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...stormTRacker Podcast is your home for in-depth analysis of the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Wolves & Hurricanes' prospects around the globe. Host, Tom Ray, gives his insightful perspective & is joined by Hurricanes' "Insiders" Erin Manning, Katie Bartlett, Nick Bass (Canes Prospects) & Andrew Rinaldi (Chicago Wolves), as well as special guests, to cover all the top stories for your Carolina Hurricanes. Tom is also active on "X" connecting with Hurricanes' fans on a regular basis. (@stormTRacker24)
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The Road to the Cup: Analyzing Carolina's Playoff Matchup Against the Devils
The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves at a crossroads as they prepare for their first-round playoff matchup against the New Jersey Devils. With a concerning 1-5 record in their last six games and shaky goaltending from both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, questions loom about whether this is simply pre-playoff rest or a genuine cause for alarm.
• Recent struggles may reflect the team easing off after clinching playoffs and home-ice advantage rather than serious concern
• Goaltending issues are apparent with both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov posting save percentages below .830 in recent games
• Carolina's potential lineup decisions include whether to start Stankoven or Carrier on the third line with Staal and Martinook
• The Devils matchup favors the Hurricanes at 5v5 play, but New Jersey holds special teams advantages, particularly on the power play
• Alexander Nikishin's potential arrival could provide a significant boost, especially if the Hurricanes advance past the first round
• Home/road disparity (31-9-1 at home vs 16-19-4 away) makes winning the first two games in Carolina critical
• Most analysts predict Hurricanes in 5-6 games if they play to their identity and maintain disciplined defensive structure
Despite their recent struggles, our experts unanimously predict a Hurricanes victory in 5-6 games, emphasizing that Carolina has legitimate Eastern Conference Finals aspirations if they can rediscover their identity and finishing touch. With significant home/road performance disparities (31-9-1 home vs. 16-19-4 away), protecting PNC Arena ice in the first two games becomes crucial to Carolina's Stanley Cup ambitions.
Well, as the Carolina Hurricanes season winds down, canes fans are wondering will this be the year the Canes win it? All For sure, the Canes are in the mix, but there's lots of questions still to be answered heading into the playoffs. Will the Canes be able to turn things around after going 1-5 in their last six and being outscored 25-16? Will the Hurricanes go with Freddie Anderson in that, as they did last year, or will they alternate Anderson and Kochenkov, as they have? At the end of the season, what will the starting lineup be in game one? Who's in, who's out? And finally, what is the status of recently signed Alexander Nikitian? Will he see action in the playoffs?
Speaker 1:Joining me to talk about this and more and, of course, a mailbag segment StormTracker Insiders, aaron Manning and Katie Burtler Howdy, hi there. Well, you know the Canes haven't been playing well lately. In fact, as I mentioned, 1-5 in their last six and they're being outscored badly, 25-16. Goaltending has been a concern, some of the other areas just not getting it done. Although there's a question, it's the end of the season. Are the Canes maybe lightening up a little bit, getting ready for the playoffs early, or what's been going on? Aaron thoughts?
Speaker 2:I think a lot of it has to do with, uh, the lightening up the, the taking the, the foot off the, the gas a little bit, you know, um, I think that also, um, the canes have had a couple of people out with injuries, and then they're also taking the time to rest some players. I know that Jordan Martinik was resting in the game against Toronto and you so rarely see a game. If he's healthy, he's in and he's playing, mr Energy. So it feels to me like they have maybe taken a leaf from some of the other teams' playbooks and said you know what? We've clinched the playoffs. We've clinched home ice in the first round. The other things may or may not happen anyway. You know, trying to get home ice later on in the playoffs is a very difficult thing to do at this point. So why not take advantage of the opportunity to rest our players and make sure that they are really a hundred percent for the playoffs? And I think that when you have that, you can't tell a team to turn it off.
Speaker 2:I don't think that teams come in and they don't try, at least in their minds they're trying to play hard, but you know, when you have your coach saying you know what we're going to. We're going to sit Jordan Martin tonight. We're going to sit Taylor Hall the other night perfectly, sit Jordan Martin tonight. We're going to sit Taylor Hall the other night Perfectly healthy guys being kept out of the lineup. It kind of sends a message, I think, to me that maybe these games aren't the ones where you should be risking injury and, you know, going pedal to the metal and all of that kind of thing. So that's my thinking. I don't think there's anything too terribly concerning going on, but I know that you had some different thoughts.
Speaker 1:Well, one thing I was going to mention. I mean for sure, yeah, they're not as driven as they have been, certainly in recent weeks. But I'm still a little bit perplexed by this question of where they end up in the standings. And we've talked about this in the past, and you know, the Can record is so, so dramatically different at home versus on the road. I mean, they've had a phenomenal season at home and when you look at the series past the first one, they could very well not have home ice advantage in it, and to me that's a concern and I I wondered why they weren't thinking look, they're within striking distance of Toronto, of you know, certainly, tampa Bay and Florida's right there too. You know, a couple of wins would put them probably in second overall. If they had come up big in that Toronto game, that would have been huge. So putting them in that position would have given them home ice advantage against everybody but the Capitals, and that, to me, would have been a pretty good situation so.
Speaker 1:I'm a little bit confused at that. I understand you know some of the veterans. In past years we've had some challenges. You know in the playoffs with you know they're kind of tired or you know we're banged up or whatever the case. But I still am a little bit perplexed by that. What do you think, Katie?
Speaker 3:What's your thinking on all this? I definitely think that there is some concern for getting to the playoffs healthy, but my concern with the way the Canes have been playing is the fact that I want them healthy definitely 100% but the way that they've been playing recently has opened up the door for some bad habits to creep in, Because when you're not playing your system with the nuts and bolts tightened, then it leads to mistakes and missed coverages.
Speaker 3:And especially the cane system is such a niche type of system type of system it's very unique to itself and the way that it's employed that when one piece starts to kind of rattle around and not work correctly, then it is a domino effect to the other pieces. And we've seen that. We've seen that with the defensive failures that have led to a lot of the goals. Last night against Toronto, the gaping wide net that was scored into on multiple of the goals had nothing to do with Freddie and his play. It had everything to do with the absolute collapse defensively and missed coverage that the Maple Leafs were able to take advantage of. And so I just that's my big concern with how they've been playing recently is that they've taken that breath, They've, as Aaron said, they've kind of eased up off of the gas and now those bad habits and those problems are setting in. And how long is it going to take them to tighten those screws back up and get the system humming back to where it needs to be to be effective come game one?
Speaker 1:And I think that's exactly the way I've been feeling too. Katie Well said, and you know how fast can they turn it around? That's the question I mean. You know you get into these bad habits.
Speaker 1:And the second thing that comes out of this is that the goaltending has struggled as a result, and you know what happens when you get all these goals against. We saw a period where Piotr Kociakoff was right through the roof. He was incredible. He had 0.99 goals against average for four games. He was four wins in a row and since then he's really struggled and his numbers are 830 save percentage in his last six games and a 408 goals against average. And then we thought, okay, he's struggling, but we got freddie, because freddie was continuing to play extremely well, and now freddie, in his last three games, is an 827 save percentage and a 4.23 goals against. This is this is not helping their confidence right now, and that's what I think is. The other part of it is that you know, as we talk a little bit more about the matchup against the devils, one of the areas that will be a major discussion point is going to be goaltending, and the Cades goaltending right now is they're not playing anywhere close to their best and and know, in playoffs goaltending wow, it's huge. So for sure, lots of concern. I mentioned it at the outset. You know, how are the Canes going to turn this back around? That's going to be the big question. So if we look at the next couple of games and it's back to kind of the same story, I mean we'd like the Canes to win a couple, you know, and exit the season on a winning situation. They do have the Canadiens Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday and, of course, ottawa Senators on Thursday as a Canadian trip. So this is kind of fun.
