Matt Karash: Hurricanes sign Manny Malhotra - Is he in Raleigh on Friday?

1. You left out Sekera when talking about key additions...
2. This seems to be an excellent move, based on everything i've heard!
improving our faceoffs, and a little more size on our checking line(s). looking forward to Friday's game, but i've lost track of injured players in/out...what's the lineup look like?

1. You left out Sekera when talking about key additions...
2. This seems to be an excellent move, based on everything i've heard!
improving our faceoffs, and a little more size on our checking line(s). looking forward to Friday's game, but i've lost track of injured players in/out...what's the lineup look like?
- randycane

The information is often standard NHL vague, but you can find the team's official report here which is updated pretty regularly.

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=45388

The fuzzy update is:
--Skinner officially out for the weekend.
--Bellemore practicing and a maybe for Friday.
--Faulk skipped practice yesterday but there was really no word from the team and he was back today, so wild guess is that it is just rest or something minor. He is not on the injury list, so I guess that's good.
--Dwyer is back at practice and no longer on the official injury list, so he seems likely to play Friday
--Dvorak is back at practice. Have not heard for sure he is available, so he is probably a Fri decision.
--Westgarth is hurt. Injury list shows him as out for the weekend. That could actually be a good think as getting him to IR could make another spot when the reinforcements arrive.

Who did I miss?

Lines at practice are closer to beginning of season:
Tlusty/EStaal/Semin
Gerbe/JStaal/Dwyer
Ruutu/Nash/Lindholm
Bowman/Sutter/_____

Charlotte plays tonight, so if Malhotra is not in the lineup (he is healthy) that would indicate that he is on his way to Raleigh to be officially called up before Friday's game.

Good to see Manny back in the AHL. I think he'll be fine in a 4th line center/faceoff specialist role even though he hasn't been the same since the injury.

5 minutes after my other injury update, the team put Skinner and Dvorak on IR, so neither will be available Fri or Sat.

That leaves the Canes with only 11 forwards, so I imagine the next shoe is a Malhotra recall which makes the 4th line Bowman/Malhotra/Sutter.

Manny is also a highly respected, first class person who will command respect in the room. The coaching staff can tell the kids to follow his habits and preparation.

Like you said, a no-risk move. If he is a step behind, you can sit him or just play him in key situations, like defensive face-offs.

What does Manny bring;
1) Leadership
2) Leadership
3) at his prime, better faceoff skills than the top 10 you suggested
4) at his prime, exceptional defensive capabilities
5) offensive upside
6) the ability to make players around him better
7) Leadership

What baggage does he bring:
1) injury means never will be in prime again. Eyesight will never be the same. I gather lack of peripheral vision is an issue as well.
2) does he have the range of sight to see and avoid bodychecks from side/behind that the average player has. This is why Vancouver pulled the plug. Manny brings much higher serious/life threatening injury risk than the average player.

Oh, and did I mention that he would be a massive leadership injection into any team in this league? Even when he could not play, Vancouver wanted him around their players. He improves a team just by being in the locker room -without even stepping onto the ice.

As much as I like Jeff Skinner he has to be the most frustrating player on the team. I really wonder if he will ever be strong enough to play a full season without going down on a monthly basis with injury problems. I think the Canes need to get bigger and stronger and should consider moving some of these small tantalizing players for tougher individuals. Lindholm is starting out the same way, he is going to always be hurt. Gerbe is awesome but his size does not scare anyone. The overall team has to get bigger and tougher. Go to work Jimmy and get some talented tougher guys.

What does Manny bring;
1) Leadership
2) Leadership
3) at his prime, better faceoff skills than the top 10 you suggested
4) at his prime, exceptional defensive capabilities
5) offensive upside
6) the ability to make players around him better
7) Leadership

What baggage does he bring:
1) injury means never will be in prime again. Eyesight will never be the same. I gather lack of peripheral vision is an issue as well.
2) does he have the range of sight to see and avoid bodychecks from side/behind that the average player has. This is why Vancouver pulled the plug. Manny brings much higher serious/life threatening injury risk than the average player.

Oh, and did I mention that he would be a massive leadership injection into any team in this league? Even when he could not play, Vancouver wanted him around their players. He improves a team just by being in the locker room -without even stepping onto the ice.
- Lostinarink

Good post and very true, Manny is a character player and a natural leader.