Canes make a Jussi deal
Feb 8, 2009
The Carolina Hurricanes acquisition of Jussi Jokinen is similar to the team's pick up of Sergei Samsonov last season.
Jokinen was involved in the deal between Dallas and Tampa Bay that sent Brad Richards to the Stars. Jokinen didn't fit into Tampa's style and was placed on waivers earlier this season, and according to Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford was a player that the team wanted to add earlier but according to Rutherford, "wasn't a player we could take off waivers even though we wanted to because we have to look at the economics of it. We had to figure out a way to offset the money once we were able to do that we were able to add him to our team."
Jokinen's numbers have declined every year since his rookie year in Dallas, where he scored 17 goals along with 38 assists, but he is a player that fits the Canes' system of speed and skill.
He also adds a dimension that will help this team turn one point into two, Jokinen is statistically one of the best shootout players since the NHL has turned to the skill competition to decide games. His career numbers are 20-38 (.526) and this season he is 3-9 (.333). With how tight the race for the eighth spot in the East has become, every point will matter just look back to last season when the Canes missed the playoffs by one game.
The move also comes at a good time. Instead of waiting for the March deadline, the Canes make a move now and give the new players a chance to make an impact instead of hoping they can make a difference in a little over a month. Of course when a deal is made, there is the what did the team give up question ... and in this case Carolina gave up nothing that impacts the current NHL line-up.
Forward and physical presence Wade Brookbank, defenseman Josef Melichar who has been in the minors, and a 2009 fourth-round pick. Losing Brookbank's presence is something that fans might be upset about, as he is the teams only true "fighter," but the NHL wants that element out of the game and that is one reason why Brookbank has been a healthy scratch for over a month.
He was a great presence in the locker room and good to know that a player like Brookbank is on your side, but if the Canes haven't felt the need for that presence in a while and they can always call up Tim Conboy if need be. The fact that another team takes on Melichar's salary for this year is enough reason to say the Canes already have the better end of the deal. Melichar was not coming back to the NHL this year, see Bryan Rodney getting the nod with the recent injuries to the blue line, so the early return is the Canes have the better end of the deal.
This move does answer if Carolina would be a buyer or seller at the deadline, but there are still a few items left on the list. After Thursday night's win in San Jose in a shootout, a little more of that skill can lead to more games for the Canes.
Most Recent Comments
RE: Canes make a Jussi deal
Chris,Thanks for enjoying the post game, we just try to get to a lot of stuff, be it player interviews, John's thoughts and I really want to work in more callers. When they are there we try to get to them as best we can.
I don't mind getting knocked especially if I say something dumb, which happens a lot. The blog was really on what the Canes received to what they gave up not what Gary Bettman has done to drive me crazy. I seriously mean this to everyone write and comment and I will do my best to get back to you if you need some clarification on what I wrote it is the least I can do.
The treehugger was funny considering I won the Stu Grimson award in my deck hockey league back home.
I might have some cement in the gloves, but I fear now there might be some porcelain in there too.
All the best,
Mike
RE: Canes make a Jussi deal
Hey Mike;Hey, if you are going to write a blog, you are going to have to take some heat now and then. All in good fun. The difference between you and Don Cherry(funny how when someone is called a treehugger, they cling to Don to show they are not), Barnanby,Milbury,etc...they speak in the same sentence that it is worng to get it out of the game.
Had you written the third paragraph above in your blog, then maybe you would have been spared a "green slang".
Thanks for the response, taking the time shows you do not have "elmers glue" in your gloves so perhaps you do not drive a Prius after all.
regards;
Chris
P.S.-your postgame show is good, sometimes though a little too much Forslund and not enough callers some nights.
RE: Canes make a Jussi deal
Chris,If you listen to the post game show, you would know that I think fighting is an important and necessary part of hockey, so I can easily dismiss the treehugger line as funny as it may be. And I am not alone in the media saying that the NHL is trying to get rid of fighting, see Don Cherry, Mike Milbury, Mathew Barnaby just to name a few. I don't want it out of the game, if anything it has hurt the game because players do not have to fear a retaliation for taking a cheap shot on a player. So I want fighting in the game.
To the point of what Wade Brookbank does more than the enforcer role, he had not dressed for a game since the day after Christmas in Atlanta and he played a full 2:03 for the entire game. That is over a full month without seeing the ice, and I haven't seen the Canes get run-over. He is a great locker room guy and great to talk to for what I do. But still the league is moving further away from players that are there to just be a tough guy. So please let me know what you are talking about.
I want fighting to be a part of the NHL because it has a place. If the league allowed players to police themselves, you would see much less stick work, cheap shots along the boards and hits from behind. So I have no idea where you get that from. But if calling me treehugger makes you happy, go right ahead.
And are you taking about Tim Conboy? He serves the same role as Brookbank, a player you insert in the line-up if you think the other team is going to go after you. But there are few line-ups in the NHL with a roster that can put out a line like that.
Thanks for writing and taking the time to read.
All the best
Mike
RE: Canes make a Jussi deal
This is a "Very Good" deal, we gave up nothing. Now we need another scorer with a physical edge to him (time to get rid of Wallin, Kaberle, Bayda (we do not need a guy who just digs in the corners, not a playmaker or scorer - Wallin looks awful, looks lost out there).Great road trip!
Go Canes!!!!!
RE: Canes make a Jussi deal
Mike;Again you are really the true "treehugger" visionary for the nhl media. Funny how you are the only media person I have heard in the last month come and say the NHL wants fighting out of the game. Guess I missed the press release saying you were the new spokesperson for the leauge? By getting rid of Brookbank(by the way-he was not a true fighter-now talk about someone like craig conboy-then you can make that statement, all we do is become more of a team that will get beat up on as players on other teams will have no fear of say Ryan Bayda coming after them.
This is a good deal, as the players we got rid of were not playing in the lineup-but we will see if Jussi becomes the next samsanov or anson carter for the team.
So to sum up-like the deal, your take on NHL fighting-not so much.
Go Canes