Speaker 1:A lot of questions about this. What will the lineup look like? Fun, a lot of questions about this. What will the lineup look like? Is RBA or Brad Brindamore going to continue to play extra players? Maybe bring some folks up from Chicago, like they did last year? They had a lot of collegians that jumped in the last few games, as you recall. What's going to happen with the Montreal Canadiens? Is it going to be an important game for them? We'll find out, I guess, tonight, later on and that's big for you, of course, erin, we'll be watching it closely. So what are we thinking about these last two games? How do we feel about them. Are they important? Do the Canes need to really put an all-out effort and try to win some games, or is it just let's continue to give the guys lots of reps?
Speaker 3:Katie. I think it's a rest the guys kind of road trip. In fact, I would be very surprised and, to be quite honest, somewhat disappointed, if Slavin, ajo and Jarvis do not just stay in Raleigh and rest up and make sure that they are feeling as good as they possibly can. I don't know that anyone is going to feel 100% for any team come come game one of the playoffs. I think everybody has their, their nicks and their dings. But we, we need those three.
Speaker 3:Those three are the outside of the goalies, the cornerstones to the canes, their identity, their effectiveness as a team. And so let them stay in Raleigh, let them enjoy their families a couple extra days, let them rest, recuperate and then see what the rest of the team can do and throw down the gauntlet, say, look, you don't have your big boys. Show me what you got, show me you can still be a Canes defense, show me that you can still be a Canes offense, with the four check and the puck possession and the shots on goal and the chance creations and, eventually, some finishing. Heaven, help us some finishing, please. Yes, but these games we're locked in.
Speaker 3:They don't mean anything in the standings. I don't know that it's going to mean anything, even for home ice in a later round. So let's just get back to good habits. Get back to creating, uh, good hockey, the way that the canes are designed to create good hockey and, whether they win or lose, be in a good space and good habits, like I mentioned before, get out of those bad habits, get into some good habits heading into the postseason I would agree with that 100, and I think that it's interesting because the three names that you mentioned, of course, slavin, ajo, jarvis there are Four Nations guys.
Speaker 2:They did not get a break when everyone else did, and I think that a couple of people have talked about. You know how some of the other teams are noticing that their players who went to the Four Nations have hit that wall a little bit earlier than you want to see them hit, going into the playoffs, and that is why teams are starting to arrest some of these players. So I think that that's actually very crucial, and I think one of the things that gives the Canes the absolute luxury of doing that without any question is that Jordan Stahl, of course, has just been returned from injury.
Speaker 2:He's only played, I think, four games since he's been back, so there's no good reason for Jordan Stahl to not go on the trip if they want him there to be that leader, that veteran, the captain in the room and make sure that, even if you have a bunch of excited kids from Chicago joining in, that it doesn't turn into complete chaos on the ice. So I think that's always good when you can make sure that at least one of your really strong leaders is able to be part of that. So I think that that's exactly what they should do Now. As far as how much it's going to mean and whether they're going to be able to win, I know you touched briefly on what this game might or might not mean on Wednesday, especially to the Montreal Canadiens, their minor team.
Speaker 2:As everybody knows, if they win tonight against Chicago in any fashion, whether they win in regulation or in overtime, they will clinch the playoffs, and that is obviously the better scenario for the Canes to come in to a Habs team that doesn't have anything to play for and is ready to take that little bit of an in-game rest. They will see Nick Suzuki, regardless of if players are resting, because Suzuki is on an Ironman streak of his own. He has yet to miss a game in his career, so he's not going to be resting no matter who else is, but I think that that would be ideal. Bring them in, you know, let them play, let the kids play, don't worry too much about the outcomes other than getting those good habits, and treat it like you said, tom, I think, like a glorified practice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think Bradley Nadeau, a lot of folks would love to see Bradley get a chance, of course, with the Hurricanes he's been having a sensational year in Chicago and there are some other players we'd like to see as well. Certainly, some defensemen I'd like to see on the Canes give them a shot. Certainly Charles Alexis Legault is down there, dominic Fensori there's a bunch of good ones, so we'll see Again a chance for them to get a cup of coffee. But the Canes do expect they are looking to have Shane Goss's fair back. So you know they will continue probably to play Scott Morrow, which means somebody can sit out. We saw Orlov sit out before and I think certainly Slavin could sit out if they want him to do so. It will not be Brent Burns under any circumstances, don't worry about that.
Speaker 1:The other news, of course, is that we're hearing that Yusperi Kokuniemi should be back in the lineup for that trip as well, and of course it's always fun when he plays in Montreal. We'll see how that comes together for him. So, yeah, I kind of agree. I think they're going to arrest some players. We'll see who that is, who makes the trip. We'll get all that kind of information and of course, there's always the outside chance that Alexander Nikitian would be on that trip. They're trying to bring him here. I think that's unlikely now. There's some delays on the side of getting his visas, so I think that's probably going to be a little further out. In any case, we'll keep an eye on those games and hope that the Canes, as you say rightfully, Katie, are doing good habits, and I think first and foremost, I like this I forgot to mention it's really important to get.
Speaker 3:Kochekov going. I don't know that Freddie is necessarily going to play one of these games. I imagine they're going to arrest him as well. Maybe bring up one of the goalies from Chicago as well, but I wouldn't.
Speaker 3:Dustin Tchaikovsky he doesn't have too hard of a game against Montreal. I don't see why you don't play Kochekov in the back-to-back if it's really going to help strengthen his game, because he's going to have a big gap if Freddie's the one that starts the postseason. So it probably wouldn't hurt Kochekov to do the back-to-back. But he has got to have some confidence in his game moving into the playoffs because he's got to be ready to step up to support Freddie in whatever role that Rod gives him.
Speaker 1:I think that's true, katie, and I think the situation is one where Piotr's got to find his game. Are we going to see Freddie kind of carrying the load again? And I think that's a concern, because we saw what happened last year and all of us are hoping that Piotr can get into that groove that he can get into when he is, he's unbeatable in the net, so we've got to hope that he can find his way and continue to go forward with that. Okay, so when we talk about going up against the Devils, a lot of questions about the starting lineup. We've got a number of players kind of vying for position heading into the lineup. Now that Will Carrier is back, clearly that's kind of created a bit of a situation on the forward lines. So what are we thinking about as we take a look at the lineup for the playoffs? Who do we expect to start on the front line, erin, what do you got?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that they should probably go ahead. If you're talking about the top line, I think they should.
Speaker 2:No, all the lines okay, yes I think they should start with the um, with the. They should have uh ajo's line with blake and jarvis, even though I have some concerns about that, the size of that line going forward into the playoffs. They're starting at home. Brenda moore will control the matchups.
