Second line fixes vs. deadline targets | What moves the needle most for the Canes?

A 12-1-3 heater into the Olympic break sounds simple on paper, but the real story is how Carolina kept winning when the script flipped. Some nights belonged to a revived power play that finally moved with purpose. Others swung on a goalie who refused to blink. We pull apart the layers behind the surge and map what must hold—and what must change—before the sprint to the playoffs.

Erin, Katie & I start with Jordan Staal’s surprising scoring revival: smarter patience at the net, better angles, and leadership that travels to every game state. From there, we dig into the power play’s reinvention, spotlighting Shane Gostisbehere’s constant motion at the point, cleaner entries, and a renewed commitment to shots through layers. Then comes the crease. Brandon Bussi’s edge is confidence wrapped in aggression, playing atop the crease, trusting his defense to clear rebounds, and turning two-or-fewer against into a trend. With Frederik Andersen steadying the rotation, the net no longer feels like a weekly question mark—it feels like an advantage.

On the blue line, Jaccob Slavin restores calm and structure, while one pairing of two roamers needs a touch of restraint so nobody vacates the house. Up front, Andrei Svechnikov’s heater gives the first line bite and swagger, but the second line lacks cohesion and interior chances. That’s where the deadline calculus tightens: we weigh center vs winger, cap space vs thin picks, and the reality that true top-six centers draw a crowd. We name realistic targets, consider internal shuffles, and keep an eye on an Olympic wildcard—injuries or shutdowns that could redraw the market overnight.

The playoff picture is already teasing matchups, from a fun, high-event tilt with Buffalo to a grind against the Islanders and a locked-in Sorokin. Our takeaways are clear: if the power play stays real, the kill stays sharp, and Bussey stays hot, Carolina’s adaptability becomes their edge when the ice shrinks. 

Just a heads-up, next week we will deliver a special Mailbag episode, so please send in your questions in the comment section & we will do our best to include them the podcast.

Highlights:

• Top-of-Metro surge driven by resilience and versatility
• Jordan Staal’s finishing spike and leadership value
• Power play movement with Gostisbehere’s point control
• Bussi’s aggressive form and goalie rotation plans
• Blue line stability with Slavin and pairing tweaks needed
• Svechnikov’s heater and first-line identity
• Second-line cohesion issues and center vs winger debate
• Deadline strategy, cap space, and realistic targets
• Playoff matchup scenarios and bubble team threats
• Olympic injuries as a market and standings X-factor

Hit play, join the debate on the second line fix, and ride with us through the break as we track the trade board and the sprint to spring. Subscribe, share with a fellow Caniac, and drop your dream deadline addition in the comments—who moves the needle most for a deep run?

Transcript

Surge Into the Olympic Break

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Well, what a run by the Carolina Hurricanes as they hit into the Olympic break. The Canes have gone 12-1-3 over the last 16 games with points in 11th break and are finding ways to win every night. Goaltending has been stellar, the power play has been exceptionally good, and as a result, Canes find themselves in a great spot entering the break. First in the Metro and third overall in the NHL. Interestingly enough, despite these results, the Kanes haven't been playing their best hockey. They have room to improve in terms of getting to their game and by possibly making some key additions before the March 6th trade dead. How do we see the canes of the break? What needs to continue? What needs to change? Joining me as always are Hockey Sabots, Aaron and Katie. Lady? Hi there. Okay, a little bit of a break. It's been a hectic season for sure. And I think a lot of us are feeling, hey, a few days off, that's okay. Um, but the Canes have been playing great hockey, and what a way for them to go into the break playing so well. Aaron, your thoughts?

Resilience & Different Ways to Win

SPEAKER_00 1:52

It has been a really fun uh stretch. Um, I think that, you know, like you said in the intro, though, it the fun part has been that they've had to find ways to win games. Um it has not been every night that smooth Keynes hockey that we know and love so well, where you know they suppress the shots against and get some opportunistic scoring and, you know, and then and and good enough goaltending to get through it. They've had nights when they've had such great goaltending that the goalie actually stole the game. And that's a kind of an unusual territory for the Keynes to be. Um, they've had nights when they just couldn't seem to get anything clicking at five on five, and they won the game from some special teams goals. When's the last time we said that? So it's been an interesting thing because, you know, I think that that is having that resilience to find ways to win when maybe everything isn't going according to Rod Brindamore's Bible of hockey and how we do things the right way. You know, that is a that is a uh a leap forward for this team in a lot of ways. And I think it's something that they're definitely going to need when they get into the playoffs. So it's encouraging to see that they don't give up and get down when they're down by a goal or two and and the third period is underway. And you know, they we've seen them have some great comeback wins. We've seen them, you know. Um, I think that the scariest times for us lately have been when they've actually come in with the lead because we are a little bit holding our breath and saying, please don't collapse, because we've seen that a few times too. Overall, it's been entertaining, and you know, it's it's already we're already missing it, you know, to a certain extent, even though it's good for them to have the break and good for us to have the break, but uh we we miss our canes, right?

Jordan Staal’s Scoring Revival

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Absolutely. Well, the canes, uh, you know, in their last 10, they're 8-0-2, and there's only a few teams that are playing as well right now. Of course, uh Tampa continues their outstanding play, and they've had a great season. Um, but you know, there's a kind of unusual uh suspect with the Columbus Blue Jackets who've been on a tear lately, so they're trying to find their way into the playoffs. The playoff picture is starting to look fairly clear, I think, and uh certainly by the day it's getting clearer. Um and you know, we'll talk a little bit about that as we look at some of these teams on the bubble leader. That's gonna be a lot of fun. But you know, when you take a look at the canes, it's kind of by committee. You know, we're seeing different folks almost every day come through, but what a story for Jordan Stahl. Well, you know, I just he's been doing things that, well, I keep asking the question, who's in Jordan Stahl's body? I mean, who is that? In any case, Katie, what are your thoughts on uh on Jordan?

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Well, it definitely seems like he's having having a rejuvenated season um on pace for at least a canes high when it comes to goals as well as other contributions. Um and he's doing a little bit of everything. I mean, he's on the power play, he's obviously penalty killing, he's doing that heavy lifting 5v5. It's really been great to see all the different ways that he has been contributing and that he has been setting an example as a leader. It has been a little streaky. He had a hot um a hot spell back in um November or something like that. Went cold for a little while, and then he's picked it back up since. So shouldn't be surprised if something like that comes up again. But um it's it's just been great to see how he's been doing. I looked him up on Hockey Viz out of curiosity, and I couldn't believe it because when you scroll to his finishing chart, it's bright red. How in the world is a Keynes player finishing that well, especially someone like Jordan Stahl with his decor. I mean, he's one of the most consistent guys on the team, and usually that consistency is he chips in here and there, but he has been really effective, especially close in on the net, and just really using that big frame of his to his advantage.

SPEAKER_03 5:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

And that there are so many times in a game where I get frustrated, it's like, okay, yeah, there's all there's those concrete myths I like to talk about. He's just kind of generally trying to push the puck in a in the general direction of the goal, and then the next thing you know, on the very next shift, he's streaking down the side with the puck and putting the best wrist or top shelf bar down at school. He's like, how is this possibly the same guy? But it is, and he's been doing well, and I know we're all here for it.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Aaron, thoughts on uh Jordan?

