http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/teams/carolina_hurricanes/103 Recent articles about Carolina Hurricanes en-us The Carolina Hurricanes will unveil new home and road uniforms for the 2013-14 season on June 4th, as reported by WNCN. Leading up to the June 4th announcement the team will tease the new uniforms on their various social media accounts. The team reports that they won't be abandoning the black, red and white color scheme we're all familiar with, but they are aiming to give the team a new look both at home and on the road by altering the sweater, pants and socks. Get ready to say so long to the look we've grown accustomed to seeing over the past 15 years (has it really been that long? Wow). The choice of unveiling the new uniforms on June 4th is an interesting one as it's the same day the Dallas Stars will unveil their new uniforms and logo. [follow] Thu, 23 May 2013 16:51:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13681643 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13681643 Carolina Hurricanes will unveil new uniforms on June 4th http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13681643 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Carolina Hurricanes will unveil new home and road uniforms for the 2013-14 season on June 4th, as reported by WNCN. Leading up to the June 4th announcement the team will tease the new uniforms on their various social media accounts.  The team reports that they won't be abandoning the black, red and white color scheme we're all familiar with, but they are aiming to give the team a new look both at home and on the road by altering the sweater, pants and socks. Get ready to say so long to the look we've grown accustomed to seeing over the past 15 years (has it really been that long? Wow).  The choice of unveiling the new uniforms on June 4th is an interesting one as it's the same day the Dallas Stars will unveil their new uniforms and logo.  [follow] Thu, 23 May 2013 14:49:41 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13680626 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13680626 Carolina Hurricanes will unveil new uniforms on June 4th http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/carolina_hurricanes_will_unveil_new_uniforms_on_june_4th/13680626 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png To stay in the loop so you don't miss anything over the summer, follow me on Twitter at CarolinaMatt63 to get a quick heads up when I post a blog and join the occasional Canes banter in Twitter. So with a quick financial intro and candid assessments for 2013 for GM Jim Rutherford and Coach Kirk Muller posted, I move to the players. A key component to evaluating players’ performance is consid... Thu, 23 May 2013 11:29:07 -0400 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=51716 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=51716 Matt Karash: Canes 2013 Eval Part 4: Slotting and roles for Canes forwards http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/matt_karash_canes_2013_eval_part_4_slotting_and_roles_for_canes_forwards/13678982 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Now signed to a four-year, $19 mil. contract, Tuomo Ruutu is expected to play a key role in the Hurricanes future by being a contributor in the team's top-six while providing a much-needed physical presence on top of that. It's hard to deny that Ruutu makes an impact whenever he is in the lineup but unfortunately, Ruutu spent most of this year watching the team from the press-box. Ruutu underwent hip surgery about a month before the start of the year and while he made his return ahead of schedule, he only played 17 games total this season. It was also revealed that Ruutu will have surgery on his other hip this off-season, so he wasn't at 100% even when he was in the lineup this year. Ruutu has the entire off-season to recover, so he should be ready by the time training camp rolls around but his health is still a concern, mostly because his absence creates a huge void for the Hurricanes to fill. When he was on the shelf, the Canes had a big hole in their top-six and s... Thu, 23 May 2013 10:21:49 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_tuomo_ruutu/13678325 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_tuomo_ruutu/13678325 Storm Aftermath: Tuomo Ruutu http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/storm_aftermath_tuomo_ruutu/13678325 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/9/9/99d34bfde7ccf43ea0dfa22049da70d48e1dec3b/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93240050.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0926D87F907036DF42F64FBD87CBA0A34C2D88F5B211D5AFF.jpg Even in a year with a $70.3 million salary cap, finding players on cheap deals is essentially to building a winning club. Not every team has the same funds and those in smaller markets have to find players on bargain contracts to stay in contention rather than try to outbid their competitors. Big market teams have to do this, as well and it will be important next year with the cap going down, whether it's through entry-level contracts or buying low on certain free agents. The Hurricanes have done a fine job of acquiring these types of players over the years and they've had to do it out of necessity for awhile since they normally operate under a budget. Things have changed a bit over the last couple of years, though as Jim Rutherford has