Sbisa - will he be back?

[Jake]

Looking at Anaheim's blue line - Niedermayer, Whitney, Wisniewski and Eminger are probably locks for the top 4 - that leaves Boynton, Brookbank, Festerling, McCarthy, Mikkelson, Mitera and Salcido to compete with Sbisa for the number 5 spot GM Murray has said Sbisa must occupy to remain in SoCal.

Brookbank is probably more of a 6, 7 or 8 but the rest of the candidates are all arguably just as capable as Luca. Some are considerably more experienced which can work for and against them.

Murray might like the idea of Sbisa playing 40 minutes a night in Lethbridge before Preston trades him to a contender at the deadline.

I'd say the odds of Sbisa returning are improving. JMHO

[localguy]

I sure hope so, because after watching tonights game we need d bad, the Ice were pretty much doing whatever they wanted in our zone all night. Way too many youngsters on the blue line, and up front for that matter. It can only get better.

[Derek Sutton]

Another banner night for to Mestery I see. Really it's sad that the most experienced d man is quite possibly the worst one on the roster.

[canes77]

Another banner night for to Mestery I see. Really it's sad that the most experienced d man is quite possibly the worst one on the roster.

You bet...I still cant comprehend how an NHL team chose this guy in the 2nd round...his only strength is on the PP in which the Canes were 0 for 4 tonite...I figured NHL camp would benefit him but I guess not, even the radio guys were hard on him...there's no need to get penalized for slashing and hooking when you're 6'5.

Mestery and Tadjdeh were the two question marks I had coming into the season, and look at their stats tonite...

Mestery...0 pts, 6 PIM (one leading to a Kootenay goal), and -4
Tadjdeh...35 minutes, 5 goals allowed

Who's the best 1995 born prospect? Looks like he'll be a Cane in 2 yrs...just kidding, I'm glad we have 71 more games to go.

[dagley]

No better at the Memorial Cup teams side of things

[localguy]

You bet...I still cant comprehend how an NHL team chose this guy in the 2nd round...his only strength is on the PP in which the Canes were 0 for 4 tonite...I figured NHL camp would benefit him but I guess not, even the radio guys were hard on him...there's no need to get penalized for slashing and hooking when you're 6'5.

Mestery and Tadjdeh were the two question marks I had coming into the season, and look at their stats tonite...

Mestery...0 pts, 6 PIM (one leading to a Kootenay goal), and -4
Tadjdeh...35 minutes, 5 goals allowed

Who's the best 1995 born prospect? Looks like he'll be a Cane in 2 yrs...just kidding, I'm glad we have 71 more games to go.

I watched the game,tajdeh was not the problem believe me.

[Tiger Trauma]

Tonight he led all players in ice time(23:54) with a game winning overtime goal and an assist. +2 2PM's 2 blocked shots

Keep an eye on his icetime in future games. From what I've read he is on the fence, and could fall either way.

[moon]

Another banner night for to Mestery I see. Really it's sad that the most experienced d man is quite possibly the worst one on the roster.

Good to see the unfounded hate for Mestery is still around for this year.

I guess he can take over for Wright as the player the fans like to slag for no reason.

Outside of Ross, Mestery was roughly 1000x better than any other defensemen the Hurricanes dressed last night.

[Derek Sutton]

Good to see the unfounded hate for Mestery is still around for this year.

I guess he can take over for Wright as the player the fans like to slag for no reason.

Outside of Ross, Mestery was roughly 1000x better than any other defenseman the Hurricanes dressed last night.

Slag for no reason? What does this guy do on the ice? I know he is a good skater for his size but that's where the pros end and the cons begin. He does not play the body, can't lead/ orchestrate ant sort of breakout, gets muscled off the puck, and doesn't/ can't clear the front of the net. As a defenseman you must be able to do these jobs on the ice, very few can do all of them, but a 6' 5" 19 yr old has to be able to do at least one of them.

[In the crowd]

Tadjdeh was at no fault this game, I have never seen a team play that bad in front of their tender, I felt bad for the kid.