Speaker 2:That line has been absolutely dynamite when it comes to offense generation and actually finishing, like Katie is saying, you're going to need that line going in the playoffs, this is the time to get them going. So if there are tweaks made along the way, maybe in some road games, if they start getting taken advantage of, I don't see why that couldn't happen, but start them there. I think the second line we will probably see Taylor Hall, kk and I'm thinking Svechnikov is going to get a shot there. I know people have not been happy with his play but I think he's going to get the shot there and I think that that's a good place for him to be. I've liked the third line of Martin Nookstall and Carrier. I don't see, but I also see I've liked the third line of Martin Nookstall and Carrier.
Speaker 3:I don't see, oh, carrier, oh okay.
Speaker 2:But I also see the value in putting Logan Stankoven there. I think to start again at home. It should be Stankoven. Yes, I really do. He's been great on that line.
Speaker 2:Carrier, if they need to, they can put him there in away games Because, again, you're not going to get the matchups. You're not going to want to have a line where a player is going to be targeted as maybe the weak point. So if they feel like that's going to happen, they can certainly switch those two. But to start with, I'd put Stankovic on the third line and then that fourth line. I think I'd like to see Robinson, jankowski and Carrier, and I would not be surprised if Jack Roslevic is the guy out to start. His defensive play has not been good. His possession numbers have been terrible. I think that you know, if he's not providing the scoring and finishing, that he was early in the season. They really need to maybe rotate him in and out as needed if they need to get somebody out there just to be a scorer type and try to get him going again. But you're not going to want to do that to start the playoffs. So that's my take. What do you think?
Speaker 1:Katie.
Speaker 3:I agree 100%. I wouldn't change anything except my preference is to have Stankoven on Stahl's line regardless. I think that he has just worked so well there and he provides a little bit of an extra threat scoring-wise If you put Carrier there it's definitely more of a shutdown line, and they are going to have all those possession numbers.
Speaker 3:But you know, unless Martinuk has another series, like he did against devils the last time, yeah it that that aspect of the game isn't gonna be there, you might not need it from that line up. I mean, that obviously wouldn't be the point of that line. But I think that that's where stankoven is the most dangerous. I think stankoven himself is more dangerous with stahl and martin than he would be with Jankowski and Robinson.
Speaker 2:Can I give my one little rebuttal there? It's not really a rebuttal, but the only reason I put Carrier there as a possibility. As things go on, it's not necessarily going to be something that we would ever see against the New Jersey Devils, but you get further into the playoffs you might start getting against some of those teams where you absolutely have to have a pure shutdown line. The Devils are without Jack Hughes, as we know. We don't have one of those lines. That's just absolutely lethal.
Speaker 2:So if you need a shutdown line, I think that you could do that because I think Stankovic would be surprisingly effective with Robinson. You remember how fast Robinson is and how well he was scoring on that line with KK and Natchez I don't. And then you've got Jankowski with his surprising ability to generate offense. If you have a team where you're using Stahl, Martin and Carrier to shut down the top line on the other team and then you spring this fourth line on them, you could have a sneaky way of getting some goals at some really valuable times in games, and I think that Stankovic would be better. Like you said, he's going to do that. Carrier is not. So if you need that line to not be the heavy fourth line for a minute, but to be the sneaky scoring fourth line, you have the option to switch both of those players back and forth as much as needed. So I'm thinking it's a possibility.
Speaker 3:But it's a nice luxury to have. Let's just keep everyone healthy so that we continue to have it Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Well, I think one of the situations we see regularly in the playoffs, of course, is a line like Jordan Stahl's line can really kind of rise to the occasion. We saw that with Martinuk, of course, and his offensive surges. Their play can really define a series. And of course, brendan Moore loves to put them out there whenever he can because you know they're effective and as well delivering some offense. And that's one of the reasons I'm so excited about Logan Stankoven on that line, because he is an incredibly talented offensive player, there's no question about it, and he can deliver offense himself almost. So I think he's. You know they can protect him out there. They can do a lot of good work to give him the space to do what he does best. But he's just growing in leaps and bounds right now with the Canes on that line, and I agree with you too, erin. I mean I think he'd probably be a solid contributor to that fourth line as well. But I do like the fact that that fourth line also is a heavy line. And one thing we've seen from Carrier and you know we kind of forget this sometimes this guy has some real offensive instincts. He loves to go to the net, he likes to get in there where the action is. He's constantly stirring things up and he's got the size. And you add that to Robinson and Jankowski and you've got an interesting mix. And along with the size of the line, you do have offensive capability. We've seen what Jankowski can do when you put the puck on a stick in the right place, he's definitely able to put the puck in the net.
Speaker 1:So this is interesting and I think for the first time as we look at the Canes going into the playoffs, they're much bigger. You've got the Stompa line, you've got the line with Jankowski, but you've also got a really big line, heavy line, with Kokaniemi, sveshnikov and, of course, taylor Hall. Those guys you know we talked a lot about them, you know struggles of Sveshnikov, you know Kokaniemi has gone how many 20-odd games without a goal. You know it's kind of tough when you look at some of these numbers, but I think the reality is that they could be a solid line in the playoffs because those are the kind of lines that make a difference. They can get in heavy on the forecheck, they can make some things happen and you do have a guy that can score for sure in Taylor Hall when he's on his game.
Speaker 1:And Sveshnikov, if he ever finds his way is another guy that can score.
Speaker 1:So you've got some offensive capability there and as we look at you know how the Canes are going to stack up against the Devils. Again, the Canes have a lot of balance here. Right, you look at the Devils, they've got a couple of lines that I think they can throw at you for sure. They've got, you know, the Jesper Brad and they've got Nico Heischer and they've got a couple of ex-Kanes. They've got Steph Nason and, of course, brett Pesci on the blue and they have Timo Meier and a few other guys. But they're a team that I think if you can lock down their top lines, I think you're in a position where the Canes' other lines can outperform the Devils. A couple of quick points and I'll hand it over to you to kind of talk a little bit about how you see this series going.
Speaker 1:In the regular season. The goals against the situation for the two teams were interesting. So the Canes were at 2.74 and the Devils at 2.64. So Markstrom and Allen were a little bit better than the Hurricanes. On the power play side you had 27.4% for the Devils, only 18.6 for the Canes, and I think that's a critical number. The Canes again very strong in the PK, number one overall right now, sitting at 84.1. But the Devils not far behind at 82.2. So if you look at special teams, there's clearly an advantage here for the Devils. And how's that going to play in all of this? Anyway, let's talk a little bit about how we see this series going. Katie, you want to kick it off.
Speaker 3:Obviously 5v5 is going to be key for the Canes with their possession numbers that they're going to be able to produce. I don't see the Devils defensive scheme really being able to prevent the Canes from playing their game five on five. It's just going to be a matter of the Canes finding that finishing and going ahead and putting the Devils on the back foot and having to scramble and play for behind. If the Canes can assert their will 5v5 to start a game, then the special teams aren't going to be nearly as important or nearly to the devil's advantage as they would like for it to be. I also think the devils I believe when we were talking earlier you said that they'd cooled off a little bit on their power play in the month of April, so maybe, maybe there's a little bit of a lull there that will be to the Canes benefit as well but that the key is really going to be five on five.
Speaker 3:The Canes are a team built for 5v5 play and so if they can play their game both on offense and in defense because I think their defense also matches up well against the Devils the Devils like to play in transition and the Canes are really good at standing teams up at the blue line and clogging the neutral zone and making it hard to get those transition plays up the ice. When they do happen, if the defense is locked in and they give up a handful of chances, then the goalies should be there to take care of whatever does happen to leak through. So I like how the Canes stack up as long as they can play their game and drive the play 5v5.