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Well, absolutely everything that Katie just said for sure, because it's it is amazing to watch. I mean, how many times have we said, you know, if you hear that someone's on a breakaway and you look up at TV and it's Jordan Stall, you just go back to washing those dishes or whatever you're doing because you don't expect anything to come of it. And this year he's defying all of those expectations and and making things happen so often that you can't afford to miss those moments, which is really cool. Um I think that we do see that. Um there's been some um research done, and and a lot of times when an older player reaches a certain point in his career, he does start to have that little bit of rejuvenated scoring. And it's it's the the patience around the net. And I think that some of the younger guys are gonna need to look at that, especially I think of Jackson Blake here, you know, and how frustrated he's been lately. You know, um Stahl isn't um taking shots that aren't there, and he's not trying to force plays to happen. And, you know, I know that uh Rod Brennermore preaches that all the time. You don't want to force the plays and you know, try to cheat the game and get things going that aren't really there for you. So that that's I think the lesson here with with Jordan Stahl is that, you know, the it at this stage of his his game, at this stage of his life, he has that ability to just hang on to the puck a couple of seconds longer, be patient with it. Certainly his size helps him do that too. And you know, that's where I think some of the, apart from the amazing breakaways, that's where some of these chances in front of the net are coming from, just that, you know, instead of trying to find Martin Nook over the side or trying, you know, to get the puck to Ealers, usually Ealers is the one getting it to him in the first place, you know. So he has the the that split second, you know, I can adjust my shooting angle a little bit, I can elevate a little bit more, and he's getting the having the patience to do it and the time to do it. And the results have been all that lovely red finishing, like Katie said.

Power Play Evolution & Ghost’s Impact

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Well, you know, it's interesting. He just scored his 15th goal. He's on uh pace for 23. Uh now, if he continues, we'll see how that goes. Um, this would be his highest total in 14 years. I mean, it's insane, right? So he's only had one other 20-goal a year during that period. So this is he's really kind of uh turning the clock back for sure. And you know, you mentioned something I think that's interesting too, Aaron. Uh when he's had, you know, wingers like Ealers or Jarvis or you know, Svetnikov, whatever, who can actually generate some offense, um, you know, he seems to get more opportunity. And when we saw him earlier in the year when he was so hot, and then of course he went cold, as Katie said. I think a lot of that was because, you know, once he got there with you know Martinuk and Carrier, you know, the offensive, yeah, the offensive situation was different. You know, the opportunities were lower, and it just wasn't quite the same. And I mean, a guy like Nikolai Ehlers, I mean, he's one of the best setup guys around. So, you know, certainly he's gonna find that on on you know just his regular shifts. But I think he's been doing an outstanding job. And if we talk about the power play next, we have to talk about Jordan in that regard as well, because it almost is kind of a a specific timing when he goes on the power play that all of a sudden the Keynes power play, you know, becomes one of the best in the National Hockey League. I don't think there's any coincidence with that. Of course, he's a big body who can get in and you know if he's still on the ice, he's causing and wrecking havoc in front of the goaltender. What are we seeing with the power play, Katie? What are you thinking about the power play these days?

SPEAKER_01 10:05

I think they're creating a lot more movement. Having Stahl out there has definitely helped, but it's not been quite the magic pill everyone associates with it. I looked up the power play numbers since he joined that unit at the beginning of December. And he has only been on ice for five power play goals since then out of high 20s or 30-ish, some goals that have been scored. So the vast majority of the goals on the power play have been scored have been without him on the ice. But I think just the fact that when he is out there, they are gaining puck control and they are able to set up in the zone. He often goes for a change in those situations when um he has an opportunity to bring out a more skilled guy like Ealers or Blake onto the ice. And because of that puck uh that zone time with the puck, then the the unit is able to produce some more chances that way. So um I I like the movement that they have, I like the commitment to shooting that they have. It also doesn't hurt that Aho and Svetch have kind of got on an overall heater when it comes to um when it comes to scoring. And it seems like even though Jarvis is struggling a little bit five on five to find his mojo, that's not been a problem on the power play. He has been really clutch um with the man advantage recently. So I think there are a lot of different things that work into it. I think they need to keep it up and they need to make it even better because it it wouldn't surprise me if it went cold if they just kind of rested on their laurels, that they need to keep the foot on the gas and not just take it for granted the way that they've been able to produce. They need to get even be focused on getting even better with what they've been doing.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Well, if you look at some of the stats, I mean they're pretty interesting. Uh, we we talked about some of the challenges they were having earlier in the year, and on December 5th, they were sitting 30th in the league at just 13.7 percent. So they were we were struggling with that. Their first couple of months were just terrible, as you recall. And uh, and we were trying to figure out boy, if they don't solve this power play, we've got some problems. They've been the best in the league since the 18th of December, so with 30.1 percent, and they've moved up to 14th overall at 21.6. So, you know, this is something that as we've looked at, you know, the the challenges they've faced in playoffs in previous years, of course, special teams has been one of their Achilles heel, in particular the power play. And if this is if this is for real, and I think there's a lot of things I like on the power play. One of the biggest things I've been excited about has been Andre Svetnikov's work on the power plate. Boy, his hit the way he's setting folks up is just incredible. Like he sees the ice so darn well. And uh, and boy, that's impressive. But another guy that's been doing it has been uh Shane Gosses Bear. Aaron, what are your thoughts about Ghost?

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Well, I think that Ghost is is probably the at his most valuable at on the power play, and that's not taking anything away from him at five on five, you know, it's just because he has been better there as well. But um he was um a crucial part of the power play's success early on before everything sort of fell apart. And you know, when when we look at where the the canes were, like you said, that uh 13 uh percent of the or 13, you know, and 30th overall, when they weren't 30th overall. Um, you know, it that was during a stretch of time when so many of the canes defensemen had been injured that you know, we had we had people um at the blue on the power play that don't usually take any power play reps at all. So um you can see the value of someone like Shane Gostaspeer, where that is something that he's really good at. And when I noticed, like when Kitty was talking about the movement and the positioning, you know, um Shane Gostasper does not stand still and wait for a puck to come back to him on the point, you know, um he's not there just to prevent a breakout for uh a two-on, you know, one going shorthanded the other way. He's there to find those shooting lanes and to create them by forcing the penalty killers to move out of position. So I think that it's been really neat to see the level of deception that he puts in there, um, you know, because he will skate and open up a lane, it looks like, but then it's not really there. So then, you know, instead of taking the shot, he passes it off to someone, you know, very quickly, and then they can, you know, get their opportunity from the side or or up near the net front or wherever the puck ends up going. So um, but when he does take a shot, he's good about making sure that the goalie is being screened, which is something that I think that they were not very good at um early on. They they they were not getting eyes in front of the goaltender on the power play, and you really have to. So um he's just smart. He's a smart player when it comes to knowing when to shoot, when to reset and get that puck going around the diamond shape again and all the rest of it. So, you know, he's he's just he's just uh intelligent on the power play, and I think that that's been helping them a lot um to get that going because he I think his movement helps everyone else to kind of relax and move around more than they were instead of being so uh tight in one spot and not wanting to seek those opportunities to get out into a different position.