[moon]

Slag for no reason? What does this guy do on the ice? I know he is a good skater for his size but that's where the pros end and the cons begin. He does not play the body, can't lead/ orchestrate ant sort of breakout, gets muscled off the puck, and doesn't/ can't clear the front of the net. As a defenseman you must be able to do these jobs on the ice, very few can do all of them, but a 6' 5" 19 yr old has to be able to do at least one of them.

When I say that he is better than the other guys it has more to do with how bad they are then Mestery being great.

He is not a top 2 defenseman but he is not nearly as bad as people make him out to be and unfortunately a lot better than the other guys we have back there.

[localguy]

When I say that he is better than the other guys it has more to do with how bad they are then Mestery being great.

He is not a top 2 defenseman but he is not nearly as bad as people make him out to be and unfortunately a lot better than the other guys we have back there.

He is also 2-3 years older than all the guys back there, Ryckmann being the only one with whl experience on D. Castro has dub games, but not at D. He doesn't belong in the league, and did not look any batter than any of the young d men last night. Just plain embarassing, lazy penalties, and all the other things Sutton said. Problem is, we won't get anything for him in trade. We might as well have another rookie in his place, so he can learn, and we won't have to waste a 20yr old spot on him next year. And this is nothing like with Benny, Benny could actually play d, and the minutes he logged were not at a detriment to his team. I just don't see how he was touted as the big return in the Fadden trade.

[moon]

He is also 2-3 years older than all the guys back there, Ryckmann being the only one with whl experience on D. Castro has dub games, but not at D.

If we were talking potential then age would matter but when talking about who is better right now not sure what age has to do with it.


He doesn't belong in the league, and did not look any batter than any of the young d men last night. Just plain embarassing, lazy penalties, and all the other things Sutton said.

Mestery doesn't belong in the league? Come on. If that is the case then there are a lot of teams with guys that don't belong in the league and the Hurricanes aren't going to be able to ice a team this year if they go by that.


Problem is, we won't get anything for him in trade. We might as well have another rookie in his place, so he can learn, and we won't have to waste a 20yr old spot on him next year.

You can say that about any older guy on the team. Why have Bancks here when we can have a younger guy learn in his place? or Braes? or Orfino? or Ashton? etc.


And this is nothing like with Benny, Benny could actually play d, and the minutes he logged were not at a detriment to his team.

Mestery can play d and is not a detriment to the team at all.


I just don't see how he was touted as the big return in the Fadden trade.

I would say the big return in the Fadden trade was getting rid of a lazy, one dimensional cancer that didn't want to be here.

[In the crowd]

If I was the Ice GM, I would offer to trade you Ryan Molle for nothing

[localguy]

If we were talking potential then age would matter but when talking about who is better right now not sure what age has to do with it.
Mestery doesn't belong in the league? Come on. If that is the case then there are a lot of teams with guys that don't belong in the league and the Hurricanes aren't going to be able to ice a team this year if they go by that.
You can say that about any older guy on the team. Why have Bancks here when we can have a younger guy learn in his place? or Braes? or Orfino? or Ashton? etc.
Mestery can play d and is not a detriment to the team at all.
I would say the big return in the Fadden trade was getting rid of a lazy, one dimensional cancer that didn't want to be here.

Fadden has a pro contract and hated playing under Roy, all the other vets actually do what they are supposed to do, and add something to the team on the ice. When you have rookies playing as good or better than a 3 yr vet, that's a problem. Mestery coughs up the puck on a regular basis, can't play the body, doesn't play the puck either. What is he doing that helps? The opposition skates around him like he's not even there. I have watched every game he has played here, and there has been no improvement. I don't like to bash these guys because they are kids, maybe he will read this and get mad enough to elevate his game, nothing else seems to. I saw him lay one body check last year, and when he did it the guy went to the bench. So, he obviously does know how to do it, he just doesn't seem to want to, which is more my point than anything.

