Grading The 2015-16 Canes – The Forwards

After going to my cubicle in the Section 328 World Headquarters and finding Michelle McMahon using my phone and the nameplate changed to “VISITOR”, I realized maybe it has been a while since I’ve written anything for the site, and it’s time to get off my ass and start writing about the Canes again.

And, hey, what better way to do that then by dishing out some letter grades for the players, since that’s simple and people seem to like it. We’ll do this in three parts – I’ll take the forwards and use the English/creative lit method of grading where I eyeball and use my opinion of what I like and don’t like to assign a letter grade. We all know how much Cane-alytics  loves the D, so he’ll grade them, I’m sure using a purely mathematical formula that involves the quadratic equation, the pythagorean theorem, and a slide rule that was made in “East Germany”. Derek will handle the grading of the goaltenders in a method that’s veiled in secrecy, but I’m assuming it’s somewhere in-between Cane-alytics method and labeling a bunch of bananas with letter grades and seeing which one a random chimp at the zoo goes to first.

So let’s roll, starting with…

Phil Di Giuseppe

Who knew what to expect from PDG going into this season? A second round draft pick in 2012 (and the team’s first pick that season), PDG had a mixed college career, and his first professional year with the Charlotte Checkers didn’t exactly set the world on fire. The flashes of potential were there, but there’s limited patience for a 22-year-old to convert into a prospect, especially a higher draft pick. The club would have been happy with a second season in the AHL building on what he learned in his first pro year, with an opportunity to challenge for ice time in 2016-17.

What the Canes ended up getting was the player they hoped to get in 2016-17 a season early. Called up after the New Jersey-game-that-will-not-be-discussed, PDG was eased into the lineup, where he became the grinding, ass-in-front-of-the-net presence that the Canes had been lacking for several seasons. After putting up 30 points in 76 AHL games last season, PDG put up 18 in 25 AHL games this season, then added 17 more in 41 games for the Canes. PDG is a streaky scorer and will probably be the player most prone to a sophomore slump next season, but his playing style was sorely needed at this level, and was a key factor to the Canes turning it around in December.

GRADE: A-

Numbers for Next Year

This season was much needed. From the seemingly never-ending string of talented young hockey players who have made an immediate impact on this season, to the stellar seasons many of our newly drafted prospects have enjoyed, this season has been a breath of fresh air for many Carolina hockey fans. As we all know, and all have probably said at least once, the future is bright. And that feels damn good.

So we look forward to next year’s Carolina Hurricanes with anticipation, a glimmer of playoff hope, and, maybe for the first time in a while, a strong sense of pride in our boys. There’s still work to be done, sophomore slumps to be avoided, and I’d expect some Draft Day / Free Agency Day deals to be made.

But as it stands now, what should we look at within this group? Where can things improve to get this team into playoff hockey? Here are 5 fancy stats from this season that I believe are important in this team’s identity and to their success going forward.

-6.21

Justin Faulk’s 5v5 Goals For % Relative to Team

This statistic describes the effect Justin Faulk has on the Canes Goals For %. When Faulk is on the ice the Canes score 44.19% of the goals that occur, dropping from 50.4% when he is not out there.

Looking at the Lines

Through December the Carolina Hurricanes started to score, and then they started to string some wins together, and no, the world didn’t end in a fiery apocalypse of wrongness. The Canes went into Pittsburgh and won, they went into Chicago and beat the defending champions, and then, on New Year’s Eve, they beat the best team in the league (at that time): Washington. Fans started to see that oft spoke of bright future up close, and had nice warm feels about their team that they might not have had in a while. Hell, even Eric looked like he was having fun and giving a damn.

It’s no coincidence that this past December of Canes hockey had this season’s longest period of stability among the forward lines. And if it weren’t for this weekend’s games against the lowly Blue Jackets, January looked like it was off to a typical Canes start with Phil Di Giuseppe‘s injury throwing a wrench into our newly found stability, and low scoring losses quickly followed. The speed of Di Giuseppe’s recovery could be oddly vital to Canes’ dreary playoff hopes, and if he can’t get back to games soon will Bill Peters continue to fill round holes with Chris Terry shaped plugs?

I thought that instead of grading the forwards individually for their midseason performances it would be more interesting to look at their performances together as lines. The stable, “Huh-the-Canes-might-actually-be-decent?” lines. The lines that were working, leading to wins, and that made Bill Peters’ Line-o-matic stop trying to saddle our actually talented playmakers with not-so-talented ones. The lines that made Cane-alytics not want to drown his sorrows with the hardest of hard liquors EVERY FREAKIN- well you get the point.

All-Time Canes Rankings: 2015 New Guys

Ladies and gents, it’s game week. With a new season upon us, it’s time to share the updates to our All-Time Hurricanes Rankings. Today, we’ll take a look at players who made their Hurricanes debut in the 2014-15 season.

#82: Victor Rask

Victor showing off one of his many smiles.

In his debut with the Hurricanes, Rask was thrown into the deep end thanks largely to a combination of a great camp/preseason and Jordan Staal’s injury. Despite the initial plan for Rask to spend the year in Charlotte, the young Swede (well, THIS young Swede) played a lot of top-6 minutes, and posted 33 points in 80 games.

Canes vs. Capitals 2/27 Recap: Now With 50% Less Andrejs!

Since the Canes last took the ice on Tuesday, they’ve made a couple roster moves that perhaps you’ve heard about. With half of the top defensive pairing gone, how would Faulk and his new partner play? Now that Tlusty is in Winnipeg, who would fill his constantly changing role? Would Cam Ward turn heel and smash the silver stick over Francis’ back and reveal a San Jose jersey? All these questions and more would be answered slightly after 7pm Friday night in the PNC Arena!

Cam did not turn heel.

Cheaters Never Win Podcast- Dangle Daddy Edition

It is exciting times in CanesNation. The Trade Deadline is just two weeks away. Are you embracing the change or fearing it? We can tell you that Steve Dangle and Maple Leafs Nation are embracing the tank and ready to lose in Raleigh tonight! Steve drops by to talk the matchup. Also, we are joined by Yahoo’s own Sean Leahy who drops some knowledge on us regarding the national view of our trade targets, Ron Francis, and is there such a thing as home ice advantage. We close the show with a beer that just begs to be consumed with a piping hot side of fajitas. Thanks for listening folks, we appreciate it!

iTunes Link

Stitcher Link

Canes vs. Preds 12/2 Recap: Cam Ward Doin’ Work

Facing off against one of the top teams in the league, the Canes would need a great effort Tuesday night to wash the taste of Saturday’s game out of everyone’s mouth. With the Predators coming to town, it meant the return of Laviolette and Cullen to the scene of their greatest glory. It also meant that the large and talented Shea Weber, the larger and also talented Pekka Rinne, rookie sensation Filip Forsberg, and everyone’s favorite d-bag Mike Ribeiro would be in the house.

So gather ’round, and bring 9,160 of your friends to the PNC Arena, it’s Canes hockey time!

Not entirely sure if Nestrasil is welcoming a celebration or asking if someone wants to go.