Bussi Emerges & Goalie Rotation

SPEAKER_02 15:23

I think that's true. Boy, that the goal that he scored, uh the tying goal that he scored against Utah, which was set up by uh Jackson Blake, was just unbelievable. I mean, I just sat there and I was just stupefied. It was incredible. Um, you know, because again, uh he had scored a key goal to get the Kates back into the game, and uh then he turns around and then scores another one right after. So yeah, he's definitely uh an offensive machine. And you know, the key thing with them is as long as he stays healthy, I think he's he's definitely on track to have an outstanding season offensively. He's got 38 points in 40 games, I think, now. So he's he's definitely a guy that uh, you know, you like him on the power play for sure. Now, if we look at the other special team, that's penalty killing, probably the team's best penalty killer is somebody we talk about an awful lot, and that's Brandon Bussey. What can you say about Brandon Bussey? He's he just keeps doing it, he just keeps winning. Um he now has uh 23, he's third in the league and wins, and and I mean he's played so many fewer games than than the other guys that have won 27. Um he's got a solid say percentage at 908, but he's also got an outstanding goals against average of 2.16, which is only bettered by Andre Vasilevsky, who's having an all incredible season this year. So um Brandon Bussey, Katie, what are you thinking about Brandon these days?

SPEAKER_01 16:47

I mean, he has been everything the Canes have needed in a goalie, and just it feels like he's just fallen into our laps. I'm sure that behind the scenes there was a lot of knowledge and planning, and that it was no accident that uh he was claimed as soon as he became available by the team. But it's been even better since he's taken over the starting role. Um, I want to shout out one of our fellow Kaniacs on Twitter X, um, Mark, who constantly posts stats, which is very informative about the canes record when they um have three or more goals scored against them versus two or fewer goals scored against them. And their record is almost perfect when they are able to limit other teams to two or fewer goals. And Bussey has been a huge part of that. In fact, since the very end of November, two-thirds of his starts he has only allowed two one or no goals at all. That is incredible production from him to be able it's not just the majority, two-thirds of his starts. And the m the rest of the starts where it hasn't been that, it's been three. There's been very few uh games, I think only three in that time that he has allowed for or more goals. So he is doing really well to keep the canes in the game, to keep the canes competitive and to give them a chance to win. So it has it has been good. And those stacks that already sound so good are even better in that time because he's gotten the regular playtime, he's gotten uh in rhythm with the team and understands better who these guys are in front of him and how they play the puck. He ha his instincts are great, and he's so aggressive. He's always at the top of his crease, and when there's a chance, he's pushing out towards the chance rather than shrinking back into his net. And it just oozes confidence because he knows he's got the team in front of him that if he gives up a rebound and he's out far like that trying to cut off angles, that those D men are gonna get to the rebound and clear it out, and so those other the other team is not gonna have second and third chances to try to whack the puck into the net. And it just it's such a good synergy all around with him. And I cannot wait to see how he's able to finish the season because this is this is gonna give the Kanes a phenomenal chance to finally push through in the playoffs if he's able to replicate this production the rest of the way.

SPEAKER_02 19:31

Well, of course, he played uh you know, he he finished this uh break with a third straight start uh up against the Rangers, and all he did was shut them out. So uh he he seems to thrive on the workload for sure. And and you know, we talked about this a little bit before too, Katie, that uh, you know, he was rated incredibly highly, you know, and and again, when you're not following other teams closely and you're not paying attention, you don't necessarily see this. But I did read a lot of reports on him. I read McKeynes and some other folks who basically said this guy is he's the real deal, and he should be playing in the NHL. So, you know, we were fortunate. And I think Eric Tolski said recently, he said, Man, I I should have probably signed him in the offseason. I don't know why I kind of missed that one or something along those lines. Um, because they they clearly knew a lot about him as well. They had followed him closely and they felt he was definitely a player that uh that they wanted to keep an eye on. Um interesting is as we've talked about before, too, he is in the 98th percentile for high danger save percent at 8.869, so almost 90 percent. This guy is tough to beat. Uh and and you know, he just keeps doing it. I guess that's the surprise for a lot of us is that you know you figure at some point, okay, uh the other teams are gonna get the book on them, which is what they do, and they'll try to figure out where are the weaknesses and how are they going to beat them. Um and he just keeps he just keeps delivering. And and my excitement is like yours. I'm I'm kind of thinking, boy, if we go into the playoffs with a red hot Brandon Bussy, uh we that changes all the rules, in my view. Um and you know, great, great stuff for for Brandon and you know, for all of the folks who are sitting there and going, wow, this is this is this is great. Yes. And if you're from another team watching this podcast, watch out when we come to town because the bus f is gonna be there. Now, at the same time, I think it's helped with Freddie Anderson. Uh Freddie has been playing better for sure. Uh his last five starts since January 8th, he's 2-0-3, so he hasn't lost in regulation. That's kind of good. And uh, you know, he's allowed 14 goals, but he's he's definitely making better stays. Aaron, what are you seeing with Freddie?

Blue Line Strengths & Weak Spots (Gostisbehere/Nikishin duo concerns)

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Well, I think that, you know, he's uh so far this season he has managed to stay healthy, and that's been very important, you know, because he's he's not had that good health in a while. And so, you know, just being able to to be um, you know, a regular part of the rotation and not have to worry that that he's not going to be available. So that's I think that's been a big load off of the Keen's mind, especially given the situation with uh Piotr Kachekov not being available. Um I also think that um, you know, the word I would say describe Freddie as is that he's been solid. He hasn't been exceptional, he hasn't been, you know, stealing games, I don't think. Um but he Also hasn't um been putting the Canes in a position where they can't win a game and he's not giving up a lot of the the soft goals that we saw, you know, at various times here and there. So um right now, of course, he's gonna be um backstopping Team Denmark in the Olympics, and we wish him all the best with that. I think that's a a good thing for for uh Freddie to be able to do, and I think he's gonna come back full of confidence regardless of how things go for for Denmark, just being able to have that experience. Um I do think that um if there's one thing that I think that has been unfortunate for him in these these last couple of the overtime losses, I think at least one of those, if not two, were shootouts. Ah, yes, you know. And that's unfortunate because I think it makes him look weaker than he really is. Um shootout losses are not to me the same as you know losing the game in regulation or in three-on-three overtime. That those are goals you you know, you're facing every individual sh scorer one-on-one. And frankly, usually the other team has better scores in that situation than the canes do. So that puts Freddy in a little bit of an unfortunate situation. So I do think he's been better than that suggests, and I think that you know the Canes are going to be glad to have both of them going into the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Well, you know, you mentioned that shootout. He actually made several great saves. Absolutely. He went two extra rounds, and he gave the canes a chance to win. And it was kind of just couldn't plot the goals. I mean, it's you know, that's a shootout is not the best place for the canes. And you know, yeah. Um in any case, uh now uh Katie, one thing I wanted to ask you was uh okay, what do you think happens after the break? Like is the rotation, is it gonna be how do you see it going?