Speaker 1:Erin.
Speaker 2:I would agree with that. I think that I want to say that one of the keys, really for the Canes is going to just be to really lock down and play as much to their identity as they can. And I know that that's kind of what Katie's saying, anyway, I'm just saying it a little differently. But I feel like sometimes, when they suffer against a team like the Devils, it's because they get sucked into that transition game a little bit more. You know they start wanting to do certain things that they're not really built to do and you know they want to counter with a strike the other way.
Speaker 2:You know, and how many times have we seen those moments in games where you know one of the canes gets a breakaway chance and we don't even get excited, right, you know, because they're scoring on breakaways is not, you know, at least a little too big.
Speaker 2:So we don't want to see them get sucked into that. We don't want to see them lose their identity and start trying to play, you know, in a different way, to try to generate more of that high octane offense, because it doesn't ever really go well, you know, maybe an isolated game here and there. So, yeah, so that was that. I think that's important and, like you said, 5v5, that that's going to be their bread and butter On the power play. I think the biggest thing that they need to do is, you know, at the very least and this is the lesson learned from last year, maybe they're not going to score great on the power play because the Canes haven't been scoring great on the power play. Don't let it hurt you. Don't give up chances against, because that was the nail in the coffin against the you know, the Canes last year in the Rangers series.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:The Devils have people who can do that too. Every team does. They've had some shorthanded goals this year as well. They're going to be looking for those opportunities without some of their high offensive guys in the lineup. Can't let the power play hurt us. We would like it to help us, but that may be asking too much, but we can't let it hurt us.
Speaker 1:Well, steph Nason is on their power play now and I'm sure he's going to have lots of extra incentive to try to put a couple in as well. You know, looking at the Canes situation kind of home on the road is another interesting kind of packaging situation here. So obviously the Hurricanes, they are lights out at home. The last couple of games they haven't done as well, but we'll write that off. They're generally unbeatable at home and so far the record at home this year is 31-9-1. So you love to have them at home. That's great stuff.
Speaker 1:On the road though 16, 19, and 4. That's not good and I suspect after these next two games it's probably going to be even worse than that. But that's okay, that's fine. That's not a good situation. But on the other hand, the Devils not as good at home 19, 16, and 5, but they are good on the road 22, 16, and five. So again, you know, this is another one of those things where you just want to make sure that on home ice you just take care of business. You do not want the Devils to win one of the first two in Carolina. That would be a very, very, very concerning situation. So you know again, what are they going to do about this? I mean, we've talked a lot about their challenges on the road. I mean, how do they change things up? And we've heard some different things from Brenda Moore and others. What do we think they need to do now to kind of start winning some games on the road?
Speaker 3:I mean, doesn't it just go back to exactly what we talked about? They've got to play to their identity. It's harder with the matchups, and so I think perhaps you need to distill it down to its most pure essence in order to absorb some of the disadvantages you get with not getting to choose the matchups and that sort of thing and having the home crowd cheering for the other team. But other than that, I mean, that's just, it's going to be the key, the key to the canes entire postseason is playing to their identity, and no, no more true than on the road, for for sure.
Speaker 2:I think that you're right, but I also think that there's an interesting thing that we sometimes don't think about when it comes to the matchups, and it's in the series Against the Devils in 2023,. Rod Windermore made a switch. Yes, rob.
Speaker 1:Rindermoor made a switch.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that switch was that at home he had, I think he had Stahl, martinuk and Jesper Fast. But when the Canes were struggling on the road in one of their early games against the Devils, he switched Stahl and KK. Okay, because it was Svechnikov and Natchez on KK's line. That line was getting exposed, so he switched the two centers and the end result was that you had two lines that were capable of producing as well as capable of playing the defensive way that the Canes were playing. That's not going to be necessary. That specific swap's not going to be necessary this time. But that's one of the reasons why I talked about possibly swapping people like maybe Carrier and Sankoven, but just being willing to make those adjustments, maybe even on the top line. If the top line, if Blake Aho and Jarvis aren't as effective in their barn, maybe move Svechnikov up there, maybe put Blake down, maybe, I mean maybe put Jarvis down. I mean like Katie's talked about one jarvis on the second line forever.
Speaker 2:But you know, um, try, don't be afraid to make those adjustments, because I think when you look around the league, at coaches and how they handle matchups in the playoffs, one of the things they do is adjust lines. I mean katie, I don't know how many different versions of your top six in for the abs that teams can see. There's so many configurations. It's not two set lines that go out there every single game and every single time in the playoffs. So I know that rod rindemore is willing to do it because he's done it in the past. I think last year there was. They didn't have as much fluidity. There wasn't. There were not as many pieces you could move last year in the playoffs.
Speaker 2:And I think that that actually hurt them a little bit, so I want to see more of that.
Speaker 3:But in small doses. I think where Rod gets in trouble is when is when he just decides that he's going to, you know, down the roster. Yeah, the blend of more effect, like you said it's, it's those very strategic little flips that are the ones that make the difference.
Speaker 2:When it has worked for Rod Lindemore, it's when he comes into the game already proactively deciding that this is how the lineup is going to be. And we see the lineup come out before the game and we say what? But that's exciting, that's fine. That means they've thought it through and they've identified maybe a strength or a weakness that needs to be moved around. But not in the middle of a game when you're already down by three goals and you just start throwing people out together. You know, mixing up the pairs and everything else. That almost never goes well.
Speaker 1:Well, he's shown in the past that he can do a tweak here and there that can make a big difference. Oh, absolutely, and you know we've often heard Trip Tracy on the broadcast very impressed with moves that Brynden Moore has made and those changes slight changes have really, you know, led to some pretty good success. The other thing that I'm kind of looking at right now, of course, is in these playoffs, defense cores are really critical. In these playoffs, defense cores are really critical. The Canes are going to be counting on the Orlov-Chapfield pair hugely to play big minutes and tough minutes and I think you know they're definitely able to do it. They did it last year and one of the things I wanted to mention about this was that Dmitry Orlov seems to take his game to another level in the playoffs and I think the Canes are going to need him to do that. He's going to be critical to any success they have.
Speaker 1:Of course, and again, you know, sean Walker continues to impress and I thought Shane Gossett Sparrow was playing maybe his best hockey of the season before he went out. He was playing very strong defensively, along with, of course, continuing to bring his offensive game. So key situation to watch will be the decor. We don't have Pesci. He's going to be in the other uniform this time. That's kind of interesting, but we'll see how that all plays out for sure. Okay, so wrapping up that series discussion.
Speaker 3:What are we concerned about, if anything with the Devils, I think Markstrom getting hot. That's really the only thing for me that's going to make this a close series. As long as the Canes don't just fall apart on their own and hand it over to the devils on a silver platter, markstrom is a very streaky goalie yeah and so if he is on a bad streak then the canes will be able to take advantage of him quickly and often.
Speaker 3:But if he gets on a hot streak he's going to be like they saw last night against Wall and it's going to frustrate them because they're going to get chance after chance and he's going to turn them all aside and it's going to get them off their game. So that's my biggest concern is which version of Markstrom are we going to get in the playoffs, because he could derail the Canes' plans pretty quickly.
Speaker 1:Aaron any concerns with the Devils.
