egnralnc
Champion Author
Raleigh
Posts:11,411
Points:1,072,910
Joined:Jun 2005
|
Message Posted: Jul 6, 2006 8:34:10 PM
Great news! Glad to see Wesley hanging around for one more year. I believe that leaves us with just one spot to fill.
|
shep0507
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:1,136
Points:44,040
Joined:Apr 2006
|
Message Posted: Jul 6, 2006 7:22:39 PM
Glen Wesley signs for 1 year. I guess he decided not to retire just yet.
|
shep0507
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:1,136
Points:44,040
Joined:Apr 2006
|
Message Posted: Jul 5, 2006 4:03:22 PM
My bad, I know it's spelled with a "k". Just flubbed that one by accident. Good to see Cole staying with the team. He's been one of my favs since joining the team. I wear 26 on the ice in tribute to him. He and Kevin Adams are my two favs. Love to watch them play.
|
egnralnc
Champion Author
Raleigh
Posts:11,411
Points:1,072,910
Joined:Jun 2005
|
Message Posted: Jul 5, 2006 1:52:58 PM
Erik (with a 'k') Cole was signed to a 3-year deal today.
[Edited by: egnralnc at 7/5/2006 4:54:18 PM EST]
|
shep0507
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:1,136
Points:44,040
Joined:Apr 2006
|
Message Posted: Jul 5, 2006 6:31:49 AM
Hurricanes sign Eric Staal, Mike Commodore, Niclas Wallin, Craig Adams, and Andrew Hutchinson to deals, keeping more of the Stanley Cup Champion team together.
As of now, Eric Cole is still unsigned and still no word on wether Glen Wesley will retire.
Unfortunately, the 'Canes lose Matt Cullen and Arron Ward to the Rangers, Martin Gerber to Ottawa and Doug Weight returns to St. Louis.
In another big deal, Hurricanes sign goaltender John Grahame, formally of the Tampa Bay Lightening to a two year deal. With Martin Gerber leaving for free agency, and Cam Ward not proven over the course of a full season, Grahame is in my mind a good pickup. Both times that the Hurricanes have made Stanley Cup finals runs, they have had two outstanding goalies, and I think that this could help to add another run in the next couple of years. We'll see.
Personally, I hate to see Cullen, Ward, Gerber and Weight go. I enjoyed watching all of them as Hurricanes. I can understand Weight going back to the Blues, now that he got a Cup. Thanks to him for helping win one here.
Thoughts anyone?
|
egnralnc
Champion Author
Raleigh
Posts:11,411
Points:1,072,910
Joined:Jun 2005
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 9:06:15 PM
Martin Gerber is most likely out. He's 31, so that will drop the average age a tad.
|
TDice
Champion Author
Pittsburgh
Posts:21,837
Points:308,115
Joined:Dec 2005
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 2:43:43 PM
shep, I'm too old to do the math LOL, how does that average age of 29 stack up with other teams? I think an avg. of 29 is kinda high personally. If I ran an NHL team, I would want vets, mainly for leadership on ice and in the lockerroom, but give me some really young guns to skate right on by everyone.
Let me know about your thoughts about Jordan Staal. I know for a fact that the Canes tried real hard to get to draft him.
|
shep0507
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:1,136
Points:44,040
Joined:Apr 2006
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 2:41:45 PM
The Pens taking Jordan Staal could help them more than they know. I've heard that he will be every bit as good as Eric, maybe better. If the Pens end up keeping him, Sid the Kid and Jordan Staal on the same team could be something to watch. However, don't be surprised to see him get traded for a good deal. He could bring some good role players to Pittsburgh in a trade, maybe a star caliber player and a role player. Who knows.
I've already heard rumors about Carolina trying to trade for the rights to Staal, but those could be rumors. It wouldn't surprise me though. We'll see. Personally, I can't really think of any of the Hurricanes players that I'd want to see go in exchange for Staal. We'll see.
|
shep0507
Champion Author
Greensboro
Posts:1,136
Points:44,040
Joined:Apr 2006
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 2:30:27 PM
Actually, I disagree. While there are some older guys on the team, the average age on the team is 29 . There were 6 under 25, 6 between 25 and 30, and 13 over 30 at the end of this season. That's pretty even in my mind. Of the over 30 crowd, only 5 were over 35. Most of the team has some good playing days ahead of them. And I take you calling them old as a personal attack since the average age is the same as my age. I'M NOT OLD DADGUMIT!!!! Lol.
That said, I agree that repeating in the NHL will be hard to do. I don't neccesarily think that they are too old to do it, but over the off season and early next season, a lot of teams will be scrambling to put in place a system much like the 'Canes and some other teams thrived with this year. There will be an emphasis on skating, skills and not taking alot of penalties. The blueprint for success in the new NHL has been laid by these teams. We'll probably see even higher scores next year because of it. Who knows, I could be wrong.
|
my5kids
Champion Author
Ontario
Posts:16,399
Points:1,737,135
Joined:Aug 2005
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 10:21:37 AM
HEY SHEP... I don't have any thoughts about any of those signings other than its going to be hard to repeat now in the NHL, so maybe they should switch it up a bit and get some new YOUNGER blood.
|
TDice
Champion Author
Pittsburgh
Posts:21,837
Points:308,115
Joined:Dec 2005
|
Message Posted: Jun 28, 2006 7:31:44 AM
All great moves shep, I personally think that you may have one too many greybeards on your team to repeat. (Brind'Amour, Recchi, Wesley, Weight...) By the way, what do you think about the Pens picking Eric Staals brother, Jordan second overall last weekend?
|