SPEAKER_01 24:20

I mean, we know that um Brindemore prefers to ride with one goalie if he can in the playoffs, and so I think that we are going to see an increased workload from Bussey. They already started it before the break because those last three games before we went on break, uh he started in a row, and it's the first time all season that Brindamore has given uh Bussey three in a row. Now, there are probably a lot of factors that go into that. The fact that Freddie was going to be playing for Denmark, and so he was gonna be getting playing time during the break just to see can Busy handle this workload to um I also think he got that third start because of course it was in Madison Square Garden back with his childhood and you know getting getting all of that nostalgia and all of his uh what 40 friends and family that were there to take in the game. And so there I'm sure there are a lot of factors in giving him that final third game, but he has shown by by performing well in those games that he can handle that workload. And so I would think at the very least the ratio would be something like a two to one, uh especially with the condensed schedule and some back-to-backs and such in there. But uh I wouldn't be surprised to see Rod ramp things up a little bit with Busy and see whether or not he can handle a little bit more uh demanding of a workload as as things move forward.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Yeah, and and he was they were doing two and one. Like it seemed like that seemed to be what they were settling into over this last short period of time as uh Brandon would play two games, Freddie would play one. Um and I think that's great too, because uh for Fred, if he can get back in his game, he's not gonna be overtaxed, and he should be fresh going into the playoffs as well. So it's I think that's a great situation. Um so goaltending looking good. Uh actually it's the best we've had in a long time. I mean, talking about Brandon Bussey and the incredible season he's having, boy, it's really it's special for sure. So let's talk a little bit about the decor. Um getting it done, of course, the return of Jacob Slavin. Man, that's huge, as we definitely know that. I mean, it's he's the best defensive defenseman in the game, and he just comes in and everything changes, of course. But there are some warts. Aaron, your thoughts?

Svechnikov’s Heater & Line Balance

SPEAKER_00 26:41

Well, I think we talked about, you know, um what a great player uh Shane Gostaspeer is and how much he's contributed to the um to the power play. But right now I think that the pairing of uh Gostaspeer and Alexander Nikishan has been perhaps not clicking as well as some of the other uh pairs have have done. Um I think the reason for it is easy enough. You know, you want to be able to shelter Nikitan's minutes a little bit since he's been having to take on such an extra heavy workload and maybe not have that time for some of those development um milestones and and you know, just kind of got thrown into it. And and you want to make sure you don't let bad habits form. And, you know, it's easy for a young player when they're learning to be um an NHL regular to get into kind of a survival mode where you know everything looks good because they're doing what they need to be doing, but they're not necessarily uh doing it in a sustainable way. And I know that the team has probably been very focused on that. But um along with uh uh Ghost, it seems like uh teams are attacking Ghost defensively, you know, making and then Nikeshin doesn't have the experience to kind of straighten that out. Um and then he himself uh has been confused and out of position on occasion that may be you know communication with the new partner um from Nikishan. Um but uh I think we've seen some really good stick work from Alexander Nikitian, which is nice to see. I think he's obviously getting the hang of how to do some of that since the Keynes do an awful lot of that. Um but uh whether that pair will stay together after the break or not, I think that um there was a sense going into the break that there were some lines and pairings overall that maybe weren't functioning at the best capacity. But I think that it's unrealistic to expect the team to make sweeping changes when this long break was coming up. So as long as everybody was healthy and the team was winning and the game was going more or less according to plan, I think that everybody was just staying in place. I wouldn't be surprised to see them shake those pairings up a little bit. I'm not entirely sure what they would do, but yeah, I mean for sure.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

You know, Rob Brindemore has been very clear. He believes very strongly that Alex is offensively gifted and he's gonna be a great defenseman on that side. And of course, he continues to talk about the work that needs to be done to round out his game. Now, he's been doing some good work in terms of closing gaps, he's been uh trying to hold the blue line better. You know, you see him as as the season goes on, you see him start to kind of drink the Kool-Aid of the Canes. And uh the challenges he has, though, is I mean, he likes to roam too. Quite often we'll find he's if the puck's heading up to the ozone, he's right up there with the forwards. He could be a problem sometimes. And that's uh that's something that uh, you know, and and I have to believe he's been given the green light. And I think the challenge is when you've got two offensive-minded guys, uh, like you know, obviously uh Gossaspare alongside uh Nikishin, uh sometimes there's nobody home, you know, kind of watching the store. And and and I think that's a little bit of a concern right now. And they're gonna have to figure this one out. I mean, the last five games, Alex is minus four. You saw him get into some trouble. Um, and in fact, uh, you know, we look at some of those games, and his minutes were way down. He was down under 14 minutes on a couple of nights. So they were, you know, they really had cut him back quite a bit. And earlier in the season, he was definitely up around 20 and above that quite easily. So, you know, he's a guy that thrives and workload. Uh, you remember he came uh from the KHL where he played massive minutes. In fact, I remember he played one playoff game. I think he was over 35 minutes. I mean, it's insane, right? So this is a guy that wants to play. Um and you know, they're just gonna they're gonna bring him along as as they need to. And what with the defense all in place now, uh they can take their time. I mean, there's no question he is uh he's a talent beyond anything. He's gonna be incredible once he gets this all sorted out. And uh and I don't know if they're gonna make changes. Um, Katie, your thoughts on the blue or any changes you think are gonna come, or do you think they'll continue to roll with this group?

SPEAKER_01 30:54

It's hard to know if I had to bet one way or the other. We know that uh Brenda Moore is a creature of habit, especially when it comes to his defensive pairings, and so once he is able to commit to a particular setup, he d tends not to deviate from that back on the blue line. Um last year, I don't think the defensive pairings ever changed unless there was an injury. But there were so many injuries and so many different things to take into consideration that he was having to play mix and match a ton. And so as long as the top six are healthy, I would expect that he sticks with the group that he has unless it really becomes a problem that he can't avoid. He seems to really like Slavin and Chatfield together as his shutdown pairing and Miller and Walker seem to be do having a really strong chemistry that keeps getting more and more solid the more time they get. And that just means that Ghost and Nikitation are gonna have to figure it out and make it work, and I think they will. They I think they started at the beginning of the season together initially, and so they'll get there, they'll they'll manage it. But more than anything, I think Rod just wants consistency on the blue, which makes me think that he'll stick with what he's got.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

Yeah, I think the D, for the most part, doing great. And uh, once they sort out those guys, I think we'll be in great shape. And you know, lots of depth as well. We talked about the good contribution that uh certainly Ewell Nistrom had done uh filling in, and you've got now another player who's really cooking in Chicago, and that's UC Balamke. He's uh he's playing outstanding, so uh he's playing tremendous. So that's great news with Balamackie now uh playing very, very well for Chicago, so it gives the Kings lots of depth on the blue. Now, talking about the forwards, I just wanted to kick it off with Andre Svetnikov. I mentioned him earlier. I'm all enamored with Andre these days. Of course, who couldn't be? He's uh got nine goals and five assists in his last ten games, and he's magic. It's kind of like last year in the playoffs, right? Um he was tremendous in the playoffs, and then he kind of started this year, and everything was kind of noisy, and hey, he wasn't so happy, and all this jazz. Who knows? But um boy, he's he's just making plays like you wouldn't believe. What are you seeing with uh Andre Spechnikov, Aaron?