Speaker 2:I would agree with Katie that Markstrom getting hot is probably the biggest risk factor, because the Canes struggle as it is sometimes against you know? I mean, how many times have we joked that there's, you know, oh, there's a brand new goalie coming in tonight, so you know, just can expect the canes to lose. I mean that we, we joke about it, but it's, it's, it's been a thing. So if marksham is high, if you're talking about a high caliber goalie who's on a hot streak, it's going to be even harder for the canes to find that finishing and get those goals. So, um, that's, I think that's the number one concern.
Speaker 2:If I had anything, I would go back to something, a point we already made, which is the devil's transition game.
Speaker 2:There have been a lot of times, I think over the past year to two years, when it seems like one or two quick goals in transition completely derails the canes, like Katie said, trying to dig out from behind that hole. And you know, when a goalie is sitting at one end of the arena facing very little, not even getting shots, you know, and then all of a sudden you've got a powerful transition, two-on-one breakaway coming there that way, and you know they haven't even seen any action in five or 10 minutes. You know that seems to have been a very big Achilles heel for the Canes goalies across the board going back, you know, last year's playoffs and even before that. So that's. My other concern is that they need to be really on their game to stifle the Devils transition game, because if they don't, they could be looking at games where they're having to dig themselves out of a hole and then trying to do that against a hot Jacob Markstrom. It was just that much harder, so you don't want that.
Speaker 1:And it appears that Dougie Hamilton could very well be back for the Devils. So another ex-Cain trying to lay a beating on the Hurricanes. So it'll be interesting. I thought before I ask you you're thinking about where the series will end up. I just read a couple of series previews from some folks. Daily Faceoff said this the Canes who broke down the New York Islanders in conference quarterfinal matchups in 23 and 24 should have no problem repeating that trick against the toothless devils. They've got the Hurricanes in five games, daily face-off, so these guys usually have a pretty good idea of what they're talking about.
Speaker 1:Bvm sports says well anticipated as a competitive encounter, the odds lean heavily in favor of the hurricanes. Okay, and then, finishing it off, uh, sportsbettingdime says With likely home ice advantage, superior depth, dominant possession metrics and a massive edge in 5-on-5 play, the Hurricanes should control this series. While the Devils have elite talent in Bratt and Heischer, the absence of Jack Hughes significantly limits their offensive ceiling. So there again, selecting hurricanes. So Aaron James.
Speaker 2:Oh, of course. Okay, of course I mean I am because, honestly, I think that we all know that we can't be too cocky, right, you know you can't sit there and say it's a, it's a shoe and it's a definite thing. We've talked about what our concerns are, and our concerns are real. They're not going to go away throughout the playoffs. But, barring some kind of epic collapse on the part of this team, barring, you know, rod Rindemore deciding to, you know, take a vacation and leave them in charge in somebody else's hands.
Speaker 2:I don't see Rod Brindamore allowing them to lose to these New Jersey Devils and not put up a fight. So, yes, anything can happen. Yes, it's going to be, I think, the biggest one of the challenges we didn't talk about. The refs don't tend to swallow their whistles as much in the first round as they used to, and if penalty calling is as chaotic as we've seen in the regular season I'm not sure if that's the word I wanted, but it's about right. Yeah, that would be the only reason that I would change my opinion, but other than that, I've got canes and I think I'd like to say canes in five.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to say Canes in five. Yes, I think I'm going to say Canes in six Okay, good.
Speaker 3:Katie, if the Canes come out and they play the way that they should and that they're supposed to, I do think it'll be Canes in five, but if they have a bit of a slow start, if they stumble a little bit, they could drop a game that they should have won, and then again Canes in six. I don't see it going seven. If it were, though, they have the advantage of that seventh game at home Awesome. But I do think that the Canes just you know, barring something strange happening are positioned really well. They match up well with the Devils Since the beginning of the season.
Speaker 3:This was really the first-round matchup I wanted, just not because I think it's a guarantee or a slam dunk. I just think the Canes game and the way they play matches up well with the Devils, and the way the Devils play, even with Jack Hughes in the lineup, I think that they will take them on, which is why I'm thrilled that the Rangers are out of the playoffs, because, as much as I hate them, they seem to have the Canes number when it comes to playoff time, and so it's not something we're going to have to worry about. I think the Canes did themselves a favor by eliminating the Rangers the other time. So yeah, I. So I guess I think I'll say, as long as the Canes play, the Canes way.
Speaker 3:Canes in five. Okay, I'm kind of on the same mind.
Speaker 1:I think it could very well be six, but hopefully it's five.
Speaker 2:Erin, oh, I was just going to say they also have, you know, wayne Gretzky-Martinuk, who seems to find a new year every time against the devils and, uh, you know the on the on the new jersey devils side. Um, there's a lot of fans that have tagged kokanemi with the label of devils killer, and they're not completely wrong. He has 13 points in 19 career games against the devils, and five and five in the playoffs, so he plays better against the new jersey Devils than any other team.
Speaker 2:There have been jokes about how he would be a 60-point 2C if he only ever had to play the Devils, because that's the pathway he's always done. So if that continues, we'll be in good shape.
Speaker 1:Right. So, yeah, I think, totally on board with what you're saying. I think the Canes just have to get to their game, and you know, to use a couple of Rod Brindamore, you know standard comments. One is they have to start on time. And that's back to what you're saying, katie. They've got to come out and they've got to get that first goal and then they've got to get to their game and they've got to play the way that. You know, canes hockey is built. So, assuming they get to that and they can do all that, this should not be a difficult series for them at all. I expect they'll come out on top.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the wild cards and I said a little bit about this at the outset is Alexander Nikitian. Now, a lot of excitement recently with Alexander. I mean huge excitement with finally getting his release from SKA and being signed by the Hurricanes A two-year deal. The first year has started now, so he's got one more year in his contract. A team-friendly deal, because it's an entry-level contract, which is great, but a lot of question as to whether he's going to make it over and even play in the playoffs. I mean, there's lots of different stories about what people expect. My feeling is that this is going to be an interesting situation playing out as the Canes go, and I think it'll have a lot to do with either injuries or the way the Canes are going. He's a great guy to have on your bench to just drop in that's for Dernsher. He's a great guy to have on your bench to just drop in that's for Dernsher.
Speaker 1:But let's spend just a minute and find out a little bit more about Alexander Nikitian. Eric Tulsky said this about Nikitian. He said he sees the ice well and has a good shot. He's provided a lot of offense for SKA. What I think is going to serve him particularly well in this transition is that he skates very well and has the ability to gap up and close out, which is important for our players. Okay, he also said he's six foot four in physical. He's one of the most ferocious hitters in that league, and so that's an element that will be helpful in our lineup. Can you imagine a big guy like that coming in and, you know, laying the hits on in this series?
Speaker 1:Wanted to mention a comment from McKean's, which I think is also pretty interesting the way that he's able to leave a huge impact with both his skill and physical play in all zones and all situations is so rare. I mean, these are, I mean, you're talking about an incredible player. One other thing I wanted to say as we go into this was some information that Anya had placed on X recently, and I thought it was pretty interesting stuff, and one of the big things that we heard in his conversation was that he has been playing for a team that actually has been very similar in their approach to play to the Carolina Hurricanes, and this is something that Eric Tulsky talked a little bit about. Some others have as well, but SKA was trying to emulate the way the Canes played to a large extent, and I think this is huge because it's going to help him with, you know, with his ability to transition to the Hur extent, and I think this is huge because it's going to help him with, you know, with his ability to transition to the hurricane.