stated that he plans for the team to spend more money than in years past. That gives them some more wiggle room, but finding good deals will still be important. The Hurricanes are still not going to be a cap team and are set to be about $... Mon, 20 May 2013 08:34:22 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/hurricanes_goals_versus_salary_values_findin_the_best_bargains_on_the_team/13653544 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/hurricanes_goals_versus_salary_values_findin_the_best_bargains_on_the_team/13653544 Hurricanes Goals Versus Salary Values: Findin the best bargains on the team http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/hurricanes_goals_versus_salary_values_findin_the_best_bargains_on_the_team/13653544 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png A "need" that Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford wanted to address last off-season was acquiring an enforcer to help prevent other teams from taking liberties on some of Carolina's more skilled players. The Hurricanes specifically wanted to invest in some protection for Jeff Skinner, who has already suffered two concussions in his young career, and the old theory is that getting a "tough guy" will help prevent other teams from roughing up your stars. The times have changed in the NHL, though and enforcers don't play as big of a role as they used to. In today's NHL, most "tough guys" play less than 10 shifts a game and aren't even on the ice long enough to serve as "protection" for star players. They aren't very skilled players, so coaches generally don't give them a lot of ice time and it's a rare occurrence for an enforcer to be out there in a key situation. This is the role of the enforcer in the NHL now and why the ide... Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:01 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_kevin_westgarth/13652812 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_kevin_westgarth/13652812 Storm Aftermath: Kevin Westgarth http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/storm_aftermath_kevin_westgarth/13652812 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/c/6c25c3e604945058a37fbd9f9d1d9f32b2e84434/mini/PicImg_NHL_MAR_07_8c64.jpg The IIHF World Championship is a major tournament that takes place during the spring, yet is eclipsed here in North America due to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many players who either fail to qualify for the playoffs or get eliminated in the first round make their way onto their respective national rosters for a chance to win international gold. During a quarterfinal match on Thursday between Canada and Sweden, a scary hit took place between Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Alexander Edler of the Vancouver Canucks. As you can see, Edler skates towards Staal and makes knee-on-knee contact with him without making an attempt to avoid the hit. Edler skates away while Staal is left writhing in pain on the ice. Eventually, Ryan O’ Reilly and and Claude Giroux help Staal off the ice after being looked at by a trainer. Edler was given a major and a match penalty for the collision and was further suspended for the rest of the tournament by the IIHF (which turned out to b... Sun, 19 May 2013 14:38:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13650019 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13650019 Eric Staal to miss 3 months with severely sprained knee http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13650019 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/7/1749bd23ed98efd0fba70cdb14b9d6dcb564e4ee/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_e672.jpg The IIHF World Championship is a major tournament that takes place during the spring, yet is eclipsed here in North America due to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many players who either fail to qualify for the playoffs or get eliminated in the first round make their way onto their respective national rosters for a chance to win international gold. During a quarterfinal match on Thursday between Canada and Sweden, a scary hit took place between Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Alexander Edler of the Vancouver Canucks.      As you can see, Edler skates towards Staal and makes knee-on-knee contact with him without making an attempt to avoid the hit. Edler skates away while Staal is left writhing in pain on the ice. Eventually, Ryan O’ Reilly and and Claude Giroux help Staal off the ice after being looked at by a trainer. Edler was given a major and a match penalty for the collision and was further suspended for the rest of the tournament by the IIHF (which turned... Sun, 19 May 2013 11:49:03 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13649347 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13649347 Eric Staal to miss 3 months with severely sprained knee http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/eric_staal_to_miss_3_months_with_severely_sprained_knee/13649347 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/1/a155deddb16292b0427954deb15aced49afd23e6/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_1b0a.jpg Supporters of the Carolina Hurricanes can exhale in relief. TSN's Aaron Ward reports forward Eric Staal doesn't appear to be in too bad shape following a nasty knee-on-knee hit from Swedish defenseman Alexander Edler at the IIHF World Championship.  "Initial diagnosis by Carolina Hurricanes Medical Staff of Eric Staal is that No surgery is required for Eric Staal... in their view, great news ..."  Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer: "Staal has third-degree MCL sprain. No surgery needed ..."  Post-collision, Staal writhed in obvious pain on the ice before leaving the game for Team Canada. The Hurricanes' captain -- also sporting the "C" for the Canadians -- was later spotted with crutches and a brace on his right knee. Initially assessed a major penalty and game misconduct, Edler was subsequently suspended two games (read: rest of the tournament) for his "reckless" and "dangerous" action. Canada ended up los... Sat, 18 May 2013 16:20:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13646215 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13646215 No surgery required for Eric Staal http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13646215 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/1/a155deddb16292b0427954deb15aced49afd23e6/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_1b0a.jpg The Carolina Hurricanes say they expect captain Eric Staal to be ready to start next season after suffering a scary-looking knee injury during an international tournament. The team said Staal underwent an MRI on his right knee Saturday and it revealed a third-degree sprain of his medial collateral ligament. The team says Staal won't need surgery and he should need only three months of rehab. Staal's injury Thursday during the world hockey quarterfinals in Stockholm certainly could have been a lot worse. The captain of Canada's team collapsed to the ice in obvious pain following a knee-to-knee collision with Sweden's Alex Edler. The durable Staal, 28, has missed only 14 games during nine NHL seasons. He led the Hurricanes with 35 assists and 53 points. Sat, 18 May 2013 12:32:56 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_to_miss_3_offseason_months_with_sprained_mcl/13645174 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_to_miss_3_offseason_months_with_sprained_mcl/13645174 Staal to miss 3 offseason months with sprained MCL http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_to_miss_3_offseason_months_with_sprained_mcl/13645174 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/5/85bbcc4ddd500645a10ee4c1b8c7ba8ed9bc4f71/mini/HURRICANES__CAPITALS_d07d.jpg Carolina team website: RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test on team captain Eric Staal’s right knee revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Surgery will not be required to repair the ligament, and Staal’s rehabilitation... Sat, 18 May 2013 12:12:49 -0400 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=51639 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=51639 HockeyBuzz Wire: Eric Staal Diagnosed with Third-Degree MCL Sprain http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/hockeybuzz_wire_eric_staal_diagnosed_with_third_degree_mcl_sprain/13645117 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/7/1749bd23ed98efd0fba70cdb14b9d6dcb564e4ee/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_e672.jpg RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test on team captain Eric Staal’s right knee revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Surgery will not be required to repair the ligament, and Staal’s rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected that he will be healthy and ready to play to start the 2013-14 season. Staal, 28, was injured when he took a knee-on-knee hit from defenseman Alexander Edler in the first period of Canada’s quarterfinal game at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships on Thursday in Stockholm, Sweden. Edler received a five-minute major kneeing penalty and a game misconduct by the game’s officials. On Friday, the IIHF Independent Disciplinary Panel determined that Edler should have received a match penalty as a result of the play and suspended him for the remainder of the t... Sat, 18 May 2013 11:13:44 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13644850 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13644850 No Surgery Required For Eric Staal http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/no_surgery_required_for_eric_staal/13644850 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/c/0c038b5201922a37d25570a4b3d53283c1275acb/mini/Pittsburgh_Penguins_v_6641.jpg We will continue our player reviews from this past season by taking a closer look at the year that was for Tim Gleason. Recently signed to a four year, $16 mil. contract, Gleason is set to be a key cog in the Hurricanes defense corps for the next few season and is expected to provide a solid, veteran presence for players like Justin Faulk to learn after. Gleason has also established himself as a fine shutdown defenseman over the last few years. The Hurricanes have always leaned on him to do the bulk of the heavy lifting for the defense corps, as he is normally matched up against the opposing team's best forwards and is a regular on the team's first penalty killing unit and for the most part, his performance has been very good compared to similar defensemen. He was also coming off his best season in the NHL and was expected to anchor the team's "new" shutdown defense pairing with Justin Faulk for most of the year. Unfortunately, Gleason ended up being a differen... Sat, 18 May 2013 09:51:32 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_tim_gleason/13644439 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_tim_gleason/13644439 Storm Aftermath: Tim Gleason http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/storm_aftermath_tim_gleason/13644439 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/a/7a07892eec35ba0e78d63eda489f0bf44693826a/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f91241123.