Pre Camp Poll

[Staal-aholic]

I want to get everyone's opinion of the lines before camp and after camp, So what better time to find out than now. My pick
Bayda-Francis-Oneil
Cole-Brindy-Vrbata
Defauw/Kurka-Vasicek/Staal-Brendl (depends on conditioning)/
4th: the Adams Family, an enforcer, and murray or Daniels

[Staal-aholic]

Alright you can tell I am from North Carolina, I spelled Poll with an E. Leave it to us to relate it all to NASCAR.

[Turbulence]

Bayda-Francis-O'Neill
Cole-Brind'Amour-Vrbata
DeFauw-Vasicek-Heerema
Murray-KAdams-CAdams

Hedican-Markov
Wesley-Boughner
St. Jacques-Hill

Weekes
DesRochers

Extras: Svoboda, Boulerice, Daniels, Ward

You heard it here first.

And I have an impulse to do a photoshop of a pre camp pole...but I won't. :)

[Kat]

And I have an impulse to do a photoshop of a pre camp pole...but I won't. :)

:spin: :D

[Canesluver]

And I have an impulse to do a photoshop of a pre camp pole...but I won't. :)


Well.... if it involves taking a picture, be sure you do it pre-ice..... you don't want any shrinkage.......... :evil:

[ausoleil]

And I have an impulse to do a photoshop of a pre camp pole...but I won't.

"Speak softly and carry a big STICK." -- FDR

Sounds more hockey-like. :smoke:

[Staal-aholic]

"Speak softly and carry a big STICK." -- FDR

Thats actually Teddy that said that.

[CarolinaMatt]

Vasicek/Francis/ONeill
Cole/Brind'Amour/Vrbata
____/K.Adams/____
Daniels/Murray/C.Adams (Boulerice if we need an enforcer)

If I have to guess pre-camp, I will try Bayda and either Heerema or Brendl for the 2 _____s, but I think these 2 spots are wide open for anyone who plays well in camp and is defensively responsible.

Hill/Wesley
Markov/Hedican
Boughner/Ward (at least until traded) (Wallin extra)

[Turbulence]

Y'kno, I don't even know what to say about this thread. :p

[Jeff O Rocks]

Boughner/Ward (at least until traded) (Wallin extra)

So you think it is still a given that Ward will be traded?? I wish we had room for all of them.. :sad: I am a "feeler" ..I can't help it :roll:

[CarolinaMatt]

I don't think it is a given, but my hunch is that someone from the D will be traded and Ward seems like the best bet. We ended up with 6 $2M+ guys only because we spent Markov's money on Boughner when it did not look like Markov would sign. It seems hard to justify 6 dmen in that price range when you have a small market budget. I say Ward because he has value (great size, significant playoff experience including Cup in Det, prime age) and represents a good chunk of paychecks without being grossly overpaid at $2M/year for 2 more years after this one. I too would love to keep all 6 and have nothing against Aaron but doubt it will happen. I do hope that if we trade someone we at least wait until Nov/Dec to make sure we don't have early injury problems, to wait for the free agents to disappear, and to see what we might want to add on offense.

Just my 2 cents

[Guyute]

hey Mona... don't you go starting that crap again!! :p :laugh:

[HockeyPat]

My quess:

Bayda-Francis-O'Neill
Cole-Brind'Amour-Vrbata
Svoboda-Vasicek-Heerema
Murray-KAdams-CAdams

Hedican-Markov
Wesley-Hill
Ward-Boughner

Weekes
DesRochers

Extras: DeFauw, Boulerice, Daniels, St. Jacques

[Rodgloveswitcher]

hmmm.....lets see

Cole-Francis-O'neil
Vasicek-Brind'amour-Vrbata
Bayda-K Adams-C Adams
Boulerice-Murray-Heerema

Markov-Hedican
Hill-Wesley
Boughner-Ward

Weekes
Irb...oops Desroches

extras: Daniels/St Jacques/Brendl/Svoboda

I would obviously love to see Irbe get some action although it aint gonna happen.I also would not be surprised if Vasicek and Murray traded positions depending on how things go.

I also think that Brind'amour will be centering the 1st line by January.
If Ward is traded before the season starts, St. Jacques will be paired with Boughner and Wallin will be a frequent healthy scratch.

[HockeyPat]

I also think that Brind'amour will be centering the 1st line by January.
If Ward is traded before the season starts, St. Jacques will be paired with Boughner and Wallin will be a frequent healthy scratch

I think you are right. I would like to keep Ward and use St. Jacques as a seventh D man, but I understand the economics of it all.

