As we get farther into summer and closer to training camp without any roster additions, it is looking more and more likely that the Canes will see a bunch of promising kids battle it out for ice time at the center position. And with my first choice (Dominic Moore) for this slot now signed with Tampa, I am ready to just watch how it plays out.

There are actually a lot of different directions that this can ultimately go:

1) Patrick Dwyer. In 2009-10, he proved capable of playing decent 2-way hockey at the center position. In terms of experience and maturity, he is logically the guy who slots here from last year's holdovers. The positive is his experience and strong 2-way play. The negative is that he has not yet produced enough offense to be a permanent version of a 3rd line center on a good team.

2) Jussi Jokinen or Tuomo Ruutu. Both of these players are capable of playing any of the 3 forward positions without any huge dropoff in their production. But with Whitney gone, Jokinen is far more useful as a veteran, proven scoring option at wing (especially left wing where the team is very light on experience). And despite being a center first and left wing second before being traded to Carolina, he has been almost exclusively the physical/skating presence on right wing in the Canes system. If the team wanted to be deeper/more spread out in terms of scoring/experience in the top 9 forwards, 1 of these guys could be the guy for 3rd line center.

3) Let the kids have at it. With Riley Nash and Zac Dalpe as slightly older and farther along youth types, Jeff Skinner as a promising high draft pick and even Zach Boychuk a 1-time center, the "go with youth" program screams to leave this spot open for battle in training camp.

So do you want my 2 cents on how it all ends? I say it goes like this...

Jokinen is too valuable at left wing to be moved. I actually think Ruutu could be a candidate to move to left wing if none of the kids (Boychuk, Tlusty?) flourish in this slot on the 2nd line. At left wing Ruutu can still be the physical force on the boards/in the corners but better balances the 2 sides (that still leaves Cole, Larose and Kostopoulos on the right side) Barring any veteran additions, I think Dwyer will find ice time on and off on the top 3 lines and maybe at the center slot, but I think he becomes more of the fallback if none of the more scoring-oriented kids are ready. So that leaves the kids. I say Skinner gets some combination of the 3rd/4th line center slot (shared with Dwyer) out of training camp not because he necessarily wins it outright, but rather because he is that "junior age player who cannot go to the AHL or be recalled later once sent to juniors." Dalpe and Nash can both start the year in the AHL and get a ton of ice time while Skinner gets a test run at the NHL level. If he is not ready, he gets his couple weeks and then heads off to juniors making room for either Nash or Dalpe.

What say you?

Does Nash or Dalpe play so well in camp that they just cannot be denied the big club come early October? Does Skinner do his best 1st year Eric Staal imitation and play so well that the team is forced to keep him on the roster all season? Or does GM Jim Rutherford still have 1 more move up his sleeve (Glen Metropolit, Lee Stempniak?)? Or....?

Go Canes!

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Maple Leafs and Hurricanes: Comparison in rebuilding strategies

» Snarly Hurricanes vs. Flyers match up set for Saturday

» Canes treading water - Will they eventually drown or swim?

» Solid first half of week tees 'make up' time at home for the weekend

» Hurricanes at Red Wings -- Canes look claw even for road trip