CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 9, 2021 Who are the Carolina Hurricanes’ new players? Here’s a look at the incoming group By Chip Alexander Quotable: “I’ve had some up and down years but I’m looking to getting on a team where I’m appreciated fully and can show The Carolina Hurricanes have often put up a “New Guy” what I’ve got. I think this is a good group for that.” nameplate in the locker room when someone joins the team. DEFENSEMEN Do that this season and they might need a seating chart with so many new names and faces. Ian Cole Gone are Dougie Hamilton, Brock McGinn, Warren Foegele, Cap hit: $2.9 million Morgan Geekie, Jake Bean, Petr Mrazek, Alex Nedeljkovic and James Reimer. Plus: Start with his two Stanley Cup rings. Add in almost 700 games of regular-season and playoff experience. Cole Incoming are Ian Cole, Tony DeAngelo, Ethan Bear, Derek blocked 92 shots in 52 games last season and had a plus-21 Stepan, Frederik Andersen, Antti Raanta, Brendan Smith and plus/minus rating with Colorado and Minnesota. Josh Leivo. All but Bear, who was traded to Carolina from Edmonton, signed as free agents. Minus: At 32, the NHL miles are starting to add up for Cole. Being a shutdown defenseman involves a lot of heavy-lifting, That’s a lot of turnover. Are the Canes, the Central Division and he’s headed back into an 82-game season, champions last season, improved? That remains to be seen as the NHL reverts to the old divisions and an 82-game regular Fun fact: Cole got in a flight with the US Navy’s famed Blue season, which starts for the Canes on Oct. 14 against the New Angels in Minnesota in June, going up in an F-18 fighter jet. York Islanders at PNC Arena. “It was so cool,” he told NHL.com. Here’s a look at the Canes’ new crew, with comments made Quotable: “Playing against the Canes, especially in Raleigh, during their respective Zoom interviews. the first 10 minutes of the first period were an absolute fire drill trying to keep up with them. I always thought they were one of FORWARDS the best teams we played every year.” Derek Stepan Ethan Bear Cap hit: $1.35 million Cap hit: $2 million Plus: The veteran, 31, has served as an alternate captain on Plus: He’s young (24), he’s strong and calls himself a “pretty two teams, gives the Canes added strength up the middle and well rounded two-way defenseman.” His right shot adds value. is a right-shot center. Minus: Traded from Edmonton, he’s leaving Western Canada Minus: A torn left labrum limited him to 20 games with Ottawa to move to the Southeast in the U.S. and to a new team and last season. He had shoulder surgery and says he has teammates. The transition will take time. rehabbed and recovered. “I was 100 percent a month ago,” he said. Fun fact: Bear says he has two dogs, a Yorkie and a miniature Dachshund. “Easy to travel with,” he said. Fun fact: The family dog, Jake, was brought back from the Sochi Olympics in 2014. The breed? “Souchi street dog,” he Quotable: “I wanted to come to a winning organization with a said. Officially, a Lab/Shepherd mix. young core. It kind of gives me butterflies. It’s something I’ve always wanted and it’s something that I needed right now.” Quotable: “I wanted to be part of a team that is already well- oiled, ready to go, has been in the playoffs, knows what Tony DeAngelo they’re doing and how to compete each night.” Cap hit: $1 million Josh Leivo Plus: DeAngelo, if focused and on his game, can give the Cap hit: $750,000 Canes the kind of offense from the blue line that Dougie Hamilton supplied and could replace Hamilton as the Plus: The right-shot winger, 28, brings energy to his play and quarterback the first power-play unit. can be used on the power play if needed. Had 33 hits in 38 games last season. Minus: DeAngelo’s work in the defensive zone can be spotty. There’s also his spotty past. He says he’s a changed man. As Minus: Leivo will be playing for his fourth team in four years Canes GM Don Waddell said after signing DeAngelo, “The and has another new system to learn. proof’s in the pudding.” Fun fact: No. 17 has been Leivo’s favorite number, but Rod Fun fact: DeAngelo had 25 goals and 89 points in 55 games Brind’Amour retired that one with the Canes. Leivo will wear in junior in the Ontario Hockey League in 2014-15, when he No. 41, saying he used the ages of his two sons, who are 4 was named D-man of the year. He also had 115 penalty and 1. minutes. CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 