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0007A3D1BFD22CE6A777A5CA79CBAC26CE50BA43511785C00.jpg If you missed it yesterday, Canada was playing Sweden in the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Championships in Stockholm. In the first period, Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal was the victim of an ugly knee-on-knee collision by Swedish defenseman Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks. The video of the incident is below. Whether you think it was a dirty hit is not the question. That’s a separate issue. Heck, season-ending injuries happen on clean plays all the time. We’ve also seen knee-on-knee injuries end a player’s career before. But, again, separate issue. The real question that teams and players have to ask themselves is: is the risk worth the reward? Logic says that injuries like this on the international stage are rare. How many players go play after their NHL season is over and finish the tournament just fine? Nearly all. Plus, it’s a huge honor to play for your country. When asked, it’s practically instinct to say “yes.” And, all things being equal, it should be that way... Fri, 17 May 2013 10:08:37 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/watch_eric_staals_injury_and_decide_should_nhl_players_play_for_their_countries/13637804 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/watch_eric_staals_injury_and_decide_should_nhl_players_play_for_their_countries/13637804 Watch Eric Staal’s injury and decide: should NHL players play for their countries? http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/watch_eric_staals_injury_and_decide_should_nhl_players_play_for_their_countries/13637804 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/2/a26ee38d02bd704785d47127a5d58e95007a6809/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_3b0b.jpg It's about that time of the year where we will look back at the season that was for the Hurricanes by taking a look at the individual performance of each player.  Last season I did this by showing how effective each player was at controlling scoring chances but I'm going to take a different route this time. Scoring chances are very important, but they're just part of an even bigger picture, so we're going to dig a little deeper with our player analysis this season. We're going to be looking at how they were used and how they performed in all three zones. This means looking at their ice time, special teams usage, quality of competition, zone starts and their performance by scoring chances, puck-possession, scoring chances and point-production. We want to be thorough as possible with this analysis so that everything is covered, so we're going to be looking at basically everything I've tracked along with data that is available on sites such as Behind The Net... Fri, 17 May 2013 07:59:48 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_jamie_mcbain/13636874 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/storm_aftermath_jamie_mcbain/13636874 Storm Aftermath: Jamie McBain http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/storm_aftermath_jamie_mcbain/13636874 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/9/2978ecec5e86191b7bb8ec992420bbf57c150e4f/mini/carolina-hurricanes.jpg The NHL season may be over for 22 teams, but that doesn’t mean the hockey has stopped for players on the 22 teams who aren’t lucky enough to still be playing for the Stanley Cup. The world championships are going on right now, and there is plenty of NHL representation. At least one team must be hating that fact right now. That team would be the Carolina Hurricanes who saw their captain Eric Staal suffer a nasty-looking knee injury Thursday while Staal was representing Canada at the world championships. Staal was the recipient of a brutal knee-to-knee hit from Canucks defenseman Alex Edler who is playing in the tournament representing Sweden. According to CBS Sports’ Eye on Hockey blog, Edler was given a five-minute major for kneeing in addition to a game misconduct. The hit left Staal on the ice writhing in a ton of pain before he was eventually helped off the ice. See the hit in question by clicking here.   Thu, 16 May 2013 16:15:14 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/alex_edler_leaves_eric_staal_in_ton_of_pain_after_knee_on_knee_hit_at_world_championships/13632911 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/alex_edler_leaves_eric_staal_in_ton_of_pain_after_knee_on_knee_hit_at_world_championships/13632911 Alex Edler Leaves Eric Staal in Ton of Pain After Knee-on-Knee Hit at World Championships http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/alex_edler_leaves_eric_staal_in_ton_of_pain_after_knee_on_knee_hit_at_world_championships/13632911 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/1/a155deddb16292b0427954deb15aced49afd23e6/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_1b0a.jpg Eric Staal’s NHL season was cut short as the Carolina Hurricanes didn’t make it to the postseason. Staal went on to play in the IIHF World