I've been reading here and at a couple of other boards that Francis, per his request, will be getting less ice time as the season goes on. I could see Brindy-Cole and O doing some pretty work on the first line. Not that I'm ready to see Ronnie go. I consider myself blessed to have the privilege of see the Hall of Famer in person and to have him playing in my town! That being said, I still see him as the Man in Carolina!


Drop the Puck!

[Shell]

Canes' second line gets makeover
BY MIKE POTTER : The Herald-Sun
Sep 15, 2003 : 11:37 pm ET

RALEIGH -- Two seasons ago, they were two-thirds of one of the best lines in the NHL.

Veteran center Rod Brind'Amour and then-rookie winger Erik Cole teamed up with the since-departed Bates Battaglia to give the Carolina Hurricanes a checking No. 2 line that got them into the Stanley Cup Finals.

The BBC line, they called it. A tough, clutch line with a catchy theme song that was sung by Mike Myers in an Austin Powers movie.

But in January both Brind'Amour and Cole had season-ending injuries, setting the tone for a season in which the Hurricanes went from reigning Eastern Conference champions to the worst team in the league.

Brind'Amour had scored 23 goals with 32 assists in 2001-02. But in a Jan. 20 home game against one of his old teams, the St. Louis Blues, the hard-nosed alternate captain suffered a freak injury to his right hand that required surgery to attach loose tendons to his right ring finger. He had 14 goals and 23 assists in 48 games and finished the season as a solid pinch-hitting commentator on the Hurricanes' TV network.

Cole had scored 16 goals with 24 assists in 2001-02, and somehow avoided making the top three in the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) voting before playing some of his best hockey during the playoffs. But Jan. 30 at Tampa Bay, his left skate caught a rut and sent him tumbling, breaking his lower left leg. He, too, finished the season in a coat and tie in the press box after tallying 14 goals with 13 assists in 53 games. He also underwent surgery to his left shoulder just for good measure.

As for Battaglia, he seemed lost without his linemates and on March 11 was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for slick-skating young Czech Radim Vrbata.

With Brind'Amour and Cole back to 100 percent, it's Vrbata on the line, adding some speed and stick-handling ability while making the line a bit less physically intimidating on his side than it was before.

But with the way Brind'Amour and Cole grind, the other guy in the threesome -- and how long will it take to be known as the "RBC line"? -- doesn't have to be very physically intimidating at all.

"I don't think you can ever really replace Bates," Cole said following his skate at the Hurricanes' training camp Monday at the RecZone. "He and Roddy and I really had some tremendous chemistry in the playoffs. But right now we're skating with Vrbata and he's a tremendous player. We just have to get to our capabilities both offensively and defensively.

"He's got a great shot and tremendous vision. He can put a puck into a little hole between one guy's skates and through a pair of legs and right on your tape. He's pretty crafty with the puck."

Cole said he's about as close as he can be to 100 percent. Ditto for Brind'Amour, who has 339 goals and 534 assists in 15 seasons in the league.

"I don't really look at it as rebuilding a line," Brind'Amour said. "That was something in the past. But Vrbata's just a great player. His game has a great upside, and really the sky's the limit."

Brind'Amour said he's not worrying about having to help captain Ron Francis get his teammates emotionally ready for the start of the season.

"No, it's probably easier than it was last year," Brind'Amour said. "You don't need to say much in this situation. Last year it was harder to get anyone going.

"Practices have been really spirited so far. The younger guys seem to understand what we have to do. And [Coach Paul Maurice] does a good job keeping you alive and on your toes."

Maurice said that the current lines -- young Ryan Bayda is with Francis and last season's top scorer Jeff O'Neill on the No. 1 line -- will probably stay together through the first four exhibition games at a minimum.

"This was the toughest day," Maurice said of Monday's practice. "The third or fourth day usually is. The guys are really feeling it right now."

NOTES -- The Hurricanes will play an intrasquad scrimmage today at noon at the RecZone. It will be open to the public, as are almost all Carolina workouts. ... The team leaves for the Southern part of its training camp in Estero, Fla., on Thursday, then visit the Florida Panthers for an exhibition game on Friday night. ... Carolina is host to the Atlanta Thrashers in Estero, Fla., on Saturday at 7:30, then play road games at Tampa Bay and Atlanta before their RBC Center exhibition opener against the Lightning on Sept. 25 at 7. ... Carolina opens its regular season Oct. 9 at Florida, and has its home opener Oct. 11 at 7 against the reigning Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.