Speaker 1:So here's a guy that even Tripp Tracy and he said he had been chatting with him I thought was interesting, and he's just effusive on what he's saying about Nikitian. He was all over it saying this guy is just, you know, he's incredible in so many words. Do we expect to see him in the playoffs? And if so, what do we think we're going to see with Alexander Nikitian?
Speaker 3:I don't expect to have Rod put him in the lineup over the other six if they are healthy, okay, because they have been playing all season, they know the system, they've been playing with each other, they know the reads, that sort of thing. But the playoffs are what the playoffs are, and the likelihood of our six guys getting through one or more series completely healthy is very unlikely. And so if one of them needs a break or is injured and has to miss a few games, I wouldn't be surprised if that's when Nikitian gets his chance, even though Mauro has been up and playing with the team. I think that the experience playing in a professional league like the KHL for as long as Nikitian has, and all of the other intangibles that he brings, would mean that he would get the nod over Morrow initially. So I think we will see him eventually. I just don't think he's going to be chosen over one of the proven, tested and true guys that they've been working with all season long.
Speaker 1:Erin, what are your thoughts about Nikishan?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm tremendously excited about him. I think that we want to. I know the excited about him. I think that we want to. I know the Canes want to handle this in the right way. Like Katie said, you don't want to throw him in cold in a playoff game if he hasn't had a chance to come in or get settled or situated.
Speaker 2:I do think it's possible, depending on how games are going and where we're at in the playoffs, that he could come in even if someone wasn't injured, because if it's the first or second and where we're at in the playoffs, that he could come in even if someone wasn't injured, because you know if it's the first or second game at home of a series and you know they want to just bring him in. I mean, why not? I'm lucky because I mean being a Habs fan and a Canes fan, I get to be excited about two really exciting Russian players. I'm a Canes fan. I get to be excited about two really exciting Russian players and I'm going to use the pronunciation that I'm hearing from all the broadcasters in Montreal right now Just Ivan Demidov. I don't know if that's actually how he wants his name pronounced, but I know we'll find that out along the way. But I've been keeping my eye on the scoreboard because the Habs are playing right now it is 2-0 in the first period against Chicago and Demidov has a goal and an assist in his first period with the Montreal Canadiens.
Speaker 2:I would love to see that from Alexander Nikitin because we know he's going to be so good and it's not just offense that he's good at, but we know how good he is in that role, especially on the power play.
Speaker 2:So that's where I would say if the Canes decided to bring him in in the playoffs, they might do it just to spark the power play, and that's whether or not Shane Gossespierre is healthy or injured because he is down on that. I'm just assuming they wouldn't want to bring him in higher than third pairing. But I could see a situation where they go to Ghost and knowing how important he is to the team and how valuable and say listen, we really need this power play to get going. We're going to bring him in Again in an early game. You're not talking a game four that they absolutely can't lose kind of a situation. We're talking about a game one or a game two and just let him do what he does on the power play and see how that can change things for the canes, because it could get down to where special teams have to be a role have to have a role. So, not having that weapon in your arsenal, I don't think you're going to leave him in the press box if they're in that kind of situation.
Speaker 1:So that's, that's my thinking well, I think the play that Ivan Demidov is showing in his immediate kind of contribution to the Canadians suggests that you know Alexander Nikitin, who is arguably the best defenseman in the KHL and has been for a while, can have a very, very significant impact. And where I'm looking at this is that OK, the first series, yeah, it looks like it's fine. Go with what you've got and that's good. But if they can get Alexander Nikishin a game or two in the first series and he's ready to go in the second series where you don't have home ice advantage and you're up against a big, tough team in the Washington Capitals, I think he would be a tremendous addition. And I don't see him sitting on the sidelines very much in that situation.
Speaker 1:And yes, we like Ghost and he's been a great contributor this year and so on. But you're talking about a different quality of player and, for sure, if Brindamore thinks he can pick up the system quickly enough and if you put him on the third pairing alongside Sean Walker, he's going to be just fine. I have so much anticipation of him playing because I think he's going to have the same kind of impact that Demodog is. He's an incredible player. I think this is what a lot of folks are struggling with. He is an incredible hockey player. He might be the best overall player outside the NHL right now, I mean he's that good, and I mean to have him sitting up in the press box to me.
Speaker 1:Are you kidding A 6'4" you know incredible player? I mean I'm sitting there going. Are you kidding? I don't think so. And yes, I'm sorry, ghost, if you have to sit it out, but this guy has something else.
Speaker 2:So I'm hopeful he plays, I'm hopeful we get a chance to see what he can do, and I think he will play at some point If he can get here and they can get the Visa stuff straightened out. You know, I mean there is still a tiny possibility that we could wake up to some obscure emoji from Eric Tulsky that tells us that he's on his way to Montreal. I mean, we could have one of those things that we're sitting there wondering. You know, gee, why is he?
Speaker 1:sending out a. It's going to make a smiley face, or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and really he's on a plane and he's actually going to take place, take part in the games, wednesday or Thursday. You know, I know that that was what Tulsky said was his preference. What he wanted to do was to either get him into one of those two games in Canada or, if that can't happen, if they can't get the Canadian visa worked out in time, play him in Chicago. So I don't think that they've given up on the idea of getting him here in time to play games. I think they had to backtrack the conversation a little bit just to avoid people thinking it's a done deal and he's already here, because, you know, anybody who's ever done government paperwork knows it's just, it's up to them. So I think we're going to see him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's here next week.
Speaker 1:That's just my gut instinct, that's nothing well, I I've been uh getting ready to watch him with the uh wolves if he plays with the wolves, because I'll definitely want to, that would be exciting. Uh, check him out because I think that's going to be fun. But ryan barnes, who you know is his agent with cortex uh was on daily face off today and was saying that, yeah, they're working hard to bring him in. There's a lot of complexity to it and you're dealing with governments so it's not as easy to kind of just get it through as quickly as you want. But he was also very, very positive in all of his comments, of course, about Nikitian. So big stuff. He could be a factor for the Hurricanes If he gets in. He brings more size, he brings more toughness and you can never have enough of that in the playoffs, as we know. So kind of an exciting time, and we'll keep an eye on this one to see how it all plays out. But, yeah, it's great that the Canes can add a player like Alexander and Keishon without giving anything up. I mean, it's amazing, it's just phenomenal, it's phenomenal.
Speaker 1:So, okay, time for mailbag. We've got some interesting questions. I thought I'd throw these out and see what we say about it. X. Cody at Cody Complains said what piece of advice would each member of the pod give to the team or RBA to help make it past the second round of the playoffs? So a bit of a problem for the Canes in the past, getting deep in the playoffs. What are we thinking the Canes have to do this time around to get past the Caps and continue on, katie?
Speaker 3:Bring the physicality. I think they can get past the Devils without a whole lot of physicality, because that's not the Devils game. But I think the Caps, as we've seen, play a very physical game and they try to get under your skin. So I think if they're going to get past the Caps, they still need to stick to their identity. They don't need to let the Caps try to goon them out of their way of playing hockey, but they still have got to be physical. They've got to play the same way they played against the Caps two games ago, not other times and rise to the occasion while still being who they are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, erin, I agree with that, assuming the opponent is the Caps. So my take is going to be whoever your second round of court is, don't underestimate them, because if, by chance, the Montreal Canadiens actually pull off this unbelievable situation and defeat the Washington Capitals, the one danger for the Carolina Hurricanes would be to do the same thing that the Winnipeg Jets did in round two in 2021, to go in thinking that it was going to be a shoe in a walk in the park and then you know, as you remember you may not remember the Habs actually swept the Jets in that second round. So don't underestimate.
