Carolina Hurricanes Tack on to their Defensive Depth

Carolina Hurricanes Tack on to their Defensive Depth in Free Agency

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Joakim Ryan to a one-year, two-way contract adding depth to their already astute defensive corp.

Only the second signing of the free agency for the Carolina Hurricanes, Joakim Ryan gives the Hurricanes some serious depth on the defensive line at only a $700,000 AAV. His role will be an important one in the coming months as offseason ends and the 2021-2020 season finally begins.

Ryan’s role will begin in training camp and it will be to give a serious level of competition to the guys hanging out around the third pairing of the defensive lineup. I am talking about guys like Jake Gardiner, Haydn Fleury, and even Brady Skjei. He might even give guys like Jake Bean a reason to really show their best at camp.

Ultimately Ryan will not be taking anyone’s spot on opening night, barring any injuries. In 141 NHL games played he has only 4 goals and 20 assists. He also only sits at a +2 rating. With a two-way contract, he is almost destined to play for the Chicago Wolves who will be more than happy to use him on their way to attempting another run at the Calder Cup.

However, if the Carolina Hurricanes have need of a good defender to step up in case of multiple injuries (like the one we saw occur to Dougie Hamilton and then Brett Pesce last season) having a guy like Joakim Ryan step up and fill in the void can go a long way. He can probably break the opening night roster of most teams in the league. This is ultimately his role on this team.

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Don Waddel added this about the defender:

“Joakim is a solid puck-moving defenseman with NHL experience. He skates very well and is a good fit for our system.”

This is exactly the player you need to fill in your ranks in case of injury. Hopefully, we will never have to see Joakin Ryan play a regular-season or playoff game in a Canes sweater.

That being said, this is an under the radar move that shows that the Carolina Hurricanes have learned from their mistakes last season and are looking to ensure that they are prepared to continue to compete for a playoff spot and have the depth they need to always be a threat no matter who gets hurt.

Question for CC Readers: What do you think about the Joakim Ryan signing?