What is the #1 need for the Hurricanes right now?

[Merrrlin]

In order to take a step forward, what is the #1 need?

I think I covered everything. Obviously this is a general look at the team, so specific things like "Signing Svechnikov and Douggie don't apply".

Basically, what is the #1 improvement that would help Carolina match the Boston's and Tampa's of the East?

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[Nikishin Go Boom]

I say scoring.
We have top scoring line- check
Great shutdown line- check
Great defense- check
2nd consistent scoring line puts us over the top. Doesn’t need to be 2006 level 2nd scoring line but in the vicinity. We are getting close in comparison though.

Svech-Aho-Turbo = Cole-Staal-Stillman
???-Trocheck-Necas = Williams-Brind’Amour-Whitney

our style probably will not have a Vezina caliber goalie because we give up so many HDCA. But our D and even good goalies will keep us in every game. Just need that scoring to put us over the top.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Improved toughness etc.

The scoring will improve naturally with some of the young stars....Aho, Svech, TT and Necas especially. The supporting cast continues to evolve but Trocheck is a nice addition.

Goaltending is *fine,* not ideal but they’re in the category of good enough. Could use another prospect in the system tho.

D is stacked. Perhaps have too many legit players to achieve ideal chemistry, meaning it’s never a good idea to rotate players in a playoff series without injury. You want a solid, established top 6 where everyone knows exactly where they slot.

But overall “team pushback” is lacking...which is ironic given the coach AND the way we’ve seen him talk in the locker room about playing for each other, family, etc. Clearly they’re a tight group...maybe tighter last year tho? Lots of change over the past year.

Just a couple of harder-nosed players. Don’t have to be top 6 forwards...well maybe one. But, a couple of bastards would really help the overall team composition.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

A 2nd line driver, preferably center, that closes the offensive skill gap. In other words, the development of Martin Necas.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Just a couple of harder-nosed players. Don’t have to be top 6 forwards...well maybe one. But, a couple of bastards would really help the overall team composition.

Yes yes yes yes yes.

A Roberts/Walker/Simmonds/Ferland type of guy would go a long way. Somebody who can play and isn't afraid to lay the boom.

 

[spockBokk]

The current 20-21 Canes need:

- Trocheck to be a consistent 20g, 30a guy

-Necas to learn how to play NHL defense

-Gardiner and Staal to remember how to hockey

-a healthy Brett Pesce

-Teravainen to shoot more

-Geekie/Cotton/other prospect to provide some 3rd and 4th line scoring

-Consistency in their stars-Aho, Svechnikov and Hamilton

The potential 20-21 Canes need:

-to shave some salary from the left side of their blue-line

-a reliable 3rd pair D to play with Fleury, preferably a righty

-a better than average NHL goalie

-a 2nd line threat (could end up this is Trocheck)

-Jake Bean to force his way onto the team

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Yes yes yes yes yes.

A Roberts/Walker/Simmonds/Ferland type of guy would go a long way. Somebody who can play and isn't afraid to lay the boom.

Pass. We have those players. That isn’t our style anymore. Maybe we should ramp it up in the playoffs but we are trying to avoid penalties

 

[DaveG]

Improved toughness etc.

The scoring will improve naturally with some of the young stars....Aho, Svech, TT and Necas especially. The supporting cast continues to evolve but Trocheck is a nice addition.

Goaltending is *fine,* not ideal but they’re in the category of good enough. Could use another prospect in the system tho.

D is stacked. Perhaps have too many legit players to achieve ideal chemistry, meaning it’s never a good idea to rotate players in a playoff series without injury. You want a solid, established top 6 where everyone knows exactly where they slot.

But overall “team pushback” is lacking...which is ironic given the coach AND the way we’ve seen him talk in the locker room about playing for each other, family, etc. Clearly they’re a tight group...maybe tighter last year tho? Lots of change over the past year.

