Pecking order for the NHL guys at this point:
Slavin
Faulk
Pesce
Hanifin
Van Reimsdyk
Fleury
Dahlbeck
That doesn't necessarily reflect TOI. Ideal pairings would be Slavin-Faulk and Hanifin-Pesce, but Slavin-Pesce work so extremely well together as a shutdown unit that you probably won't ever see them really separated. I think this could become a situation where you have Slavin-Faulk and Hanifin-Pesce pairs but they switch up late in tight games when you really need that extra defensive presence.
-Slavin made his rep as a shutdown guy but has become more well-rounded, 35 points from your best defensive player is a really nice thing to have. He doesn't fit the mold of your typical shutdown guy, he practically never takes penalties and uses his stick to make plays almost exclusively.
-Faulk is pretty good at almost everything, but the only thing he's really great at is scoring power play goals because of his ridiculous shot talent. His defense has been shaky at times in the past but now that he's not having to play 30 minutes a night he's gotten a lot better. Still has games every once in a while where he makes you look stupid for liking him, but then he tucks a ridiculous laser slapshot in right under the crossbar and you forgive him.
-Pesce is a lot like Slavin, but plays a much more physical style. He won't ever be as good as Slavin offensively but skates well and sees the ice well. He's a no-mistakes kind of guy that will get you 20 points a year. There is a good bit of untapped offensive potential here, IMO, but given his niche/role on the team, not sure he'll ever get the chance to truly develop it.
-Hanifin, he's been up and down so far. Clearly the talent is there, if for no other reason than his crazy good skating. Looked really solid the last part of the season on a second pair. The rumors about him being a trade chip make some sense, if for no other reason the Canes have so much other rising LHD talent and his draft pedigree enhances his trade value.
-Fleury, based on his AHL season I'm inclined to say he's ready to take the lead on a 3rd pair and maybe be a 2nd pair guy by the 2018 season. We'll see. I think he is probably more like the left-handed Pesce than another Slavin, more physical, more pure stay-at-home defense. At least that's the way they've tried to develop him in Charlotte.
-TVR, not sure if they see him as a core piece. Might just be a stopgap until somebody like Bean or McKeown is ready. I think they just wanted somebody dependable for the next year or two. Canes 3rd pair got absolutely torched and abused most of last season with guys like Murphy, Tennyson and Dahlbeck on it.
-Dahlbeck, just a guy. Decent, can play either side, but no long-term value. Strictly a #6/7.
-Bean, IMO he's the next guy up when the Canes inevitably trade/lose Faulk or Hanifin. He plays both sides and has the offensive ability of either guy, but probably has better defensive skills. Think he could probably be a #2 someday.
-Carrick and McKeown were the top 2 non-NHL guys this time last year but Fleury passed them up with a really nice year in Charlotte. I think either one would be a solid #5/6.
-Luke Martin is my favorite of the rest, because every scouting report I've seen makes him sound like a RHD version of Slavin and he checks every box that has made for successful players in this system so far: big, mobile, uses his stick well, understands leverage, passes well, and can carry the puck a little bit. Actually he sounds more like the lovechild of Slavin and Pesce maybe, but either way I think he'll be a good one down the line.
-Chelios is maybe the other noteworthy guy at the moment but he seems like a guy who's just a pretty good AHLer and may never get called up. He's already 26 so breaking into this lineup doesn't look realistic for him.
-Josh Wesley, suffice it to say, the apple fell pretty far from the tree here.