[scrawny69]

I made the drive up to Cranbrook to watch the season opener last night and can tell you it was a pathetic dispaly of hockey by our boy's all around. Mestery was a Disgrace on the back end I am not sure of the stats that only put him at -4, i was sure he was on the ice for 5 but oh well really what does it matter...the guy cant skate, will not hit, and IS a waste of a lineup space...we would have been better off to dress another one of the 16yr olds then have hiim in the line up. I didnt go to the game expecting a big win from our team but a total lack of offense to go with the expected lack of defense was hard to positive of any point in the game. The best player we had on the ice was little Sofilas who didnt get a lot of ice time but played his heart out when shifts were given. To sum up the first game from my standpoint it is going to be a long few weeks...heres hoping Preston makes a trade or two to shore up our D as any time you face 45-50 shots the odds are against you.....I never thought I could bring myself to say this but heres hoping Yadlowski gets back from camp soon!!haha

vci34

[Jake]

Festerling was assigned to the AHL so one less competitor for Sbisa to beat out.

[BugsBunny]

a lot of experience. That was obvious long before the first day of training camp. It was Stasiuk's defense (or lack of it) that Preston inherited. Now it will be up to Rich Preston to develop it and tinker with it so he gets what he wants. Having not seen either game, I won't comment on the goaltending, but certainly with a weak defense it does adversely affect the goaltenders. So it becomes a case of whether or not he goes after an overage goaltender and one overage D-man or two overage D-men, but at what cost. All the other teams in the "DUB" know that the Hurricanes are hurting on the blue line. Therefore the cost could go up.
Mestery is a mystery. He has the size, he can skate (when he wants to), he can throw his weight around (when he wants to) and he can make good plays (when he thinks about it). Mestery's mystery lies not in the physical but the mental. At times he just seems like a lost soul. Maybe a long series of sessions with a sports psychologist could be a good investment. But for now, Mestery is more of a detriment and looks like anything but an asset.
The kids on the blue line will develop, but they need leadership and Ross (one season) Yadlowski (two seasons) unfortunately can't provide it. Ryckman and Castro (should be let go) aren't the answers.

It will be interesting to see what Preston does this week.

clrkthj Go Canes Go!

[BugsBunny]

aren't that many around the league. There are only three teams that have 4 overage players that include 2 defensemen. They are Prince George, Spokane and Swift Current. Those would be the likely places to look. As for overage goaltenders, there are only three teams with 4 overages with a goaltender being one of 3 goaltenders listed by the team. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Portland and Prince Albert. Once again the pickings are slim. There are only two teams that do not have at least 3 overages and they are Kootenay (2)and Lethbridge (1).

As for Luca coming back, that pipedream should be left alone. Don't bank on money you don't have!

This will be a development year. No doubt about it! Come the trading deadline, players like Bancks, Ashton and Beech will become strong commodities.

clrkthj Go Canes Go!

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Good to see the unfounded hate for Mestery is still around for this year.

I guess he can take over for Wright as the player the fans like to slag for no reason.

Outside of Ross, Mestery was roughly 1000x better than any other defensemen the Hurricanes dressed last night.

Unfounded. You have seen him play have you not.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Mestery coughs up the puck on a regular basis, can't play the body, doesn't play the puck either. What is he doing that helps? The opposition skates around him like he's not even there. I have watched every game he has played here, and there has been no improvement. .

Agree 101%. Mestery will be out of competative hockey soon enough. He only got to where is because of that over used term.....potential. If he were 5'10" and did not look so smooth skating, he would be long gone already. Give me a 16 year old who at least puts in the effort to get better.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Mestery can play d and is not a detriment to the team at all.

.

""""""""""You can not be serious.""""""""""" (To quote John McEnroe)

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

To sum up the first game from my standpoint it is going to be a long few weeks...heres hoping Preston makes a trade or two to shore up our D as any time you face 45-50 shots the odds are against you.....I never thought I could bring myself to say this but heres hoping Yadlowski gets back from camp soon!!haha

vci34

As I stated here earlier, Preston can't panic and over react. I will say though that a couple of quality Dmen are needed. If this goes on for a few more weeks these kids may be so shell shocked the team never recovers this year. Getting you a$$ kicked game after game after game becomes a bad habit.

