Note: This article was meant to be posted on June 30^th, but I lost power on Friday night and just had it restored today. Therefore, some of the information might be outdated.

The Jets have only been in Winnipeg for a year now, so we are all still figuring out Kevin Cheveldayoff’s tendencies and habits as a GM. So far, we can say that he’s made some very questionable draft choices, hasn’t spent a lot in free agency and overpaid for a mediocre talent. Not exactly a good start to the new regime despite the Jets strong home record in their “inaugural season.” It’s still tough to figure out what moves he will make in free agency because he didn’t do much last year and I’m not sure if the Jets have to funds to pursue big free agents. They could in a few years but that’s unknown as of right now.

We might find out this year because Winnipeg has more than a couple holes to fill in their forward corps and they may have to sign a couple players in order to address those needs. Lord knows they have the cap space to do so but like I said earlier, I’m not sure what the Jets’ money situation is but I’m sure that it’s not anything that will keep them making the moves they want.

Note: This article was meant to be posted on June 30^th, but I lost power on Friday night and just had it restored today. Therefore, some of the information might be outdated.

George McPhee and the Washington Capitals were the champions of the off-season last year but the moves they made didn’t quite have the on ice results most were hoping for. Whether you want to blame injuries or the coaching change, one thing that is certain is that the Caps looked like they took a few steps back in the regular season last year. It got so bad that there was a point where a lot of fans wondered if this team would even make the playoffs, but the Caps were able to make it in and they had a decent run before losing to the Rangers in seven games.

With a new coach in place and a few former key player set to leave, the Caps are ready to don somewhat of a new look and are hoping to get themselves back on top of the Southeast. They have a couple of prospects who are another year or two from making it to the NHL so McPhee will likely hold off on any long-term deals but he always seems make a splash in free agency every year and I’m sure this season will be no different.

Note: This article was meant to be posted on June 30^th, but I lost power on Friday night and just had it restored today. Therefore, some of the information might be outdated.

Aside from Steven Stamkos winning another scoring title, the Lightning had a very disappointing season. They went from one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals to not even being close to making the playoffs the next year. There are a lot of things you can point to blame for it; injuries, terrible goaltending, bad defense, a roster that seemingly changed every game, etc. Steve Yzerman inherited a team that wasn’t in great shape to begin with but he’s done a very nice job as GM of Tampa Bay and seems to know what he needs to do to make them a better team in the next few years. He’s already made a couple moves, so what else can we expect from Stevie Y this summer? Find out after thejump.

Note: This article was meant to be posted on June 30^th, but I lost power on Friday night and just had it restored today. Therefore, some of the information might be outdated.

It’s been a year since Dale Tallon went on his massive shopping spree in attempt to get the Florida Panthers to the cap floor. Many questioned why he was giving out so many long-term deals to mediocre players last year but those questions stopped once the Panthers made the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Then the story was all about how Tallon turned the Panthers around and how he deserved to be GM of the Year. The reality of this is that the Panthers mainly won the Southeast because it was one of the weakest divisions in the NHL since the lockout and the Panthers were still largely a mediocre team.

Florida might employ the same strategy this year but they have a couple big free agents they might want to re-sign before they spend their funds elsewhere. They also have a lot of young forwards who are relatively close to being NHL-ready so Tallon might want to spend his money more wisely this time around. He has quite a history of overpaying for free agents and with the cap going up, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see this trend continue.

Note: This article was meant to be posted on June 30^th, but I lost power on Friday night and just had it restored today. Therefore, some of the information might be outdated.

By this time, you have probably seen the many of the in-depth articles I have written on certain needs that the Hurricanes have heading into free agency. When you finish last in the Southeast Division, you generally have a lot of areas that need to be addressed, so this is a lot of work to go over. I’ve discussed team needs, players who should be re-signed, possible trade targets and what free agents that the Hurricanes could go after this summer. When you finish last in the Southeast Division, you probably have a lot of holes that need to be filled so this is quite a bit of work to go over. Which is why, to make things easier on you, I’m going to give a brief overview of what the Hurricanes outlook is heading into tomorrow.

We will start this after the jump.

In order to be a contending team, one thing that you need is solid depth in your forward corps. This means having four lines that can be used in certain roles without much of a problem. Going into last season, the Hurricanes had this mindset but they didn’t execute it very well. They acquired Anthony Stewart and Tim Brent through free agency to play fourth line roles with the thought that these two would help give the Canes better depth throughout the lineup. The only problem with this strategy was that Stewart and Brent aren’t very good hockey players and the fourth line became a liability for the Canes yet again.

Brent and Stewart may have scored a combined 12 goals but neither could push the play forward to save their lives against very weak competition. You usually don’t expect much from fourth liners but the Hurricanes had to lean heavily on their top-nine because they could only rely on their fourth line in restricted situations. It got to the point where guys like Stewart, Joslin and Brent would play less than five minutes per game at even strength because the coaching staff didn’t trust them in important situations.

