Carolina one of the best during the frenzy

As most hockey fans get set for the kickoff of free agent season that begins at Noon EST on Friday, a few players and teams have been working hard in the days prior to get deals done and avoid the chaos. It would seem that this is working to the benefit of general managers trying to avoid those bidding wars which give Silly Season* its name (*see Ehrhoff, Christian).



Case in point
Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford indicated earlier this month that he would not be able to come to terms with some of the roster’s biggest contributors these last few seasons. With that, Erik Cole along with Finnish teammates Joni Pitkanen and Jussi Jokinen, were added to numerous lists of best available UFA’s. Rutherford expressed predictable regret that the sides could not find a middle ground but discussions had broken off, and he would have re-think the team’s player personnel plans accordingly.

Carolina is not typically a cap-max team, and in recent years Rutherford, the franchise's head honcho since 1994, was asked to stay even closer to the salary floor as the ownership undergoes “re-capitalization” (which is to say the franchise is seeking a minority partner to infuse cash and spread risk) . This enforced belt-tightening has strained the patience of many fans who tire of the pattern of up-and-down success in Raleigh. The stakes are high.

After the new cap and floor were announced just prior to the draft, cap geeks went to work to determine what this meant for numerous teams who had unloaded contracts at the deadline. All eyes turned to Dale Tallon in Florida and Garth Snow’s Islanders. Carolina was similarly classified and as Nick Cotsonika reports, Rutherford was asked over the weekend in St Paul what his reaction was to the huge increase.

“Do you say, ‘Oh, my god, I’ve got to spend …’ ” a reporter started to ask.

“More money than I can afford?” Rutherford finished. “Yeah.”

Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between this admission and Rutherford’s unexpected statements Saturday that he was now much more optimistic, that the unsigned UFAs might return to Carolina after all? Possibly, or at least I think Rutherford wanted the intransigent agents to believe. As they say, one should never waste a good crisis.

One deal at a time

Tuesday, after signing depth forward Patrick Dwyer, the team announced negotiations with Joni Pitkanen had in fact been successful. What surprised most everyone is that the defenseman would return on a three-year deal at the exact same salary, $4.5 million/year, as he was paid in the final season of the expiring contract. Most believed he was due a big pay raise if he was available come Friday, projecting numbers well north of $5million.

Following this clear win, Rutherford, a former NHL goaltender and proven master of head-fakes and daring bluffs, turned the tables again. Luckily, longtime 'Canes fans are familiar with this hardball rhetoric used to eke out every dollar in every deal no matter the pain. After getting a two-fer Tuesday with Pitkanan and Dwyer inked, the team posted an update on the website quoting the GM on the status of the remaining UFAs:

“For Erik and Jussi, this is about money to them,” said Rutherford. “I’ll use the same quote that I always use this time of year. You have players who say the right thing publicly about wanting to stay, but what they forget to add is, ‘Unless I can get more money somewhere else.’ ”

Ouch!

By Wednesday afternoon, another recalcitrant UFA, Chad LaRose, was back in the fold and further, Rutherford told us he had heard from Jussi Jokinen’s agent and those stalled talks would resume. 24 hours later an agreement to a 3-year contract at a very reasonable $3 million/season was announced. The 28-year-old Finn was interviewed shortly after the deal was announced Thursday, saying,

"I probably could have gone to July 1 or July 2 and maybe there would have been some pretty big offers out there," Jokinen said today via phone from Finland. "But it's never been about the money for me. It wasn't two years ago and it won't be after three years."

Going to market

So the lone hold-out is Erik Cole, drafted by Carolina in 1998. This is not his first [Rutherford] rodeo. Unlike Pitkanen and Jokinen, it certainly appears Cole will venture to market Friday, if only to determine what his fair market value really is. Why not? At 32, he just completed his first healthy season in years and put up some solid numbers (26-26-52) at right wing to Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal. Did I mention that 2006 Stanley Cup ring?

Also going to market at 12:01 p.m. on Friday will be Jim Rutherford, to initiate the process to lock up a top-6 winger to replace Cole, a contributing member in the room since 2001.

Several teams (Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, the Rangers, the Blackhawks …?) will reach out to Cole and are well-positioned to lure him away from the only ice where he’s ever found success.

The clock will be ticking.

When all is said and done, despite the rhetoric and posturing, it’s still very possible (and I would say likely) Cole will re-sign with Rutherford early Friday afternoon. Or he could just move on to greener pastures. Either way, many casual hockey fans will never know the elaborate dance these two old vets of Silly Season engaged in to get there.

A shame, because they both performed their roles so very well.

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