Scary thought that Yads and Mysery are our best hope on D. Last year Dyck was afraid to put them on the ice in the playoffs and now they are to be our top two.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Festerling was assigned to the AHL so one less competitor for Sbisa to beat out.

I said it before, and I may be wrong but Luca will play in the Dub this year. Where? My guess is Brandon for one of their 2 young euro's. He may not even lace em up at all for the Canes.

[localguy]

aren't that many around the league. There are only three teams that have 4 overage players that include 2 defensemen. They are Prince George, Spokane and Swift Current. Those would be the likely places to look. As for overage goaltenders, there are only three teams with 4 overages with a goaltender being one of 3 goaltenders listed by the team. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Portland and Prince Albert. Once again the pickings are slim. There are only two teams that do not have at least 3 overages and they are Kootenay (2)and Lethbridge (1).

As for Luca coming back, that pipedream should be left alone. Don't bank on money you don't have!

This will be a development year. No doubt about it! Come the trading deadline, players like Bancks, Ashton and Beech will become strong commodities.

clrkthj Go Canes Go!

I think the goalie situation is lees of an issue than the D. The young finn looked real good in the Hat, and will be real good with a little more experience.
As for teams with over agers, they mentioned in the Tigers brodcast that they have 5 over agers, and Calgary could potentially have 4. The true 20 yr old situation will not be known until all junior players are returned form camp. Hopefully there are a couple d-men made available, that are worth aquiring.

[Bare Bear]

Right now we have a team that is simply under achieving. To totally throw in the towel after only two games is down right stupid to say the least. Okay now we have Yads back and are still waiting for Beach and Ashton. Until Rich knows if one, both or none are coming back, why throw the baby out with the bath water? Once we know what we have, then we will know what we really need. While points this time of year are just as important as points in March, we cannot mortgage the future without some good intel. We need to know if Kyle and Carter A. are coming back. Once we know that, then we can go outside to see what can help. I really doubt that we will make the playoffs this year, but by March, we will have something to build on. Rich, Matt, Rich and Robison will make sure of that. Right now you all can do your best by supporting the team by filling the rink. Yes every night. That will only make the cup run in a couple of years even sweeter. The boys deserve your support. The coaching staff needs your support. Let's all make lots of noise when the team finally gets home. I will come down for opening weekend and hope that by then they have gelled more as a team. Hey Bugs, give me a call. I think you have the number. I will even pick up the collect charges. I will pick this up tomorrow. I actually get a few days off! vc178

[scrawny69]

[QUOTE=Bare Bear;139269]Right now we have a team that is simply under achieving. To totally throw in the towel after only two games is down right stupid to say the least. :skeptical

Not trying to say we should give up on the season yet but, as stated earlier in this thread we have known that the D would be weak since training camp...Yadlowski will not be the answer to help us avoid 50-60 shots on net per game...These young goalies can not be expected to handle this many shots on net...As to Kyle and Carter returning returning from pro camp neither are known for their Great Defensive play... Trades must be made soon to shore up our D or we are in for a long season.vci34

[BugsBunny]

Hey Bugs, give me a call. I think you have the number. I will even pick up the collect charges. I will pick this up tomorrow. I actually get a few days off!

Well if you think you know who I am, then call me.

The general feeling is that this young club will be better by the latter Hope of the season. The number one concern is the very young and inexperienced defensive corps led (oops wrong term) by Mestery. If someone could get inside his head and find out what is going on and straighten it out, then they would have a good d-man. But that is not going to happen. When overage picture is settled throughout the league then Preston can deal.

As far as Luca is concerned, if for some reason he is sent back to the Dub, it would be the perfect opportunity for Preston to deal him as his value to a contender would be high. Like HURRICANES ROCK SAYS....to Brandon.

Hope the home opener will be filled and the building loud!

clrkthj Go Canes Go!

[Boltz9]

I said it before, and I may be wrong but Luca will play in the Dub this year. Where? My guess is Brandon for one of their 2 young euro's. He may not even lace em up at all for the Canes.

I would agree he would be a wonderful addition to our team because we could use another defencemen. But I don't see us getting rid of either of our 2 euros, unless Urbom doesn't come back.

