Eric Staal or Cam Ward

[djboos22]

I have not been on here for a while so most of you will be like “who is posting this??”

But this year has got me thinking, who is the most important Carolina Hurricane? Whalers not included, just the body of work during their time as a Hurricane.

IMO it’s between Eric Staal and Cam Ward, both of which are having turn back the clock years. If there is any other player up for discussion share it.

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[Unsustainable]

Cam Ward had the bigger role in winning the cup.

Eric was the face of the franchise.

 

[tarheelhockey]

If you'd asked me last year, I'd have said Staal without question.

The direction Ward has been headed this season makes it an argument.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Depends on what you mean by "most important".

Ron Francis signing here was a very important event in the Canes short history and has been here in some capacity ever since.
Rod Brind'Amour led this team to it's greatest achievement and was a great player during that time, and is also still here.
Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe for the team's greatest achievement.
Eric was the face of the franchise for many years as the team established itself.

 

[djboos22]

If you'd asked me last year, I'd have said Staal without question.

The direction Ward has been headed this season makes it an argument.

That’s the main reason why I brought this up. I have always said Staal, but Cam now has 300 wins in addition to the Conn Smythe and still being here.

I say it’s Cam at this point, but I wanted to hear a few more opinions.

 

[djboos22]

Depends on what you mean by "most important".

Ron Francis signing here was a very important event in the Canes short history and has been here in some capacity ever since.
Rod Brind'Amour led this team to it's greatest achievement and was a great player during that time, and is also still here.
Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe for the team's greatest achievement.
Eric was the face of the franchise for many years as the team established itself.

That could be up to you. I am going with Cam because of the Smythe, 300 win mark, always been a Cane, and willingness to be a backup.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Tough one. I could make a case for all of them. I'd probably would go Rod, Cam, Eric in that order, but wouldn't argue if anyone swapped the order.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

If you'd asked me last year, I'd have said Staal without question.

The direction Ward has been headed this season makes it an argument.

I agree, it changes the calculus if Ward holds up and leads the 'Canes to the playoffs.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Rod
Cam
Staal

In that order.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Eric and Rod both had a pretty good case for the Conn Smythe too, so that doesn't really sway it for me one way or the other. Really hard to say. Brindy was a part of all 3 of our long runs, so I'd probably give it to him. I think I'd still put Eric ahead of Cam. But even with all the grief I've given him in recent years, of course adding another (or perhaps multiple if he ends up being a part of future teams) playoff runs will probably tip it in Cam's favor, though not past Brindy. With that said, Cam will have been more important in that scenario, but Eric was a much better player to me.

Another thing to consider, yeah, Cam saved our bacon in the playoffs when Gerber faltered. However, we're not likely close to being in the position we were without Eric and Rod both being so outstanding that year.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think Cam's argument rests almost entirely on:

1) Does he stick it out and either retire as a Cane or at least play here until he's almost done, especially if that means getting back to the playoffs?

2) Does he add some more good seasons to his portfolio? I'd count this as one.

3) Does he add enough Ws to start developing a legacy as an all-time great goalie? He's currently at #27 but will break into the top-20 with only 43 more wins. That would put him in Vachon/Barrasso/Moog territory and raise some eyebrows leaguewide.

If he drops back off to veteran-backup status, then it's a neat story but sort of a Glen Wesley for the franchise. If he maintains 2018 form for a reasonable amount of time (2-3 seasons?), then we're talking about a guy who was by far and away our franchise goalie for 15 years and led us from the mountaintop through the valley and back to the top again. Those are two very different narratives.

 

[Svechhammer]

Brind'Amour is the most important Cane until someone else takes it from him, and it'll be a very high bar to meet.

He was traded to the Canes in the middle of the 2000 season. Almost immediately, the team got good. Real good. 2001 saw the team make the playoffs. 2002 saw the franchise make its first Cup Finals with Brindy as an Alternate. 2006 saw the first Cup with Brindy as the Captain. 2009 saw the team make its 3rd Conference Finals with Brindy as its Captain.

In 2010 he retires, and the team hasn't made the playoffs since.

No other player in franchise history (NE, Hartford, or Carolina) has had a bigger leadership role with the kind of success Brindy had. In regards to this franchise, he's the GOAT.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

darkhorse: erik cole

first homegrown successful player and was here for all of our decent years

 

[tarheelhockey]

I never realized Erik Cole was from the Triangle.

Gonna win some bar bets with that one!

 

[Breakdowns]

Alex Semin of course











Actual pick - Brind'Amour

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Uh, Brindy AINEC

 

[AD Skinner]

Brind'Amour for sure. If they manage to squeeze into the playoffs this year and/or next with Ward, that narrative probably changes but til then the common link between all three deep runs is rod the bod

Edit: of course that's not counting the secret weapon Nic Wallin. He wasn't a choice though

 

[RodTheBawd]

Myself, Cam, Eric.

 

[geehaad]

Jim Rutherford

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Y’all are sleeping hard on Anton Babchuk. Last time we made the playoffs he scored the goal that guaranteed the canes a spot.

 

[poobags]

Forget Anton Babchuk. Frantisek Kaberle literally won us the Stanley Cup. He is #1 all time in Carolina Hurricanes history in the stat of "Stanley Cup winning goals." You know who's behind him on that list? Eric Bartholomew Staal and Cameron Finneas Ward.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Roderick Jean Brind’amour.

 

[Negan4Coach]

the answer is clearly Chad LaRose

 

[Canes]

Oleg Tverdovsky for me

 

[My Special Purpose]

I have another vote for Brindy, and another reason, aside from his incredible play and invaluable leadership through all three playoff runs.

When he was traded here in 2000, he made it clear he was here to compete and to win. This is important because up to that point, the Whaler/Canes were pretty much a joke around the league and not an attractive destination for anybody. Sure, a 35-year-old Ron Francis signed here two seasons prior, but he was on the backside of his career and had a history with the franchise. Even though he was not happy leaving Philadelphia, Brindy handled it like the pro that he is, and set his sights on willing Carolina into relevance.

This is important because it finally put an end to the bloodbath that was the Chris Pronger trade. Pronger begat Shanahan, who was immediately named captain despite demanding a trade before his plane landed. Shanahan begat Primeau, who held out and whined his way out of town after two seasons. Primeau begat Brindy, and for the first time, we saw how a professional handled a trade he didn't like -- because he just wanted to play hockey.

IMO, without Brindy coming in the way he did and validating this franchise, I have serious doubts that we'd be where we are right now. Again, you can argue that RF did that two years prior, but I'd disagree. No. 1, is the Pronger factor. The fact that we got Brindy here as the end result of trading Chris Pronger is huge. That trade could have haunted this franchise forever, and even though it still wasn't JR's finest moment, Pronger had to go (two drinking-related arrests before turning 20 kinda kills a player's relationship with a city), and we ended up with Brind'Amour, so I'll take it. And No. 2, Francis had a connection here, and the thinking around the league was that he signed here to finish out his career, not to win championships.

Brindy came here to win, and he basically willed us a Stanley Cup (with some help from a rookie goalie).