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Wednesday, November 8, 2000
Hurricanes need to storm net
By Rob Parent
Special to ESPN.com
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They lost one of their best clutch scorers to free agency, lost their best power-play quarterback to free agency and are wondering how they're going to attract more than last year's woeful 6,000 season-ticket holders.
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Wed., Sept. 27
The Hurricanes will rely on Ron Francis' ability to lead a team with a new look. They lost a major presence in Gary Roberts, both in scoring and toughness. Carolina replaced his tough edge with Darren Langdon and Rob DiMaio, but that won't bring Roberts' offense back. Sandis Ozolinsh and Kevin Hatcher on the blue line should give them a more feared power play, but the pair will also make them extremely vulnerable in five-on-five situations.
Arturs Irbe must have an All-Star season for the Hurricanes to be a factor in the East. Otherwise, they will be mediocre as usual and a .500 hockey team once again. |
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These are the goal-challenged, unexciting Carolina Hurricanes. Hear them bore.
"With the new faces, we've got to get on the same page and get the system down and gel as quickly as possible," said new Carolina defenseman Kevin Hatcher. "We've got to come out of camp with some chemistry down already."
One way the Hurricanes wish to do that is by pumping up the scoring threat from outside. Whereas a rejuvenated Paul Coffey was a steady delight at the point the past two years, his departure (to Boston) was signaled when 'Canes GM Jim Rutherford smartly traded with Colorado for Sandis Ozolinsh.
Ozolinsh is capable of carrying the puck through a crowd and occasionally dazzling with his shot. Add Hatcher, who's older than dirt but still might be able to play a little, along with veteran Glen Wesley and exciting young talent David Tanabe, and Carolina could have one of the better defenses in the league.
Then again, Wesley was injured in camp, and the free-agency departure of Sean Hill casts some doubts on that side of the business, too.
So call Carolina a team with many questions. The biggest of which is whether the family business can someday justify the move south from Hartford. The easiest way to pump up those ticket sales ... win games. The easiest way to win games – score goals. The easiest way to score goals ...
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Bottom Line on the Hurricanes
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Special teams
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Balance
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Coaching
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Goaltending
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SEASON OUTLOOK: Losing Gary Roberts, who signed a four-year, $9 million contract to join a retirement home called Toronto, could have a devastating effect. At 37, Ron Francis now has to be more of a leader than ever with this team, while Rod Brind'Amour has to show some of the leadership qualities he flashed in Philly, but were always overshadowed by Eric Lindros. From its inability to replace Roberts to an aging Francis and Arturs Irbe, Carolina doesn't look any finer than a .500 team that will finish just below the playoff line once again. |
Rob Parent covers the NHL for the Delaware County (Pa.) Times. His NHL East column appears every week on ESPN.com.
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