Second Line Troubles & Fixes

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Well, I mean, I think that Trip Tracy likes to say that's the magic, you know, and and I think that that's that is what we're seeing. We're seeing uh Spech really, I think, uh, reaching that potential. Um, you know, and and people look at him and they say, well, you know, he's been in the league eight years. He should have been, you know, this is his eighth year, you know, he should have done this before, he should have gotten there before, but they forget just how much of an impact um a lot of things have had on the development of someone like Spechnikov. You had, you know, two seasons impacted by COVID and shortened by that. He had a torn ACL that he missed a major part of a season for. And then, you know, coming back the year after that, the recovery time takes time, you know. It's not a it's not a smooth path for everyone, and there's ups and downs with that. We are seeing him this year healthy, confident, and very happy to be on that first line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. And I think that he needs to stay there no matter what else they need to do for the other lines or what needs to happen for the team. He needs to be a first line power forward. That is what the Kanes have needed him to be from day one. And now that he looks like that player, they need to keep him there and they need to not, you know, move him around just because some other line needs a bigger forward, you know, on the line. So I hope that coming back from the Olympic break that he just keeps taking another step and that he's elevates even more because I think he still has more that he can do. I think there's a level there that he hasn't even 100% reached yet. So um I'm excited by how well he's been doing. And it's not just the points. The points are important right now for the Kanes because, you know, they've had some interesting wins lately. But um, it's the all the other things he's doing, making his physical presence felt on the ice, imposing his will on the other players. That's something the Canes desperately need in their forward group. And uh Andre Svechnikov is bringing that on a nightly basis.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

Well, you know, his numbers right now, he's got 21 goals and 28 assists in 57 games. He's tracking towards his best season in the NHL right now. He's right on track to it. His best year was uh 21-22. He had 30 goals and 39 assists. So he's uh he's on track for a pretty darn good season. And if he continues along, my biggest concern is the break because you know he was just flying, and sometimes you know, you get three weeks off, you're on the beach for a week or whatever they're doing, and uh and then they come back and they're not quite uh, you know, they gotta start the engine up again. So that's one of my concerns. Now, Aaron, while you're at it, uh you know, the second line, we you know, you talk a little bit about what the good work is on the top line, but you know, what are you thinking about with that second line, though? That's an area that are they getting it done or not getting it done.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Well, I think that um that has been the topic of conversation a lot on social media is you know the Cain's second line, you know, because as as wonderfully as they've been doing overall, um we all know this is regular season records, and these are regular season points and everything else. And and you know, we look at that line and you say, are they really constructed the way they need to be going into, you know, because one of the things about coming back from the break is I I think the Canes have 25 games left. We're coming into the hardest part of the season. So many teams are jockeying for playoff positions, so many teams are on the edge of being in a wild card spot, they're going to elevate, and everyone else has to elevate to match that intensity if they want to stay in the positions they're currently in, um, as far as the top contending teams. Um, but in the last 11 games, uh Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake have two even strength goals each. And Stankhoven has zero. He has not had a goal in 11 games. No. Um Blake has four even strength assists over that stretch. He's the best of them with that. Um Stankhoven has two, um, and Taylor Hall has just one. And Logan Stancoven's two assists in the that's his only two points over the last 11 games, um have been, they were both scored in the nine-to-one blowout win over the Florida Panthers.

SPEAKER_03 37:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

So that that was a game where the entire team was clicking and everybody got a point. Yeah, points for you and points for you. Literally, you know, it's a pretty much almost, I think every all your forward did, at least in uh most of the defense as well. Um so I'm surprised that uh the goaltender didn't get a point out of that one. We came close. But uh, but yeah, so you look at that and you say, well, what you know, they're playing the right way. Everybody there's a lot of talk about that. I think Trip Tracy mentioned in the broadcast, well, they're playing the right way, they just need to keep doing what they're doing, the points will come. But I look at that and I say, physically speaking, that line has been overwhelmed at times.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

By just looking at by the eye test, you know, even though they're getting those nice little expected goal numbers, a lot of it, I think Katie knows better than I do, is on low danger chances. So maybe you want to talk about that, Katie.

Who Should the Canes Target at the NHL Trade Deadline?

SPEAKER_01 38:09

Yeah, a lot of what they're seeing is unfortunately perimeter, um, especially because when they do drive to the front of the net, they are making that extra move and therefore losing the puck. And so there's considered a chance there, but it it since it doesn't actually go on net, it there's no real danger to it as far as becoming becoming a goal. And they just they just seem out of sync. They seem like all of them are individually working really hard and trying to make stuff happen, but they're not cohesive as a unit, and it's creating some problems because their passes are off, or they're not expecting the passes when they do come to them, or they're passing up shooting opportunities. It's just very disjointed, and you just feel like there's got to be some sort of change that Brendan Moore has to find a solution when it comes to this group to make them more dangerous and to make them a proper complement to Aho's Line because come playoffs, if Aho's Line is the only one that is consistently generating goals and uh points over the course of the 5v5 play in a game in a series, then teams are going to be able to key in on them and work really hard to think, hey, if we can shut down this one line, then we take away 80, 85% of their scoring threat and we put ourselves in a good position to win. They need that second line to be able to help carry that uh production weight and expectation so that the uh top line doesn't get overwhelmed with the um key defensive effort from the other team. And as it stands right now, this line as constructed can't move forward. And honestly, I think if you switch out even just one of the wingers, you're still in a place where it's uh just not going to work. Something I think important and major has to give. What that is remains to be seen, whether it's in the form of a trade or if it's in the form of doing a bigger lineup uh mix-up, other than you know, leave the top line alone and then really, really juggle line. I don't know what that solution is, but it's going to need to be significant in order to create a second scoring line that can be a proper complement to the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 40:34

Well, it and you know, we all know that uh come playoff times, uh the you know, the top lines often aren't aren't the key lines. It's your second, third, and fourth lines. In fact, if you look at a lot of these teams, they can roll four, and that's where it gets tough. I mean, you look back at the days of Tampa and Florida and so on, and you know, they they had people on the fourth line contributing. So the Keynes cannot have a second line that can't get it done. And and I think you're onto something, I believe, and certainly a lot of folks in the Keniac world are saying the same thing. They've got to add something to that second line. It's got to be somebody from the outside, and what position that is, we'll talk a little bit about that in a minute. But I think they definitely have to shore it up. And you know, it actually opens up another discussion, which is that that dad's line, right, with uh with the Jordans, uh Martin Ook and Stahl. Is Nikolai Ehlers the right guy in that line, Aaron?