Just a couple of harder-nosed players. Don’t have to be top 6 forwards...well maybe one. But, a couple of bastards would really help the overall team composition.

I think it's a combination of scoring and grit that we need. We just need that one piece, and maybe that piece ends up being Geekie or Rees, but we need a guy that can play that kind of greasy style that works against teams like Boston and that they have in spades. We have skill, what we don't have is guys that can take a beating and give it back to them while still being offensively effective. Give me another Roberts or Cole any day of the week.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Fredrik Andersen.

 

[Chrispy]

I think there is a need for another goal scorer. There are 5 good top 6 forwards right now. Either Svech is on 1st or 2nd line, the other needs a sniper or a net front guy to give the that line another threat.

A big body who can score in front of the net would be ideal.

 

[Unsustainable]

A healthy Ferland type player

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

A healthy Ferland type player

Virtanen

 

[MinJaBen]

Consistent goaltending. Wasn’t the problem against Boston, but a more consistent goaltending duo gets us into a higher seed and then we aren’t playing Boston.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Beating a dead horse where as this is all I’ve posted about since we lost to Boston but here we go again...

LW to play on the top line who is physical, has good bird play/puck retrieval skills and can score goals in front of the net. RH and speedy enough to keep up with the wonder Finns is a plus.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Virtanen

Yes, but instead of him think someone better.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Yes, but instead of him think someone better.

Better how? He is putting up Ferland like numbers while only playing 13-14 minutes a game.

also, like who?

 

[WreckingCrew]

I went with goaltending...not because our G tandem isn't "fine" (and sometimes really good)...nor do I think it would have helped us in the playoffs against Boston this year. BUT, we literally have NOTHING after this upcoming season, a bleak UFA crop next offseason compared to this year, prospects who will be 2-5 years out at best, and a bad track record of trading for "potential" starters. It's also theoretically the hardest hole to fill.

2nd I'll go with some "toughness/grit/physicality"...we just don't have it outside Svech and Fleury and occasional snarls from other guys. Staal is worthless in spite of his size. When the going gets tough, we get turtling and pulling back. We need a few guys who aren't afraid to get dirty and throw their weight around and finish their checks. They don't have to be fighters or skill-less goons, just guys who can be physical when needed.

3rd is another Top 6 player...only reason it ranks here is because we have guys who COULD be that IF they'd pull their heads out of their @$$es or get their **** together. Trocheck looked like one of the few really hungry players in the Boston series, he was TRYING to make things happen. Not sure if he couldn't because he was alone trying to do things, still learning the system, or he's just lost that "something" that allows him to capitalize. Dzingel and Nino also could/should be those complimentary guys contributing 40-50 points, but this year they just weren't, and they didn't provide much when they weren't scoring. Necas just needs to get stronger on his skates and get some guys on his line and he'll be a good cog on a 2nd line in a few years...might still be best on a 3rd line while he develops.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Better how? He is putting up Ferland like numbers while only playing 13-14 minutes a game.

also, like who?

Im just not a Virtanen fan. I lived in Vancouver for 3 years and they kept hyping him up year after year and it was nothing but disappointment. He lacks the IQ to play with the Finns in my opinion. I know the 3rd wheel on that line doesn’t need to be prime Larionov or something but Virtanen has always just seemed like a guy who had trouble doing the simple things to make the most of his physical tools. Admittedly I haven’t watched him a ton lately so maybe he’s figured things out more.

I don’t think the perfect player to fit on the first line exists in the UFA market but there are trade options that I think would be worth looking into. Might even allow us to move someone out and do a neutral salary swap or something like that in the process.

Not all of these guys are in the same mold or same age so cost to acquire will definitely vary but these are players I would be interested in and could be available...

