IS IT TIME TO OPEN WALLET?
Budget-wary Hurricanes may consider moving up in the NHL’s snack bracket
THE HURRICANES
are a couple pieces away from being a threat in the East, and when it comes to drafting, diversity has been key. During Ron Francis’ tenure as GM, Carolina picked a goalie in each draft and spread the other picks around on size and skill. Talented blueliners have been the most successful item in that regard. Let’s see what the replacement GM has in store. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Scott Darling was supposed to be the answer in net, but the 6-foot-6 stopper faltered in his first crack at being a full-time NHL starter. Cam Ward keeps hanging on, but his numbers are only good in comparison to Darling’s stats. That lack of netminding likely got Francis booted upstairs from his GM perch, and with neither Alex Nedeljkovic nor Callum Booth ready, the Canes need to go outside for help again. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Carolina won’t go anywhere without a true No. 1 center, which unfortunately is still the hardest thing to acquire in the NHL. In a perfect world, Sebastian Aho is the No. 2 guy and Jordan Staal handles thirdline shutdown duties. Maybe 2017 first-rounder Martin Necas is the answer, but he still has to fill out and may only be a second-line center himself. CAP SITUATION: The Canes have at least $25 million in cap space, and while they haven’t been big spenders in the past, new owner Tom Dundon may change that. The team’s vaunted young defense corps gets more expensive next year with big-money extensions for Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin kicking in, while Noah Hanifin comes off his entry-level deal, too. Up front, RFA Elias Lindholm needs a new pact. IN THE SYSTEM 2018-19: Necas was huge for the Czechs at the 2018 WJC and had a solid season for Kometa Brno. He’s ready for a longer stint with the Hurricanes after making his debut this season. Jake Bean has the pedigree to join the blueline, but likely needs some AHL seasoning first. DID YOU KNOW: Not only does Necas’ name mean “bad weather” in Czech, but it’s also an anagram for ‘Canes.’ Sometimes a player is just destined to play for a certain team.