Championship, serving as the captain for Team Canada. In a game against Sweden on Thursday, Staal collided knee-on-knee with Vancouver Canucks defenseman and Swede, Alex Edler. From the video footage (which can be viewed here), you can see that Staal is in an immense amount of pain as he flails around in agony on the ice. Edler received a five minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct. Image via Sportsnet [Sportsnet] Article found on: Next Impulse Sports Thu, 16 May 2013 15:32:35 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_suffers_brutal_knee_injury_at_world_championships/13632611 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_suffers_brutal_knee_injury_at_world_championships/13632611 Eric Staal Suffers Brutal Knee Injury At World Championships http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/eric_staal_suffers_brutal_knee_injury_at_world_championships/13632611 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/6/06439ca9faf655e3a6ec14db73eb31a3cf22e26a/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_a0d5.jpg During the first period of Canada vs. Sweden in the Men’s World Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Alexander Edler collided with Eric Staal in a horrific knee-on-knee hit.  Staal was immediately down and writhing in pain.  Staal had to be helped off the ice by trainers and could hardly put any weight on his leg.  Edler was given a five-minute major for kneeing and was ejected from the game, which he was none to pleased about and threw his stick down the hallway towards the locker room.  The Carolina Hurricanes better be praying that Staal’s injury won’t keep him out for the start of next year, but my guess is he tore his ACL. #hurricanes captain Eric Staal in serious pain after a knee-on-knee collision with Alex Edler. twitter.com/linushugosson/… — Linus Hugosson (@linushugosson) May 16, 2013 [Eye on Hockey] Thu, 16 May 2013 15:11:44 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_injured_in_knee_on_knee_collision_at_world_championships/13632335 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/eric_staal_injured_in_knee_on_knee_collision_at_world_championships/13632335 Eric Staal injured in knee-on-knee collision at World Championships http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/eric_staal_injured_in_knee_on_knee_collision_at_world_championships/13632335 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/9/d/9dacbab375cbf4ec49e16aea89753368d3366dc7/mini/Carolina_Hurricanes_v_46f9.jpg Could the Hurricanes be a team that spends to the NHL's salary-cap maximum next season? With the league's salary cap set to drop by almost 10 percent to 64.3 million in 2013-14, the 'Canes, generally a team with a smaller payroll in years past, are moving closer toward a four-year dry spell without a postseason appearance. Next season, gone will be the former Southeast Division, populated mostly by budget-minded, nontraditional markets, and the Hurricanes will join a division with big-spending powerhouses like the Rangers, Flyers and Penguins. According to the Web site CapGeek.com, which compiles NHL salary data, the Hurricanes have 56.65 million committed to 17 players next season. A good portion of the cap room was eaten up when the team awarded an extension to wing Alexander Semin on March 25 worth 35 million over five years. Semin had an impressive season, finishing second on the team in points (44 in 44 games), tying for 21st in the NHL, while ranking slightly higher in terms of points pe Thu, 09 May 2013 17:45:27 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/core_focused_canes_shaping_up_well_for_offseason/13585946 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/core_focused_canes_shaping_up_well_for_offseason/13585946 Core-focused 'Canes shaping up well for offseason http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/core_focused_canes_shaping_up_well_for_offseason/13585946 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Yesterday morning, Jim Rutherford addressed the media on the Hurricanes season and one of the key things discussed was the team's off-season plans and from the sound of things, the Hurricanes depth and defense could be in for a bit of an overhaul. In the presser, Rutherford mentioned that he would like to add two to three defensemen this off-season and become "tougher to play against" which could mean that changes are on the way. Terrible defending and no depth scoring were a big problem for the Canes in this past season, so it's good to see that Rutherford has identified the problem and is aiming to fix it. The question is how will he go about doing this. The Hurricanes aren't an idea situation this off-season because they have roughly $8 mil. to spend and the free agent pool doesn't offer many solutions as far as finding a top-four defenseman goes. They also have a handful of players within their organization to re-sign and will need to keep an eye on... Fri, 03 May 2013 18:02:38 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/breaking_down_carolinas_cap_situation/13546328 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/breaking_down_carolinas_cap_situation/13546328 Breaking down Carolina's cap situation http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/breaking_down_carolinas_cap_situation/13546328 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/e/6e1cdad5d95ba4aeff2172f30ede1971d5aaa75d/mini/2010-nhl-draft-round-one.jpg