SPEAKER_00 41:28

Well, I think that Ehlers is one of the reasons we've seen so much scoring from Jordan Stahl. So I think that that is something that you have to give him credit for. Um, but there again, he has no goals and five assists in his last nine games. So he's not um generating a lot in terms of you know getting Stahl scoring. I mean, that the some some of Stahl's scoring has come on the power play, like you said. So I think that in a lot of ways it's it looks like a line that should work, and it did for a little bit there in the beginning. Um, but you really, you know, you have somebody in Nikolai Ehlers who is really a great playmaker.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 42:11

Um, and I don't know that he belongs on what really um I know that Rod Brindemore doesn't number his lines, but the stall line is a shutdown line primarily. That their primary job is to stifle the other team's top lines. So they're not getting the quality of opportunity all the time that someone like Ealers would thrive in, you know. So I I think that and you know, I do know that when he played in Winnipeg, he was often used in a similar role, but that that again, that's that's that's not why you got him. That's not why you didn't get him to turn around and plug him into the same sort of situation he was in in Winnipeg. So I think that he can do more. I think that he can drive more play, but I think that the biggest problem then comes back down to the question of who is centering that second line because we, you know, as as you said, we're gonna be talking about that soon. Removing Ealers right now, putting him back with two small young players in Blake and Stenckhoven is not a good idea. We've already seen what that looks like and it doesn't work. Um, putting Ealers on the top line means you're moving either Svechnikov or Jarvis. And, you know, you could make a case that Jarvis does well with the dads and might as well be back there and let's see how Ealers does. We'll go back to Spech on his right wing, which I know that Katie loves anyway. But I'm not sure that that's gonna be the solution either. So it'll be interesting to see what the Keens decide to do because long term, I think if you have that line in the playoffs, because again, everything tightens up in the playoffs, you're gonna be wasting the scoring talent of a player who really does have that edge on a line that is gonna be tasked with shutting down the top lines on other teams. And that's not necessarily going to give you the scoring you need to get the job done.

SPEAKER_03 43:59

Yeah.

Playoff Matchups & Bubble Teams

SPEAKER_02 44:00

I I think you hit it right on the head. Um I believe that it's great the way the Keynes are going. Um, but I think, you know, heading into the playoffs, and we've talked a lot about this, that they just have to shore up a little bit. And I know that for goodness sakes, uh Eric Telski's all over the place. And as we move into the rumor mill segment, I thought that uh, you know, it was kind of fun to see what happened around our Temi Pimarin. Um, you know, he ultimately you know he wanted to go to Los Angeles, that's fine. But a lot of information came out after the fact. Uh, Elliot Friedman and others talking about the fact that, you know, the Caves were really pushing hard. They had offered apparently a longer deal than almost anybody, uh, and at a pretty good uh AAB. So it was a deal that was going to make a lot of sense for uh our Tammy Panera financially. And, you know, I I guess as I watched this, I was kind of kind of a little bit befuddled because he doesn't really fit the Kane style at all. Uh, you know, he's an offensive uh, you know, magician, no question. He's incredibly strong offensively. But when it comes to the rest of his game, it's he's devoid of that. He just doesn't, it's not there. So I I was wondering how's he gonna get along with Rod Brindomore? This is gonna be interesting. Um so clearly he probably had that uh understanding on the front side and said there's no way I'm going down to play for Rod Brindomore. Oh man, that's too much hard work. Um, and it was interesting because uh, you know, Sullivan had actually been talking to him about uh trying to shore up his uh, you know, his defensive game a little bit, and that wasn't going over too well. So, you know, he wasn't the right fit. In any case, um interesting as we look at the canes heading into this deadline. I did a little bit of due diligence on a few things, and I thought it was kind of interesting. I know you're aware of this, Aaron, that there's a massive cap space. Uh that the canes are gonna have something like 40 million in deadline cap space, which is ridiculous. Um, but there is a bit of a problem the canes have, and that's on the draft coming up this summer. Uh they're really thin. Uh they have a first-round pick, they got it from Dallas, but they're thin in the second and third rounds, and then they go down to later on, they've got some rounds missing as well. So they're not really as strong in the draft as historically they've been. And this is something they really enjoy. So I would not be surprised if something we see in the move side includes draft picks as well. Um, I fully expect they're gonna try to shore things up. And it's interesting when you look at some of the draft picks that are available. Chicago's got two firsts and three seconds. I don't know how we would do a deal with them. Mammoth, the Utah Mammoth have three seconds. Vancouver's got two firsts and two seconds. So, I mean, there's draft picks out there, okay? And where do you send somebody? Who is it? How does it work? And maybe it's someone like uh a uh, you know, he's very kokanami for a draft pick, who knows? Uh all that kind of stuff could happen. Now, Corey Lavalette did an interesting article in the athletic recently, and he was saying, okay, all things aside, the canes need a scoring forward. They've got to add somebody else that can score, and they've got to get someone that can go up on that second line, I presume is what he was saying. So, as we look at this, what are we thinking? What do we think the canes are gonna be contemplating? Obviously, Eric's working the phones hard, as he always is. What's he gonna try to pull off? Katie, why don't you kick it off?

SPEAKER_01 47:36

Well, I definitely think that second line we were talking about before seems to be kind of the linchpin of the whole uh the whole deal. I don't know, you know, there have been so many names mentioned and batted around, you know, EP40 and Robert Thomas and uh Ryan O'Reilly and this guy and that guy and the other guy. And I think eventually Tolski might will surprise us. I don't think it'll be any of the names that everybody's looking at anyway. But what I do believe is that whatever deal he makes, it will not involve a current roster player. I believe that they learned their lesson from last playoffs and that they will do their best to keep as many of their guys present on the roster so that if and when injuries happen, they have proven NHL experience with the team to back it up. One of the reasons that KK has been valuable this season, with as frustrating as his deployment has been, has been that when injuries have happened, he has been there to step in and his versatility, his size, being able to play center, figuring out the wing has made it so that the Kanes are still able to roll four lines, unlike many other teams that end up rolling three lines and an AHL line because they're trying to do put on a band-aid until their got injured guys get back. So if a trade were to happen, depending on how big the piece is, it would involve one or two prospects, perhaps a pick from next year. Teams often don't mind waiting an additional year to get a pick in return. And so I see that's how I see it playing out. I'm not I don't have a prediction on who the guy would be that they bring in to help shore up that second line, but I do not think that any of our current roster players will be on the way out in said deal.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

And do you think are you thinking they're going to be really focusing on center or the wing? What do you feel about that, K?

SPEAKER_01 49:47

Well, center is always more valuable. Always more valuable. So if they can get somebody that they feel makes sense in the system, makes sense specifically in that role, they don't need somebody to go on the penalty kill. They've got six or eight guys who can do an ideal job on the penalty kill. They technically don't even have to have somebody for the power play, although that person perhaps would be of benefit on the second unit so that the first unit doesn't have to spend the majority of the time out there. They just need somebody who can be that experienced presence to anchor the line, needs some size to add a little bit more gravity to the group out there, especially if a Blake or Stancoven or both are the wingers on that line. Just somebody to, again, as we talked about before, create that dual scoring threat alongside of Aho's line. So Aho's line doesn't have the absolute biggest target on their back throughout the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 50:57

Yeah, I think I think you're right on. Aaron, what are your thoughts about possible moves and uh what Aaron's got on the sleeve?

Olympic X-Factors & Closing Notes

SPEAKER_00 51:05

Well, um, I don't know that as much as we would like them to get a really, you know, needle-moving center, a really good center, there's a lot of competition for those guys. Some of them may not even be moving this year. They may wait till the summer. I mean, I know that everyone talks about uh uh Patterson in uh Vancouver, and we've gone back and forth. We've been talking about him for a couple of years now, really, when you think about it. The question is, do they need to move him right now if they're tanking anyway? They they probably could wait over until over the summer, because remember, this is a very weak UFA year. You know, there's not going to be a lot of UFA centers available over the summer that, you know, people are gonna be rushing to sign, and yet the need is always there. So it might be in Vancouver's best interest, not that I always expect them to do smart things, but it might be in their best interest to wait until the summer. I'm sorry, it's the truth. But you know, they might be in their best interest to wait until there's more demand and plenty of time to work with Pederson on his side of things because he does have that new move clause. So he's gonna have to pick and choose. And and if he's gonna be relocating his family, he may want to say, no, I don't want to do that in the middle of the season. Let's wait until the summer and do it. So um, that is one thing that I think could happen is that some of the guys that we'd really like to see either won't be available or or won't be available till summer. Um but I do think that if they have to go with let's get a good winger, let's get a good scoring winger and shore up that line, you're looking at a situation, and I was thinking about this the other day, the centered depth on the canes is not what it has been in the past.

