Carolina Hurricanes

The Wednesday trade that sent Andrej Sekera to the Los Angeles Kings opens up both a short-term hole and long-term opportunity for the Carolina Hurricanes defense.

The first-pairing partnership of Sekera and Justin Faulk—which had produced 55 percent of the team's total points by defensemen over the past two seasons—is no more.

The veteran leadership and, at times, incredible playmaking ability that the 28-year-old Slovak provided is also gone.

Left populating the 'Canes defensive unit stands Faulk, who remains on pace to set the franchise record for points by a D-man in a season, and a mismatched collection of depth blueliners possessing no familiarity whatsoever with playing big minutes.

The team's defensive pairs looked as such at Thursday's practice:

It's far from a stable, well-established group of six players. Two (Ron Hainsey and Brett Bellemore) hit unrestricted free agency last July before eventually re-signing with Carolina; two (Bellemore and Tim Gleason) are currently on track to do so this coming July; another (Michal Jordan) has just 26 games of NHL experience under his belt.

But, most likely, that was indeed the intent.

The 'Canes have nothing left to play for in 2014-15, save for the inverted goal of higher draft lottery odds.

Additional playing time for Bellemore, a more regular spot in the lineup for Jordan and Ryan Murphy (who should return from injury in one to two weeks) and maybe even an NHL glimpse for AHL prospect Trevor Carrick could all help piece together a vision for the Hurricanes defense in coming years.

Moving the 6'4", 225-pound Bellemore onto the second pairing should give Ron Francis a good opportunity to evaluate the 26-year-old bruiser. Bellemore is a unrestricted free agent this summer—for the second consecutive summer—and doesn't drive play much, but he provides a much-needed physical presence and deceptive defensive savviness.

After all, the standards required to remain a part of the Carolina back end could be higher than they currently seem.

2014 seventh overall pick Haydn Fleury isn't too far away from being NHL-ready.

2014 second-rounder Roland McKeown, acquired from the Kings in the Sekera exchange, sports a promising future.

Even Carrick has had a decent professional debut campaign and has raised his prospect stock considerably since being drafted 115th in 2012.

Francis also now owns a trio of first-round picks in the next two drafts, making the chances that at least one will be used on additional teenage blueliner relatively high. 

Although Sekera's departure leaves the unit considerably shorthanded for the remainder of the ongoing season (of little concern for the club's front office), the opportunity for big minutes he vacates should help the team's increasingly diverse cast of young defensemen blossom down the road.

Mark Jones has been the Carolina Hurricanes Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter.

One day after his team put forth one of its best performances of the season in a 4-1 win, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis rocked the NHL trade market with two major deals.

The trades that sent winger Jiri Tlusty to the Winnipeg Jets and sought-after defenseman Andrej Sekera to the Los Angeles Kings proved Francis' ability to plan for the long-term future of the franchise without being distracted by short-term upswings.

Wednesday afternoon, the 'Canes fully committed to rebuilding through youth.

And Francis took one step closer to cementing his role as the George Washington of such a revolution.

Coming back to Carolina is the Kings' 2015 or 2016 first-round pick, the Jets' 2016 third-round pick and a 2015 fifth- or sixth-round pick, per TSN's Bob McKenzie and the Jets' website. Also part of the Sekera deal is prospect defenseman Roland McKeown, a 2014 second-round selection.

The two trades will eventually altogether net four prospects for the Hurricanes' system—three the team will get to choose itself as well as McKeown, who may instantly become the club's second-best defensive prospect behind Haydn Fleury.

Overall, it's quite a respectable haul for two rentals with game-changing ability but eyes on a big pay raise in free agency this coming summer, per McKenzie.

One could argue Francis undersold Tlusty, who had not been putting up big numbers this season but fits well as a finisher when slotted alongside a playmaking center.

The return value of third- and fifth- or sixth-round selections is comparable to that of players like Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak—not quite superstars themselves and not of the same caliber as Tlusty.

But at least Francis got something for him. Predecessor Jim Rutherford had grown famous for letting his pending free agents slide by the deadline without being liquidated for assets.

Any potential return Francis let slip in the Tlusty trade, moreover, was more than made up for by his successful manipulation of the Sekera hullabaloo.

While other deep-pocket teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers begged on the doorstep, the Hurricanes front office dealt the experienced blueliner to an L.A. team that's currently surging furiously back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

On Feb. 17, Larry Brooks of the New York Post wrote that the Sekera asking price of a first-rounder and prospect was "too rich for just about any suitor’s blood" and that "chances are that the price will drop."

It didn't. It may have even risen.

The prospect—19-year-old McKeown—has a reliable reputation and, though he lacks elite upside, is in the midst of his third consecutive solid campaign with the OHL Kingston Frontenacs. He could blossom into a second-pairing NHL rearguard down the road.

The draft pick, which will be in 2015 only if the Kings indeed make the postseason, will likely be in the No. 16-25 range.

The 'Canes are almost certainly not done dealing prior to Monday's trade deadline.

They still retain a number of pending unrestricted free agents, including penalty-killing specialist Jay McClement, conservative defenseman Tim Gleason and depth wingers Brad Malone and Patrick Dwyer, per Spotrac, who could be on the move.

Wednesday's pair of near-blockbusters do, however, demonstrate a firm dedication to the franchise's future.

Mark Jones has been the Carolina Hurricanes Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal is at the center of trade rumors, but the franchise has denied it will move the star player.

Continue for updates.  

Hurricanes Reassure Staal He Won't Be Traded

Monday, Feb. 23

Despite rumors circulating that Staal could be headed out of Carolina, Aaron Ward of TSN is hearing that the star center won't be going anywhere:

Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, meanwhile, heard from the team's general manager Ron Francis:

So there you have it.

This comes days after Josh Yohe of TribLive.com reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins were interested in bringing Staal back to Pittsburgh in an offseason trade. Clearly, the Canes want to nip that talk in the bud before it gets out of hand.

Staal has appeared in just 22 games for Carolina this season, scoring three goals and adding 11 assists. Since coming to the Hurricanes from the Penguins he's scored 28 goals and added 57 assists in 152 games over three seasons.

With 49 points, the Hurricanes are the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, so they could hardly be blamed for trying to rebuild in the offseason. At least for now, however, it appears Staal won't be one of the trade chips they dangle in front of teams in that process.

Ron Francis entered the Carolina Hurricanes' general manager position last summer knowing that hesitancy would not be tolerated.

As the countdown to the 2015 NHL trade deadline approaches two weeks remaining, Francis's GM office appears to erupt with activity, trades and conclusive non-hesitancy.

The 'Canes, second-to-last in the Eastern Conference and 18 points out of a playoff berth, have little in the way of tangible goals still viable for the 2014-15 campaign. What they do have, however, are a plethora of upcoming free agents and valuable rental items that could be dealt for tomorrow's assets.

Chip Alexander of the News & Observer received a straightforward statement from Francis on his pre-deadline plans:

TSN's Bob McKenzie has reported that all three of Andrej Sekera, Jiri Tlusty and Jay McClement are expected to hit the market hard in the coming weeks:

The trio all offer skill sets that should be quite intriguing to top contenders around the league.

Sekera, a 28-year-old ranked 15th among all league defenseman with 44 points (a career high by a mile) last season. His production has declined significantly this season, but he's remained a first-pairing stalwart alongside Justin Faulk and carries a Goodwill-caliber $2.75 million cap hit.

Tlusty, meanwhile, has just 12 goals and 20 points in 46 games but should garner a trade return that seemingly exceeds that mediocre production. He doesn't even turn 27 until March and has shown excellent potential as the quiet finisher alongside superior linemates—much like Jussi Jokinen did in Pittsburgh and Mike Ribeiro did in Washington.

McClement, 31, leads the Hurricanes in both faceoff percentage (55.3 winning percentage) and penalty killing (averaging a team-leading two minutes, 24 seconds shorthanded time on ice per game, per NHL.com, on the NHL's second-best penalty kill). He's tallied six points in his last 11 appearances, as well.

The soon-to-be-rebuilding 'Canes will likely be seeking primarily upper-round draft picks and prospects for their rental items. At exactly what quantity of return Francis is willing to pull the trigger will provide a good indication of just how far he plans to deviate from former GM Jim Rutherford's timid, sour legacy.

At the 2013 deadline, the Sabres dealt Robyn Regehr to the Kings for two second-round draft selections. Just moments before, the Flames had traded Jay Bouwmeester to the Blues for first- and fourth-round picks and two prospects.

Back on Jan. 14 of this year, the Oilers traded David Perron (at the time scoring at about the same per-game rate as Tlusty) to the Penguins for a first-round pick and depth forward.

Those deals could give Francis and the Hurricanes a bit of a baseline asking price for Sekera and Tlusty.

The defenseman is likely somewhere in between the 2013 values of Regehr and Bouwmeester, although only if his destination club is confident that he can be smoothly extended before July free agency. Getting a first-rounder for Tlusty could be ambitious, but it's within the realm of possibility as deadline inflation kicks in.

The 'Canes won't get any return whatsoever on either, however, unless Francis is willing to commit to the trade. After all, his predecessor wasn't always.

The long-term boss of the next-generation Hurricanes will get a chance to begin a different tradition before February even comes to a close.

Salary-cap information courtesy of Spotrac.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

The Carolina Hurricanes have scored three or more goals in seven of their last 12 games.

That's a reality that's hard to believe, considering where the team stood just a month ago. On Jan. 7, the Canes ranked 29th in the NHL, averaging 1.92 goals per game and had scored three or more just once in their previous 18 contests.

The weeks since have told a dramatically different story. A 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 8 sparked a run during which the Hurricanes have averaged 3.08 goals per game and gone 7-2-3.

Who's leading the charge? Not the team's biggest offensive names. Eric Staal's production has remained fairly steady for months and Jeff Skinner certainly isn't prospering lately. Rather, it's been a variety of second- and third-tier offensive producers (and All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk) inciting the spike in Hurricanes scoring.

Brad Malone has five goals since Jan. 2 after scoring zero the entire season up to that point. Rookie Victor Rask is riding his first career three-game point streak and is tied for the team scoring lead since Jan. 8. Jay McClement has six points in his last 10 games. Even Alexander Semin is finally coming alive (somewhat).

Why?

It's partially due to sheer possession: the Canes are averaging 31.7 shots per game over this dozen-game stretch, and only four NHL teams are averaging more than that over the course of this season.

But it's also due in part to creating better opportunities. All six forwards listed in the table above and nine of 11 forwards who have played throughout the season (Jordan Staal excluded) have reduced their average shot distance since Jan. 7, according to Sporting Charts data.

Depth scoring is a major contributor, as well. The Malone-McClement-Dwyer line has been arguably Carolina's best over the past month. In fact, only Rask and Eric Staal have more points since Jan. 8 than either Malone or McClement.

"We know our role and how we need to play," said McClement to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer on Monday. "We have different skill sets and read off each other pretty well. To be able to contribute [offensively] is an added bonus, for sure."

The Hurricanes offense—now averaging 2.15 goals per game this season—is still second-worst in the league. The road ahead, which will likely continue well beyond the end of the 2014-15 season, remains long.

Continuing the trend established in the past month, however, will provide much-needed optimism for 2015-16.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

When a concussion sustained in the preseason caused Jeff Skinner to miss only the first four games of the 2014-15 season, the Carolina Hurricanes were relieved at the speed with which the star forward was able to return to action.

After all, the injury was Skinner's third concussion in three years, a recurring pattern that has led to growing concern about the 22-year-old's future. It seemed back in October that Skinner and the 'Canes had gotten lucky.

But perhaps it was one concussion too many.

An absolutely horrendous season for No. 53 hit a new low on Tuesday night when he played just 11 minutes and 45 seconds, the lowest total of any 'Canes skater, in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The game extended his pointless streak to eight consecutive appearances.

Every aspect of Skinner's once-prolific offensive production has fallen apart in 2014-15, from scoring to assisting to even producing opportunities.

The former Calder Trophy winner has just 10 goals (including zero on the power play) and 19 points in 45 games, a sharp contrast to his stat line of 33 goals and 21 assists in 71 games a season ago.

The alarming disparity in Skinner's game, however, is evident on a far greater scale than in merely the primary scoring categories:

It's not just the goals that aren't happening for Skinner; it's essentially everything. Of greatest concern may possibly be his shot production, which has dipped near career-worst levels:

The quality of Skinner's shots is falling simultaneously with the quantity. According to Sporting Charts data, the average distance of his shots on goal has increased dramatically, as visualized by this heat-based frequency chart:

Skinner has fallen into a deep slump in his shooting percentage—the percentage of his shots on goal that become goals. While likely to eventually regress back in the direction of his 10.8 career percentage (he's at 7.5 percent this season), plenty of other factors besides luck also affect the statistic:

Since Christmas, Skinner has played in 17 'Canes games and averaged just 2.0 shots on goal per game (his career average is 3.3 per game). He's accumulated just three points—all three of which came in a lone two-game span—and totaled a minus-seven rating, including minus-four in the Hurricanes' ongoing three-game losing streak alone.

Said head coach Bill Peters after playing Skinner less than the likes of Brad Malone and Patrick Dwyer on Tuesday night, per Michael Smith:

Yet Skinner's long-term drought is hurting the 'Canes far more than on a game-to-game basis.

The franchise has $5.75 million in cap space (per Spotrac.com) tied up in Skinner for four more seasons after this one. They are, meanwhile, paying 20-year-old Elias Lindholm just $925,000 to score only one fewer goal so far this season. As Cam Ward plays his way out of criticism for his $6.3 million albatross, Skinner is sliding right into Ward's vacated pigeonhole. 

The former seventh overall pick was once worth that and much more—had the Carolina front office traded him at last June's draft (not that such a decision was ever considered possible), they easily could have received a top selection and several additional A- and B-grade prospects in return.

Now? Not nearly so much.

His awful season will surely raise questions about his long-term viability and value. One more concussion could jeopardize his entire future, if the last one didn't do so already.

Skinner may be only 22, but his value his sinking as fast as any typical 36-year-old.

And for a Hurricanes club with essentially no playoff chance this spring and one-and-a-half eyes on a summer rebuilding and 2015-16 return to relevance, that's a major problem.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.