‘Canes at the Quarter Poll: S.O.S.

Through the first 22 games, Carolina’s miscues have been well documented. Here is our look at a few issues facing Carolina through the first quarter of the NHL season.

Injuries: The ‘Canes have been saddled with devastating injuries to their star players, and these injuries may ultimately cost Carolina its season. Cam Ward, Eric Stall, Eric Cole, Jussi Jokinen, Scott Walker, Michael Ryan, Case Borer, and Michael Leighton have all lost time due to injury. As discussed at length in With Season Under Siege, Rutherford Picks Up Familiar Whaler Farm Hand: Manny Legace, the upper leg injury to Goalie Cam Ward is substantial and may prove devastating to team psyche. There is currently no reliable time table for Ward’s return, which has forced General Manager Jim Rutherford to place his star goalie on the long-term injured list. In addition to the loss of Ward, Center Eric Staal’s abdominal injury has kept him out of the lineup since November 1. Staal hadn’t missed a game due to injury since 2003, and the team looks a bit lost without its leader. Limited to only 13 games this season, Staal has posted just 5 points (3 g, 2 a). Like the rest of the big league roster, Hurricanes fans need a healthy Staal.

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Prospects: While the number of man games lost to injury this the season continues to climb, Carolina prospects have been given an early season opportunity to contribute at the big league level. In Tropical Storm Warning: Five Prospects For Hurricanes Fans To Watch This Season, we highlighted a few of those young players that may have an impact in the NHL this season. Although originally slated to play most of the year in Albany, Brandon Sutter has been a nice addition to the roster, registering 9 points (5 g, 4 a) though 13 games and a -1 rating. Forward Zach Boychuk has made a brief appearance, tallying 1 assist in 2 games. As one of the ‘Canes best prospects, Boychuk has scoring talent, playmaking ability and toughness. Look for Boychuk to rejoin the ‘Canes again at some point this season. More recently, forward Patrick Dwyer has been in the lineup for 2 games, averaging just over 8 minutes of ice time per contest. Dwyer played in 13 contests last season for Carolina and will likely be back in Albany again soon. But continued exposure to the big leagues will help Dwyer to develop. Recently, goalie prospect Justin Peters has been added to the big league roster as Goalie Michael Leighton has been sidelined due to a lower body injury.

Record: It’s no secret that the ‘Canes have struggled. Through 22 games, Carolina has posted a 5-12-5 record for 15 points. At this pace, the ‘Canes are well on their way to a 20 win season. But this club is better than this record may suggest, and logic dictates that the team will play better over the remainder of the season. Recently, the club has registered at least a point in 5 straight contests. While the recent play has given ‘Canes’ fans hope, the team has some significant work ahead to reach the playoffs again this year.

Dan Canavan is an attorney in Hartford, Connecticut. Dan regularly covers business and legal issues facing the hockey industry for ctsportslaw.com. He has appeared as an on-air guest with regard to the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy proceedings on CBC Radio’s World Report. His analysis and commentary have also been published in various media outlets including The National Post, The Windsor Star, The Star Phoenix, The Montreal Gazette, The Edmonton Journal, The Ottawa Citizen, The Vancouver Sun, The Province, Faceoff.com, and the Sports Litigation Alert. You can follow Dan on Twitter at twitter.com/DanielRCanavan. Dan can be contacted directly at dcanavan@ctsportsgroup.com.

Posted by Dan Canavan on Nov 22 2009. Filed under Carolina Hurricanes, Southeast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.