Hurricane Warning Posted For North Carolina in 2008-2009. Severe Fantasy Production Expected

Club: Carolina Hurricanes
Fantasy Impact Rating: Warm

Superstars: Eric Staal
Big Producers: Ray Whitney
Mid-Level Flyers: Scott Walker, Matt Cullen, Sergei Samsonov, Joni Pitkanen, Joe Corvo
Rookies/Prospects: None
Sleepers: Justin Williams, Patrick Eaves, Michael Leighton
Avoid The Hype: Tuomo Ruutu, Rod Brind’Amour

Analysis:
The ‘Canes have a lot to offer in 2008-2009 and appear to be well on their way to becoming a contender once again. If you’re looking for a surefire bet from Carolina, Eric Staal would be a player that any fantasy manager should consider at their top center position. Usually able to produce at a point per game pace, Staal is a proven leader on the power play and certainly has the ability to put up 80-90 points this season. Look to nab Staal in the 2nd round, maybe even the 3rd round of your draft.

Other top line candidates to start the season in Carolina include Ray Whitney at left wing, and Justin Williams at right wing. Entering his 17th season in the NHL, Ray Whitney still has a lot to offer out on the ice, but believers in Whitney’s fantasy production potential should take into consideration the injury issues that have plagued him over the past several seasons, and consider making arrangements to have another winger in front of him on your depth chart. It’s difficult to say where to draft Whitney because he’s not as reliable as he used to be, but it would be safe to say that if he is available in the 6th round of a 12 manager draft, and you already have another left winger in place, it might not be a terrible play. It’s high risk, high reward at this point. Justin Williams is a bit of a sleeper heading into 2008-2009 because of a season long injury that put him on the shelf in 2007-2008. All signs point to Williams being ready for training camp and there is a good possibility that he may go overlooked by a few managers because of his absence from the lineup last year. We all know the guy can play: 76 points in ’05-’06 and 67 points in ’06-’07. While it may take one more season of solid production to consider Williams as a number one right winger, he certainly will fill the role of a 2nd option very, very well. If you see him still lingering around in the 9th or 10th round of your draft, consider making a play for him.

The mid-level flyers on the Hurricanes offer a wide variety of attributes that might fill that 3rd or 4th line void on your fantasy team. Scott Walker lacks the consistency of most players simply for the fact that he has been fairly injury prone over his 13 year NHL career. When healthy, Walker can still be a nice source of points and a great source for penalty minutes. He had 115 in 58 games last season. Sergei Samsonov may have finally found a place where he can live up to his potential. Samsonov joined the ‘Canes last season after busting in both Montreal and Chicago and tallied 32 points in 38 games. The shifty left winger would be a good, late round pick to slot in as your 4th option at left wing but try and avoid using him in a higher situation until he proves that he can gel with his linemates this season. Matt Cullen was a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners last season, notching 13 goals and 36 assists in 59 games. Use caution, however, when relying on Cullen. In the past several seasons, he has suffered a somewhat serious concussion, broken nose and a broken jaw. He’ll be slotted in as the 3rd line center in Carolina, but there is a chance for movement if Brind’Amour starts showing his age.

There are two defenseman that stand out as potentially top fantasy options in Carolina this season. Joe Corvo had a dynamite season last year, tallying 48 points between Ottawa and Carolina and should be in the top pairing on the power play with Joni Pitkanen this season. He has proven himself as a serious offensive threat and could be relied on as a number one defender if needed. Joni Pitkanen was brought in during the offseason to try and provide a little more boost from the blue line. Pitkanen has a great offensive mindset for a defender, however, has shown us that he is quite prone to injuries. If he can stay healthy though, he may be able to contribute with Corvo to proivide a 1-2 punch from the blue line.

Patrick Eaves might be worth a look for your second to last, or last pick in a 12-14 manager draft. With Scott Walker being an injury prone player, it might allow for Eaves to step up and show the league what he can really do. Don’t plan on slotting him into your line up right away though. Stash him on your bench until some significant progress is made.

It’s difficult to say how many more seasons Rod Brind’Amour can keep up with the newer NHL style of play. He’s 38 years old heading into 2008-2009 and he’s been around for so long that novice managers who may have followed casually over the years, can easily say “I know this name. He was pretty good.” Use extreme caution when considering Brind’Amour this season. If you do decide to take a chance on him, it may not be a bad idea to see if he can get hot, then try and package him to upgrade a certain position you may be weaker at.

Goaltending:
Situation: Solid (with pressure)
Grade: B
1. Cam Ward
2. Michael Leighton

Cam Ward will start the season between the pipes for Carolina. However, he is going to have to continue to show improvement in his game in order to maintain the starting role. Ward finished last season with 37 wins and 25 losses, 4 shutouts and a 2.75 goals against average. These numbers were an improvement from the 2006-2007 campaign but his goals against average is very high for a starting goaltender, and should be considered when deciding amongst number one tenders in your draft. If Ward slips into a funk of any kind, Michael Leighton will certainly be given the chance to show Laviolette what he’s got. Leighton’s record of 28-22 with the Albany River Rats doesn’t do his 7 shutouts, 2.10 goals against average and .931 save percentage justice whatsoever. He has only had brief stints at the NHL level, so if he can make a statement when given the chance, he might cause a controversy in Carolina. If your league places significant emphasis on goaltending, you may want to have a more solid option in front of a guy like Ward, and make sure to keep Leighton in the back of your mind if you do pull the trigger.

Fantasy Hockey Team Breakdowns List