Speaker 2:If, by chance, the Montreal Canadiens make it into the playoffs because I can't say that they officially have yet and if they defeat the Washington Capitals which is not as impossible as you might think, the way the Capitals have been playing these last few games I mean, they've been riding such an emotional high, centered around Ovechkin's goal scoring record and, all of a sudden, that's not going to be there anymore. So it's going to be an interesting situation. Sudden, that's not going to be there anymore. So it's going to be an interesting situation. If they can play spoiler and if they win, then the Canes' biggest job will be. Do not underestimate the team you're facing, regardless of who it is, and that really it holds true for the Caps as well. They can't underestimate the Capitals just because they have beaten them a time or two, you know. So if it's the Caps, don't underestimate them either.
Speaker 1:And again through the regular season. The Canes sometimes do that and we've seen them go in and play against a team. That should be an easy win for them, and they come out on the short end.
Speaker 2:So good comment. Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:And that's the concern. But yeah, I definitely hope that, among other things, that the Canadians really play hard against the Cs, take it to at least seven. I think that would be wonderful, and if the Cavs win, great. But at least they would have helped us in terms of playing hard against the Cavs.
Speaker 1:Canes and Dogs had a question at Ksubat68. He said do you think there's any hope in seeing really good Smetch in these playoffs? I just don't see anything in the last 10 to 12 games that would make me think he's going to be a significant contributor. In fact, I was looking at the last 12 games. He had one goal and two assists. So yes, I don't think any of us have seen very much on that. Canes and darts Erin, what do you think?
Speaker 2:I think that the playoffs are a funny situation in a lot of ways. You know, you see players that have been sleepwalking through the season and all of a sudden it's like they hear the bell in the ring. You know, I don't know what it is specifically that can get some players really hyped up for that moment. But it does exist and we've seen it with certain players on the Canes in the past players that are not all that outstanding in the regular season that seem to find that extra gear. I think that Svec in his past has been that player. I know we didn't see as much of that last season, although he certainly wasn't bad Find that extra gear. I think that Svec in his past has been that player. I know we didn't see as much of that last season, although he certainly wasn't bad in last season's playoffs, but I still think he was maybe a little bit less of the aggressive physical guy that we've seen in the playoffs in the past and I think that that's natural.
Speaker 2:Coming back, in the year after that he missed them due to that torn ACL injury. In the year after that he missed them due to that torn ACL injury. If he can get the mindset going and if he can kind of revert back to that player that he was when he was scoring and just doing all of those things in the playoffs prior to that injury, then I think he can be a factor. It's not about him doing any one specific thing, I don't think. I think it's just about finding that belief in himself. I think that's been the missing ingredient all season, and it's not just a general confidence issue, it's more the I can do this, I'm this player, I'm this impactful guy. I want to see him believe that because he can be and we need him to be. So that's my hope.
Speaker 3:I would pretty much agree, and I think it's going to take a lucky bounce or something like that, something that is going to be the trigger that it's like okay, I've worked, I've done this, I took my shot or I made my pass and it worked. Yes, I can do it again. This is a repeatable performance that can happen if I just keep at it. So he needs he needs to have a success or a couple of successes in series. Try and produce that success. Then that's going to unfortunately create a domino effect in the other way and really handcuff him. So these first couple of games against the Devils are going to be really key for seeing which Svetch we are going to get these playoffs.
Speaker 1:Well, we recall he was second overall in the draft. This guy was hugely, hugely impressive at that point, started off great with the Canes and sort of the last year or two. He just hasn't been the same player. I'm hopeful that you know on a line with Kokuniemi and Taylor Hall a couple of big guys. They can open up some space too. He's going to get a chance to do some of the magic and maybe he'll do a lacrosse goal or something like that and we'll have some fun with that. But but again, I think he's going to be key and even if he's not scoring and you know we've seen a lot of this where he can go in and he can make a difference by laying on the body, by getting in and playing heavy, he can do a lot. And the concern I generally have with Sveshnikov is that if he's not playing particularly well, he takes a lot of penalties that are not good penalties, often in the offensive zone, often in situations that really are not necessary, and in this type of playoff situation those kind of penalties could be your death knell. So he's got to be smart, he's got to stay away from bad penalties in that regard, and I'm like you, katie, I think a little bit of success for him is probably going to be the key. He's just got to have a bit of success. Feel good about himself, that line needs to do that. Just got to have a bit of success. Feel good about himself, that line needs to do that. They need to get a couple of goals and start to, you know, do some of the things they can do and all of a sudden, you know, it'll be like a huge weight ticking off his shoulders.
Speaker 1:So yeah, one last question for Mailbag. Xcody again comes back. Xcody Complains and he's talking a little bit about next year, which is kind of interesting. And he said if the pod could only choose one of this offseason, which do they sign? So he's talking about, you know, trying to fix some areas on the canes. Number one a top winger for Ajo Okay, that's interesting. Number two a legitimate 2C, since it seems KK will likely replace Stahl at some point. And then three, a goalie to pair with Piotr Kociakoff instead of a Freddie extension. And then he says a bonus question go-to snacks at the games.
Speaker 3:So that's, funny.
Speaker 1:What do you think? A top-line winger, a 2C or a goaltender? What's our thinking on?
Speaker 2:that, aaron? Um, what do you think? A top line winger, a 2c or a goaltender? What's our thinking on that, erin, what do you got? Well, my thought when I read that question was that, even though these are all pieces, I think that they could certainly use. Um, I, I wouldn't be surprised and I know that there's been some disagreement here but I wouldn't be surprised if they do have to start really thinking seriously about a goaltender, and it's not because there's not a shining candidate available.
Speaker 2:They might have to make something happen and they're going to have a ton of cap space and they're going to have teams that maybe didn't do what they wanted to do this year. So there may be some goalies that are looking quietly, have already gone to their teams and said you know what, I don't want to stay here. So we don't know who might be available or if some people might come along that the Canes would be able to get, but I don't see them. I know we've talked about would they just re-sign Freddie and all this. I still think that that's going to be something that they're going to have to take a good hard look at going forward, because the Keene system really does depend on not just a really good goaltender, but a specific kind of goaltender who can handle that simultaneous I don't know conundrum of low shot volume and high danger, you know. So they're going to need somebody else, I think long term. And so if they have the opportunity to do that with all this cap space, I say they go for it. What about you, katie?
Speaker 3:I mean. The answer that I want to give is I want to see how the playoffs go first and then decide what the priority is, Just because life is reactionary. That way you learn a lot in the playoffs about the character and the makeup of your team.
Speaker 3:The thing that makes me nervous is if they don't re-sign Freddie and they go after another goaltender, I worry that Piotr actually goes in, whatever trade that they make, because if a team's going to give up a goaltender unless they have somebody in the wings from their minor league system to bring up to replace that goaltender, they're going to want somebody in return.