9, 2021 Quotable: “I’ve made some mistakes along the way, obviously Minus: A knee injury limited Andersen to 23 starts in the 2020- stuff I regretted. I tried to improve on it. Now I just have to 21 season, leading to the worst goals-against average (2.96) prove it to the Hurricanes.” and save percentage (.895) of his career. Brendan Smith Fun fact: Andersen was born in Herning, Denmark, which also produced NHL forward Frans Nielsen. Cap hit: $800,00 Quotable: “The culture from the coaching staff on down I think Plus: Smith, 32, believes toughness is a big part of his game is really good and they’ve had good years previously and are and is willing to provide it. His aggressive style forces building to keep reaching toward something that can compete opponents into penalties — he drew 25 last season, fifth in the for a Cup. I think that’s really important.” NHL and the most among defensemen. Antti Raanta Minus: Smith took 25 penalties of his own, including five majors, to finish second in the league to Washington’s Tom Cap hit: $2 million WIlson, who had 26 penalties. Plus: Derek Stepan, a former Raanta teammate, said the Fun fact: Smith was able to make his NHL debut for the Detroit goalie is very competitive, noting, “When he’s going it’s like Red Wings in November 2011 after the Wings traded former there’s a calming presence behind you.” Canes D-man Mike Commodore. Minus: Because of injuries Raanta, 32, has played more than Quotable: “I think I play a tough-nosed game, being physical 40 games in a season just once in his career — 47 with and hard. I think when you watch the playoffs, those are the Arizona in 2017-18. kind of teams that go deep.” Fun fact: Raanta was traded by the New York Rangers, along GOALTENDERS with Stepan, to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Tony DeAngelo in June 2017. Frederik Andersen Quotable: “If you think about injuries all the time you’ll get hurt Cap hit: $4.5 million for sure, because that’s in your mind. I’ll just try to block those Plus: Andersen, 31, has won 226 games in his career with memories and get a fresh new start now.” Anaheim and Toronto and averaged 61 starts and 34 wins in the four seasons for the Maple Leafs before last season. Free-agency grades for all 32 NHL teams: Best signings, remaining roster holes By Greg Wyshynski Key losses: G Darcy Kuemper, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, RW Conor Garland, D Niklas Hjalmarsson, D Alex Goligoski, The NHL free-agency frenzy of 2021 started 27 days later than G Antti Raanta, LW Michael Bunting, C Frederik Gauthier, the usual opening day of July 1, but it was as wild as any in C Michael Chaput, LW Dryden Hunt, C John Hayden, recent memory, with more than $500 million spent on deals on D Jordan Oesterle, D Tyler Pitlick (expansion draft) the first day alone. Remaining hole: The Coyotes may not be done trading A number of valuable players remain who have yet to make veteran players yet. Could Christian Dvorak or Phil Kessel be their decisions -- and potential franchise-altering trades the next to go? for Jack Eichel and Vladimir Tarasenko are still possible as well. But after the first big wave, here is where things stand for Grade: A+. Now this is how you tank. GM Bill Armstrong was all 32 teams. hired in 2020 thanks in part to his prowess as a draft guru in St. Louis. But when he arrived in Arizona, he found a roster Note: Thanks as always to our friends at CapFriendly for that was nudging the cap ceiling as well as an empty cupboard salary and contract data. Advanced stats are from Hockey of draft picks -- including ones the NHL took away thanks to Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Teams the previous regime's draft combine rule violations. are arrayed alphabetically within each grade level. Fast forward a year, and Armstrong managed to move A grades Ekman-Larsson and his onerous contract (although it did cost Arizona Coyotes promising Conor Garland), trade Kuemper for a solid prospect in Timmins and a first-rounder, and build a treasure trove of Key additions: D Conor Timmins, D Shayne Gostisbehere, picks that includes five (!) in next year's second round. LW Andrew Ladd, LW Antoine Roussel, LW Loui Eriksson, C Jay Beagle, C Travis Boyd, G Carter Hutton, D Ben Hutton, Meanwhile, the Coyotes have more than $8 million in cap LW Dmitrij Jaskin, LW Ryan Dzingel, D Anton Stralman space and just seven players under contract for 2022-23.