Carolina Hurricanes: James Wisniewski to Lead Offensive Charge from the Blue Line
By Zeke Lukow
Between now and the start of the preseason, Cardiac Cane will preview every Carolina Hurricanes player as they enter the 2015-2016 season and what we expect from them in the coming year.
Player: James Wisniewski
Position: Defense
Date of Birth: February 21, 1984 (31)
Birthplace: Canton, Michigan (USA)
Height/Weight: 5’11″/205lbs
2014-2015 Team: Columbus Blue Jackets/Anaheim Ducks
James Wisniewski was acquired by the Hurricanes through a draft day trade during the 2015 NHL Draft. This was an exciting move for the Canes who have made the commitment to bolster the defense that has been weak for the past couple of years.
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Wisniewski is an immediate addition to the top pairing and will replace Andrej Sekera as Justin Faulk’s partner. He has already stated that he relishes being in the mentor role, and will help develop the stable of young defensemen. I think the normal fan reaction to someone being called a “real character guy is to think that your team signed a guy that has no skill but the PR team still has to say something nice about him right?
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I honestly don’t think this is the case with Wisniewski, his corsi charts are better than Sekera. This means that when Wisniewski is out on the ice his team has more meaningful possession than when Sekera is on the ice, and remember Sekera was traded for a first round pick and a prospect. It is not often that you can get a player that can plug into the starting line up and can help the future of the team this much. It is pretty incredible to think he only cost Ron Francis a redundant backup goalie.
Wisniewski had a pretty visibly rough time in Anaheim, but I don’t think this is an indication of things to come. Boudreau is a tough coach to play for and will discard any player if he is deemed to not fit his scheme. Even players as notable as Teemu Selenne have had very public feuds with Boudreau which have been responsible for a down tick in their time on ice.
I believe that this type of feud is what reduced Wisniewski from a top pairing defenseman to a healthy scratch in the playoffs. A much better indication of his production and abilities can come from looking at his time with Columbus.
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Not only are those stats more indicative of his true ability, the reflect the type of role he will be playing with the Canes. He played on the top pairing with another top young defenseman in Ryan Murray, and has previous experience playing under coach Peters.
Carolina Hurricanes
During his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets last year Wisniewski was still able to register 29 points (8g, 21a) in 56 games, and in his last full season in Columbus he registered 51 points (7g, 44a). If he could even hold pace with last year, a notable down year for him, he would still be on track to come in second place for defensemen scoring for the Hurricanes.
The only possible downside to Wisniewski is his cap hit, $5.5 mil for the next 2 years. Though this could be an issue, outside of John-Michael Liles ($3.875 mil) the Carolina Hurricanes only have $18 mil of their total cap number of $57 mil tied up in the defense. Though this could look like a lot of money on paper, the Hurricanes still have $13.4 mil cap space and can easily afford this contract.
Wisniewski will prove to be one of Francis’s best offseason acquisitions. With such a low cost to the team, and high production capabilities and possession statistics, It’s pretty clear to see that Wisniewski was a great pickup. Look for an improved defensive unit in the 2015-2016 season.