Speaker 3:I mean, when the Avs did their big goalie trade for both Blackwood and Wedgwood, they sent a goalie in the other direction. So I imagine it would have to be the same thing. And Freddie's a UFA, so he's not a trade piece. It would have to be Kochekov, and so then you get the okay. So you're bringing in somebody. Now who's backing him up? Are our guys in the minor league system ready? And so that's kind of where I stumbled at with bringing in somebody. If it's through trade and there's nobody UFA, that is better than Freddie as far as a better goalie, just in general, as well as being not injury prone, I mean you could talk about some of the others that are out there, but they're just as injury prone as Freddie is.
Speaker 3:So I guess because of that, because I don't want to see Piotr going to another team and because of the limited options out there, I'd probably go the 2C route. I like KK and I think he's good, but Ajo needs help offensively, he just he needs help. And again, the options out there are few and far between. But that's where I think the Canes are in a better position to actually land somebody significant through trade. There's not a 2C available that fits the Canes as a UFA, so I think they'd have to go trade route. But they have a lot of young pieces and I know I ruffled some feathers on mine suggesting that Nadeau would be one of those pieces.
Speaker 3:that goes the other direction, but it would have to be somebody like Nadeau. If you're getting back a legitimate 2C that is going to help them, now you are going to be trading a young player that is ready for an opportunity on a building developing team and somebody like Nadeau would be attractive to the team and make them willing to come to the table and negotiate. So, whether that's somebody, my dream is Larkin. Everyone tells me he's not leaving Detroit, but for a chance at the Stanley.
Speaker 3:Cup that he hasn't had since his rookie season. You know, certain things could be stranger. You know, maybe they make another run at Pettersson out of Vancouver. I mean, who knows what they decide to go for, but some things I think Ajo needs support and that would be the big swing that I would go for.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a couple of comments. I think the big question with the Canes goaltending is is Piotr Kociakop going to be a number one, a Like is he going to be the goaltender of the future? And I think that comes back to your comment, katie is that if they don't think he's going to do that and they're concerned about the window, do they make a deal for a guy like Ilya Sorokin or somebody like that? I'm just throwing a name out there Is that the kind of deal that they go for? A goaltender that is a proven top line goaltender? And that's a question. As far as free agent goaltenders we've talked about this there's not much out there. I don't see them making a deal. If they did pick up another goalie, they could obviously sign somebody as a backup or as a second goalie. That's not a problem, they're out there.
Speaker 1:But I think the bigger question for the Hurricanes is who's going to be their go-to goaltender, and that I think the last couple of seasons we've seen, you know, indications that Piotr could, but then we see indications that he can't and I think you know that's going to be the big question in the offseason from my viewpoint. And back to your point too, katie, I think it's true we're going to see how these goalies do. If Piotr comes in and lights out, then I guess the question's answered. But I think you know that is a question and questions answered. But I think you know that is a question.
Speaker 1:And the 2C I've been all over that. We've talked about it numerous times. As far as I'm concerned, that's a must-have. That's not even a discussion point anymore. They've got to have a 2C, it's got to be done.
Speaker 1:And you know, a player we didn't talk about who's going to be a free agent is Sam Bennett. Sam Bennett is a heck of a centerman and again he's been on a championship team. He's a guy that can score goals. He's got 25 goals this year. He's a very solid two-way centerman. So I think Sam Bennett would be a huge add if you're going to do a free agent. I'm all over, of course, elias Pettersson. I think he would be the ideal centerman for the Canes. He's had a terrible year. They could buy low and, yes, a package that would include someone like Nadeau and draft picks and some other players might get it done Certainly probably Kokuniemi, but they've got to do something big. This offseason We'll talk more as the offseason is on, for sure, as we get more indication on that, but it's going to be fun to see what happens and again, a lot of it comes down to what happens in the playoffs, you know right now a lot of the folks are signed for next year on the Canes, most of their lineup is set.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's the interesting thing. If you go up on a whiteboard and start looking at who's got contracts next year, a huge part of the Canes are already signed. So you know there's not a lot of open spots, which means they're either going to move people that are on the roster or they're going to move some of these prospects if they think they can upgrade next year as well. So lots of good fun. Anyway, we'll talk more about the offseason as we get to that. We got lots of excitement coming with the playoffs for sure, and the three of us feel like we've got a real super chance of continuing on in the second round after knocking off, hopefully, the Devils. But that's going to be a lot of fun. Closing comments Erin, what do you got?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that we're all kind of at that point where we've hit regular season fatigue. We're as bad as the players. I know I've had a hard time even finding time to watch the games that I've missed over the last few days. So we want the real games to start, and the playoffs are the real games. The playoffs are the test of everything.
Speaker 2:Like you said, you know, you don't trade known quantities and known factors for unknown ones, and right now you have some players that have very big question marks next to their name, and some people would include Andrei Svechnikov in that conversation.
Speaker 2:So, you know, I don't think that we need to get too far ahead of ourselves in discussing what the Canes might or might do in the offseason, like you said.
Speaker 2:So let's watch and see, because I think there will be a lot of revelations as far as you know, players that may be here longer than we think, and then players that may, you know, be part of a trade or, you know, just end up leaving the team. So I think the biggest comment I have is, after all of the doom and gloom from the mainstream media about how the Canes might not even make the playoffs, whether they win any of these last, either of these last two games or they don't. They have still had a tremendous regular season, considering all the upheaval, considering all the players they lost, and you know, I think that we can be proud that they put this much effort in for this long, because certainly Brindamore's system does not make that easy. And now we get to see are they going to get rewarded for all that hard work in the postseason? I really hope that they will, because I think that they deserve it. They've worked so hard to get here on a team that lost so many important pieces last year.
Speaker 1:Well said.
Speaker 3:For me, it's just. I'm excited. I love where this team has been this season, even with all of the peaks and valleys, and that they've maintained their identity throughout and I hope that that identity continues to shine through in the postseason. However far they get and I know I've seen a lot of comments that this was a rebuilding year and however far they get, and that's great. Honestly, I'll be disappointed if they don't make it at least to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 3:I had high expectations from the beginning. I thought this team was going to be better than a lot of other people were talking about, and, yeah, I know we lost some pieces, but we gained some really good pieces as well and we have some of the best building blocks that this team has had and they're growing into themselves. I mean, this year was just a fantastic year for Jarvis, especially considering he had a short injury stint and moving around the lineup, but man, he and Ajo and Blake have just exploded and I'm excited to see where they're going to go. So I'll be honest, I'm not looking for them to do anything worse than Eastern Conference Finals. They should make it there. Do anything worse than Eastern Conference Finals? They should make it there. And if they don't, I think that they missed an opportunity, because this team is talented enough and is good enough and has a path where they very realistically can get there.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and you know, right from the get-go I've been saying the same thing. I expect the Canes to go very deep this year and you know again, a testament to the good work of Eric Tulsky and his crew, bringing in a lot of players that have really significantly contributed to the success this year, and, of course, rob Rendemore and his coaching staff once again doing an outstanding job and the Canes playing the right way most nights. So it's kind of exciting. In any case, we're going to follow this. This is going to be a lot of fun. We'll be here throughout the playoffs and I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about as this all unfolds, and it'll be exciting for sure.
Speaker 1:For those of you who've been listening or watching, as always, we really appreciate it. If you like this episode, please press the like button. Really appreciate it. If you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have any comments for Aaron Katie or myself, or you just want to say something about the podcast, please just leave those comments in the comment section down below. And, of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, please press the subscribe and the like or the bell button and you'll be made aware just as soon as those are available. As always, aaron Katie and I thank you so much for spending time with us and we'll look forward to getting together with you real soon right here on StormTrack.