[PeacefulChaos]

Well Luca scored the OT winner for the Ducks this Friday against the coyotes, maybe he'll end up making a bigger impression than expected....

[Jake]

Salcido assigned to Manitoba (AHL). Sbisa will probably last until the final cut down/decision time.

Anybody know if there's a games played threshold for him this year? I'm not sure how last year's games played might bear on his UFA status going forward.

[BugsBunny]

the door on anyone returning to the Hurricanes tonight on the "Talk Show". When asked about the possibility of the likes of Sbisa, King, Sceviour, Boychuk returning to the Canes, the answer was basically no. He commented that if anyone happened to return it would be a bonus. However, he specified that those were players of the past and the Hurricanes can only look forward.

Look for the Canes to make a deal for a couple of players in the very near future. In fact I would not be surprised if one was announced tomorrow.

Preston knows his team is young, but as he said tonight on the "Talk Show" he likes the look of his 16/17 year old crop of players, players that will be the face and future of the franchise for years to come.

Jake....the games threshold last year was 40. He played 39. I am not sure what it is this year, but he could go past the 40 mark because last year he was only 18. But I am not sure.

clrkthjGo Canes Go

[shushu]

Jake....the games threshold last year was 40. He played 39. I am not sure what it is this year, but he could go past the 40 mark because last year he was only 18. But I am not sure.

clrkthjGo Canes Go[/QUOTE]


Under article 8.7 in the NHLPA agreement for players age 18 or 19 it reads as follows During the first two season next succeding the draft at age 18 players the club has signs an spc (philadelphia) in this case must first offer him to the club from which he was claimed before it may loan him. He will get paid a minimum of $10500.00 us . The keep concept here is that after 10 games in regular season he gets 1 year of eligabilty under the contract. And thus then would move up substantially in salary. I checked the schedule for him and he could be listed for games upto October 18, 2008 when they must either keep him or return him to our team. That being said we will lose him for at least 7 games or he makes the pro team. All I can say what will be will be and Luca good luck if you stay there and great luck for us if and when you return

this is a tough one to predict, last year philly was in tough with all their injured d man....aniheim is not in such bad shape, and im not sure how this would effect his contract status as he is only 19 and keeping him past this date could give him another year of eligability on his contract if he goes past 10 games and then is returned....one thing is for sure if he sticks past his 10th game he is there for good......im probably wrong, but thats the way it sounds..grainbear probably knows better.............

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

I would agree he would be a wonderful addition to our team because we could use another defencemen. But I don't see us getting rid of either of our 2 euros, unless Urbom doesn't come back.

How are your 2 new Euro's doing? It seemed to me you got a couple of top end players in the draft by wheeling and dealing. You don't think if you are short on D that Kelly would deal one for Sbisa, who is a Euro.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Look for the Canes to make a deal for a couple of players in the very near future. In fact I would not be surprised if one was announced tomorrow.

Preston knows his team is young, but as he said tonight on the "Talk Show" he likes the look of his 16/17 year old crop of players, players that will be the face and future of the franchise for years to come.
clrkthjGo Canes Go

I missed the show. From your comments it sounds like maybe we are gonna deal and go young. Is that kinda the feeling you got from Preston's overall comments?

[shushu]

I missed the show. From your comments it sounds like maybe we are gonna deal and go young. Is that kinda the feeling you got from Preston's overall comments?

he said there is no reason for not being competitive every year and to trade away talent for next year is a waste of time....bring in players that you need right now and keep your youth for the future is what he was hinting at...he said shore up the weak area's and make it the best year you can..and draft every year without selling out your future.....never give up 1st, 2nd or 3rd draft picks as this will keep your team strong, but if you do make trades like that regain those pick through other trades...lol...good riddance roy..........brandon is a good example of what he talking about..................

[BugsBunny]

competitive each year or very competitive. He may have to tinker a bit at the trading deadline in order to match the other top clubs in the DUB, since the Wheaties host the Mem Cup.