This is something that I would like to see changed come next season and the Hurricanes may not have to dip into the free agent pool to fix it. There are a lot of guys within the organization who would make solid depth players for this team and it wouldn’t surprise me if they end up being used in his fashion. Find out why after the jump.

Another way that the Jordan Staal trade is going to shake up the forward lines is that the team’s third line center spot is now open because of Brandon Sutter leaving and the Hurricanes have the option of using their third line in a different way than last year. A popular thought is that one of the younger players in the system like Jeremy Welsh could step into that role with relative ease. However, that may not be true if they continue to use the third line in a defensive role, which could happen with Andreas Nodl and Patrick Dwyer still under contract. If they choose to go that route, then it’s likely that Carolina will look to sign someone like Paul Gaustad, Jay McClement or Dominic Moore to center the third line. That being said, this may not be the best thing to do.

An ongoing problem for the last couple of seasons has been that there is no room on the roster for some of the younger players in Carolina’s system. Having spots available on the third line leaves the door open for someone like Welsh or Dalpe to step into a full-time role. Both of those players still need to earn their position in training camp but between the two of them, it isn’t too far-fetched to say that the Canes should have their third line center for next season. If neither of them can earn the spot then Carolina has a bigger problem on their hands.

Another player who should be in the mix is Drayson Bowman. He was on the team for a little under 30 games last year and did more than a fine job at driving the play and creating scoring chances. He managed to do this while being bounced around all over the top-nine and I think it’s fair to say that he’s earned a shot to make the team out of camp next year. The Hurricanes have a shortage of bottom-sixers who can control puck possession at even strength and Bowman fills that need. He may not be the scorer that some projected him to become but he can still be a useful player on this team and I think he has more than a fair shot of making the team out of camp. He’d be a great fit on the third line with Chad LaRose or possibly Jiri Tlusty.

What happens to Nodl and Dwyer, then? Well, neither are exactly offensive dynamos so they could fit nicely into a fourth line role but some might think that would be wasting their defensive strengths. That doesn’t have to be the case, though? If the Canes were to use quality players on the fourth line like Nodl and Dwyer and deploy them in a defensive role, then they wouldn’t have to restrict the usage of this line as much. Using both about 8-10 minutes a game in defensive situations in addition to the penalty kill wouldn’t be a bad strategy.

The question here is can Tim Brent play the role of a defensive center without much problem? He was able to do this in Toronto but his possession numbers took a tumble last season so I’m a bit skeptical about it. After scoring 12 goals last season, I have little doubts that Brent will still be on the team but I would be all for signing a cheap defensive center as insurance if he struggles. Someone along the lines of Jeff Halpern or Philippe Dupuis would fit this role. They aren’t defensive studs by any means but they can get the job done as a fourth line center and may accept a two-way deal if needed.

Having a defensive fourth line can work out well for the current roster because it along with Jordan Staal’s line could open up the first and third lines to easier minutes and more opportunities for them. With the Canes not having many wingers in the top-six who can play tough minutes, using the first line in more offensive situations could be the way to go. They might be misusing Eric Staal a little but the team needs more scoring now and it isn’t a guarantee that they can sign another winger, so protecting one of the top two lines might be the next best thing.

The point here is that the Hurricanes need forward depth but they don’t need to acquire any third or fourth liners through free agency because they have plenty of those guys within the organization. It’s all a matter of using them correctly.

One of the Carolina Hurricanes' unrestricted free agents who hasn't been talked about much is goaltender Justin Peters. You may remember him as the guy who was Cam Ward's back-up in 2010-11 and was a complete sieve whenever he was forced into action, which was only in 12 games. However, you may also remember him from last season when he posted a .931 save percentage in the seven games he played and looked much more poised in net than he ever had before. He performed admirably while both Cam Ward and Brian Boucher were injured, so that is fresh in the back of fan's minds but it's important to remember that was only seven games.

Lots of crazy things can happen in small sample sizes, so Peters' performance last season likely isn't his true talent level and neither is the awful .875 performance he put up in 2010-11. It's likely somewhere closer to the .906 save percentage he has 176 games in the AHL and that is pretty reasonable to expect from a back-up goaltender who has spent most of his career outside of the NHL. He is a player who can be replaced easily but there is plenty of motivation to bring him back for next season.

Earlier today, it was announced that Brian Boucher will miss 4-6 months with a shoulder injury, which would leave John Muse, Carolina's only other goalie under contract, as the back-up for the NHL club. Muse was great for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL but he has played only 16 total games at the professional level so the Hurricanes may want someone with more experience to back-up Ward. With Mike Murphy going to the KHL next season, the team was likely going to sign another goalie for Charlotte anyway, and keeping Peters around sounds like the easiest option.

Re-signing Peters might be the popular thing to do because of how well he played in Carolina last year but playing well in seven games is not a good representation of a goalie's talent. When you look at who is available, there are actually more than a few goalies who would make a decent replacement for him. We will take a look at those goalies after the jump.

Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford was a guest on NHL On The Fly the other morning and I heard him make a few interesting comments in regards to what moves he would make in free agency. He basically stated that he thinks he can sign a veteran defenseman in the early part of July but isn't sure if he can get a top-six forward because of the market. I reviewed the options for a top-six winger not too long ago and you can see that Rutherford's concerns about the market are valid. Outside of Parise, Semin, Doan, Parenteau and a few others, there isn't much available unless you want to take a risk or overpay someone.

This is one of the reasons why the Jordan Staal trade is so important. It gives the Canes a top-six talent who they might have struck out on in free agency. As of right now, they have a pretty good unit up front with the Brothers Staal, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, Jeff Skinner and possibly Jiri Tlusty. That's a respectable top-six but they are still short a winger if they want to be considered a dangerous team. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, their options for acquiring a top-six winger are limited so it's very likely that the top-six for next season will compose of players who are currently on the team. That might come as a disappointment to some fans but it might not be the worst thing in the world, especially with Jordan Staal now on the team.

Something that might be getting overlooked in the 'Canes hunt for a top-line winger is that they just don't need someone to play in the top-six, they need someone who can hold their own against tough competition. Both Staal brothers are power vs. power type players, meaning they normally are used against other team's top-six's and there's a good chance that Kirk Muller will use them in this fashion come this season. The Canes had the luxury of protecting Jussi Jokinen's line last season because of Brandon Sutter but now that he is gone, the wingers are going to need to learn to play against tougher competition. 

If the Hurricanes are going to use one of their current wingers in a tough-minute role, the one who I feel is most suited for it is Tuomo Ruutu. Find out why after the jump.

Unlike the forward lines, the Hurricanes did less juggling with their defense pairings and had a few units that stayed together for most of the season. Injuries to Jay Harrison and Joni Pitkanen caused some of the pairings to be switched around but for the most part, the Hurricanes kept their defense pairings the same for portions of the year. Tim Gleason & Bryan Allen handled most of the tough minutes, Justin Faulk and Jay Harrison played against second lines and provided offense while Jamie McBain and Jaroslav Spacek played the easier minutes and were also relied on for offense. Most Hurricanes fans were comfortable with these pairings but it's unlikely that they will stay in-tact next season.

Change is something that is normally unwelcomed but I would expect there to be a new look to the pairings next year. With Allen's return being an uncertainty, Pitkanen being healthy (knock on wood), free agents being signed and the possibility of others being promoted from within, it's almost a guarantee that Carolina's defense will look somewhat different. To see how drastic these changes will affect the team and what kind of players need to be brought in to fill these holes, we can look at how certain defense pairings performed this year. 

There's been a lot of debate over who the "top" defense pairing for the Canes was this year, especially since the team's usually #1 defenseman spent most of the year on the shelf and looking at how they did by scoring chances will let us know what pairing really was the best for Carolina. More importantly, this will give us a better idea of which defenseman are best suited for certain roles. We know that whoever played with Gleason was assigned tough minutes while those who played with Spacek were given easier minutes. Seeing who played well with those defensemen and who didn't will show if there is any other defenseman on the roster capable of playing the toughs next season. This is very important to look at with free agency coming up and Allen possibly departing.

We all know the Canes will be looking for a defenseman but is it possible that there is someone on the roster who was underrated or someone who could possibly replace Allen. We will find out after the jump.

Just remember each player's role before making judgments on the numbers because what kind of minutes a player is used in often affects their scoring chance/shot data. To make things easier on yourself, refer to the team's Usage Chart.

A week ago, I talked about what players the Carolina Hurricanes had to qualify to retain their rights and they qualified just about everyone who had a realistic shot of being in the NHL next season. The only players who were not qualified were Cedric McNicoll, Kyle Lawson and Matthew Pistilli, who were in the ECHL for most of last season. The Hurricanes may have held onto all of their NHL talent but there were some other teams who decided not to. Those players are now unrestricted free agents and any team can sign them starting this Sunday.

Are any of these players worth giving money to, though? Seeing how a lot of them were cut loose by some pretty bad teams, one would think that most of them are a lost cause. That is true in most cases, but with the free agent pool being as shallow as it is, some teams may have no choice but to look at some of these players if they want to acquire cheap talent. When you look at who some clubs chose not to qualify, you'll notice that there are a lot of players who are either A) still pretty young or B) were good a few seasons ago but have fallen by the wayside the last few seasons.

Some GMs usually have an eye for this kind of talent and are willing to take a chance on them if they need someone to fill up a roster spot or are short of talent. It really isn't a bad idea when you think about it because these players are going to be cheap and will probably accept whatever contract they can get in the open market. The worst case scenario is that the player is placed on waivers and the Canes are out only $500-800k It's a low-risk way to acquire talent if you need it and there are actually a few players who the Hurricanes might pursue. We will take a look at them after the jump.