On February 28 as a part of the NHL trade deadline, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away their captain and long-time leader, Eric Staal, to the New York Rangers in hopes that they could help they loyal captain win his 2nd Stanley Cup on a playoff qualified team. They also traded Staal to make sure they got some return on his contract ending this summer.
Now the Hurricanes are out a quality player and an official team captain. Having a captain is an essential part of an NHL team, to have a clear cut leader, someone the rest of the team can look up to.
There are only 4 other teams in the NHL who don’t have a captain including the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and the newly captain-less Los Angeles Kings. Other than the Kings, the three other teams without a ‘C’ are not clubs you would want to use to model your team after.
So the Hurricanes have three choices in this situation, promote a current roster player to captain, bring in an outside player to be captain, or to just simply move on for the time being without one.
Current Carolina Hurricanes Candidates
At the moment, the Canes have 2 players serving as alternate captains, Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. Jordan Staal is nowhere close to being the player that oldest brother, Eric, was. Jordan is more of a middle-of-the-road, average NHL forward. Staal scored 20 goals and 48 points this past season.
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Maybe with his older brother gone, Jordan will be able to step out of Eric’s shadow and into the spotlight, he has a lot of work to get to that point, though.
Faulk is the other alternate captain. Faulk burst on to the scene during the 2013-14 season when he played 76 games and scored 32 points. The young American defenseman was selected to his first All-Star game this past season and one of the top d-men in the country.
Faulk was sidetracked by a leg injury late last season, which derailed what would have been his best statistical and overall season so far. He was held to 64 games on the season, but he scored more goals than he ever has with 16. Imagine what he could have done with 18 more games on the slate.
Another player on the roster that could be named captain is Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s best season was 2010-11, his rookie season. His skating and goal scoring ability put the league in awe. After his rookie campaign came a few mediocre seasons but Skinner looks to be back on track again after this past season where he played all 82 games and potted 28 goals.
Bring in a New Guy
The future captain of the Carolina Hurricanes doesn’t have to be a player on the roster right now, it may take a move or two in the offseason to find the right guy. The free agent market is not booming with big names, other than Steven Stamkos, so it might take a trade to find a fitting captain.
Stars and Sticks
The biggest name on the trade market right now is Rick Nash of the New York Rangers. Before New York, Nash had his best years in Columbus, when he was viewed as a menacing, top power-forward. Nash was the 1st overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft and was named as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain during the 2007-08 season. He was an absolute monster for the small-market club.
Things haven’t been the same for the big guy since he started playing for the Rangers though. His stats have slumped and his overall demeanor is sluggish. He did have one bright season for NY in 2014-15, regular season and playoffs, but then dropped back off this past year.
Nash is close to 32 years-old and has 2 years left on his NYR deal. It would be smart for Ron Francis to contact the Rangers feel out what New York wants for the big guy, because Nash could make a big impact for the Canes if his problem is that he can’t handle the big city lights and feels more comfortable in a small market.
Now What?
Do the Hurricanes really need a captain right now? They could just add an extra alternate captain and leave the ‘C’ vacant until the right answer comes along.
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The best idea for the Carolina Hurricanes right now is to name Justin Faulk as captain. Faulk has 4 years left on his deal, is only 24 years old, and is showing signs that he could be a top defenseman in the NHL. He is getting better as the years pass, it is time to take him to the next level.