I got the sense listening (because that is the only option with the supposed "Talk Show") that Preston wants to maintain an even balance with each age group so that the club is competitive each year and as mentioned not trade off his top draft picks. However, and this is just my thought, but depending on where the club is at the trading deadline and depending on the year that Ashton and Beech are having, I could see him moving both players to contenders for either a top draft pick or a good young talent.

Having watched their practice yesterday, one thing is for sure, they will be in shape. His practices are very high tempo. Despite their first two games, the kids were having fun and had smiles on their faces. Good sign!

clrkthj Go Canes Go!

[Jake]

McCarthy traded to Atlanta, Mitera assigned to San Antonio today.

[Jake]

http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2009/10/25/sbisa-to-be-re-assigned-giguere-on-the-mend/21999/

He can't be assigned to the A so Sbisa almost HAS to be returning to the dub. I suppose one could speculate about an assignment to a European team or something along those lines but the WHL makes plenty of sense.

:thumb:

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Article on the Ducks website:

http://ducks.nhl.com/

Interesting that Carlye first says " he’s going from the NHL to possibly having to play back in junior hockey ". Then he says he will play Major Jr Hockey. "have him play in major junior hockey". No mention of being assigned to his Junior team, which is of course the Canes. Is he booking tickets for a flight to Brandon. Either way if he comes back to the Dub the Canes did hit a bit of a jackpot.

[shushu]

Article on the Ducks website:

http://ducks.nhl.com/

Interesting that Carlye first says " he’s going from the NHL to possibly having to play back in junior hockey ". Then he says he will play Major Jr Hockey. "have him play in major junior hockey". No mention of being assigned to his Junior team, which is of course the Canes. Is he booking tickets for a flight to Brandon. Either way if he comes back to the Dub the Canes did hit a bit of a jackpot.

as to where he goes so not to screw with his development...like you said brandon the blades who knows.....either way if it is back to the dub jackpot is a right word...........

[Bocephus]

Everyone seems to think that Sbisa will be going to the Wheaties or the Blades.
I'll throw this one out there. How about the Canes trading him to the Winterhawks straight up for 17 year old hometown boy Brad Ross. Portland seems to be a team that is set to contend this year and are loaded with quality young players so they may not miss a beat up front by giving up Ross and their backend would be bolstered with the veteran presence of Sbisa. Portland also has the great 17 year old Swiss player Niederreiter that Sbisa could mentor with the N/A game and culture. Portland's second Euro is 18 year old Jacob Berglund who hasn't been generating very good numbers this year so they could cut him loose possibly.
If it was a trade to the Blades I would think Siemens and Thrower would be a fair package.
I just can't see him landing in Brandon with Urbom and Rajala already there as those two players agreed to join the Mem Cup hosts only since they are highly thought of prospects. It wouldn't look very good on Brandon to ship one of those players out.
I could see this Canes team looking very different in a month as Sbisa and Ashton could be sent to contenders for some real nice young players. I for one would love to see it happen for the players benefit, they deserve to play for a contender, and for the Canes organization.

[loudi94]

I'll throw this one out there. How about the Canes trading him to the Winterhawks straight up for 17 year old hometown boy Brad Ross.

While sentimentally it is a great idea and it would most certainly get me to renew my season tickets, it could be the worst thing in the world for Ross. Too many friends here = too many distractions. Let him flourish in Portland.

[localguy]

I would say Calgary or Vancouver, they always seem to be big winners in these situations. However, releasing Valachar opens a euro and 20 spot, so that would make room for a trade for a younger euro and a 20. Like say Niemi, and Hulak.

[dagley]

I am pretty sure we will throw a huge deal at you guys. If he is back in Lethbridge I can almost certainly guarantee McCrimmon will throw a big deal to you guys, which would probably also include Ashton. Sbisa playing with Robak on the powerplay would make me smile ear to ear :)

[Oilersguy]

It's confirmed, Sbisa back to Lethbridge on monday. Where he goes from there is anybody's guess.

[Jake]

Ville Kolppanen could also be re-assigned if Preston chooses to hang on to Sbisa for the time being.