SPEAKER_03 52:44

Right.

SPEAKER_00 52:45

Because if you were to lose to injury for any amount of time, even just a few games, um, Sebastian Aho or Jordan Stahl, you have nobody. You have nobody to take their spots, you have nobody to replace them. So, because you can't see Logan Stenkhoven taking either of those roles, and your second line center needs to be someone who could theoretically play up the lineup at one C if needed, or play down the lineup at 3C if needed. And he is not. He is not that player. Maybe someday he'll be that player, but I don't think so because I think that the one thing he can't do is change his sight. You know, we all know that he's five foot eight, and that's not going to change. So you don't put a player like that as your shutdown third line center. You don't put a player like that as your top line center. So I feel like the experiment to put him at center has been, you know, an interesting one. We certainly see the benefits that the player brings to the role. He's not a disaster out there. He's held his own in a lot of ways, but that doesn't change the fact that as of right now, he's on pace for 36 points. And that's with great deployment, great minutes, power play time, all the opportunity in the world. Yes, that's where he is. I think they have to be looking at that. I think Eric Tolski has to be looking at that because no matter how much Brendan Moore may like him in that role, and I know he does, you got to look at how it impacts the rest of the team. So I'd be surprised if they put all their eggs into a winger basket. I uh as much as I would be surprised if they landed a top center. I think that they will get someone, a nice, you know, veteran center to come in who can handle that role for the playoffs and then perhaps beyond.

SPEAKER_02 54:19

So well, the challenge, and I think you hit it on the head. I mean, we've looked at, you know, Charlie Coyle, who's on Columbus and they're smoking hot right now. He's not going anywhere. We've looked at uh Ryan O'Reilly would be a nice ad uh for the playoffs and so on, and he's not going anywhere because Nashville's still in the mix. I mean, this is the problem you've got is that you know you really don't have much. Uh Vinny Trochak would be a nice ad, but there's so many teams talking about Vinny these days, you're not gonna get him. Um, you know, and and as you mentioned, Elias Peterson, the only thing, the latest news we heard on that was Nick Cyprios, uh, who's on SportsNet, basically said, hey, yes, he's still in play, and the Keynes are talking to him. But but you know what? I kind of think you're right on this. I think he could very well slip to the summer. The Canes are gonna have their hands full trying to find a center. I believe they're gonna get a player of some significance, whatever it is. And, you know, one of the guys that's been uh bandied around a lot lately has been Bobby McMahon with Toronto. Now, this is a guy that uh he's an older player, you know, he's gonna be UFA, he's 29 years old, but he's a big player. He's 6'3 and he's 217, he's a big guy, and he's scoring goals, and uh he's gates like the win. So he's a guy that I think would fit in on the defensive style the Canes have. He could play with us, um, and he's you know, he's on track to score 25 or whatever goals this year. So he's a guy that maybe, and you could get him for a couple of second-round picks, that's not a problem, or whatever. Um, that's the kind of player we'll probably end up seeing coming to the Keynes. And uh, I mean, the other forward, and we've talked a lot about it, and we'll probably talk more, is Jordan Cairo. Uh, Cairo is available, and there's a lot of word out of St. Louis they would like to move him because they think he needs a fresh start, and so on. Um, he's been playing very well lately. In fact, uh he's got five goals and seven assists in his last eight games. So he's playing well. He's starting to get his game back in gear. He would be a nice act. And uh, and again, uh, you've got to find some help. Now, the funny one about this, Aaron, is uh uh Eric Angels of SportsNet was saying, hey, uh looks like the Habs are gonna try to move out Patrick Lyne and his big fat contract. And how about the hurricanes? What are your thoughts on that, Eric?

SPEAKER_00 56:38

Well, I think that that might be wishful thinking on Eric Engels' part. Um, frankly, I don't I'm it it is a funny thing to contemplate to, you know, uh certainly uh he's had a history playing with Sebastianaho, and and that's something that people look at. But the reality is that if uh Artemy Panarin is what they call a 100-foot player, um, then uh Line is probably about a 70, 75-foot player. He he plays well in the offensive zone, but don't expect anything from him anywhere else on the ice. And um, you know, he's he's not been under uh Martin Saint-Louis, he has not been a complete liability, but he's just not good at those other areas, you know. And when he's playing the kind of role he should be playing, nobody cares because he's scoring a lot. But injuries and setbacks with certain areas of his life have made that very difficult for him. Um, you know, and I I think that that would be the kind of player that, you know, you're not gonna pick that player up to be your scoring threat in the playoffs because you're not gonna be sure that he's gonna make it through um more than a couple of games, which is what happened to him in Montreal during the playoffs last year. He did get injured. Um granted they were playing against the Washington Capitals, so that's not a surprise. But you're I I just don't see the Keynes putting resources into something like that as funny as it would be.

SPEAKER_02 57:56

But well, I mean, I I I was kind of thinking about saying here's the deal in this with Slim and Nun. This guy is not coming to the Hurricanes. There's no way that they're gonna take a player that's gonna be four and a half, even if uh you know the halves decide to take 50% of his deal, it's ridiculous. You're not gonna spend it on that guy. Okay, now uh as we wrap up, I thought we'd talk about uh the playoffs uh coming up and and just some thoughts on that. We've got a kind of an interesting scenario. Uh we've got some teams kind of on the fringe that usually are painful to the hurricanes, and I'll say the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers. I'll put those guys into that category. Uh, as we look at the standings, uh both of them are on the outside looking in. And the Panthers a little bit worse than the Caps. What are we thinking about some of these bubble teams? Katie, what are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 58:52