Hornqvist, Duclair, Silfverberg, Rakell, Debrincat/Saad/Shaw (something’s gotta give in Chicago), Domi, Ehlers (please dear lord make this happen), Buchnevich, Palmieri, Gusev, etc

Some of those guys are pipe dreams and some of them I’m sure their team just won’t want to move them but I think there’s enough guys out there that are potential targets to make something if the borg wants to go that route.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Lets scratch Saad, Shaw, and Domi off that list. Gusev is meh.

palmieri and ehlers. Sure. Duclair, I would be okay with. Not as physical.

if we are looking an easier to obtain RH forward that could play on the second line and has 150 hits, Virtanen is your guy.

 

[Canes]

I'm one of those who think we should get a lot tougher but actually tough good players are pretty much unicorns. There's like Tom Wilson and maybe a handful of other similar players around the league, which would cost too much in assets to acquire. GMs that go chasing those guys in UFA usually regret it big time.

We need a true #1 goalie and another actual top 6 forward and not a middle 6 tweener that plays no defense like Dzingel. As for goalie, there's no way I'm trading a 1st or extending a guy like Andersen with a big contract.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Lets scratch Saad, Shaw, and Domi off that list. Gusev is meh.

palmieri and ehlers. Sure. Duclair, I would be okay with. Not as physical.

if we are looking an easier to obtain RH forward that could play on the second line and has 150 hits, Virtanen is your guy.

I don’t want to add to the 2nd line I want a LW for the Finns.

Svech - Tro - Necas can be a deadly 2nd line rather than overloading the 1st line.

To me it’s a better balance of talent and also cap space to find a capable of maybe unspectacular player to do the dirty work with the Finns.

Also Gusev scored 1 less point than Palmieri this year. Why would you just ‘pass’ on Domi it he’s available at a reasonable ask? Chicago is in a huge cap jam and needing to sign Kubalik who will require a big big raise. Someone else will need to go so we might be able to get a good player for pennies on the dollar.

I trust the borg to spend our assets wisely but IMO right now is not the time to cheap out when trying to bolster our top 6.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I don’t want to add to the 2nd line I want a LW for the Finns.

Svech - Tro - Necas can be a deadly 2nd line rather than overloading the 1st line.

To me it’s a better balance of talent and also cap space to find a capable of maybe unspectacular player to do the dirty work with the Finns.

Also Gusev scored 1 less point than Palmieri this year. Why would you just ‘pass’ on Domi it he’s available at a reasonable ask? Chicago is in a huge cap jam and needing to sign Kubalik who will require a big big raise. Someone else will need to go so we might be able to get a good player for pennies on the dollar.

I trust the borg to spend our assets wisely but IMO right now is not the time to cheap out when trying to bolster our top 6.

Domi- wants to play center. He isn’t a brindy center.

Loading up on the top line isn’t a problem if we have a 2nd line that can score. Adding Virtanen or any 2 winger (like Duclair) should do that.

Chicago situation: saad is another Nino. Shaw: don’t know what we will get after the injury. Debrincat isn’t going anywhere.

Gusev: sure but scoring isn’t everything. He had a whole 22 hits. Give me Palmeiri on that top line any day over Gusev.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Domi- wants to play center. He isn’t a brindy center.

Loading up on the top line isn’t a problem if we have a 2nd line that can score. Adding Virtanen or any 2 winger (like Duclair) should do that.

Chicago situation: saad is another Nino. Shaw: don’t know what we will get after the injury. Debrincat isn’t going anywhere.

Gusev: sure but scoring isn’t everything. He had a whole 22 hits. Give me Palmeiri on that top line any day over Gusev.

Putting Svech on line 2 with some good players in Tro and Necas basically means there will always be two lines who are scoring threats whenever on the ice. Svech is a line driver and makes things happen. Take him off that line and put in a Virtanen, Duclair, etc I can see that line having some off nights and then if the big guns aren’t constantly firing on all cylinders you have no offence.

Aho and TT shouldn’t need a Svech caliber player to do what they need to do. Like someone said ‘a healthy Ferland type’ will do just fine.

 

[Stickpucker]

Intangibles.

 

[Penaltykiller17]

Mike Hoffman?