In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on Carolina's acquisition of Scott Darling and whether he can solve their goaltending woes.
Todd Cordell
I love the addition for the Hurricanes.
Cam Ward and Eddie Lack have not gotten the job done between the pipes and, quite frankly, are the biggest reasons the Hurricanes didn't find their way into the playoffs this season.
More often than not the Hurricanes outshot and out-chanced their opposition but only Colorado had worse goaltending. Despite that, the Hurricanes weren't out of the playoff race until the final weekend of the season.
Assuming they get Darling signed, I don't think goaltending will be a problem as he owns a .923 career save percentage and a .932 save percentage at 5v5.
If he can post somewhat similar numbers in Carolina, and I think he can, the Hurricanes have a legitimate shot at getting into the playoffs next season.
Peter Tessier Scott Darling has 75 games as his NHL level sample size and will be 29 years old in December. In comparison, Connor Hellebuyck has 82 games of NHL sample and will be 24 soon.
How do you measure which one you want to make your bet on? I use these two as both teams have issues between the pipes and could make significant change to their fortunes with improved goaltending. For Carolina, it will all depend on the term of this contract as Darling is a UFA. This could be one of the smartest moves this off season if the next contract is reasonable and Darling plays to his limited career averages. Tim Thomas 2.0? Maybe and for a 3rd round pick to take that chance is not a bad risk given what's between the pipes in Carolina right now.
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