co.

We have to remember that while his cap hit is $4.8M, Faulk is making $6M in actual salary last year and this year. If last season was more of an blip (which I think it was) and he rebounds, I think he'll get at least that, if not more, come his next contract as someone will pay that.

 

[Moosetache]

Well, assuming that is true BBA, I'm very much hoping its another team that pays him 6 mil. I want to be nowhere near that. That has Seabrook written all over it.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I’d feel a lot more comfortable with that plan if McKeown had taken the next step, but I feel like he’s still AHL fodder at this point. Seems like keeping Faulk (or acquiring another decent RHD in process) would be pretty important.

I agree it wouldn’t be ideal. But in this reality they actually have a complete top 6 forward group, and a RH shooter which they are really lacking.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Well, assuming that is true BBA, I'm very much hoping its another team that pays him 6 mil. I want to be nowhere near that. That has Seabrook written all over it.

It depends how he plays the next 2 years for sure. There are 31 defensemen in the NHL right now making $6M in actual salary. Given where the salary cap is going, I would expect there to be even more when Faulk becomes a UFA in 2 years and as we know, UFAs usually get overpaid.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Didn't McKeown kind of have a pretty strong season in Charlotte this past year and take a pretty positive step, after struggling his 1st year? He may still end up being a career AHLr, but I thought what I had read was he had a very strong season, or am I mistaken?

 

[DaveG]

Didn't McKeown kind of have a pretty strong season in Charlotte this past year and take a pretty positive step, after struggling his 1st year? He may still end up being a career AHLr, but I thought what I had read was he had a very strong season, or am I mistaken?

No you're right about that. He had a good first stint with the Canes this season as well, though he was pretty invisible the other more extended look he had. Though being a defenseman being invisible isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[SlavinAway]

No you're right about that. He had a good first stint with the Canes this season as well, though he was pretty invisible the other more extended look he had. Though being a defenseman being invisible isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I would say being invisible is the best compliment you can give to a defensive defenseman.

 

[geehaad]

Just because your history with drugs has dented your ability to retain memory doesn't mean he was invisible.

Three assists in 10 games and stood up for teammate. Not nothing.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I see De Haan is already on IR (from the roster on the Canes website).

 

[MinJaBen]

I see De Haan is already on IR (from the roster on the Canes website).

Wow, already breaking records! Wisniewski's aquisition to IR record doesn't even come close.