Carolina Hurricanes And The Changes
Naftali Clinton of The Daily Faceoff: The Carolina Hurricanes did not expect to fall down 3-0 to the New York Rangers. Though the team fought back, Carolina lost another heartbreaker in Game 7 that may have been the most bitter pill to swallow.
Changes feel inevitable. Don Waddell will still be there. Rod Brind’Amour will too with a five-year coaching extension. It appears clear Carolina wants to change the player personnel considerably.
Moving on from aging defensemen like Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce is at least possible. Seth Jarvis will stay but his status for the start of the season is in question. Again, special teams became a major issue again, as teams exploited differences from the regular to the postseason.
How Don Waddell addresses those issues and Brind’Amour utilizes the roster may be the ultimate keys in advancing Carolina to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup after several high-profile failures.
NHL Features: Carolina Changes Coming?
Toronto And The Search For Defense
Michael Derosa of The Hockey News: The Toronto Maple Leafs desire to build up their defense yet again. While there are other holes to fill, the defense seems to fail them at critical moments. Overall, Toronto remains one of the better teams in the league though.
There is a good chance a reshuffling of the defensive deck is likely. Candidates like Brandon Montour, Brett Pesce, Nikita Zadorov, and Chris Tanev could figure to easily be on the market. Pesce’s injury impacted Carolina’s chance to advance. The other three remain in the playoffs.
Undoubtedly, these are the defensemen that every team needs. However, the injury risk to these defenders is high. Choosing wisely without overpaying remains Toronto’s biggest priority this summer. Improving the core defense while helping penalty kill and avoiding lapses is paramount.
This is one of those decisions that Shanahan must get right. Pressure only keeps mounting on his job and now Craig Berube, who was hired last Friday. Berube was brought in for accountability and a hopeful boost in team defensive play especially in the playoffs.
NHL Rumors: Toronto and Buffalo Rumors
The Toronto Maple Leafs see their window closing. More errors now could extend that Stanley Cup drought much, much further.