Another thought, the Valchar deal was for a conditional pick, I wonder what the conditions were?

[shushu]

Ville Kolppanen could also be re-assigned if Preston chooses to hang on to Sbisa for the time being.

Another thought, the Valchar deal was for a conditional pick, I wonder what the conditions were?

the only thing would be how well he performs on the team, with that being said the 6th round pick would be conditional especially if it a deep draft year...how well valchar does opposed to who is being drafted in the 6th round.......

[Jake]

http://gdrinnan.blogspot.com/

Will he play another game in Lethbridge?

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

http://gdrinnan.blogspot.com/

Will he play another game in Lethbridge?

Yes he will play for the Canes. Things have changed a lot in the last 24 hours. The Ducks now say "he will be assigned to the Canes" rather than just saying he is going back to junior. I think Preston had a chat with the Ducks to make things clearer and to quiet his agent a bit. How long he stays depends on what the Canes do in the next month. Win a lot or lose most and then we will see what direction the team takes. I think when things wash out we will be a lot better than most people think. It starts with Rowat, who can be really good, and with Sbisa our D will be massively improved. Get a better 20 year old than Valchar and maybe a couple role players to fill holes and we will see.
One thing for sure is our PP with Sbisa should improve immensely. One or two timely PP goals here and there and those tight games we lost could be wins. At least 3 of our last few losses were by one goal. Two in O/T while shorthanded. Turn just those 3 of our 15 games into wins and we have 16 points. That puts us in 7th spot and only 1 point out of 6th. It also makes us 8 - 2 in our last 10.
I know you can say coulda shoulda woulda blah blah blah, but the scenario I present here is very realistic if Sbisa was in the lineup the last 10 games. THE CURRENT CANES TEAM IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TEAM THAN THE ONE THAT LOST ALL THOSE GAMES TO START THE YEAR. A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TEAM AND MUCH MUCH BETTER ...................... AND NOW ADD SBISA TO THE MIX AND A SOLID 20 YEAR OLD FORWARD AND WE GET WAY BETTER YET.
I venture to say no other team in the Dub has changed as much as the Canes have. The next couple of weeks should be very interesting in Canes land. A lot of winnable home games coming up.

[Bocephus]

Yes he will play for the Canes. Things have changed a lot in the last 24 hours. The Ducks now say "he will be assigned to the Canes" rather than just saying he is going back to junior. I think Preston had a chat with the Ducks to make things clearer and to quiet his agent a bit. How long he stays depend on what the Canes do in the next month. Win a lot or lose most and then we will see what direction the team takes. I think when things wash out we will be a lot better than some think. Starts with Rowat who can be really good and with Sbisa our D will be massively improved. Get a better 20 year old than Valchar and maybe a couple role players to fill holes and we will see.
I wonder if this request by his agent has had any input by Luca himself. Perhaps Luca's experience with last years regime has left a bad taste in his mouth. I would think that the relationship history of Duck's GM Bob Murray and Preston could alleviate any concerns Luca and his agent have in regards to returning. My guess is that the chemistry and cohesion of this team is far better than it was last season.
If Luca returns...
Sbisa - Mestery Top pairing and PP duo which would allow Reddington to get off the PP.
Reddington - Ross Perfect to match other teams top line and become a shut down duo.
Yadlowski - Oslanski Quite capable of playing 12 to 15 minutes a game and playing some PP and PK situations.
Ryckman - Jackson Perfect for these two youngsters to develop without any pressure and to be available as injury replacement and also when Sbisa is away at the WJC.

Seems like the Defensive would be in fantastic shape. A far cry from the beginning of the season.

[ZAMBONI-PHONEY]

Sbisa certainly could help this team, trouble is it looks like his agent is sticking his nose in and wants Luca on a contender. He could force Preston into a undervalued trade.
:groovy:

[Bocephus]

Sbisa certainly could help this team, trouble is it looks like his agent is sticking his nose in and wants Luca on a contender. He could force Preston into a undervalued trade.
:groovy:
How can he FORCE Preston to do anything?
From what I understand now that the Ducks have send Sbisa back to the bridge all the cards are in the Canes hands now.
Of course you can't make a player perform. I think Luca has far too much integrity and character to pull any BS.
Also, once Sbisa plays a few games he will realize that the club isn't even close to the club that started out losing their first six.
I have zero inside knowledge but is it possible that there is someone on the club that Sbisa doesn't get along with? I find it hard to believe that Sbisa's development will be retarded from being coached by Preston.