First of all, I I think the Panthers are missing. I there's just too much of a gap between the second wild card, and not only would they have to close the gap, but they would have to have all the teams ahead of them have worse records in the meantime. So I'm unless there's some sort of miracle that happens, and I know I know we all think that the Panthers are charmed and they definitely seem to have a lot of uh help on their side at times. I don't think they're overcoming this. And in some ways it's to their interest to just go ahead and give into the the tank a little bit because the first rounder that they owe, I think, Chicago for the trade from Seth Jones last year, is top ten protected. So if they're able to fall down enough to where they end up in there, they get to keep their first rounder this year. So there are some considerations. I'm sure they probably don't like their chances in the playoffs. This Barkov continues to be out and and injured, and they've just they've played a lot of hockey, they've made it to the Stanley Cup finals the past three seasons. It's it's a team that could use a long offseason. So I'm not I'm not gonna worry about the Panthers for now unless something strange happens and they force me to pay attention to them again. Um as far as the Capitals, yeah. Maybe. Um you know, they they definitely have plenty of talent, but you can definitely see that they are coming off the PDO bender they were on last season, that they were very much overrated coming into this season. And uh they they would still provide a bit of a hassle in the playoffs as as far as especially a first-round opponent is concerned. Still not particularly worried. I wasn't worried about them last year. I'm not I think the Canes match up in almost every single facet with them again this year to give them a favorable matchup. So I know I know the Capitals can play a rough and tough game, but I I don't see the Canes being in a position where they can't handle that as long as they're at full health. What's I find really exciting that you didn't mention because they're over in the Atlantic is kind of a bubble team that is exciting is that the current playoff brackets, if they were to start now, would have the canes against the Sabres. And I would love that would be so much I know I know that last game was kind of brutal as far as a uh a possession and chances number against the canes that the Sabres provided, but I think once you get into playoff mode, the k the canes would be able to do really well and it would be a super fun season. So that's kind of what I'm setting my cap for and what I'm what I'm keeping those fingers crossed. Because I think that would be an absolutely phenomenal first round series, and they'd have to pay attention to the canes. They couldn't ignore the canes like they do in the first round most of the time because of the first time back in the playoffs for the Sabres. And they really get a chance to shine and be really showcased. So there's my bubble team that I want to kind of see stick around.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:56

Yeah, it's interesting because uh they've cooled, as you know. They're they're uh they've lost a couple of games now, and and boy, they're you know the season's long and they had just such a great run. Um but now you've got Columbus. Columbus is on fire. Uh they won nine of their last ten, so they're definitely playing extremely well. Um and you know what, it's gonna be interesting. The other team that I kind of wonder about sometimes is the Islanders. And the Islanders, you know, they've got Sorokin, who, when he's on his game, he's uh he's outstanding. Um they've got some uh you know, they've got a lot of players really coming up like Bo Horvat's had an incredible year this year. Um and they've got some folks on the blue that were pretty strong as well, like uh, you know, again, some veterans that are getting it done. Uh, you know, they're another team that I'm sure with the Canes can handle them quite nicely, but you know, they're raising some uh some eyebrows these days, and of course Tony D, Tony D'Angelo, is uh involved for it. So I always like to talk about the Islanders because of Tony D. As we wrap up, um Aaron, any general thoughts as we uh look forward to the next uh couple of weeks here and relaxing and maybe watch some of the fine play of the Olympics coming up.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:12

Well, since you mentioned the Olympics play, I would say that my closing remark here is simply that there is a factor, an X factor that could could drastically impact teams' abilities to make the playoffs or their chances of not making the playoffs. And also the trade market is going to be drastically impacted, and that is the likelihood that there will be some injuries at the Olympics. You know, this is a hard-fought tournament, and it's you know, very close. Uh the games are very close together, lots of stacked rosters going up against it. You have underdog teams where there's only one or two NHLers and they want to make their mark, and you know how that can go for teams in the you know in the top contention levels. Um, so I I think, and then on top of all of that, you have the remarks. I I can't remember which uh it might have been Elliott Friedman, but uh that that there are players right now who are in the Olympics who may be shut down afterwards, you know, who are they're playing on the last uh legs of an injury that they've been struggling through all season. And once these Olympic Games are over, their teams may look at their standings and their chances and say, that's it, go get the surgery, go get the rehab, go do the thing you need to do that you've been putting off all season. You know, um, and hopefully that's not going to be Seth Jarvis. We know he's had the ongoing shoulder injury, so we don't want the canes to be doing that. They're certainly not in the kind of standings position where that would make any sense, but um, we don't want Jarvis to be uh, you know, aggravating that either. So I look at all of that and I think we could be talking about a completely different trade deadline if some of these players are out for the season after the Olympics are over. And it's usually statistically speaking, it's likely that there will be at least one or two. So whether they will be people that you know would be part of that conversation or not is just depends. So um that could also change the picture for the Canes as far as who's available or the teams that have to panic and backfill a roster spot that they really didn't think they were gonna have to fill. So um hopefully the canes won't be in that position. We really don't want to be. But we have five players overseas right now ready to play the Olympic Games. So our we're cheering for all of them to stay healthy above everything else.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:26

And do you have a favorite team that you're cheering for in this uh Olympic?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:30

I always root for Team USA. I'm a I'm a patriot, so good for you. I I might like other teams and I might like other players, but in the Olympics, it's always been rooting for Team USA.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:43

So good stuff, good stuff, and of course Jacob Slavin's there, so that's great too. Uh what are you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:51

Uh as far as the Olympics, I'm also Team USA, even though they probably have the roster I'm least fond of when it comes to their NHL teams. Uh yes, they have Slavin and they have Nelson. After that, there's a lot of guys on that team that I'm not a fan of when they're playing in the NHL. So, but country over uh individual hockey players, I guess. Um and then after that, I root I do root for my individual players. So when Finland's playing, I want Aho to be a star and to have um to have As much success as he can possibly get when Canada's playing. Obviously, if Darvey's in the lineup, I want him to do well, or McKinnon, Makar, um, and Taves, I want them to shine as well. Um the R2 Danes, I'll be rooting for them. I'll be rooting for Natus with Checkia. I I just I want all of I want all of my boys on my teams to have individual personal success regardless of overall outcome.

Mailbag Tease & Audience Requests

SPEAKER_02 1:07:04

Yeah, for sure. And you know, Team Cata, it's a lot of fun, so I can I can definitely enjoy what's gonna happen with Team Canada. I'm kind of like you. I'd like to, you know, I like to cheer for all the players that uh that we enjoy on the canes. Um team can, of course, one of the things I'll be watching is Macklin Salavrini, who I've really been impressed with this year was San Jose. So um he could be alongside uh Nathan McKinnon. I saw them walking in the other day, you saw them walking into the uh the arena together. So I I know they uh it appear apparently in the offseason uh those two guys along with uh Sidney Crosby put the skates on together and have some fun. So that's quite an impressive trio, that's for sure. Oh my goodness. Absolutely. Um anyway, most important is gonna be great hockey. Uh you've got the best of the best, other than Russia, and I know a lot of folks have talked about uh possible team Russia units, which would have the likes of uh Spechnikov and Nikishan uh for sure. But uh yeah, unfortunately, uh they're not in the Olympics this year. So, in any case, uh next week we're gonna have some fun. We're gonna do a mailbag segment. Uh, and so we'll be reaching out to everybody, and I'm sure they'll have questions uh related to the trade deadline, to the canes, some of the things we've been talking about, and maybe the Olympics as well. So that'll be a lot of fun. So we'll uh we'll get the word out to uh to all the folks and let them know that we want their questions and we'll look forward to uh to uh putting together uh uh the best answers we can as uh as we head into uh uh week two of this break. So it's a lot of fun. In any case, uh as always, ladies, it was great to talk hockey and uh to uh to talk about the hurricanes and some of the interesting opportunities they have coming forward, and we'll uh we'll do that real soon, as you know. Uh for those of you who've been listening or watching, uh, thanks for spending time with us. We're delighted you could do that. Of course, uh, if you have comments or questions, please leave those in the comment section. If you like this episode, please press the like button. And if you'd like to be alerted of future episodes of Stormtraffer, please press the subscribe and the bell button, and you'll be made aware just as soon as they're available. As always, thanks so much for spending time with us, and we look forward to getting together with you real soon. Thank you.