Busy Summer in Raleigh

Jim Rutherford has been a busy man, and the Hurricanes are shaping up to be a very competitive team for the 09-10 season. I, for one, am so excited, October cannot come soon enough.JR's first priorities were locking up Tuomo Ruutu, Erik Cole, and Chad LaRose.Cole was re-acquired at the trade deadline from Edmonton where he had struggled. Putting him back in the 'Canes lineup worked wonders, not only for his game, but for Eric Staal's as well. Obviously, Cole is getting older, and Staalsy will have to learn to play well without him, but for this upcoming season, at least, the Eric/k's are reunited.Chad LaRose wanted to test the free agency market. He had a terrific 08-09 season, his best of his pro career. I think he had hopes of earning more money, but in the end, there wasn't a lot of interest in paying a gritty 3rd liner the type of money he probably wanted, and JR got him locked back up. Thank God because Rosie is a fan favorite, works his tail off, and h...