[ZAMBONI-PHONEY]

that if the agent encouraged Sbisa not to report until he was dealt to a "contender" then it might "force" Preston to deal him. However, with the strong relationship that Preston has with the Bob Murray (Duck's GM) I doubt that would happen. Sbisa is well liked by the leadership on this team so that is not a problem. Preston's coaching and knowledge of what the Ducks want to see from Sbisa will certainly help him. The agent should back off and let Sbisa get on with the Hurricanes.
:groovy:

[canes77]

and also when Sbisa is away at the WJC.



Not only will Sbisa be away for a month at the WJHC, but Im pretty sure the Swiss will choose him to play in Vancouver at the Olympics...not many Swiss D-men can play in the NHL and Sbisa is one of the few...so thats almost half of the regular season he wont be in the WHL, does that lower his trade value??

I HOPE to see him in his Canes jersey this weekend but he hasnt shown up yet (as of Tues evening)...

[Jake]

Not only will Sbisa be away for a month at the WJHC, but Im pretty sure the Swiss will choose him to play in Vancouver at the Olympics...not many Swiss D-men can play in the NHL and Sbisa is one of the few...so thats almost half of the regular season he wont be in the WHL, does that lower his trade value??

I HOPE to see him in his Canes jersey this weekend but he hasnt shown up yet (as of Tues evening)...

Good point about the Olympics - I doubt it would have much impact on the return the team gets. Sbisa's value to the team that acquires him is in the post season, the regular season is more or less gravy.

[shushu]

looks like the agent is getting in the way.......
http://gdrinnan.blogspot.com/
A source in Lethbridge says that D Luca Sbisa, 19, having been told by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks that he was being returned to the WHL, was all set to rejoin the Lethbridge Hurricanes and had, in fact, already contacted his former billet. But that was before Andre Rufner, Sbisa’s agent, became involved and now is believed to be trying to arrange a trade between the Hurricanes and a Western Conference team. . . . The wildcard in all of this, however, may be that Rich Preston, Lethbridge’s GM/head coach, and Anaheim GM Bob Murray are long-time friends. . . . You have to think Sbisa could do a lot worse than go back to Lethbridge, play 30 minutes a game and get his game back in gear. After all, the Ducks are concerned about his development and nothing helps that like lots of ice time and playing in all situations. . . . You can bet that Western Conference general managers are paying close attention. As Vancouver GM Scott Bonner told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province: ““If he was available, I’m sure every team in the league would inquire, but I know I haven’t got a call about him and I know that Rich Preston is pretty excited about getting him back. If it was us, we would keep the player. We would tell the player to come back and play for us and I think Rich will take the same stance.”


SORRY DIDN'T SEE THE POST ABOVE.........

[CrazyCanesFan]

Oh my goodness, why does his agent have to try and get involved? Just let Sbisa play in Lethbridge! He will keep on developing here just as much as any other team in the league. Sbisa has already contacted his billet and sounds pretty content on playing with the Hurricanes. It doesn't even sound like he even has any say on what his agent does for him. Hopefully Preston can get this all sorted out and Sbisa will be playing with the 'Canes very soon.

[doc64]

and they are more like an extended family than just a place to stay. They have visited Luca in Philly and Anaheim already and would be more than happy to have him back in their house. I totally agree the agent should stay out of it for the time being. Let Luca play here till closer to trade deadline and then re-assess both the players position and the teams needs.

Really hope this can happen, I think Luca would be a great influence on a number of our young D and perhaps one of the older ones as well.

[ZAMBONI-PHONEY]

:groovy: It is on PS' Blog (voice of the Canes) that Sbisa will be back here Thursday night and in the lineup against Seattle Friday night. Great News! :groovy: