Carolina Hurricanes

2013 NHL Eastern Conference Power Rankings

January 12, 2013

The 2013 NHL season is no longer an 82 game marathon, but instead is a 48 game dash to the finish line.

Will teams that had multiple players skating in Europe fair better? Will veteran squads win because they will have fresh legs all season long? Only the next few months will tell.

Here are my Eastern Conference power rankings.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins – A healthyEvgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will lead Pittsburgh deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. The addition of veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun gives Coach Dan Bylsma a solid option if Marc-Andre Fleury falters.

2. New York Rangers – With the ...

Carolina Hurricanes Fans And An Empty Arena

November 5, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

For the past few weeks, all that I have been able to do is drive by the PNC Arena and look into an empty parking lot and think about what could have been. These past two weeks were to be the culmonation of something new and exciting in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Being a hockey fan in North Carolina has its perks but it also has many drawbacks. First of all, the die-hard hockey fans in the area have migrated here from another state. Most of them enjoy it in its purity whenever possible. I pride myself on being a real Carolina Hurricanes fan but this week has been tough for me.

I was a major New York Rangers fan before North Carolina got a team. I have been a fan...

The Carolina Hurricanes Look Good On Paper

July 31, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

Canes fans should be excited as momentum is building in Carolina for the first time since 2006. The Canes were awesome that year and had a team full of talent that kept the fans on the edge of their seats all season in route to a NHL championship.

The Hurricanes appear to be headed down the same path in the 2012 – 2013 season as the rebuild process is starting to look like Jim Rutherford has rekindled his magic touch. JR appears to have succumbed to the pressures of finishing last in the division last year and has been wheeling and dealing to put a better product on the ice for the upcoming season.

For the fans, it is just in time as patience was wearing thi...

Carolina Hurricanes Are Running Out Of Free Agent Options

July 15, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

The free agent pool is not really working to the advantage of the Carolina Hurricanes so far this offseason. The targets that they have chased have almost all landed in other areas. The only real big move that has worked in the favor of the Canes is the big trade on draft day.

The only other move the Canes have been able to secure is the signing of Marc-Andre Gragnani. According to Fox News, The Hurricanes bolstered their blue line with depth signing him to a one-year, two-way deal worth $800,000 in the NHL or $105,000 in the AHL.

That being said, it wasn’t really a major move or luring any major talent to Raleigh. Maybe it’s time to look at futu...

Carolina Hurricanes Top Two Free Agent Targets Get Away

July 8, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

The top Hurricane free agent targets seemed to have slipped away from the grasps of management as the fourth of July rolled by. The Canes were hoping that the recently added Jordan Staal brother star-power would lead more free agents to Raleigh for the possibility of winning a Stanley Cup.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were high targets of the Canes and each found themselves finding work in another place. Who knew that Minnesota would become the home of both of the guys that Carolina was targeting?

Both guys are from the Midwest, and having a chance to spend more time with family was a vital part of the decisions of both men. Parise is from Minnesota and Suter is from bordering s...

Free Agency: The Carolina Hurricanes Need Help On Defense

June 30, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

If you follow the Carolina Hurricanes, you know that they need more help on defense than just about any other team in the Southeast division. In fact they have been amongst the worst teams in the NHL at preventing shots on goal, not to mention that they are atrocious at the penalty kill.

Rebuilding a team's defense is always a long-term process and with quite a few young players working their way through the system, the Canes' defense corps is a work in progress.

Carolina's management has a few pieces in house that they can turn to but they must get it done in free agency if they are going to complete this roster and get it shaped up by the start of the NHL se...

A Closer Look At The Staal Trade

June 25, 2012

Chuck Gaston Jr

2 Comments

There was a lot going on Friday night and Saturday in Pittsburgh. The Penguins hosted the draft, they made the trade of the draft, and they selected twice on Friday. It was an extremely busy day, so it now finally sinks in that the Penguins really made a few huge moves on Friday.

On Staal – The 6’4 225lb center who was drafted second overall in 2006 was one of, if not the most, underrated center in the NHL. Staal has only truly played with top six talent once in his career consistently and he scored 29 goals.

Over the past two seasons he was on pace for over 60 points and 30 goals. Staal is one of the best penalty killers in the l...

Reunited in Carolina; Jordan Staal traded to Hurricanes to join brother Eric

June 22, 2012

Joe Simmons

0 Comments

Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little and in the Carolina Hurricanes case, they had to give up a lot to get what they wanted.

Carolina fans are excited that Jordan Staal will be re-united with his brother Eric to help anchor the Hurricanes through the next few years. Talks began as soon as Jordan turned down a 10-year contract extension on Thursday.

Pittsburgh had to figure that Jordan was waiting for his contract to end so he could sign with Carolina so they were proactive and decided to get something in return.

The Penguins were fortunate enough to add some firepower to their roster by getting the number eight pick from Carolina (they chose D...

Final Week Final Thoughts

April 2, 2012

NickSymon

0 Comments

Heading into one of the better weeks in sports as the NHL regular season winds down and playoff spots are finalized, I thought I would give some thoughts on the season and things I look forward to heading into the playoffs.

Canadiens Win Streak Ends

February 13, 2012

David Collins

1 Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes paid a visit to the Bell Centre on Monday night for a game with the Montreal Canadiens. Each team has been struggling this year, but it was the Hurricanes who came out with a win on this night, something that hasn't been easy to come by for the Hurricanes this season. It was a close match the whole way but in the end the Canadiens weren't able to score that final goal to tie the game, as the Hurricanes went on to win by a score of 5-3.

It was the Hurricanes who opened up the scoring early in the first period as Jiri Tlusty tipped in a shot from defenseman Bryan Allen just three minutes into the game. While that was the only goal to be seen in the open...